Photos of my Early Steps Reading Kit

I no longer really use this blog (except for assignments like this one). My "real" website that I am currently at work on--and am much more pleased with--is Peeling to the Core. It will eventually include information from all my Westminster education classes and be a little less haphazard than this :). Anyway, as promised by this post's title, here are some pictures of my Early Steps reading kit.

A shot from the top of my kit with my pencils and sharpie bundle missing in action (on my couch). I also keep my manuscript alphabet example handy on top of the envelopes, so my students can have a model to support them as needed--most frequently for letter reversals.

The Olive Garden container that holds my timer, vis-a-vis makers, extra blank notecards and other various and asundry supplies.

Age-Appropriate Book Options

Older struggling readers should not be repeatedly subjected to the exploits of Dick and Jane and their contemporary counterparts simply beccause their reading abilities remain at an emergent level. Respecting a student's chronological age is equally important as addressing their reading level. Publishers like High Noon Books helps teachers meet both goals by providing high-interest books that are also accessible.

Art Access/VSA

Art plays an important role in my life, offering me the chance for self-expression and creative freedom. Art Access, Utah's chapter of VSA (initially called Very Special Artists), helps artists with disabilities experience that same joy. Their website is rich in listing upcoming events that explore the intersection of differing abilities and artistic creation as well as workshops and programs geared to specific demographics. Teachers should investigate their integrated arts resources while parents might research Kindred Spirits, a program for children "whose chronological and/or cognitive age is 5 to 13."

Options for Apps

Apple's iPad has revolutionized education, and Kauri Sue Hamilton School has taken full advantage of the apps available. Their website includes a helpful PDF telling parents what apps are currently in use at their school. The apps are sorted into categories, which makes it easy to find apps appropriate to individual learners' needs.

Utah Center for Assistive Technology

Earlier this semester, my special education class took a field trip to the Utah Center for Assistive Technology (UCAT). I was impressed not only by their hospitality, but also by the range of assitive, adaptive, and accomodative services they provide. We were able to see multiple ways to increase quality of life via communication devices such as peck systems--both physical and on an iPad--adapted mouses and keyboards, and a puff device. UCAT is a useful resource for both school districts and individuals with disabilities.

TouchMath

TouchMath is a program that kinesthetically teaches learners numbers. While it was designed for the general education population, it is particulary helpful for some children in special education who benefit from a tactile connection to the numbers. The TouchMath website offers more information about their products and the consistent touching patterns they employ.

Writing Evaluation Reports in Special Education

After conducting a battery of assessments, especially on triennial re-evaluations for SPED services, it is essential that the special educator can compose an accessible report explaining to the parents and future instructors the testing results. Fortunately, several template reports exist online to scaffold beginning teachers new to educational report writing. The National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET) has also produced a PowerPoint entitled "Writing a Comprehensive Report in Special Education" to guide teachers through each step of the process. I find the ppt. more beneficial than the samples, because the samples do not always conform with the recommended length of three to five pages.

Sample report for Jane, a student with behavioral difficulties
Evaluation report for Caitlin

Testing Accomodations

Testing accomodations and even modifications are important for students who are unable to take an assessement in the format typically proscribed. The National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) lists the five main accomdation categories:

• Presentation (e.g., repeat directions, read aloud, large print, braille, etc.)
• Equipment and material (e.g., calculator, amplification equipment, manipulatives, etc.)
• Response (e.g., mark answers in book, scribe records response, point, etc.)
• Setting (e.g., study carrel, student's home, separate room, etc.)
• Timing/Scheduling (e.g., extended time, frequent breaks, etc.)

The NCEO also contains links to information on alternate and universally designed assessments. Tests that are designed to be accessible, like Dynamic Learning Maps, will require less accomodations than those that are not. 

Ryan Kettler, a professor at Rutgers University, answers questions about writing testing accomodations into IEPs and deciding which accomodations should be used in a short but informative podcast sponsored by the IRIS Center.

Ethical Considerations in Testing

Assessment initially seemed like a dry subject, necessary but consuming valuable instruction time. After a semester-long course addressing the plethora of assessments and their purposes, my perspective--needless to say--has shifted substantially. I recognize now the critical role testing plays in determining placement and provision of services. Assessmentsof which I was initally unaware were equally--if not more so--high-stakes than what is typically categorized under that term. As a result of the power given to assessments' results in shaping children's educational futures, adminstrators need to be especailly careful and cognizant of the ethical dimension to testing to avoid misapplying or misinterpreting test results.

