Professional Competency #7
Key Question
1. What is my approach to differentiating instruction for a range of diverse learners?
Background Orientation:
One of the biggest changes in public schooling occurred several decades ago when inclusive education became the norm for shcools. That is, children with learning difficulties who had previously been placed in separate classes were now integrated in regular classrooms, becoming the primary responsibility of the regular classroom teacher. As the numbers of pupils coded with special needs as learners (either learning difficulties and/or behaviour issues) has increased dramatically in recent years, the issue of adjusting instruction, management, assessment, and so on has become an increasingly important one for classroom teachers. Such a task for teachers implies not only understanding the nature of the learning difficulty experienced by pupils, but also differentiating an instructional approach for them. This situation also implies the need to work effectively with other staff, such as resource teachers and integration aides, to effectively plan and implement adapted approaches for children with special needs as learners. Such a shift has been one of the major challenges for teachers in recent years.
Readings:
Since students have already taken a course on special needs learners in second year (EDPI 309 Exceptional Students), no additional readings are included here.
Task:
Your task is to create a section for your teaching portfolio reflecting your understanding of the needs of various special needs learners and documenting your ability to differentiate an approach for them in your classroom. Depending on your circumstances, it may also document your knowledge and ability to work effectively with other staff, such as resource teachers, integration aides, etc., in order to meet these children’s needs. As such, this section should contain a concise, yet comprehensive, statement reflecting your understandings and approaches to adapting your work with special needs learners. It should also contain a number of artifacts documenting your experience and ability in doing so (e.g., different levels of assignments/homework for different pupils, experience with IEPs, descriptions of the special needs you worked with in your classroom, etc.).
Means:
Discuss this issue with your CT, other teachers (for example, a resource teacher), and with other student teachers.
Document your efforts to adjust your approach to special needs learners during the term.
Review readings from your previous course on exceptional students.
Due Date:
End of Week 16