Best Practices for Meeting Students Needs in Heterogeneous Classes INCLUSIVE TEACHING CHAPTER 7: STUDENTS WITH DIFFERING ACADEMIC ABILITIES Best Practices for Meeting Students Needs in Heterogeneous Classes This multimedia product and its contents are protected by copyright law. The following are prohibited by law: • any public performance or display, including transmission of any image over a network.; • preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction, in whole or in part, of any images; • any rental, lease, or lending of the program. Copyright © Allyn & Bacon, 2003

Teaching Students With Differing Academic Abilities “The key is learning how to teach individuals, not groups.” Carol, 7th grade teacher Copyright © Allyn & Bacon, 2003

Inclusion And High Ability Students ISSUES BENEFITS VS. COST CAPACITY AND WILLINGNESS OF TEACHERS TO USE BEST PRACTICE Copyright © Allyn & Bacon, 2003

Challenging for Higher-Level Learning Scaffolding Scaffold all instruction Computers as information source and exploration tool materials at extremely different levels Bring in experts Complex and challenging experiences Multilevel teaching strategies Curriculum compacting Tiered lessons Open-ended assignments Copyright © Allyn & Bacon, 2003

Challenging for Higher-Level Learning Mixed Ability Groups Social action research Literacy circles Multiage grouping Flexible groupings Collaborative pairing Expanded Opportunities Grade acceleration Community experiences Enrichment for all Integrated honors program Copyright © Allyn & Bacon, 2003

Second-Language Learners Best Practice Learning Conditions High incidence of two-way communication Social integration with native English speakers Thoughtful integration of second-language acquisition principles with content instruction Involvement and participation of home community Promotion of critical consciousness Faltis (1997) Copyright © Allyn & Bacon, 2003

Second Language Learners Classroom Concerns Cultural mismatch between language use in the home and at school Opportunities for second-language learners to share their unique gifts Parental involvement Copyright © Allyn & Bacon, 2003

Students with Learning Disabilities Three Perspectives of Cause Intrinsic Extrinsic Interactive Copyright © Allyn & Bacon, 2003

Intrinsic: Explanations Caused by biological and/or neuropsychological deficits in the child Instructional approach Direct instruction Leading instructional approach since 1970’s Skills are broken down and taught through behavioral strategies Supported by IDEA Research does not support this view Spear-Swerling & Sterbberg, 1998 Copyright © Allyn & Bacon, 2003

Extrinsic Explanations Focuses on the impacts of : School Teaching children in ways they can’t learn Home Limited mediated learning experiences Community Lack of support Copyright © Allyn & Bacon, 2003

Interactive Explanations Learning disabilities are functions of interactions between the biological makeup of the child and the school, family, and community environment. Suggests a holistic approach Copyright © Allyn & Bacon, 2003

Inclusive Education and Learning Disabilities: Why? Traditional Pull-out Approach Resource room may stigmatize children Students with many different problems are lumped together Instruction focuses on isolated skills Students miss instruction in the general education class Difficult to establish a sense of community Copyright © Allyn & Bacon, 2003

Inclusive Education, Learning Disabilities and Creative Teaching Positive expectations Authentic learning that builds on strengths and interests Alternative modes of input and output Help in organizing and anticipating Specific supportive feedback Social-emotional support Copyright © Allyn & Bacon, 2003

Students with Mental Retardation “Mental retardation means significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the developmental period that adversely affects a child educational performance” IDEA, 1997, 300.7 [b] Copyright © Allyn & Bacon, 2003

Students with Mental Retardation: Schools and Communities Intensities of support: an approach to school and community life Intermittent Limited Extensive Pervasive Copyright © Allyn & Bacon, 2003

Key Principles for Teaching Students with Mental Retardation Age appropriate participation Natural proportions Supports based on need Respect, not benevolence Holistic learning, not behaviorism Copyright © Allyn & Bacon, 2003

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon, 2003 In the classroom… Make the commitment Utilize multilevel teaching Provide authentic learning goals connected to life goals Provide support for teachers and students Copyright © Allyn & Bacon, 2003

Students with TBI (traumatic brain injury) TBI can result from any blow to the head Impacts can vary greatly May have strong emotional overlays Possible Impacts Physical impairments Cognitive impairments Behavioral/emotional changes Copyright © Allyn & Bacon, 2003