Inquiry and Research Process

Here's a super resource that I couldn't pass up. Taken from the Ontario School
Library Association's website, it is a fabulous model when considering teaching
Information Literacy. For further information, click the following link: http://www.accessola.com/action/positions/info_studies/html/intro.html

Technology to Support Special Education

Over the past few years, I have spent much time working with technology and how it can support special education needs in the classroom. Last month, I developed a website to house this information which outlines some of the various practices that are currently occurring in Ontario schools. There are many support documents there as well as additional resources. Hit the following link to view this website.

ISA 1 Technology in the Classroom

Classroom Differentiation- Joppenhof Style

Since my move to the Netherlands and exposure to alternate methods of teaching, one common thread connects my experience in education from Canada to that of the Netherlands; that being the concept of Differentiation in the Classroom. This post will comment on my observations while at the Joppenhof.

The WECDSB placed a large focus on the concept of differentiation in the classroom in during the fall of 2005, offering workshops to teachers as well as providing resources to support the idea in the classroom. To me, differentiation made a lot of sense. Differentiation can be defined as meeting the various learning needs of all students in the classroom whether they are performing in the high or low end of the grade level. Now working at the Joppenhof, I can see this phenomenon in action, not only in another country, but a unique educational setting as well. I will attempt to outline this delivery method as succinctly as possible below.

Step 1: All students who enter this international educational setting are tested by the special education needs teacher to determine prior knowledge and functioning level. The SEN uses age-level subject specific criterion based tests to see where the student falls on the normative curve. This information is provided to the receiving classroom teacher.

Step 2: Students in individual classrooms are placed into learning groups as a result. The groups identify the levels at which the students are performing at, and their prior knowledge in the subject areas of language arts and math. This can look like students arranged in groups low, medium, and high, or group 1, 2 or 3. It depends on the profile of the classroom in question.

Step 3: Teachers of the same grade level share programming for the different groups in their grade level. For example, teacher A might teach the higher end of students at the same grade level, while teacher B teachers the lower and middle level groups. Curriculum is delivered at the functioning level of the students in the groups. Students can be moved from group to group depending on results from diagnostic, formative, and summative assessment, and of course, teacher observation.

If there is only one class of a certain grade, then the classroom teacher plans for 3 levels of students in the classroom and implements via various teaching strategies, or varied coursework.

Step 4: Students are reassessed at the end of the school year using the appropriate age- level subject specific criterion based standardized tests that they experienced at the beginning of the school year. Of course, the children would take the next level of test than they completed at the beginning of the school year, as they aged over the course of the year.


Some specific supports that are in place for specific subjects include guided reading groups, and leveled books for the language curriculum. For math, each unit consists of diagnostic tests prior to commencing a unit, and summative testing following a unit’s completion to determine the knowledge a student acquired during the lessons.

Mrs. Harwood

What Is A BLOG?

From my recent experiences BLOGGING, I would have to define a BLOG as something similar to an online diary, the purpose defined by the user, and items arranged from most recent post to first written. A BLOG can consist of many things: text, images, links to other sites or documents, video, and html coding of course. Its set up is defined by its user, sometimes using templates or for the more experienced BLOGGER, html code.

Posts are organized in a sequential manner from the current month to previous months that posts were made. Length of a post is again determined by the user, who is the administrator of the BLOG. The administrator can allow others to post on their BLOG, either as contributors, or using the comment boxes available following each post.

I see BLOGGING as an easier method than web page design of using the internet as a collaborative tool, as the user doesn’t need to have any previous experience in Web Publishing or knowledge in html. A BLOG can be published in a matter of minutes.

Some potential issues with BLOGGING may include improper use, no regulatory body governing it, and individuals leaving inappropriate comments following a post. Luckily, as the administrator of a BLOG, one is able to screen the comments placed on the site by other readers, and delete or edit them as necessary.

All in all, my experience BLOGGING thus far has been very successful. Of all the obstacles I have faced so far, I have been able to overcome them all. Would I recommend BLOGGING to others? Yes, and I am considering starting a personal video BLOG, and possibly another BLOG to house information collected for my Masters Thesis.

Mrs. Harwood

Attention Strategies for Students

Nowadays, there seems to be alot of inattention happening in the classroom. It may be due to boredom, or students not being engaged in a lesson, and at other times it can be due to a student having difficulty as a result of specific issues like Attention Deficit Disorder or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Please find below some strategies that educators can use in their classrooms to assist students in gaining more focus:

Strategies

Establish basic classroom rules / procedures

Reduce the number of new ideas presented at one time

Provide activities that allow for active participation

Arrange for short blocks of instruction

Move around the room while teaching

Use positive reinforcement

Use your voice to signal emphasis on a certain item

Ensure that the material presented is at the student’s level of understanding

Go over expectations with the student

Provide visual aids

Ensure that the student sees an end to the task

Arrange a cue word for the student to go back to their desk

Provide immediate reinforcement

Have a specific seating arrangement to limit distractions for the student

Develop problem solving skills

Stop, think, and act

Learn social cues

Use time efficiently

Make eye contact with the student

Establish a system of rewards to improve productivity

Establish and communicate logical consequences for behaviours

Set behavioural goals with student and parents

Model good listening behaviours


Of foremost importance in implementing the above mentioned strategies should be the establishment of communication with the student and their parents. With open lines of communication in the best interests of the student, success should be imminent.

