As I worked through this module, I felt like it was a reaffirmation and almost a refresher course on effective practices. I feel that many of the HLPs are presented during teacher prep programs. I have been working with a young lady who is completing her Field Experience hours for pre-student teacher. She has asked me some great questions about how and why I do different things in my classroom, and this has allowed me to reflect on my practices and connect what she is seeing in the classroom to what she is learning in college. While the module may by titled "Meeting the Needs of Students with Disabilities Across Learning Environment", I believe it is simply sound practices to help all students be successful.
I appreciated the section on scaffolding because it gave me a chance to reflect on what I have available for the unit I am just starting (The Pearl by John Steinbeck) and what I can add to help students. It is easy to get stuck in a rut with teaching, but this reflection has been useful. Some of the links included have given me new ideas and ways to revamp graphic organizers to make them flexible, and I think it will allow even more student ownership when they have a chance to play with the tools, as well.
I also feel that the digital technology, like online graphic organizers, differentiate instruction for students who prefer not to write. Technology can help students remain focused, and can encourage the development of creative talents that would not be developed otherwise.
As a Gen Ed English teacher, I am always looking for ways to scaffold and differentiate for my diverse group of students. I don't have a co-teacher, but do have students with IEPs in my classes, so I am looking to deep dive into this module and take away as many tips as possible, especially when it comes to writing. I also create game-based learning experiences and am always trying to find ways to make them as inclusive as possible, especially when incorporating a variety of digital programs.
I was a special education classroom teacher for 8 years in NYC. Now, I am finishing up my seventh year as a district leader for BOCES, overseeing special education programs. I love learning how the TALE Academy content can reach more students across different settings. There is great value in this training because we must provide high quality instruction to all students. SWDs require substantial supports to access content in most cases. It is important to reflect upon the additional supports, beyond UDL in most cases, that will be required to provide sufficient access to SWDs in the online learning environment.
I agree. Also, many of the additional supports apply to the general education classroom, where many learning disabilities are common among all students, including dyslexia, ADHD, and students who are on the Autism spectrum.
My role for the last 25 years has been as a High School Art teacher. I am also certified in Special Education K-12, and have designed and taught adaptive art classes. I look forward to learning more techniques, skills and ideas that would benefit all my students, especially those who struggle with disabilities. As a mom, I watched my child with LD struggle with in person and especially with online learning and I am interested in learning better instructional methods for TALE.
As a general education science teacher, I always worry am I providing the proper resources for all of my students. My goal is to take as much as I can from module three and incorporate it into my classroom.
I agree, I am looking forward to learning all I can in this module. Even though I received my Master's Degree and am certified in SE K-12, I have not taught Special Education in the full context in which I received my instruction. I do implement many teaching modalities into my art classes, enjoy teaching my adaptive art classes, so I am looking forward to learning other ways I can teach art my students in person and online.
As a Special Education teacher for 9 years, I received professional development in explicit instruction and I found it to be extremely helpful. Even in my current position as a librarian, it is of value to use for most students, particularly those students with disabilities who are included in the general education classroom. I've also had professional development in backwards design, which gave me new insights on how to create unit plans and lesson plans.
My role as a faculty who teaches future special education and general education teachers gives me a dual perspective on the content for module 3. I'm finding some validation for the strategies I'm using as an instructor and the strategies I've been teaching my students to use in their future classrooms. However, I'm finding great ideas and resources for teaching in multiple formats. I left K-12 before the pandemic so my shift to online/remote teaching during COVID was very different (my students already has an MLS they were familiar with and had the tech skills to interact with it independently). Trying to help prepare my future teachers for the real demands of the new models for teaching (during and after COVID) really stretch my abilities as I did not have first hand knowledge or experience. This module is helping to fill in some of those gaps and give me more variety in the strategies and technologies I can use and teach to my students.
I appreciate you sharing the different lenses you are approaching Module 3 through. I too, found a lot of great ideas for teachers to implement practices into their classes. My role in overseeing a Virtual Academy is to provide our teachers with feedback to improve their instruction that therefore leads to increased engagement. I have found that accommodating students with IEP's in a virtual atmosphere has been challenging. I see myself sharing strategies that were presented during Module 3 to our virtual teachers.
