Introduction to the Active Learning Approach Iowa Educational Services for the Blind & Visually Impaired Summer Institute – August, 2018 Presenter: Susan Brennan, PhD Materials prepared by Susan Brennan and Cindy White-Botello

Introductions & Housekeeping Who am I? Who are you? Scheduled breaks Your questions are very important to everyone’s learning! So please ask! How well you know your children helps us develop appropriate AL activities

Active Learning Session Objectives Understand the Active Learning approach Instruction and Intervention Examples & Resources Make & Take

Remember Piaget’s Learning Theory? Learning involves discovery through the manipulation of objects and interaction with people, places and things…..

And Piaget’s Stages of Intellectual Development? Sensorimotor Preoperational Concrete Formal operational

Many of our kids are in the initial stages… Sensorimotor Stage: Using sucking, grasping, and gross-body activities in order to build schemes (make sense/organize) of their lives Gaining object permanence “Thinking” with their senses Solving problems by playing with toys and using everyday “tools” such as a spoon to learn to feed themselves

Many of our kids are in the initial stages….. Preoperational Stage: Depend on concrete representations Moving to symbolic representation (such as pictures and language) Use immediate surroundings as a frame of reference Accelerate language development and start to internalize (think about) events Judgments are made based on how things look

How does learning take place in these early stages? Children under the age of 3 constantly move in and interact within their environment They examine and are motivated to learn by tasting, touching, smelling, listening and looking. Through this interaction process they learn to use their sensory systems to gather information, coordinate purposeful movement and make sense of their environment. Piaget learning involves discovery: manipulating objects and interacting with people places and things.

Accessibility This type of “active learning” within an environment that is accessible, is the critical foundation for all learning and all learners. If you can’t bring child to the environment, take the environment to the child.

What does this mean for children with complex sensory disabilities? Many children fail to develop foundational concepts because they cannot interact independently with their environment Or they are not aware the world exists beyond their bodies. Their world may extend only as far as their hands, feet or mouth can touch/access Additionally, stressful life events may severely impair cognitive and emotional development Realizing there are other things in their environment to be explored is a natural motivator/teacher Moss, Kate, 2010 Taking a Look at the FIELA Curriculum: 730 Learning Environments by Dr. Lilli Nielsen

Active Learning Is based on the notion all children learn exclusively by doing until the developmental age of about three.

Recommendations for the child’s learning environment Conduct ongoing assessment Raise the ante; don’t just give the child his/her favorites Give the child opportunities to practice and/or to compare. Shush Do not grab hands Wait Children need to be able to repeat an action many times in order to learn.

Active Learning Dr. Lilli Nielsen offers strategies to advance learning for children who are visually and multiply impaired including deafblindness (MI/VI/DB) by supporting their ability to access information in carefully constructed environments that encourage children to actively learn/explore by doing. Schafer, Stacy, 2003 An Introduction to Dr. Lilli Nielsen’s Active Learning

Awareness and Interest Completion of Learning OR Habituation Dynamic Learning Circle Stage 1 Awareness and Interest Stage 2 Curious and Active Stage 4 Readiness for a New Challenge Stage 3 Completion of Learning OR Habituation

Active Learning The actions of examining and experimenting with objects using their bodies, is the foundation for the development in cognitive, motor, problem-solving and social skills. Moss, Kate, 2010 Taking a Look at the FIELA Curriculum: 730 Learning Environments by Dr. Lilli Nielsen

Active Learning Teacher’s Role - to create environments that build on skills the child already has, to encourage him to use his body and mind for higher-level tasks. Important to note that before beginning to work with any child, a thorough assessment of his/her skills and emotional development is needed, so that you know where to begin. Compiled by Rona Pogrund, 2003.

Active Learning If you start too high, you will likely frustrate the child and if you start too low, you run the risk of losing the child’s interest and motivation. Dr. Nielsen has developed a comprehensive assessment tool, the “Functional Scheme” (Nielsen, 2000), and a curriculum to help teachers called the FIELA Curriculum – 730 Environments (Nielsen, 1999). Compiled by Rona Pogrund, 2003.

Active Learning Includes Research based strategies such as: multiple trials slower pacing clutter reduction presenting new materials in the “zone of proximal development” scaffolding decreased stress highly structured activities active participation increased motivation Lilli’s work is empirically researched (gained through direct observation or experience) NOT qualitative or quantitative (not systematically approached with enough information/case studies to produce evidence that lends itself to widely held as “evidence based practice”.) Smith, Millie 2007 “Informed Choices: Accountability and Individualization”, by Millie Smith, TX SenseAbilities,

Five Phases of Educational Treatment Phase I - Technique of Offering Phase II - Technique of Imitation Phase II - Technique of Interaction Phase IV - Phase IV: Technique of Sharing the Work Phase V - Technique of Consequence From: Are You Blind? By Dr. Lilli Nielsen

”Five Phases….” Group Activity Group activity: divide into 5 groups, each group takes 1 phase. Summarize the following information from each phase to the group from the article: Children at this level The role of the adult Purpose of offering technique Points that should be emphasized at this level Other helpful information/insights Use markers and large sticky pages/paper to post info.

