ED 443G Keiko Garcia-Assignment: Enabling Dreams

ED 443G

Keiko Garcia

Enabling Dreams

6/11/2010

Nature of Lesson Plans in inclusion settings

            When we are writing a lesson plan for students in inclusion settings, it is critical that we ensure learning opportunities are provided for those with disabilities and special needs in our classroom. One of the significant differences between lesson plans designed mainly only for typical students and lesson plans with inclusion will be that the revised one has the same emphasis on providing learning opportunities to students with special needs fully.  It also should have the same or reasonable expectation for those students to reach the lesson objectives as typical students. The attitude of teachers should be more proactive in inclusion classrooms. Teachers should believe in the potential those students with special needs have and consider those deficits or challenges they have to be something that can be accommodated and supplemented with ATs and the efforts of educators.

           

Important Components of Revised (inclusion) Lesson Plans

Some of the components that need to be included in a revised lesson plan with the purpose to provide equal opportunities for learning to every student in your classroom will be the following.

a). Assistive technology is in cooperated into a lesson.

b). The objectives for the lesson are reachable for students with special needs with the use of ATs.

c). Steps in each activity with the ATs for students with special needs in the process of reaching the objectives are clearly stated.

d). Knowledgeable personnel/Para educators/teachers to assist students with ATs are provided in the lesson.

e). Necessary supports in addition to ATs are included in the lesson plan.

f). Appropriate assessment of achievement/accomplishment of students with special needs using ATs is reasonably defined.

Remember

Activities in the lesson plan need be challenging enough for everyone. Those activities are there to include students with special needs with the use of ATs, not exclude. Those activities should strengthen their abilities and supplement their weaknesses. Those activities should bring out potentials they possess, not depriving them of opportunities for growing.

Benefits of the use of ATs and possible activities

 With the use of ATs, interaction with other peers or educators will be possible or even much easier for those students with special needs.

Some possible ideas of class activities with use of ATs include: interaction with other peers and communicate their thoughts and opinions through ATs, presentation and performance of their ideas with other peers through ATs, gaining more knowledge on subject areas with ATs, creating things with other peers with use of ATs and more.

            In Music, Art and PE classes, students with special needs can participate in class activities by operation ATs with minimum muscle strength and movements. They could possibly participate in those classes visually. For example, in music class, they can utilize keyboard or synthesizer to produce different sounds various musical instruments can produce. In addition, they can use AT devices to push keys of out instruments. They can create their own music recordings with musical technology. When it comes to PE classes, they can participate in PE by visual AT devices or audio AT devices by cheering for the teams, or being a judge for games. They can also design new games for PE that typical students can play. In Art class, students with special needs can utilize digital devices to create their own artwork.

            In content areas, they can do extensive researches on learning objectives and topics with use of Internet, computers, and other high-Tech AT devices.

Necessary Steps

There are several steps we need to consider in revising a lesson plan so that every one of our students in class will be able to participate and see the results of learning.

1.     Assessment of their current ability and compliment: First, we need to reevaluate and assess what those students with special needs are capable of doing and not doing.

2.     With the assessment results, we should be able to select appropriate  goals and objectives, and ATs for each student.

3.     We should process necessary paperwork for ATs to be provided for their education in classroom.

4.     Educators need to receive adequate training to be able to operate them properly.

5.     Finally, educators need to prepare assessment to evaluate their learning activities and outcomes to assess appropriateness of the selected ATs.

 Assessment

As far as assessment is concerned, we should be able to evaluate their activities and performance in the area of knowledge gained, comprehension, participation, application, and whatever other areas are appropriate for specific activities you are making assessments on.

Depending on their abilities and disabilities, we may need to modify objectives at times. It should be measureable and the results of the assessment should guide educators to prepare lessons plans in inclusion settings in making another lesson plan.     

Conclusion

In conclusion, the most significant element in lesson plans in inclusion settings with ATs is that objectives is that selected ATs for students with special needs are enabling them to access to what they couldn’t otherwise. Also, we must ensure, in our lesson plans, steps for each activity during the class is individually planned, and assessments are appropriate for their capabilities.  It is critical that teachers are knowledgeable about ATs and their usage. Finally, teachers must keep in mind that each lesson should bring out their potential students with special needs possess and see growth in both academic and social areas.