For further information regrading Attention Deficit Disorder, visit the linked website here at Kids Health.org.

Mrs. Harwood

The Elements of Writing

(taken from A Guide to Effective Writing Instruction, Ontario Ministry of Education, 2005)

The Process of Writing

The writing process involves several steps in which students develop their ideas and record them in written form. The following 5 steps are part of the writing process:

planning

writing a draft

revising

editing

publishing

It is very important that teachers teach each step explicitly. Re-teaching and review as students complete various assignments may be necessary and valuable as students develop further as writers. One effective strategy to enhance the writing process is conferencing. This can be completed with peers or the classroom teacher. Imperative to the process is teacher modelling of what the process looks like, and what it sounds like. Having exemplars for students to see while completing the writing process can be very helpful to developing writers.

Planning

During this stage of the writing process, students generate ideas based on prior knowledge or personal experience. They may choose to use a graphic organizer to help visualize their ideas. Brainstorming with peers can be an effective method of evaluating ideas, and narrowing their focus. Once students select a topic, they can create a plan, determine their focus for writing, and who their audience will be.

Writing A Draft

After developing a plan, students write a first draft. This can be in point form at first to generate ideas and get them down on paper. Once students get their message down on paper, they can go back and decide if what they wrote says what they want it to. It is at this stage that students determine if what they have written has potential to be developed into the item they are intending to write for. If so, they can go on to the next stage in the writing process. If not, they have the option to go back to the drawing board and begin again in the planning stage.

Revising

This step involves improving the quality of what the student has written. Students must read what they wrote and ask themselves 'Does this make sense?' They need to decide if their ideas are clear, and organized well. They may look at sentence structure, and vocabulary, as well as paragraph formation at this time. Use of a thesaurus can be helpful during this stage. Teacher and peer conferencing are critical at this point to assist students in determining if what they have written is effective. After a conference, students may decide to implement suggestions made or not.

Editing

Mechanical aspects of student writing are examined during this stage. Students and peers can proofread eachother's writing for errors in grammatical conventions, spelling, and punctuation. Editing checklists are helpful. If teachers can post one in their classroom or provide a small one to be inserted into a student's notebook, they can become more familiar with the editing tool.

Publishing

This stage entails students making their writing presentable to their audience. The layout is considered based on the instructions set out in the assignment. Once the writing is published, it should be shared with an audience.

In conclusion, teachers must remind students that writing is recursive in nature. They must move back and forth through the steps in the writing process to create and refine ideas. Another important point to remember is that not all writing is published. Happy writing!

Mrs. Harwood

More Info

I recently completed my Special Education Specialist and will finish my Computers in the Classroom Specialist in July.

Starting in the fall of 2006, I will be completing my Masters in Education degree from Lakehead University, in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.

Accommodations vs. Modifications

When planning a student’s program, be sure to keep in mind the difference between accommodations and modifications.

Accommodations include: regular grade level expectations, use of assistive devices to enhance learning, differentiated instruction, and regular grading.

Modification is different though, and as its name implies, it requires a change in what is happening in the student’s learning program. Modification includes:

A change in grade level expectations
Alternate expectations
Grading based on the alternate expectations
The use of specialized equipment
Changes to the classroom / school environment
Exemption from part or parts of the curriculum
Frequency of parent contact
Involvement in team meetings

When a student’s program is modified, it is usually reflected through an IEP. This must be shared with parents so that they understand it fully. Teachers who modify a student’s program will also have to consider how to modify the assessment practices used to evaluate student progress.

Mrs. Harwood

Organizational Strategies for Students

Quite often, students experience difficulty with organization. This can be especially troublesome when they reach the Intermediate or Senior grade levels. The work load at that time is usually much heavier than in previous school years. The following are some strategies that educators can use to assist students in becoming more organized.

Strategies

Have a clear workspace on the student's desk

Give explanations one at a time

Use a highlighter to outline important language or content

Teach time management: using agendas, calendars

Have a structured classroom with expectations and routines clearly outlined

Clarify instructions

Teach students how to study

Use learning strategies to facilitate memory and test taking

Set short and long term goals with students

Chunk tasks to assist student in managing time in the classroom

Provide a list of expectations for the student

Conference with the student to observe progress or areas of need

Provide storage folders, or tubs to store work or personal items

Allow for time to ‘tidy up’

List materials needed for assignments

Use visual organizers to assist in visual planning

Allow the student to prioritize tasks and plan daily activities

Please feel free to post comments or additional ideas that you have used that have helped students in your experience.

Mrs. Harwood

A Helping Hand

Every now and then, everyone needs a helping hand. This BLOG will be dedicated to assisting students and parents throughout their educational experience. Please feel free to access my postings and make comments. From time to time, I will update the BLOG to include new information that may be helpful. If you wish, you can suggest topics that you might feel having additional information would benefit you. Don't be shy. Every now and then, everyone needs a helping hand.

Mrs Harwood