”Five Phases….” Group Activity continued Consider which phase your student might be at. Why would you select that level? Thoughts on picking the “right” level?

Designing Instruction Active Learning equipment to consider once the level has been chosen: Little room Dens Position board Scratching board Tipping board Vest with objects Resonance board Resonance bucket In you same groups, report out on the environments Schafer, Stacy 2010, Active Learning and the Exploration of Real Objects

Set the Stage for Self-Directed Learning Use the same objects and the same process each time to provide familiarity and security Find the “hook” for your student – what triggers your student to use his/her vision? Sound, temperature, texture, smell… Introduce old and new objects through hands- on experience and verbal description

Setting the Stage Allow plenty of time for the student to see and to respond to what is being seen If the student is attempting to visually interpret an activity, give him/her the time to process the information. If he/she is interrupted, it is likely that he/she will need to repeat the sensory integration process from the beginning. Allow breaks

Important considerations… Observe the child Provide the child with activities and objects similar to those s/he enjoys Give the child opportunities to practice and/or compare Provide a few materials and activities that are at a slightly higher developmental level to provide challenge for the child Group activity AGAIN! Share out and discuss as a group – 7 categories Moss, Kate, 2010 Taking a Look at the FIELA Curriculum: 730 Learning Environments by Dr. Lilli Nielsen

Important considerations continued Do not interrupt the child by talking when the child is actively engaged in playing Slow down when interacting with the child Let the child have control of his/her own hands Moss, Kate, 2010 Taking a Look at the FIELA Curriculum: 730 Learning Environments by Dr. Lilli Nielsen

The “Offering Technique”: Use hand under hand technique when offering, modeling or guiding Minimize taking control of the child’s hands When you do take control of his/her hands (body) give advance notice that you are about to do so with an auditory and/or touch cue. Let me show you….. Moss, Kate, 2010 Taking a Look at the FIELA Curriculum: 730 Learning Environments by Dr. Lilli Nielsen

Active Learning objects Auditory qualities should be such that the student can produce various sounds with the same objects Vary in weight and temperature Inspire counting games Be present in such quantities that the student has the opportunity to Choose Combine his/her experiences Play various sequence games Develop orientation to the space

Objects should have a “same- but-different buddy” Buddies Objects should have a “same- but-different buddy” Comparable objects should be placed next to each other both within the used area of reach and beyond Examples: wood spoons/metal spoons, funnels of different sizes, plastic measuring cups/metal measuring cups, dish brush/toilet brush

Sample Active Learning Materials Let’s take a look at: Little Room Resonance Buckets/Active Learning Buckets Resonance Board Independent Play Areas Scratch Boards

Little Room Items should be present in such quantities that the student has the opportunity to: Choose Combine experiences Play various sequence games Develop orientation to the space

Lilli Nielsen Little Room

Little Room Moss, Kate, 2010 Taking a Look at the FIELA Curriculum: 730 Learning Environments by Dr. Lilli Nielsen

Little Rooms/Independent Play Areas When hanging objects, use elastic because it: Encourages muscle strength Encourages experimentation on how far the object can be moved from its original position Auditory and visual effect will be different depending on where, in relation to the original position, the student lets go of the object, so is motivated to learn about the different use of muscle strength Avoid use of “baby” toys

Little Rooms/Independent Play Areas continued Take into account the senses of smell and taste When the student makes things move and swing, they will be more visually interesting Items should be changeable in shape Brushes, gloves, chains, thick clothes line

Why does it work? Objects in a Little Room should have a reason it works A jingle bell cannot reveal that a ball rattles inside to make a sound. A cow bell, however, will reveal that when the fob is blocked the bell does not make a sound.

Hands Off! DO NOT TOUCH, TAP, OR MOVE OBJECTS ONCE IN PLACE ANYTHING THAT HAPPENS IN THIS AREA MUST BE THE RESULT OF THE STUDENT’S ACTIONS AND MOVEMENTS

Active Learning Buckets

Active Learning Buckets

Resonance Board

Active Learning Spaces/ Independent Play Areas

Independent Play Area Image from: www.wonderbaby.org

Active learning sensory space Image from: www.wonderbaby.org

Scratch Board

Think outside the box

Elastic Board Image from: www.activelearningspace.com

Essef Board

Tipping Board * Image from: www.ssc.education.ed.ac.uk

Active learning bib/apron Image from: www.ssc.education.ed.ac.uk

Active Learning vest

Remember… Active Learning is an educational approach – it is not just specific equipment Active learning principles can be applied in most educational situations or activities Active learning is about the child learning in their own way and own time Wait time, wait time, wait time

Questions???

Resources Active Learning Space website www.activelearningspace.org Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired website http://tsbvi.edu/ National Consortium on Deafblindness (DB-link) http://nationaldb.org/ Washington Sensory Disabilities Services http://www.wsdsonline.org/ Perkins School for the Blind http://www.perkins.org/ Iowa Braille & Sight Saving School www.iowa- braille.k12.ia.us

Contact Information Susan Brennan sbrennan@iowa-braille.k12.ia.us 319-560-4014 Cindy White-Botello cwhite-botello@iowa-braille.k12.ia.us 319-310-1322