The High-Leverage Practices that were shared of providing scaffolded supports, explicit instruction, and flexible grouping will help improve our teachers instruction and the learning environment. I feel like our teachers could use some professional development around recognizing the difference between scaffolds, accommodations, and modifications for students with disabilities. The process of backward design resonated with me because teachers can plan for potential barriers in student learning and come up with solutions to overcome those barriers.
As an administrator, sometimes, I feel like I am focused on "if" the students are receiving their services and this module forced me to think about the "what" that our students should be receiving to increase achievement.
As a special education teacher, I feel that this module is so critical to my teaching. I believe that special education students are general education students first and need to be included in general education with their peers. Our students with disabilities participate in all aspects of the programs our school offers, including off site internships in the community.
Right now, I have been receiving training in explicit instruction through an outside agency, and this module confirms the need for explicit instruction. It is a good practice for all learners. In a way, I have been doing this already, but this module reaffirms the need for explicit instruction and its benefits for the students.
I am just getting started in Module 3, so I am learning about the importance of inclusive classrooms and how to offer inclusive learning experiences to learners across learning environments. I currently teach full-time in-person (social studies/RtI) and part-time virtually (social studies). Within my various classes, both virtual and in-person, I have a mixed group of students, including some with IEPs, some with 504s, and some who do not have any special education services. I found quite quickly during 2020 and subsequent virtual teaching that my teacher training and experience provided me with a lot of strategies to teach and support in-person diverse learners, but not as many strategies for virtual learners. So far, Module 3 has given a lot of portable strategies for creating inclusive classrooms that can be used across the learning environments. I'm very excited to dive deeper into these ideas to strengthen my teaching in both of my roles.
I agree that resources for instruction are abundant in the modules, and especially in the third module. I found Nearpod to be a treasure of resources for remote instruction. It is just as helpful for blended learning.
Collaborating with teachers for library research, digital literacy and/or end of the unit projects is vital for students to succeed academically, and for students to become lifelong learners. I engage in a discussion with the classroom teacher, about what students are studying in the classroom, and then create a research lesson. It is important to obtain feedback about the lesson prior to teaching it, and to take into consideration whether the lesson needs to incorporate more explicit instruction, either as a whole class, or in flexible grouping, and/or add additional scaffolded instruction, based on the discussion.
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During guided practice, students are given positive and constructive feedback. This motivates students, builds their confidence, and lets them know how to improve upon their work. At the end of class, students reflect, and engage in discussion about what went well during their research processes, and what did not.
Â
Assessments are reviewed after the lesson to see if a second lesson, to re-teach the information, is necessary. These lessons encourage students to use their cognitive and metacognitive thinking during the research process; for example, students follow the steps of filtering search results, apply search terms, cite resources, and synthesize the new information for an assignment or a project.
As I worked through this module, I felt like it was a reaffirmation and almost a refresher course on effective practices. I feel that many of the HLPs are presented during teacher prep programs. I have been working with a young lady who is completing her Field Experience hours for pre-student teacher. She has asked me some great questions about how and why I do different things in my classroom, and this has allowed me to reflect on my practices and connect what she is seeing in the classroom to what she is learning in college. While the module may by titled "Meeting the Needs of Students with Disabilities Across Learning Environment", I believe it is simply sound practices to help all students be successful.
I appreciated the section on scaffolding because it gave me a chance to reflect on what I have available for the unit I am just starting (The Pearl by John Steinbeck) and what I can add to help students. It is easy to get stuck in a rut with teaching, but this reflection has been useful. Some of the links included have given me new ideas and ways to revamp graphic organizers to make them flexible, and I think it will allow even more student ownership when they have a chance to play with the tools, as well.
As a Gen Ed English teacher, I am always looking for ways to scaffold and differentiate for my diverse group of students. I don't have a co-teacher, but do have students with IEPs in my classes, so I am looking to deep dive into this module and take away as many tips as possible, especially when it comes to writing. I also create game-based learning experiences and am always trying to find ways to make them as inclusive as possible, especially when incorporating a variety of digital programs.
