Professional Development Services

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Supporting Instruction in Inclusive Classrooms
Strategies for Paraeducators

• Professional Development Services
• Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education

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Outcomes

• Increase awareness of paraeducator roles and
  responsibilities
• Enhance knowledge and skills needed to support
  students with diverse needs in general education
  environments
• Principles and strategies for supporting
  instruction
• Strategies techniques for promoting
  independence
• Strategies and materials that increase access to
  curriculum

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Para Responsibilities

• Under the direction of teachers, paras
• Provide instruction (11, small group)
• Implement accommodations, modifications, and
  instructional strategies chosen and designed by
  teachers
• Prepare materials
• Collect objective data
• Score assignments and assessments with specific
  and concrete answers (ex. Spelling or Math tests
  with answer keys)

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Para Responsibilities

• Under the direction of teachers, paras
• Assist students with personal care needs (eating,
  hygiene, organization)
• Supervise students during transitions
• Promote student independence
• Provide information to teachers about student
  performance
• Use positive behavior support strategies

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WHAT We Talk About and WHEN
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Guidelines for Conversations

• DO
• Emphasize capabilities
• Use age-appropriate language and terms
• Be discrete

• DONT
• Talk about students in their presence
• Talk FOR a student who isnt verbal
• Discuss personal care, medical issues, etc. in
  front of others

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WHO We Talk To
Maintaining confidentiality is an ethical and
legal responsibility.
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Confidentiality Guidelines

• Protect information about students
• Diagnosis
• Supports and services
• Assessments
• Medical history
• Progress and achievement
• Behavior
• Families

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Confidentiality Guidelines

• Need-to-know basis
• Staff CURRENTLY involved
• Relevant information only
• Avoid talking about students with/around
• Other students
• Parents
• Subs/Volunteers
• Other staff
• Dont discuss students in public places
• Maintain files securely
• Be careful with e-mail
• Obtain releases

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The Power of Words
The difference between the right word and the
almost right word is the difference between
lightning and lightning bug. - Mark Twain
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Language
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Person First Language
What is it?

• Recognizes that individuals with disabilities are
  first and foremost people
• Describes what a person has, not what a person is
  

Snow, K. Disability is Natural. Retrieved March
17, 2009, from http//www.disabilityisnatural.com/

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Language of the Past
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Language of the 21st Century Person First
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3-2-1 Activity
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Principles and Strategies for Supporting
Instruction
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Independence What a great feeling!
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Accommodations
DO NOT change the content or level of the lesson
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Examples of Accommodations
Change HOW information/material is PRESENTED Change HOW students DEMONSTRATE learning Change ENVIRONMENT to allow student ACCESS to curriculum
Kurzweil Fewer problems Preferential seating
Verbatim reading Scribe Frequent breaks
Copies of teachers power point/ notes Use calculator Permission to stand/move while working
Visuals or manipulatives which support lecture content Use Alphasmart or laptop Study carrel
Pre-teach/re-teach key vocabulary or concepts Cloze notes Extra copy of textbooks at home
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Modifications
DO change the content and/or level of the lesson
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Examples of Modifications
Amount (to be learned) Difficulty Content of Skills (embedded or related)
Student focuses on 5 vocabulary words instead of 15 Student focuses only on positive integers in math problems Student focuses on different skills (e.g. word id, writing, sorting, computation) with same materials
Student focuses on 3 key concepts from science unit Student creates same-different T-chart, instead of analytical essay Naturally occurring opportunities are used to teach functional skills
Student focuses on 3 traits, rather than all components of the writing process Student uses a lower-level text to read about same topic Student works on communication, social interaction, following directions/schedule during a given activity
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Strategies and Materials that Increase Access to
Curriculum
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Strategies to Increase Engagement

• Provide outline/notes during instruction
• Break content into small steps
• Intersperse manipulative tasks
• Prime vocabulary/concepts
• Visuals to clarify concepts
• Incorporate student interests

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Use Everyday Materials To Support Instruction
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Supporting Math
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Supporting Reading
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Supporting Handwriting
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Supporting Writing Process
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Visual SupportsWe ALL Use Them
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Visual Supports Can
If I can't picture it.I can't understand it. -
Albert Einstein
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Visual Supports Come in a Variety of Forms
Arrival routine
First, then
Source for Visuals https//www.setbc.org/picture
set/Default.aspx
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Schedules Checklists