The American Psychological Association has prepared a Code of Fair Testing Practices in Education, providing guidelines for test givers and takers alike. The text's authors, the Joint Committee on Testing Practices, cover four key areas: developing and selecting appropriate tests, administering and scoring tests, reporting and interpreting test results, and, finally, informing test takers. Administrators should be qualified and follow the procedures outline in each assessment to minimize testing bias.

Numerous academic articles also address this important like L.K. Knauss' 2001 "Ethical Issues in Psychological Assessment in School Settings," which, according to his abstract, covers "informed consent, nondiscriminatory assessment, projective personality assessment, and computerized psychological testing" as well as "the process of parental consent and invovlement." 

Curriculum-Based Assessments (CBMs)

Curriculum-Based Assessments (CBMs) are an excellent tool to screen students, track their progess, diagnose difficulties, and drive instructional decisions. CBM results are also important for parents who want to know how their children are doing and for special educators preparing to write PLAAFP statements. CBMs can be given in reading, writing, spelling, math and other academic content areas. Searching the homepages for test makers like DIBELS and AIMSweb can be beneficial in learning more about CBMs. These sites often have information about the intricately intertwined processes of RTI and CBM. Additional online resources include Intervention Central: CBM Warehouse, which includes links to various assessments; a PDF of CBM examples for literacy, math, and writing; and a hefty, five-chapter document by Syracuse City (NY) specialist Jim Wright among many more.

Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM)

It's easy to get lost when exploring Dynamic Learning Maps (DLMs). The official DLM website is attractive, innovative, and rather vague. The site includes information explaining the assessment and answering frequently asked questions. DLM will be beta tested with students who have significant cognitive disabilities (a relatively small population), and, if successful, extended to other groups. DLM is currently being developed and tested in 14 states including Utah. The following PDF versions of powerpoints are helpful in navigating this topic, but require extensive time to peruse: History of the Common Core Essential Elements & The Dynamic Learning Maps Consortiuum and Dynamic Learning Maps Alternate Assessment Consortium Overview. The Alternate Assessment Consortia: Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) provides similar content but in article form.

Response to Intervention (RTI)

Response to Intervention (RTI) is a system for identifying students who are struggling and providing them the additional help they need to be successful. Imagine a pyramid. The base is composed of students whose needs can be adequately met by high-quality instruction in the general education classroom with minimal progress monitoring in key areas. For example, they would only be given DIBELS testing at the beginning, middle, and end of each school year. However, for some students, this is not be enough. After testing data or teacher observation reveals problems, the general educator can conduct interventions to address the issue. If after three interventions--each lasting eight to 12 weeks--the student still fails to make progress, they are entitled to Tier 2 services, which involves more frequent progress monitoring at the rate of at least once every other week. If the student needs more support, they can qualify for additional services at Tier 3 level, which involves even more frequent and precise progress monitoring. Tier 3 interventions are ideally conducted one-to-one and tailored to a student's specific needs. RTI at the higher levels requires specific skills and should be administered only by a special educator, not parent volunteers. Also, the second and third tier should supplement general classroom instruction, not replace it. Unfortunately, scheduling conflicts caused by budget cuts make this unrealistic in many cases.

The National Center on the Response to Intervention offers additional information defining RTI and its implementation. The site also includes definitions of key terms and a mind map of RTI's essential components. The series of webinars are also useful.

RTI Action Network's content overlaps The National Center on the Response to Intervention, but their website format seems more navigable. Vistors to the page can click on the tabs at the left to learn more about RTI, create a plan incorporating RTI's essential components, connect with others in the field, and develop professionally. The headings at the top addressing particular demographic groups within the education population--pre-K, K-5, middle school, high school, and higher ed--is helpful for people focusing on a particular student or age rather than seeking information on RTI in general. In addition to their link for parents and families, RTI Action Network also has an extensive annotated bibliography for individuals who are scholastically inclined.

Signing Santa Stops at City Creek

On Friday, November 30, 2012 The Salt Lake Tribune included a blurb entitled "Signs for the Season" in their Utah Section (B8). Since its length likely excluded it from being posted on the Trib's website, I've included the text here: "Ken McLean, a signing Santa, signs to 4-year old Quinsi Wakeland as she sits on his lap Thursday at the City Creek Center with 90 of her classmates from the Jean Massieu School of the Deaf in Salt Lake City. McLean, of Denver, has been a signing Santa for five years. The students met with Santa and participated in other holiday activities at the shopping center in downtown Salt Lake City." A jolly photograph of a red-clad Saint Nick (McLean) with a wee girl (Wakeland) seated on his lap and intently watching his face and fingers accompanied the text. I was delighted to see there are opportunities for children who are deaf to communicate their Chrismtas wishlist to the man at the North Pole. It seems Santa can suit every child's needs. (The photograph was taken by Steve Griffin. The text wasn't attributed to an author.)

