Special Education & Students Who Learn Differently

 

Volume 16  |  Issue 5  |  November 12, 2020

http://www.ascd.org/

Supporting Students Who Learn Differently

For students who learn differently, including those whose needs rise to the level of receiving special education services, the pandemic has brought additional and varied challenges that many of their peers don't experience. Parents of students who have an Individualized Educational Program (or other additional education support) say they are twice as likely as their peers to be doing little or no remote learning and are at risk of falling behind on important life skills as well as academics. How must teaching and leading change to connect with students in a COVID-19 world? In partnership with Understood, this issue explores ideas for making classrooms—in person and remote—more accommodating to all students.

'Going Through Struggles Together': Family Connections in Tough Times

Kate Stoltzfus

Students in special education need teachers to communicate and collaborate with their support systems now more than ever, says Nevada Teacher of the Year Juliana Urtubey.

 

Working Toward Flexible School Experiences

Educators who work with diverse learners reflect on the resources they've found most helpful during the pandemic.

 

Don't Forget to Support Special Education Paraprofessionals

Kimberly Eckert

Let's arm all staff with meaningful opportunities to build their skills.

 

What Special Educators Want Leaders to Know About Remote Education

Andrea Golloher and Matthew L. Love

Individualization is the name of the game.

Decoding Autism in the Context of the Coronavirus

Barbara Boroson

Students on the spectrum need us to stretch ourselves in differentiated directions.

Courtesy of ASCD

Classroom Management Ideas for Teachers

The purpose of the marble practice is to aid a teacher in attaining good classroom management in a fun way. This exercise provides students with a visual goal that allows them to work together for a reward. Each week students will get a fresh start on trying to achieve their reward set by the teacher.

 At the beginning of the week the teacher will display an empty jar at the front of the classroom. If students display positive behaviour they will receive marbles which allows students to track and have a visual representation of their behaviour. If the jar is full by Friday, they are rewarded. If the students present poor behaviour the marbles can be taken away. It is important to display or review how each student can earn marbles. 

It is a great way for students to feel accountable and work towards something as a group.

Reward Examples:  free time, a movie, or games.  

 

Brought to you by: Gabriella@NU

   

Mental Health Ontario helping Students

 A Series of videos from Mental Health Ontario

Schools are an ideal place for mental health promotion, prevention and early intervention. Through an evidence-based and systematic approach, we can help students flourish.

1. Skills for students: What is social-emotional learning?

2. Skills for students: How your thoughts, emotions and behaviours work together

3. Skills for students: Managing the stress you feel

4. Skills for students: Persevering even when things are hard

5. Skills for students: Having healthy relationships with others

6. Skills for students: Discovering what makes you YOU!

7. Skills for students: Organizing your thoughts to help you focus

8. Skills for students: Social-emotional learning skills for life

Free Templates for Google Slides or PowerPoints

Visually appealing presentations are a great tool to help your audience stay focused, engaged and interested in what you are saying or teaching. Unfortunately, creating visually appealing powerpoints can take time- time that most of us don't have! 

Slidesgo is a website that provides you with free templates for all of your Google Slides/PowerPoints. You can customize each lecture, lesson, or presentation with the hundreds of free templates. This site has saved me many hours of "making my slides pretty" this semester and I am recommending it to everyone! 

Check it out: https://slidesgo.com

@TeresaNU

Classic Games - It's time for Family Feud

Classic Games – Family Feud

https://www.classicgames.me/family-feud-on-msdos.html

Are you ready to play?

Press the SPACEBAR

Number of Families? 1 or 2

Are you returning champions? Y (Yes) or N (No) … No … Type in your name

Press any key to start Round 1

Press SPACEBAR to select (push buzzer)

Follow the instructions on the board and have fun!

Brought to you by Chris@OISE

Diabetes in the Classrom

Type 1 Diabetes in the Classroom

Type 1 Diabetes is an autoimmune disease most commonly found in children where the pancreas does not produce any insulin to the body, so insulin must be given to the person manually. Type 1 Diabetes is legally a disability, and should be treated with the same caution as such. More likely than not, there will be at least one student with Type 1 Diabetes in any classroom - 300,000+ Canadians have the disease, and the diagnosis rate increases by 5.1% every year. As a person who has experienced being a student with Type 1 Diabetes, I noticed that it was far too often that my teachers had no idea how to help me in emergency situations. This blog post is meant to act as a guide to prevent that from happening in classrooms. It is important to recognize the severity of Type 1 Diabetes. 

People with Type 1 Diabetes have to control and monitor their glucose levels. They have to ensure that their glucose level isn't too high (Hyperglycemia) or too low (Hypoglycemia). The risk of their glucose levels reaching either of those extremes can be extremely fatal. Some people are able to identify symptoms immediately and fix the issue, others cannot at all. It is important as a teacher to recognize the signs and symptoms of Hyperglycemia and Hypoglycemia, as well as how to treat them, in order to save your student from a potentially fatal outcome:

High Blood Sugar (Hyperglycemia) 

Symptoms:

• Drinking lots of water/Dehydration

• Frequent urination

• Mood swings (i.e., irritable, exhausted, tense, potential for outbursts etc.)

