All teachers have experienced in the classroom performance or achievement gaps and they implement different approaches to address the needs of the students to close those gaps. In reality, there are an infinite number of teaching strategies that educators can utilize to close performance gaps and lead students with learning disabilities to success. In one of the videos, Dr. Deshler emphasizes the different ways to close gaps and provides guidelines for using content enhancement routines to make content more accessible to all students (Laureate Education, n.d-c). In terms of closing specific achievement gaps, there are two approaches that teacher can utilize to address these issues. Aaccording to Dr. Deshler, the two components of solutions …show more content…
Student-centered learning or active learning is a method of instruction in which the student is in the center of focus and the teacher has the least impression in (grammar) language instruction. On the other hand, Teacher-centered learning or passive learning, occurs in a setting that the teacher plays the main role (Bower & Flinders, 1990). In my classroom, I have observed that students tend to learn when they experience learning by doing and not just listening to the teacher. I have also witnessed that students with learning disabilities learn using this approach because they get bored listening to the teacher for thirty minutes of lecture. According to Bower and Flinders (1990), students maximizes their learning when they learn by doing and experiencing rather than by observing the teacher. As an educator, I believe that students have better performance when they are asked to think about they are interested to learn instead of doing the thinking for them. According to Lynch (2010), some essential principles of student-centered learning are taking responsibility for learners’ learning, directly involving them in the learning process and raising social activities like collaboration, meaningful communication, choice and cooperation. Even though teacher-centered learning is used more frequently by many teachers, I have experienced in all my years of teaching that students with learning disabilities benefit more from student-centered learning than teacher-centered learning. In reality, there is always those students that benefit more from teacher-centered learning because these students already know how to organize their work and have good social skills that make it easier for them to succeed in any classroom setting. According to Lynch (2010), in teacher-centered
Stage, Frances K. et al. "Creating Learning Centered Classrooms: What Does Learning Theory Have to Say?" ERIC Digest, 1998. ED422777.
In the past two decades many changes have been made in education. Many of these changes have occurred in the special education area. There has been an increase in the number of students who need services in many different areas. Due to the vast array of ability levels and disabilities among students with special needs the teaching techniques and methods used in the classroom must also vary greatly. This is important to effectively facilitate a child’s needs and learning style.
Students with learning disabilities can learn; each student has his or her own strengths and weaknesses. Educators must continue to focus on the strengths of each student and building on them, creating a stronger student and person. Identifying the weakness is at the core of getting a student help with their learning disability, but after this initial identification and placement, the focus should shift to the strengths and adjusting the student’s schoolwork to reflect these strengths. For instance, if a student is weak in reading but has wonderful group interaction skills and is good with his or her hands, the students' reading tasks should then be shifted to reflect these st...
There are many factors that play a role in the deficit of how well our students of today are doing academically. From environment to the actually teacher plays a crucial roll in filling in the achievement gap. It’s more than just the basic knowledge of knowing how to read, write and do math. A lot of social and emotional problems play a huge role in how successful our students can be. In order to close the achievement gap we have to do more than just teach the basic. In this paper I will discuss best practices that are used in school throughout the country in hopes to close the achievement gap.
...e of the overrepresentation and with continued research and improved instructional strategies, the gap can be reduced.