IDEA Disability Category Handouts

Throughout this semester in my Diversity and Learning class at Westminster College (essentially an introduction to special education), we have all been required to give one small-group presentation to our class on an IDEA disability category. In addition to the PowerPoints and Prezis produced, my peers and I were also required to provide handouts with the legal definition and characteristics of the disability as well as teaching/learning strategies and links to helpful resources. My partner, Brittany, and I created the handout on Intellectual disabilities (seventh down). 

• Autism
• Deaf-blindness
• Deafness
• Developmental delay
• Emotional disturbance
• Hearing impairment
• Intellectual disability
• Multiple disabilities (with visuals)
• Orthopedic impairment
• Other health impairment
• Specific learning disability
• Speech or language impairment
• Traumatic brain injury
• Visual impairment, including blindness

English Language Learner Resource List

Learning can be a daunting task for students even when the language used in school matches the language they speak at home. English language learners (ELLs) not only contend with new content material, but they also must cope with instructions given in their non-native language. Teachers can help lessen ELLs' stress by becoming cognizant of their special needs. Below is a list of a resources designed to help educators teach students whose primary language is not English.

UEN's ELL Resorces

Utah Education Network (UEN) is an excellent starting place, since they have a full page devoted to ELL resources. The site divides their resource list into six categories: General, Teaching Ideas, Resources, For Students, Forums, and finally News and Research. For each link, UEN describes what the site includes and how it might be beneficial.

Colorin Colorado

Colorin Colorado's mission is "Helping children read....and succeed!" The cheery website is tailored to support Spanish-speaking families since 80% of ELLs first language is Spanish; in fact, the entire website can be viewed en Espanol. Despite their emphasis on Spanish, Colorin Colorado is currently in the process of expanding their resources to be inclusive of more languages. In addition to Spanish, they also offer reading tip sheets "for parents of children in Preschool through Third grade" in Arabic, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Hmong, Korean, Navajo, Russian, Tagolog, and Vietnamese. Colorin Colorado was one of the links suggested by UEN.

UCLA Language Materials Project

Another resource listed on UEN's site, "UCLA Language Materials Project: Teaching Resources for Less Commonly Taught Languages," nicely supplements the narrowness of Colorin Colorado's focus. UCLA's Language Materials home page includes a clickable map of the world. Once viewers have selected a region, they can scroll through a list of languages spoken in the region and learn about individual language profiles. This is an excellent--albeit more academic--resource. It could be a wonderful site for high school world geography and history students to explore.

Vocabulary Games

Games can be an effective way to make learning fun, and Vocabulary.co.il has a wide variety. Twenty-four types of vocabulary games are listed at the top left of the site and language options are listed at the bottom right with flags symbolizing the language. The site also differentiates between ability/age level.

Rethinking Schools

Like UEN, Rethinking Schools has a page targeted to the needs of educators teaching ELLs. They list "Strategies for Improving Instruction for English Language Learners," "Strategies for Becoming More Culturally Competent,"a description of "Types of ESL and Bilingual Programs," and a lastly a list of additional resources from books to websites. They also link to their own specialized resource page entitled "Bilingual Education Resources."

SERGE

SERGE (Special Education Resources for General Educators) is a valuable site for general educators striving to include students with special needs in their classrooms. SERGE poses Seven Essential Questions general educators might ask and then provides teachers with the short answer follwed by additional sub-questions and resources for further exploration. Since I am earning a dual license in general and special education, I was particularly interested in Question 5: "How do I collaborate to benefit my students?" Included under this question category were resources and links on co-teaching, progress monitoring, and partnering with parents. I also appreciated the links SERGE gave to official government websites when answering Question 7 about teacher responsibilities tied to legislation at the federal, state, and local levels. SERGE is an excellent resource since it not only offers a synthesis of information, but also offers links to primary sources for those who have more time to investigate.

Ways to Differentiate

Mindsteps is a company committed to helping teachers improve their praxis "today to
raise student achievement tomorrow." Part of their resource collection is devoted to ways educators can differentiate instruction to fit their students' various needs and abilties. Mindsteps classifies students into four categories: Low Content, High Process (LCHP); Low Content, Low Process (LCLP); High  Content, Low Process (HCLP); and finally High Content, High Process (HCHP). The Four Types of Students – Reference Guide offers suggested strategies for each of these four types in the areas of content, process, product, and environment. To further increase teachers' awareness of their students' diverse needs, Mindsteps has developed a Blank Differentiated Unit Planning Sheet to guide teachers as they develop their lessons. The website also offers links to sample units in three different disciplines (English, history, and math) to serve as exemplars.

