Modifying Instruction to Accommodate the Needs of Diverse Learners

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Modifying Instruction to Accommodate the Needs of
Diverse Learners

• Lisa Smith, Instruction/Behavior Consultant
• Upper Cumberland Special Education Cooperative
• Phone [phone]
• Email lisa1959_at_bellsouth.net

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Todays Goals

• To provide participants with an overview of the
  process of modifying instruction to meet the
  needs of diverse learners
• To provide participants with an overview of the
  frustration, anxiety and tension students with
  learning difficulties experience
• To engage in activities and conversations for the
  purpose of enhancing the participants knowledge
  of the use and development of techniques for
  modifying instruction

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Presentation Techniques(Utilizing the Principles
of Adult Learning Theory)

• Discussion
• Small and large group activities
• Cooperative learning strategies (i.e., jigsaw,
  think-pair-share)
• Self-Reflection
• Question and answer sessions
• Active Learning Strategies (i.e., role play,
  scenarios, simulations)
• others

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Students come to school with an expanded array of
readiness levels, interests and learning profiles.

• Their interests may vary from surviving on the
  street to launching rockets.

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Then we have issues like

• Gender
• Culture
• Learning style
• Intelligence
• Ability

All shape the varied ways in which students
approach and respond to learning.
This calls on us to modify, or differentiate,
instruction in response to students varied
readiness levels, interests, and learning
profiles.
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There is ample evidence that tracking struggling
learners impairs their chances for high quality
learning opportunities.
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Students on each end of the learning spectrum
have nonstandard learning needs so
differentiated learning opportunities are
advantageous to them.
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All students within the learning spectrum benefit
from flexible classrooms in which interests,
learning profiles and readiness needs help sculpt
instruction.
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All learners should work with respectful tasks

• Offer tasks that encourage them to think at
  higher levels of thinking
• Opportunities to be active learners
• Equally interesting and engaging tasks
• Work with a wide variety of peers over time
• Be involved with learning that is new to them
• Pushed a little beyond their individual comfort
  zones in knowledge, insight, thinking, skills,
  and production
• ESSENTIAL TO DIFFERENTIATION

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Flexible grouping of students enables all
learners to work in a wide variety of
configurations

• Peers of similar readiness
• Similar interests
• Learning profiles
• Mixed readiness, interest, and learning profiles
• Whole group
• Independently
• Student choice

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Goal Equal playing field

• Balance to ensure support

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Continuum of Services707 KAR 1350, Section
1(9/2000) Direct/Indirect Instruction

• The continuum shall include the alternative
  placements of
• Instruction in Regular Classes
• Special Classes
• Special Schools
• Home Instruction
• Instruction in hospitals and institutions

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What is a Modification?

• A change in the way a teacher
• presents information
• tests students
• has students practice new skills
• so that every student has a chance to succeed.

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Making Modifications

• To meet the diverse needs of students in our
  classrooms, modifications are necessary.
• Modifying curriculum can be very time consuming
  for teachers and delivering the modified
  instruction for some students may be difficult
  with one teacher and a full classroom.
• Collaborative teaching makes modified teaching
  more easily accomplished through shared
  responsibility for planning and instruction.

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Who Is Responsible for the Design and
Implementation of Modifications/Extensions?

• YOU ARE...The teacher who provides the
  instruction and assessment for the student is
  ultimately responsible for the implementation of
  the modifications/extensions.
• WE ARE The team of teachers who work together to
  identify specific modifications/extensions that
  students will need for daily instruction.

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What is Fair?

• Fair does not mean that everyone receives the
  same thing,
• but that everyone receives what they need to be
  successful.
• Richard LaVoie
• F.A.T. City

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What SOME students will learn
Schumm, Vaughn, and Harris, 1997
What MOST students will learn
What ALL students will learn
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Types of Modifications

• There are at least 6 types of modifications
• Size
• Time
• Level of Support
• Instruction
• Difficulty
• Output

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Types of Modifications

• Size
• Modify the number of items that some learners are
  expected to learn
• Time
• Modify the time allotted and allowed for
  learning, task completions or testing.

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Types of Modifications

• Level of support
• Increase the amount of help by the special
  teacher or other sources of support such as
• Teaching assistants
• Adult volunteers
• Peer tutors or
• Cross age tutors.

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Types of Modifications

• Instruction
• Modify the instruction to be delivered to some
  learners
• More visuals
• Hands-on leaning
• Models
• Taped books or stories
• Outline notes or
• Cooperative learning groups

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Types of Modifications

• Difficulty
• Modify the
• Skill level
• Problem type
• Rules
• For how some learners may approach the work

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Types of Modifications

• Output
• Modify how some learners can respond to
  instruction such as
• Answering questions orally instead of writing
• Showing knowledge with hands-on materials

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Video.

• How Difficult Can This Be?
• The F.A.T. City Workshop

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To Reduce FEAR and ANXIETY.

• Never force the student to read out loud in class
• Never have the student write on the board
• Dont allow students to grade papers or tests
• Never call on the student unless they volunteer
• Make sure your classroom is a safe place to make
  mistakes

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Class Work and Assignments.

• Break assignments into small steps
• Give simple, oral directions and provide a
  written copy of these directions when possible.
• Limit the amount of copying to be done whenever
  possible.
• Give the student a desk copy of what the class is
  to copy from the board.

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Techniques for Testing

• Quiz often with brief tests instead of fewer,
  long tests.
• Avoid negative questions. (example Which one is
  not the same?)
• The process of testing can be less stressful if
  the modality is varied.
• Use your creative abilities to devise alternate
  ways to assess knowledge rather than always
  relying on traditional tests.
• Evaluate the students knowledge in less formal
  situations to reduce stress and accentuate the
  level of learning.

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Social and Emotional Needs.

• Encourage, encourage, encourage!
• No buts about it!
• Find activities to do in which the child is
  successful and takes pleasure!
• Make sure the student knows that you understand
  that he is working hard when he is!

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Activity

• Examine the types of modifications listed and
  identify which type of modification is indicated
  by the activities listed

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Choose from these types of modifications and
descriptions

• -Assessment -Level of Support
• -Delivery -Organization
• -Difficulty -Participation
• -Environment -Size
• -Time
• Adapt the way instruction is delivered to the
  learner.
• Adapt the time allotted and allowed for learning,
  task completion, or testing.
• Increase the amount of personal assistance with a
  specific learner.
• Adapt the skill level, problem type, or the rules
  on how the learner may approach the work.
• Provide structure for completing tasks.
• Adapt the number of items that the learner is
  expected to learn or complete.
• Adapt the extent to which a learner is actively
  involved in a task.
• Adapt physical setting.
• Adapt how the student can respond to instruction.

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13 Extensions

• Purpose and Appropriateness
• Complexity of Task
• Size of Task
• Time
• Pace
• Environment of Learning
• Participation
• Motivation

• Order of Learning
• Procedures and Routines
• Application and Demonstration of Knowledge
• Level of Support and Independence
• Resources and materials

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Wrap-Up

• Questions????
• Follow-Up
• Evaluations

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Contacting Todays Presenter.

• Lisa Smith,
• Instruction/Behavior Consultant
• Upper Cumberland Special Education Cooperative
• Phone [phone]
• Email lisa1959_at_bellsouth.net