Mystery of Modifying Learning Disabilities, Learning Styles, and Inclusive Strategies

1
Mystery of Modifying Learning Disabilities,
Learning Styles, and Inclusive Strategies

• GPISD Modification Training Updates
• Dr. Marva T. Dixon
• General Curriculum Services GPISD
• Modification Tasks Force
• Adapted from Diane Fairchild Nancy Dean
• National Health and Wellness Conference (May 8,
  2003)

2
Introduction
Campuses uses creative approaches
3
IMPORTANT

• "...modification decisions should be made
  carefully, so that the modifications do not give
  disabled students a competitive advantage, but
  rather eliminate competitive disadvantage."
• Theresa Suskind

4
WHY MODIFY

• Fact
• An IEP must be complied with, unless mutual
  agreement is reached to change it.
• Fact
• Doe V. Withers, (20 IDELR 422, 1993)
• Teacher required to pay 5000 compensatory, and
  10,000 punitive damages for refusing to
  implement the IEP.
• Fact
• Decisions made concerning students with
  disabilities must be based on individual
  abilities and disabilities of the student.

Teresa Williamson, Education Service Center
XI 8/96
5
WHY MODIFY

• See hand out related to impact on
• PDAS
• Contract recommendation
• Termination

6
(No Transcript)
7
IDEIA - IDEA04Individuals with disabilities
Improvement Act

• Emphasizes the role of the general education
  teacher in ensuring access to general education
  for students with disabilities
• Ask your special education staff to share more on
  this topic
• Emphasis on Response to Intervention prior to
  referring a student to special education
• Emphasis on use of scientifically research based
  strategies and techniques

8
(No Transcript)
9
(No Transcript)
10
(No Transcript)
11
(No Transcript)
12
(No Transcript)
13

• Recognized by all public schools, standardized
  testing centers, and employers
• Initiated, developed, and monitored by a case
  management team
• Designed to support student in academic and
  vocational settings
• Wide range of qualifiers
• Accommodations and modifications occur in the
  general education classroom by general education
  staff

504 Plans
14
IEPs Individual Education Plans TexasThe ARD
Committee

• Recognized by all public schools and standardized
  testing centers
• Initiated, developed, and monitored by
  credentialed special education staff
• Approved by ARD Committee including parents
• Designed to meet the individual needs of a
  student with specialized instruction and support
• Students only qualify until they graduate high
  school or their 22nd birthday
• 13 qualifying handicapping conditions

15
13 Handicapping Conditions for Special Education
Services

• Specific learning disability
• Speech/language impairment
• Traumatic brain injury
• Visual impairment
• Other heath impaired
• Preschool (moderate delay, severe delay, speech
  delay)

• Autism
• Emotional disability
• Hearing impairment
• Multiple disabilities
• Severe sensory impairment
• Developmentally delayed
• Orthopedic impaired

16
Testing Accommodations

• Refer to allowable accommodations found in TEAs
• TAKS test administrators manual
• SDAAII - ARD decision making manual
• Websites for more info
• http//www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/
• http//www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/admi
  n/sdaa/ardtrain/phase2/index.html

17
General Education TeacherWhere Do We Begin?

• A few Ideas
• Learning styles inventories
• Learning styles interviews
• Self-reflection
• How was I taught?
• How do I learn best?
• Observations
• A great way to build respect!
• Keep it simple
• But.follow the students IEP
• Note most modifications for students with
  disabilities are really good teaching strategies
  for all students.

18
Identification of Learning Styles

• Visual
• Aural
• Read/Write
• Kinesthetic

19
Lets Try It

• Several companies and school districts are
  currently using VARK
• Visual, aural, read/write, kinesthetic
• Provides users with a profile of their learning
  preferences
• Vark website (free)
• http//honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/Fac
  DevCom/guidebk/teachtip/vark.htm
• Questionnaire website (English Spanish)
• http//honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/Fac
  DevCom/guidebk/teachtip/vark.htm

20
Other Factors

• Evidence points to a move toward multi-modality
  with age and experience
• Stressing learning modalities can help change
  thinking about people as different, not dumb
• The research database shows no significant
  differences between male and female preferences

21
Other Factors

• Research shows there are significant differences
  in preferences between staff and students
• Faculty have more R (read/write)
• Students have more K (kinesthetic)

22
Debrief of VARK

• How does your learning preference
• Match your profession?
• Match your coworkers?
• Match your boss?

23
Debrief of VARK

• Remember
• VARK measures our preference for giving and
  receiving information

24
Visual

• Needs to see it to know it
• Likes charts graphs and diagrams
• Strong sense of color, color codes notes
• Likes to highlight and underline information
• Internalize text through visualization
• Difficulty with spoken directions

25
Aural

• Prefer to get information by listening
• Can repeat verbal input with high accuracy
• Likes to discuss topics with teachers and other
  students, or possibly anybody who will listen
• Likes narratives, jokes, and stories
• May have difficulty with reading and writing
• May have difficulty following written directions

26
Read/Write

• Likes handouts, textbooks and manuals
• Likes words, lists, definitions, glossaries
• Prefer lecturers who use words well and have lots
  of information in sentences and notes
• Will write/rewrite ideas, principles and verbal
  instructions into other words
• Respond better to written feedback than oral
  comments
• Absolutely love this slide

27
Kinesthetic

• Likes to use all their senses
• Connected to reality, learning through
  experience, example, practice, or simulation
• Likes hands on approaches trial and error
• Needs movement like physical tasks
• Prefers lecturers who give real life examples

28
(No Transcript)
29
Inclusive Philosophy

• If material is presented appropriately, all
  students can learn

30
Inclusive Strategies
31
Inclusive Strategies

• Create an inclusive environment in your area

32
Inclusive Strategies

• Emphasize students strengths or best learning
  styles

33
Inclusive Strategies

• Provide frequent, clear, non-judgmental feedback

34
Inclusive Strategies

• Place feedback in the big picture

35
What is Assistive Technology?

• Reading software
• Videos
• Tape recorder/dictaphone
• Modified keyboards
• Reading pens
• Voice activated software
• Talking calculators/rulers
• Individual assistive technology for job sites
• RBFD (Reading for the Blind Dyslexic)
  Membership
• Text books on tape

36
Team Philosophy

• Develop a cohesive team between general and
  special education teachers on your campus.
• One person can not do it alone
• Utilize all resources
• Mystery of Modifying Binders
• Blue Visual Aide
• Mystery of Modifying CD
• Eduphoria Support for General Education
  Teachers Folder
• ASK FOR HELP

37
RememberUtilize all resources
Remember Utilize all Available Resources Tools
You Can Use

• Mystery of Modifying Binders
• Blue Visual Aide
• Mystery of Modifying CD
• Eduphoria
• Support for General Education Teachers Folder
• Special Education Staff

38
Campus Training

• One hour Training
• Have staff bring the following to the training
• Mystery of Modifying Binders
• Blue Visual Aide
• Remind Teachers that
• Blue Visual Aide should be on their desk near
  lesson plans
• Mystery of Modifying Binders should be readily
  available
• Utilize Support for General Education Teachers
  Folder
• Emphasize the legal requirements behind
  implementing modifications/Accommodations in a
  students IEP
• Send Confirmation of Modification Training to
  Special Ed. office after training
• Training should take place on or before October
  1.

39
RememberITS ABOUT THE KIDS

• Success for all students!

No child left untested or left behind.
40
Notes