Instructional Barrier Busters

Kit Giddings Utah Personnel Development Center

Today’s Objectives

Accommodations & Modifications

Teaching Strategies & Concepts

Accommodations &

Modifications

Accommodations & Modifications

Modifications– change the

curriculum to fit student learning levels

– only used when required by the IEP

Accommodations– give support but

do not change the curriculum

– all students can benefit from accommodations

Accommodation TipsTurn to your “elbow partner” and

discuss the following:– Do you identify 3-5 key points you

want your students to know well and focus on them?

– Do you ask yourself, “What went well? What went badly? Why?”

– Do you think about what you should change to improve your teaching?

Accommodation Tips, cont.Ask yourself: How can I teach a

concept differently?Watch how good teachers teach

and then learn from themBe able to justify what you are

teaching and why you are teaching it

Advice From an Expert

Richard LaVoy speaks about accommodating children with learning disabilities

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Accommodation Tool:Task AnalysisWhat is task analysis?

– detailed scope and sequence of skills– divides concepts into parts to

identify skills needed– allows students to understand

concepts in a step-by-step manner

Task Analysis Activity

Turn to your elbow partner again and discuss:– How often do you use task analysis

to explain a concept?

Remember…

If the student still isn’t “getting it”, break the concept down even more

This works with behavioral

and academic skills

The Curriculum Diamond

The Curriculum Diamond (Susan Fister) is one way to accommodate curriculum

Hitler/Nazis

Invasion of Poland

Pearl Harbor

Important Dates

Major Battles

Key Players

Hitler/Nazis

Poland

Pearl Harbor

Isolationism

Rationing

Axis versus Allied

Powers

War

Freedom

Division of Germany

Reconstruction of Japan

Creating a Curriculum DiamondTurn to your Curriculum Diamond

handoutDivide into groups of 2-3Create a Curriculum Diamond as a

team using one concept

What is a Modification?

Modifications change the curriculum to fit the learning level of a student

Modifications should only be used when dictated by an IEP

Some modifications may inhibit the student from graduating with a full diploma

Remember…

Modifications change the curriculum Modifications are usually for students

who will not graduate with a full diploma

Modifications restrict students from learning material necessary to pass end of level tests

Modifications must match IEP goals

Teaching Strategies&

Concepts

“A River Runs Through It”

Watch how many teaching styles and strategies this father uses with his sons

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Pedagogy versus Content Knowledge Most of you feel

confident about your content knowledge

How do you feel about your pedagogy skills?– pedagogy is the

art and science of teaching

What We Can’t Control

Large class sizesClass sizes that are too

academically diverse (this is why so many reading interventions don’t work)

By the time you get struggling students, they receive interventions that are too little too late

What We Can Control

Amount of seatwork– worksheets used as babysitters

Intensity of instruction– specific and interactive instruction

Curriculum that is matched to student needs– one size does not fit all

Level of participation– break up lectures with activities that involve

students

Good instruction includes:1. A quick, steady pace

2. Short amounts of time for each activity (ex: give students 30 seconds to respond to their partner instead of 2-3 minutes)

3. Lots of choral responses instead of asking one student at a time

4. Taking advantage of teaching moments (when asking for answers, require students to tell you why they are correct instead of saying “good” and moving on)

Lesson Design

Overview– opening

attentionreviewpreview

– body– close

reviewpreview

Skill or Strategy InstructionPreparation:

– is the strategy explicit?– are the steps few in number– are the steps clearly stated?– can the strategy be visually

presented?

How Do I Put It All Together?

Model = I do it.

Prompt = We do it.

Check = You do it.Anita Archer

Introduce the Concept or StrategyExplain what is being taught &

goal of instructionIntroduce rationale for the

concept Describe steps in the strategyThis may appear to be time

consuming for you but it will pay off big dividends in the long run

Model = I Do It.

Show– proceed step-by-step (use task analyses)– exaggerate the steps

Tell– tell students what you are doing– tell students what you are thinking

Collect Feedback– ask for responses

Prompt = We Do It.

Do the behavior at the same time as the students

Guide the students verbally through the steps– step-do-step-do-step-do-step-do…– gradually fade your prompt

Check = You Do It.

Verify student understanding before independent work begins– if a student begins independent work

before he/she understands the concept, frustration and failure will set in

Carefully monitor student responses

Continue until students are consistently accurate

Review often

Deanna’s Box of Tricks

A Brief Review

When teaching, ask yourselves:– Is this useful information?– Will it generalize across people,

settings, and time?– Will it work?

Thank You!

Kitg@updc.org