Although these barriers are unfortunate the educator also have barriers of their own that impacts in trying to assist students with learning disabilities, These barriers may include having crowed classrooms, lack of support from school administrators and low educational
Students with learning disabilities in the regular classroom may have challenges that require special attention. If the teacher is able to identify the disabilities and the features associated with them then the teacher can tailor the lessons to meet the needs of the students. These may include differentiated instruction and facilitating an inclusive classroom which will see inclusive strategies employed that will cater to the needs of students with learning disabilities. These inclusive strategies can range from individualized learning programs to team and co-teaching. In some cases, the teacher can arrange for a special education teacher or arrange for a pull out program to assist students who have learning disabilities. Strategies that will also cater to learning disabilities may also include the use of technology. According to Ford 2013 ‘In some situations it may be best for students with LD to be taught in separate pull out classrooms with a teacher who can provide targeted skill instruction in areas where a student is struggling.’ ‘When provided appropriate support within this setting, many of these students can achieve academically and develop positive self-esteem and social skills. (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association 1991). They also recommend that schools should ‘require in-service programs for all school personnel to give them the knowledge and skills necessary to provide education for students with learning disabilities in the regular education classroom.’ Schools should include activities to help participants learn strategies to meet individual needs of students, foster attitudes conductive to educating students with learning disabilities in the regular education classroom, and promote
McCombs, B., & Miller, L. (2007). Learner-centered classroom practices and assessments: Maximizing student motivation, learning, and achievement. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
The INCLUDE strategy is based on the application of applying an individualized method for students with disabilities. The characteristics include providing the teacher with an organized way to provide accommodations that fit the student’s needs and ability. The INCLUDE strategy is intertwined with the Response-To-Intervention method (RTI). The INCLUDE strategy is grounded in the presumption that the teacher and student relationship is vital to the success of the student. Additionally, the INCLUDE strategy allows the teacher to examine the student's needs and abilities as it relates to the classroom setting and implement practical accommodations. The INCLUDE strategy includes features of the universal design and differentiated instruction (Friend, & Bursuck, 2012).
Daniels, D. H., & Perry, K. E. (2003). "Learner centered" according to children. Theory into Practice, 42(2), 102-108.
Special education is no longer restricted to schools that cater for specific disabilities. Increasingly mainstream classrooms must cater for a diverse range of abilities and be inclusive of children with disabilities, therefore providing special education (Heward as cited on Pearson Prentice Hall, 2010). In catering for all children within a class, teachers also need to provide intervention as necessary. Intervention according to Heward (as cited on Education.com, 2011) intends to reduce, eliminate and/or limit the hurdles faced by students with disabilities that may prevent them from maximising their learning and becoming productive members of society. This essay will discuss how teachers can provide all three kinds of intervention; preventive, remedial and compensatory on behalf of individual students who may require it (Pearson Prentice Hall, 2010). Each type of intervention will be explored with examples to demonstrate the possible use of each one and the potential issues that may be associated with them.
Browser B.A. (2001) With fewer expectations, children with disabilities have not yet achieved commensurately with their peers in regular classes. Likewise, students with learning disabilities have not been able to accomplish the level of low achieving of children that are not disabled. In the manual, Assessing Special Education Students (ASES) Van De Zande.
For Doman 1, planning and preparation, I believe that I demonstrate adequate skills. I work hard to make connections to my content knowledge with other subject areas through discussions with general education teachers for social studies and science curriculums (Danielson, 1996). As a special education teacher, I must have a full understanding of my students (Danielson, 1996). I design lessons that are the instructional match for my students, modify grade level curriculum, and accommodate for different learning styles. I also try to choose books that would be interesting to my students and create math story problems around the activities that students participate in. Assessing student learning is critical to monitor instruction and to report student progress accurately (Danielson, 1996). The development of this component was a goal of mine during the first semester of this school year. I feel that now, I have acc...
Discussion, the active learner participates in peer discussion and any other assignment. This will help problem solving, experimentation, synthesis and other evaluation of contents.
Education is a profession which requires a teacher to be able to communicate with a multitude of students on a variety of levels. There is not a class, or student for that matter, that is identical. Therefore, teachers must be able to identify and help educate students from all different types of backgrounds and at different levels. Teaching a singular subject presents difficulties, but teaching students with disabilities should not be one. There are three main teaching areas that need to be focused on when teaching a student with a learning disability. Teachers need to focus on the strategies that will assist students with reading comprehension skills, writing skills, and maintaining appropriate behaviors in a classroom setting.