Student schedule
Checklist for activity
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Non-Verbal Cues/Visual Reminders
Keep student on task
Visual supports for activities
Prompt students when playing a game
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Teaching Independence

• PROMPTS are things we do or provide to ensure
  that the child student performs the
  task/skill/behavior CORRECTLY
• Prompt BEFORE the student responds not as a
  correction
• Practice doing it right, with supports dont
  practice errors!
• Reduce assistance over time

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Promoting Independence

• Provide choices
• Let student attempt task before providing
  assistance (even if its easier faster
  cleaner for you to do it FOR the student)
• Allow (some) struggling!
• Provide partial assistance
• Help other students in class

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Strategies to Promote Independence

• Respect all students
• Use effective strategies to teach new skills
• Give student time to practice independently
• Provide only the support that is needed
• Keep moving after support is given
• Use natural supports as much as possible

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Effective Prompting
Providing a cue that increases the likelihood
that student will perform desired response
Prompt Hierarchy
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Prompting
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Ways to Prompt
WITHOUT TALKING

• Touch the student lightly
• Model it
• Move closer
• Point to/tap book or paper
• Use a highlighter
• Draw a picture

• Write on white-board/post-it note
• Use pen-light
• Use gesture/sign (thumbs up, LOOK, etc.)
• Have peer give prompt

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Wait Time The Power of the Pause
The time between initiation/question/direction/beh
avior response (comment/question/behavior) is
wait time.
Sometimes the most effective (and hardest) thing
to do is NOTHING!
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Wait Time Tips

• Following a direction or question, WAIT for
  child to
• process what you said
• formulate his/her response
• Instead of prompting for student to initiate a
  task, WAIT
• Increase length of pause over time to promote
  independence

When should we give wait time?
Always!
Directions Instructions
Participation Conversation
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Supporting for More Independence

• Student Emily
• Activity Science class
• Current support Emily and the para join a group
  working on a pendulum experiment. The para
  records the information for Emily and begins to
  draft the data.
• Plan for more independence
• Emily joins a group working on a pendulum
  experiment. Emilys work has been modified
  before class so that Emily can participate more
  independently in the group activity with the para
  circulating the room to assist with all groups.

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Think-Pair-share Activity

1. Think What skills are embedded in the
   activity when adult support is faded?
2. Pair Turn to your neighbor
3. share Your idea with your that person

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Why Independence?

• What skills are embedded in the activity
• when adult support is faded?
• Emily
• cooperate with group members
• practice reading and writing skills at her level
• use classroom cues for beginning/ending an
  activity
• request help if needed
• access the general curriculum more effectively

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Activity

1. With your group, brainstorm a list of things you
   currently do for students in the classroom(s) you
   support.
2. Next, brainstorm ideas of how supports can be
   provided, while promoting student independence.

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Questions?
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Websites for Paraeducators

• The Paraeducator Resource and Learning Center
  (PRLC) is a website created by the University of
  Vermont, which includes several modules for
  paraeducators to use to gain additional
  information about collaborative teamwork
  inclusive education families and cultural
  sensitivity characteristics of individuals with
  various disabilities roles and responsibilities
  implementing teacher-planned instruction. Each
  unit includes a slide show, a brief quiz,
  learning activities, and related websites related
  to the topic.
• http//www.uvm.edu/cdci/prlc/
•  
• The Para eLink is a compilation of training
  modules designed to be used as self-paced units
  or facilitated professional development. Each
  area includes competency statements regarding
  knowledge paraprofessionals must gain and skills
  they must acquire. Topics included in the modules
  range from the history of special education to
  instructional techniques and strategies for the
  classroom.
• http//ici2.umn.edu/elink/general/core_areas.html

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Websites for Paraeducators

• This web site provides information about the
  principles of inclusive education can be
  accomplished. Resources for making accommodations
  are included, as well as links to other web sites
  and resource lists for learning more about
  inclusive education.
• http//www.uni.edu/coe/inclusion/index.html

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Books

• Nevin, A. I., Villa, R.A.,Thousand J.S. (2008).
  Guide to co-teaching with paraeducators
  Practical tips for K-12 educators. Thousand Oaks,
  CA Corwin Press.
• Doyle, M.B. (2008). The paraprofessional's guide
  to the inclusive classroom Working as a team.
  Baltimore Brookes Publishing.