• Discomfort 

• Loss of focus

• Loss of appetite 

• Headaches

• Smell of ammonia on breath

• Tiredness

• Dry skin/mouth

• Rapid breathing

• Stiffness/aches

• Nausea/vomiting

 

Hyperglycemia is treated with the administration of insulin. Insulin will come in the form of  a pen needle, a syringe, or an insulin pump. For Type 1 Diabetics, insulin is always given after eating food and when glucose levels are high. There is a carb count that must be considered when giving insulin for food, which is dependent on each individual person. There is a correction factor that is also given for when glucose levels are too high - these factors would be something to discuss with the parent/guardian of your student. The ultimate goal when treating a high glucose level is to prevent Diabetic KetoAcidosis. DKA is a life-threatening problem that affects people with diabetes. It occurs when the body starts breaking down fat at a rate that is much too fast. The liver processes the fat into a fuel called ketones, which causes the blood to become acidic. Ketone levels are checked with a separate monitor - not many students will carry this around, so you MUST know the symptoms. If your student goes into DKA, call an ambulance immediately. If left untreated, it can lead to serious organ failures, or possibly death.

Low Blood Sugar (Hypoglycemia)

Symptoms:

• Dizziness

• Shaking

• Inability to move/function

• Weakness

• Slurring words

• Headache

• Nausea

• Loss of appetite

• Gain in appetite

• Mood swings (i.e., irritability, exhaustion, laziness, panic etc)

• Extreme tiredness/Desire to sleep 

• Slowed breathing

• Fainting/seizures

Hypoglycemia is treated with carbohydrates or sugars. This can be anything from glucose tablets, to juice boxes, to cookies, to candy, to sugary soda (nothing diet!). In my experience, the quickest and easiest way to bring up a blood sugar is with a juice box or two - this is helpful too if a person feels too weak to eat anything, which can happen. It would be wise to keep a set of juice boxes in your classroom in case the student doesn't bring them themselves. After administering the juice/sugary food, the students blood sugar levels must be tested every 15 minutes after consumption until their level is at a normal rate. In extreme cases where the glucose level does not rise, or the student is experiencing fainting, do NOT feed them! There should be a medicine in the form of a needle called glucagon on hand, which when administered will raise the glucose level. Extremely low blood sugars can result in fainting, and possibly seizures. If this happens, and there is no glucagon on hand, call an ambulance immediately. If left untreated, the student will have a lack of oxygen flow to the brain, and can potentially become comatose or die. 

Overall, students with Type 1 Diabetes have the full potential to succeed in every aspect of school just as well as regular students, however, it is so important that teachers are aware of Type 1 Diabetes and its symptoms, as well as know what to do in emergency situations. It is important to keep frequent contact with the parents as well as maintain regular check-ins with the student so that they know that they can feel safe in your care. 

Watch this short video about Cleo, a 10-year student with diabetes:

Watch this short video about Jasper, a 17-year old student with diabetes:

 

For more information about Type 1 Diabetes:

https://www.jdrf.ca/who-we-are/type-1-diabetes/#:~:text=300%2C000%2B,higher%20than%20the%20global%20average.&text=Although%20most%20people%20are%20diagnosed,T1D%20are%20diagnosed%20as%20adults.

https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000320.htm#:~:text=Diabetic%20ketoacidosis%20(DKA)%20is%20a,the%20blood%20to%20become%20acidic

 Caitlin@NU

Classic Games: It's Jeopardy!

Play your favourite TV Game - Jeopardy online

https://www.myabandonware.com/game/jeopardy-bb/play-bb

Are you ready to play?

Press START

Answer questions to play

·         Number of players (1, 2, or 3)

·         Are you a returning champion ( Y or N) … N and then type in your name

·         Are you Male (M) or Female (F)

·         Would you like a new character? Yes or (Y) or No (N)

Controls are on the screen

SPACEBAR is what you push to answer a question

Brought to you by Erin@OISE

Classroom Concentration Tips for Students with ADHD

It can often be difficult for students living with ADHD to retain the same amount of key information as their peers. Many teachers become frustrated that these students are disruptive, distracted or uninterested in classroom content. How can we fix this? This website has 17 different ways to cater to the needs of students with ADHD without distracting any of their peers.

Click the link below for some helpful tips!

https://www.edutopia.org/discussion/17-ways-help-students-adhd-fidget

Alanah@NU

Classic Games - Classic Concentration

Classic Concentration online

https://www.myabandonware.com/game/jeopardy-bb/play-bb

Are you ready to play?

Press START

Answer questions to play

·         How many players (1 or 2)

·         Are you a returning champion ( Y or N) … N and then type in your name

·         Are you Male (M) or Female (F)

·         Would you like a new character? Yes or (Y) or No (N)

·         Enter your name

·         Ready to play

Use ARROW Keys to move around and ENTER to select a card

Can you solve the problem? Y (Yes) or N (No)

   If you say YES, you type in your answer and press ENTER

If you win, you play to win a car … use the ARROW keys and the ENTER key … you have 35 seconds

Brought to you by Kate@OISE

Books about Race, Cultural Diversity and Racism

Integrating books that teach about cultural awareness and diversity 

 

Books about race and cultural diversity are one way of integrating these topics into the classroom. Books can be used to relate to children's experiences, share a new concept or point of and begin conversations about race. Teachers need to have a collection of books to enhance their discussions about race and oppression however this collection should be rich and varied in stories, perspectives topics and issues related to race and culture (Gonser, 2020).  

