October 16th, 2011 by Administrator
I’m a Special Day Class Teacher who was moved from 3rd grade to Middle School this school year. All my students have learning disabilities and many have behavior disorders. My newest strategy has been to set-up “Centers.” I’ve put four students in each group. The centers are:
Computer Lab (I have four old classroom computers that can go online – I have my spelling and keyboarding program for them to use: http://spellingcity.com/akinsete and http://phonetictyping.com. Usually there is one student in the group who can help if students have technical problems, but for the most part the computer center runs itself.
Pocket Chart-Sort Center – We are using the Language! curriculum. I’ve adapted the sorting exercises in the workbook to a pocket chart sort. The students sort words, combine syllables and make sentences at this workstation and then record their answers to their workbooks. A parent or instructional assistant is there to help.
IWB – I am blessed to have an Interactive White Board. The Language program has a CD called Sortogories. The students do the electronic sorts at the IWB. This center is close to the pocket chart so the Instructional assistance can keep an eye on this group. They have to score perfect and one student records the group results.
Teacher’s Table – This is where I can work with a small group of four. I find this much more effective than teaching at the IWB. Many of the students have processing delays which affects their ability to copy from the board or take note. At the table we do vocabulary, grammar exercises and reading. There is about 20 minutes of instruction. When I complete this group, the students rotate “Centers.”
Before the Centers, we spend time in a full group going over what is expected in each Center. Sometimes we listen to the audio of the text, looking at related pictures on the Web or completing the workbook pages that can be done successfully as a large group. I use table points to motivate and manage behavior during large direct instruction. But teaching to a group of 15+ is by far the least effective method of reaching LD students. During and after the Centers the Aide and I give stickers on each person’s sticker chart for each “Center” they completed. A full chart gets “free computer time” or some other perk.
Bye for now -Adrienne Akinsete at http://msateaches.com
June 16th, 2011 by Administrator
As we teach different standards we perfect a few lessons to where they are not only educational but also engaging from the student’s point of view. I’d love to hear about your student’s favorite lessons. My student’s number one was using play dough to learn about fractions. You can read more about this activity on [...]
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May 13th, 2011 by Administrator
Essentialism is an educational theory that has been codified into law with the passage of “No Child Left Behind.” The culture of accountability has swept this nation’s educational system. Given this fact, and the absence of choice to do otherwise, I teach the standards. For me, a teacher, I have mixed emotions. I like the [...]
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February 7th, 2011 by Administrator
Social stories are written to model appropriate behaviors. They are usually written in the first person and read by the student. Students who don’t read can echo read along with the teacher. This Social Story was written for kids who are having difficulty getting along with each other. Social stories work well for children with [...]
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January 3rd, 2011 by Administrator
Most teachers are aware of the issues associated with the traditional weekly spelling test, yet we continue with this method of spelling assessment. Perhaps because it’s the way we learned, and it worked for us, perhaps because we don’t know how to implement the better solutions, or the adopted curriculum doesn’t supply the necessary tools [...]
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January 2nd, 2011 by Administrator
http://msateaches.com/spelling Today more adults and children are using computers. The ability to quickly type and spell words is almost a basic skill in today’s information economy. Research shows that an individualized approached to spelling that begins at the students instructional level, not grade level, is far more beneficial towards creating great spellers. Research also shows [...]
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December 15th, 2010 by Administrator
Computer Assisted Instruction Annotated Bibliography Clarfield, J., & Stoner, G. (2005). The effects of computerized reading instruction on the academic performance of students identified with ADHD. School Psychology Review, 34(2), 246-254. This study investigates the use of a computer assisted instruction (CAI) software called Headsprout as an intervention program for three kindergarten and first grade [...]
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September 18th, 2010 by Administrator
Lesson Title: Multiplication-Equal Groups – Arrays- Skip Counting – Tables Grade Level: 3rd Subject Area: Math State Academic Standards: Use commutative and associative properties of multiplication Introduce multiplication and division facts for 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 9 Use properties of 0 and 1 to multiply and divide Relate multiplication and division using arrays [...]
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August 28th, 2010 by Administrator
Last school year I introduced my 3rd grade special education students to my Tablet PC, named Pal. They loved it. I used Pal and my data projector to project images on our whiteboard. The students would take turns coming up to Pal to select the answer, drag and drop, and sometimes write on the screen. [...]
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August 21st, 2010 by Administrator
Social Studies Unit 1 Lesson 1 & 2 Lesson Title: Land and Water in your Area Grade Level: 3rd Subject Area: Social Studies State Academic Standards: 3.1 Students describe the physical and human geography and use maps, tables, graphs, photographs, and charts to organize information about people, places, and environments in a spatial context. Identify [...]
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