I was a special education classroom teacher for 8 years in NYC. Now, I am finishing up my seventh year as a district leader for BOCES, overseeing special education programs. I love learning how the TALE Academy content can reach more students across different settings. There is great value in this training because we must provide high quality instruction to all students. SWDs require substantial supports to access content in most cases. It is important to reflect upon the additional supports, beyond UDL in most cases, that will be required to provide sufficient access to SWDs in the online learning environment.
My role for the last 25 years has been as a High School Art teacher. I am also certified in Special Education K-12, and have designed and taught adaptive art classes. I look forward to learning more techniques, skills and ideas that would benefit all my students, especially those who struggle with disabilities. As a mom, I watched my child with LD struggle with in person and especially with online learning and I am interested in learning better instructional methods for TALE.
As a general education science teacher, I always worry am I providing the proper resources for all of my students. My goal is to take as much as I can from module three and incorporate it into my classroom.
As a Special Education teacher for 9 years, I received professional development in explicit instruction and I found it to be extremely helpful. Even in my current position as a librarian, it is of value to use for most students, particularly those students with disabilities who are included in the general education classroom. I've also had professional development in backwards design, which gave me new insights on how to create unit plans and lesson plans.
My role as a faculty who teaches future special education and general education teachers gives me a dual perspective on the content for module 3. I'm finding some validation for the strategies I'm using as an instructor and the strategies I've been teaching my students to use in their future classrooms. However, I'm finding great ideas and resources for teaching in multiple formats. I left K-12 before the pandemic so my shift to online/remote teaching during COVID was very different (my students already has an MLS they were familiar with and had the tech skills to interact with it independently). Trying to help prepare my future teachers for the real demands of the new models for teaching (during and after COVID) really stretch my abilities as I did not have first hand knowledge or experience. This module is helping to fill in some of those gaps and give me more variety in the strategies and technologies I can use and teach to my students.
As a special education teacher, I feel that this module is so critical to my teaching. I believe that special education students are general education students first and need to be included in general education with their peers. Our students with disabilities participate in all aspects of the programs our school offers, including off site internships in the community.
Right now, I have been receiving training in explicit instruction through an outside agency, and this module confirms the need for explicit instruction. It is a good practice for all learners. In a way, I have been doing this already, but this module reaffirms the need for explicit instruction and its benefits for the students.
I am just getting started in Module 3, so I am learning about the importance of inclusive classrooms and how to offer inclusive learning experiences to learners across learning environments. I currently teach full-time in-person (social studies/RtI) and part-time virtually (social studies). Within my various classes, both virtual and in-person, I have a mixed group of students, including some with IEPs, some with 504s, and some who do not have any special education services. I found quite quickly during 2020 and subsequent virtual teaching that my teacher training and experience provided me with a lot of strategies to teach and support in-person diverse learners, but not as many strategies for virtual learners. So far, Module 3 has given a lot of portable strategies for creating inclusive classrooms that can be used across the learning environments. I'm very excited to dive deeper into these ideas to strengthen my teaching in both of my roles.
Collaborating with teachers for library research, digital literacy and/or end of the unit projects is vital for students to succeed academically, and for students to become lifelong learners. I engage in a discussion with the classroom teacher, about what students are studying in the classroom, and then create a research lesson. It is important to obtain feedback about the lesson prior to teaching it, and to take into consideration whether the lesson needs to incorporate more explicit instruction, either as a whole class, or in flexible grouping, and/or add additional scaffolded instruction, based on the discussion.
Â
During guided practice, students are given positive and constructive feedback. This motivates students, builds their confidence, and lets them know how to improve upon their work. At the end of class, students reflect, and engage in discussion about what went well during their research processes, and what did not.
Â
Assessments are reviewed after the lesson to see if a second lesson, to re-teach the information, is necessary. These lessons encourage students to use their cognitive and metacognitive thinking during the research process; for example, students follow the steps of filtering search results, apply search terms, cite resources, and synthesize the new information for an assignment or a project.