Books like Antiracist Baby, Same. Same but Different, and Can I Touch Your Hair are some popular examples of books about race and racism. 

Find Books about race, racism and cultural diversity in the links below! 

Children's books about race and racism that can spark conversation https://www.womansday.com/life/entertainment/g32748133/childrens-books-race-racism/ 

18 powerful children's books about race and racism:

https://www.rebekahgienapp.com/childrens-books-about-race/ 

25 children's books about diversity: 

https://www.thebump.com/a/childrens-books-about-diversity 

Find ways to talk about race in your classroom below: 

How to start talking about race in the early elementary classroom: 

https://www.edutopia.org/article/how-start-talking-about-race-early-elementary-classroom 

Talking with students about racism:

https://www.chronicle.com/newsletter/teaching/2020-06-18 

3 ways to start a conversation about race in your classroom: 

https://medium.com/synapse/3-ways-to-start-a-conversation-about-race-and-racism-in-your-classroom-f24520e2f97b 

Why conversations about racism belong in the classroom: 

https://rossieronline.usc.edu/youth-and-racism/racism-in-the-classroom 

References

Gonser, S. (2020). How to start talking about race in the early elementary classroom. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/article/how-start-talking-about-race-early-elementary-classroom 

Alexandra@NU

Diagnostic, Formative, Summative and Feedback 101

Diagnostic, Formative, Summative and Feedback 101

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JI-YgK-l4Sg

Assessment vs Evaluation

Assessment = ongoing, over and over, checking for understanding = informing during instruction/activity = used to adapt instruction immediately = increase the quality = Formative

Gives feedback

Monitoring learning

For improvement

Accountability

Assessment is used to Evaluate, right?

Evaluation = a moment in time = judge the quality = inform after the instruction/activity = do I need to reteach or move on to new topic = Summative

Measure of effectiveness and success

Assign grades

Analyze success

Making decisions

In the end, really Formative and Summative Assessments can be used to evaluate

FEEDBACK

A short animated video describing what effective feedback is, how it can be used, and the potential impact on student learning.

Where's the learner going? (What does success look like?) ... The Learning Goal

Where is the learner right now? (How am I going?) ..... Expectations

How does the learner get there? (Where to next?) .... Success Criteria

Feedback can be about the task, the process, the student (self-regulation and other work habits and learning skills - the General Success Criteria)

What does the data say about feedback?

Teacher practice improves and so does student outcomes! Success all around.

John Hattie & Feedback: Everything teachers do will work - The key is to use what works BEST!

John Hattie shares how his study of more than a quarter of a billion students revealed that 90-95% of the work teachers do enhances student achievement, and the real challenge in education is knowing our impact.

What gives us the best IMPACT?

The Power of Feedback

Instructional video that explains the concepts outlined in "The Power of Feedback" by John Hattie and Helen Timperley

Where's the learner going? (What does success look like?) ... The Learning Goal

Where is the learner right now? (How am I going?) ..... Expectations

How does the learner get there? (Where to next?) .... Success Criteria

Feedback does NOT pass judgment.

Brought to you by JM@NU

Have a Question - Don't be Afraid to Ask

 Anonymous Question Box in A Classroom

A way to let students ask important questions or make valuable comments anonymously. This lets the teacher's further classroom discussions!

The Anonymous Question Box

An anonymous question box gives quiet and shy students an opportunity to ask questions, or students that are struggling a chance to be vulnerable and express concerns. The box allows students to get the information/help they need without feeling singled out.

To get the most out of the box, we should follow some simple guidelines, which include:

• "Discussing the purpose and what both teacher and students gain from using the box.
• Placing the box in a prominent, but discreet, space in the classroom. The box should be easily accessible and noticeable without being distracting.
• Taking a few moments once a week to ask students to write and submit a question. All students are required to submit a piece of paper, even if the only thing they write is ''I have no question.'' This slight subterfuge allows students who do have questions to submit them without drawing attention to themselves.
• Reviewing the contents of the box daily and addressing them in class, answering those questions that I can immediately and using the rest to modify my curriculum."

https://study.com/blog/why-i-always-keep-an-anonymous-question-box-in-my-classroom.html

Problems in School

Not all students will feel comfortable enough with the teacher to confide in them, leading to a lack of communication. When there are problems going on outside of the classroom that the teacher is not aware of, this open communication is necessary for problem solving. Think, bullying. An anonymous box allows students to tell the teacher of any problems and concerns they may have, which may prompt an open discussion with the class about bullying.

A Simple Solution

The anonymity of the box gives students a voice, and the teacher a way to address personal and educational questions and concerns. Thus, giving the students more control of their learning environment.

Brought to you by Madison@NU