Creating Instruction

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Creating Instruction

• Using the Extended Content Standards and
  Functional Curricula

Presented By Claire Greer Department of Public
Instruction Exceptional Children Division
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What Do We Teach?

• Students with the most significant cognitive
  disabilities should
• receive instruction on grade level content
  standards (may be at a lower complexity level)
  within the context of grade level curriculum
  ensuring that the intent of the grade level
  content standard remains intact
• use the same or similar materials, or adapted
  version of the materials, and appropriate
  assistive technology to gain access

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Call of the Wild

• Written By Jack London
• Adapted By Jocelyn Watson-Garland and Amber
  Harris http//education.uncc.edu/access/apaptedboo
  ks.htm
• Adapted further by Claire Greer, Department of
  Public Instruction, Exceptional Childrens
  Division

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Adapted version of the same material
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Balance of Academic and Functional

• Students with the most significant cognitive
  disabilities should
• be taught skills that will enhance their
  independence in the next critical environment
• Some of those skills must be embedded in natural
  routines and in socially valid contexts
• be taught academic content

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Students with the most significant cognitive
disabilities should

• not have to wait until they are able to make a
  bed before they are taught to read or identify
  initial letter sounds before they are taught
  literature
• be presumed competent and not denied instruction
  offered to students of the same age (grade level
  content standards and curriculum)

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Is it Reading? Is it Math? Is it Science?

• Diane Browder in her book Aligning IEPs to
  Academic Standards addresses the issue of, Is
  it Reading?
• Which means, Is the student actually learning a
  reading skill or is it something else?
• Lets decide

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English/Language Arts Grade 7 Competency Goal 5

• Grade level
• The learner will respond to various literary
  genres using interpretative and evaluative
  processes.
• Extension
• The learner will explore and respond to a variety
  of print and non-print texts (functional and
  literary)
• Explore and/or analyze relationships of
  characters, ideas, concepts (including literary
  devices) and/or experiences
• Extend understanding by creating products that
  exemplify specific types of text.

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Is it Reading?

• John will make a presentation to the class on
  Call of the Wild using a single switch voice
  output device
• Is it Reading? No, John is activating a single
  switch which is presented to him and then
  withdrawn.
• Does it link to the grade level content standard
  on exploring and responding to a variety of print
  and non-print texts? Yes. Although the
  presentation tells the class about the book it is
  very weak link because it does not show what John
  has learned about the book. There is no choice
  involved.
• Is it meaningful? Making a presentation is
  something all middle school students are expected
  to do, and it is important to work on this skill.
  John does a great job, but it is not reading.
  But it could be a skill targeted for the IEP.

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Lets Try Again

• John will identify concepts dealing with home and
  family.
• Is this Reading? Yes. John is gaining information
  from the cues symbolic of the concepts, and
  demonstrating comprehension by selecting the
  correct cue.
• Does it link to the grade level content standard
  on exploring and responding to a variety of print
  and non-print texts? Yes. John is reviewing the
  same concepts as all students The learner will
  identify ideas related to home and family.
• Is it Meaningful? John is learning what has been
  identified as important for all students to know
  and home and family are personally relevant
  topics.

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Creating a Unit

• Unit
• Whale Rider
• 3 students
• 3 access points Symbolic, Early Symbolic,
  Pre-symbolic
• 2 grades

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Introducing Our Students

• Shyniqua- Symbolic, 6th Grade
• Label of Mental Disablity
• I.Q. of 59
• Has some word recognition skills Kindergarten
  level
• Verbal
• Difficulty with comprehension and creating text
  independently
• Good fine and gross motor skills

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• Jonathan- Early Symbolic- 6th Grade
• Label of Mental Disability
• I.Q. of 40
• Non-ambulatory and fine motor difficulties
• Low vision abilities
• Some verbal ability but not able to communicate
  many basic wants and needs
• Does not appear able to read

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• Kelly- Pre-symbolic- 7th Grade
• Label of autism and mental disability
• I.Q. below 30
• Seizures and sensory impairments
• Fine and gross motor skill deficits
• No conventional communication
• Runs away and sometimes hits
• Does not appear able to read

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Our Dilemma

• What should their educational program look like?
• Academics?
• Frequent opportunities?
• Functional skills?
• Separate classroom?
• Part time in general education?
• Full time inclusion?

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Our Dilemma

• How do we support their communication?
• Content vocabulary?
• Functional words?
• Sign language?
• Low tech or high tech?

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Unit on Whale Rider

• Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera

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Science Unit

• Weather
• Children for this unit are in 2nd grade
• and functioning at all three access levels

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Standards Based Unit of Study

• Things to consider when creating a unit
• What do I want the students to know and be able
  to do at the end of the unit? (based on academic
  extension) Essential skill(s)
• What functional skills can be embedded into the
  unit?
• What instructional strategies and activities
  should be presented?
• What assistive technology will be needed to
  access lessons and or functional outcomes?