Technological Options for SPED

Special education does not lack for acronyms, and this week I discovered a new one: UAAACT. The Utah Augmentative Alternative Communicaiton and Technology Teams Project, supported by the Utah State Office of Education and the Utah State Office of Rehabilitation, provides professional links to over 30 sites related to technological adaptations and supports for individuals with disabilities. While some links were already familiar to me (e.g. The Arc and the Utah Parent Center), others expanded my awareness of available tools. Both Apple and IBM devote portions of their websites to describing product accessibility for those with special needs. Other businesses like RJ Cooper and Associates sell equipment that further extends access beyond what these brands offer.

The websites linked to from the UAAACT page varied greatly in design and credibility from individual educators assembling their preferred resource lists to companies attempting to market their products. Overall, I generally preferred sites associated soley with educational instituions (.edu) versus ones seeking profits (.com); the Enabling Devices catalog under the Toys for Children link was one major exception.

Exploring across several sites tonight, the options for adaptive equipment seem endless--limited only by human ingenuity. Happily, we've moved far beyond Stone and Bronze Age tools to technology capable of enriching the lives of those previously barred from full participation in society as a result of their disabilities.

IDEA on IEPs: Supplementary Aids and Services

As mentioned in my first post a few weeks ago, the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY) contains pertinent information related to IDEA legislation, including extensive details on IEP planning and execution. NICHCY explains IDEA's legalese with relevant examples of how the law has been interpreted, implemented, and expanded through subsequent reauthorizations. Under the umbrella of  "Contents of the IEP,"  NICHCY offers links to 13 sections that flesh out IEPs' component parts. Of the links, only two ("Extent of Nonparticipation" and "Service Delivery") do not contain the specific heading "IDEA's Exact Words," though both still quote the legislation.

Under the "Supplementary Aids and Services" heading, NICHCY offers a more comprehensive look at aids and services provided for students with disabilities than offered in the brief IDEA excerpt. While I initially associated supplementary aids with technological supports such as communication devices, the article broadened my definition of what types of supports can be given. Knowing the array of options as well as the process for explicitly defining them in a student's IEP will be indispensible information for me to possess as a special educator. 

Resources from the Council for Exceptional Children

The Council for Exceptional Children’s website offers a plethora of resources for special educators. Under the “Support for Teachers” heading, instructors can access teacher-written articles related to streamlining SPED paperwork, collaborating and developing mentor/mentee relationships, co-teaching with general educators, retaining one’s initial passion for students with exceptionalities, and other topical issues related to special education. While these resources will continue to be beneficial to me, I can currently use them to augment what I am learning in class with perspectives of teachers already in the field. Below are three links to articles taken from the site:

My Dirty Dozen
by Sheila Amato, CEC Clarissa Hug Teacher of the Year 2008

Sheila was right: her title certainly piqued my interest. More importantly, however, her tips for both novice and experienced teachers rewarded my attention. Although I found all Sheila's tips helpful, number 11 was particularly memorable!

Co-Teaching 101: Lessons from the Trenches
by Marie Huggins, Jennifer Huyghe, and Elizabeth Iljkoski

Marie Huggins, Jennifer Huyghe, and Elizabeth Iljkoski's tone is less playful, but the information they share is no less pertinent. Grounded in their classroom experiences at the secondary level, their article provides a brief definition of co-teaching before delving into their own unique experiences as special and content area (biology and English) educators. Their stories gave life to the information about co-teaching offered in our Including Students with Special Needs text (p.76-79). One quotation from their article particularly struck me: "When arranging for co-teaching between general and special education in your schook, keep in mind that special education is a service, not a place." Too often—especially in the past—special education relegated students to a separate room instead of making them participants in a shared classrom. This sentence succintly sums up how I believe special education should be treated and delivered.

Five Strategies to Limit the Burdens of Paperwork
by Lynne Cook and K. Sarah Hall

Though I am dedicated to becoming a special educator, I am concerned about managing the paperwork it entails. Lynne Cook and K. Sarah Hall try to expedite the paperwork process while retaining its essential value. Their five strategies call for increased focus on student needs, using one source for a variety of contexts, reducing the amount of "informal" record keeping, understanding legal requirments, and finally encouraging student ownership of their IEPs by allowing students to participate in their IEP's development.