Differentiated Instruction

What is Differentiated Instruction? Well, there are many definitions of differentiated instruction such as: teaching students the same materials in different ways, teaching students in the same classroom at different cognitive levels, and so on. How I feel differentiated instruction should be defined is as follows: a teacher using different instructional strategies to meet a pre-determined standard for all students, while also creating a higher level of rigor to match the ability level of each individual student in the classroom. This means that every student will achieve the standard being taught that day in class while also allowing exploration for students who obtain the standard without much effort and extra needed supports for students who struggle to meet the standard. Instructional mediums including manipulatives, technologies, and grouping strategies could be used in the same classroom to ensure every student is working to their potential. A great example of differentiated instruction would be in a classroom with stations that allow for students to interact with the above mentioned technologies. The teacher would be a supporter of the students who struggle the most while the students who have obtained mastery with the content standard could explore applications and other higher order thinking skills on Bloom’s Taxonomy. I like to think of differentiated instruction as a teacher in a one-room school house. She or he would teacher multiple grade levels the same content but at a level that each student could understand. The main goal with Differentiated Instruction is that every student obtains the standard in the way that is most appropriate for their needs.

Citations:
Fecich, S. (2015, July 7). GCSE657. Graduate Class. Lecture conducted from , 2015, 7 July- 2015, 20 August.
http://www.snipview.com/q/Mathematical_manipulatives

Deaf and Hard of Hearing

When people mention Deaf some ideas pop into our minds about what the word means or how we associate with those who are deaf. Some may think of their grandma or grandpa who are getting old and can’t hear or a young kid born hard of hearing. I personally think of my dear aunt who was born partially deaf in one ear and fully deaf in the other.  No matter how you think of it, being deaf or hard of hearing makes a person unique and opens the door into a community of supporters.

              In my first year of teaching, I had a student that was hard of hearing in my classroom. This student had hearing aid in his ear that allowed him to hear at an elevated level that his ear’s natural ability. I was glad that no one picked on the student or singled them out because of hearing, and this student never let his hearing get in the way of his learning. This is a case of someone who is hard of hearing, losing a part of hearing, that I had experience teaching.

In my second year of teaching, I had the honor, yes I said honor, of teaching a girl who was fully deaf in one year and almost fully deaf in the other ear. She described to me her struggles as a person who was deaf. Some of the most common events were troublesome to her because she couldn’t hear. She often described how waking up in the morning she had an alarm that flashed and vibrated her mattress. The fire alarm in her house was a very very bright light that would flash to alert her of the imminent danger. Most importantly though, her biggest struggle growing up was learning in the classroom. Until her middle school years, she didn’t have cochlear implants,

surgically implanted hearing devices, to help her listen to the teacher through the FM system. She solely relied on lip reading and visual aids. She told me how this was a struggle because she would miss key information about a lesson if the teacher forgot to look at her while he/she was talking.

Deaf and hard of hearing students are very active students. As teachers we need to know how we can use various assistive technologies to aid in their learning, and how we can differentiate to accommodate their needs.

Citations:
Fecich, S. (2015, July 7). GCSE657. Graduate Class. Lecture conducted from , 2015, 7 July- 2015, 20 August.
http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/eyes/cochlear.html
 http://www.oticon.com/support/wireless-connectivity/amigo-fm/videos.aspx

Visual impairment

Students with disabilities struggle the most through their high school years as sometimes their disability can limit what activities the complete. One disability that is oh to often overlooked is Visual impairment. Students with Visual impairments or VI for short, not always but sometimes need accommodations to the curriculum delivery in order to be successful in their academic endeavors. As sight is a common method of learning, these students need assistive technologies such as manipulatives and hands on activities that can facilitate learning the general education curriculum. In math class for instance a teacher may talk about a rectangle and show a picture of the rectangle for the rest of the class but for the student who is visually impaired a paper cutout of a rectangle could be presented to the student so they can physically feel the four sides and the lengths of the sides.

Visually impaired students can also have other accommodations besides manipulatives. One thing that could be considered an accommodation is the room layout. Students who are completely without sight will benefit from a structured environment. If a student learns where the desks are and where the supplies are they will be able to maneuver around without much assistance. However if a teacher moves the desks and changes the orientation of the room it can cause confusion and frustration for the VI student. Additional accommodations could include text-to-speech softwares that allow students with VI to read novels and papers. These assistive technologies are often low cost and very reliable especially to schools with lower budgets.

Citations:
Fecich, S. (2015, July 7). GCSE657. Graduate Class. Lecture conducted from , 2015, 7 July- 2015, 20 August.
http://cnx.org/contents/72345e44-e02f-4206-8f3e-ead77ac2dc80@2/Measurement-and-Geometry:-Area

Assistive technology

Assistive technology, commonly abbreviated as AT, is used in the educational field as a means of educating students with various mediums of technology. The words in themselves often lead people to believe that we are talking about technology such TVs, phones, computers, and so on but the actual word encompasses way more than electronics. Assistive technologies are defined by any device that can aid in a student’s learning in the general education curriculum. There are various types of assistive technologies, high tech (electronic devices most often), medium tech, and low tech (which can be as simple as a grippe pencil holder. Teachers use devices to increase student achievement and involvement in class even if they have a disability that limits their ability to complete certain tasks without aid.

              I believe assistive technologies are very useful in the classroom. As a teacher in special education, I often see the benefits of even the simplest devices. When teaching a math lesson, my students often rely on a calculator to complete the basic arithmetic. This is considered a low tech device as it aids the student in completing harder task, aka algebra, and allows them to be involved in the lesson standard without struggling to catch up because they have difficulty with number since and arithmetic. Other devices that are used most commonly are smart boards and smart response systems. Students with ADHD and hyperactivity disorder can find sitting in class troublesome. With the use of interactive devices such as smart clickers, students with these diagnosis can participate and be entertained throughout the lesson. Any type of Assistive technology is useful in a classroom as it provides assistance to students who are in need.

citations:
Fecich, S. (2015, July 7). GCSE657. Graduate Class. Lecture conducted from , 2015, 7 July- 2015, 20 August.
http://thefsteam.com/resources/calculators