Differentiation for Special Populations

Importance of the shared values

There are 6.5 million students with disabilities in the U.S. The challenges for these students include: 70% of all schools in the United States that were cited as failing to achieve AYP did so because their students with disabilities failed to achieve AYP. In 2008, 42% of students with disabilities failed to graduate.

Common Core Standard s

Universal Design for Learning
Differentiated Instruction

The Student

Commitment to Students with Disabilities Evident in Standards

The Standards should also be read as allowing for the widest possible range of students to participate fully from the outset and as permitting appropriate accommodations to ensure maximum participation of students with special education needs.
ELA Standards, in section titled What is not covered

Application to Students with Disabilities

Students with disabilitiesmust be challenged to excel within the general curriculum and be prepared for success in their post-school lives, including college and/or careers.Therefore, how these high standards are taught and assessed is of the utmost importance in reaching this diverse group of students.
ELA Standards, in section titled What is not covered

Shared Responsibility
Taking ownership of all students Providing opportunities for professional development general and special education together Creating a culture where all students are general education students first . . . is the first hurdle to meeting the challenge

Differentiating Instruction
As the planning and delivery of classroom instruction that considers the varied levels of readiness, learning needs, and interests of each student.

Center for Implementing Technology in Education (CITEd)

Learner Diversity Brain Networks that Support Learning

1. Recognition Networks The What of Learning Identify and interpret sound, light, taste, smell, and touch Identify and understand information, ideas, and concepts 2. Strategic Networks The How of Learning The ability to plan, execute, and monitor actions and skills 3. Affective Networks The Why of Learning The ability to engage in actions and skills, set priorities and evaluate

David Rose Ph.D., CAST

Supports for Student Diverse Recognition Networks

Examples Underlining/highlighting Vertical lines/asterisks/doodles/num bers @ margin Provide multiple media/formats Chunking information Graphic Organizers Provide multiple examples Support background context
The What of Learning Identify and interpret sound, light, taste, smell, and touch Identify and understand information, ideas, and concepts

Supports for Student Diverse Strategic Networks

Examples Multi-media for student expression (video, audio, text, drawing) Concept mapping tools Scaffolds and prompts Checklists Embedded coaches and mentors, peer tutors Assessment rubrics for students
The How of Learning The ability to plan, execute, and monitor actions and skills

Supports for Student Diverse Affective Networks

Examples Choice afforded Age appropriate activities Culturally relevant activities Charts/schedules/visible timers Display of goals Group work/collaboration Personal journal
The Why of Learning The ability to engage in actions and skills, set priorities and evaluate

Learner variability is the norm!

Learners vary in the ways they take in information Learners vary in their abilities and approaches Learning changes by situation and context Learners vary across their development

http://udlseries.udlcenter.org/presentations/l earner_variability.html?plist=explore

Traditional Instruction

Universal Design for Learning Instruction

Teachers typically deliver content one way. Students are passive learners who acquire information through memorizing, practicing, and taking tests. The learning environment encourages students to sit quietly and work on an identical task. Students skills and knowledge of content are assessed using one method.

Teachers deliver content in multiple ways. Students are active learners who engage and analyze the content to gain understanding. The learning environment encourages students to explore the content based on personal interests, preferences, or abilities. Students are allowed to demonstrate their skills and knowledge of content using one of several methods.

Representation Principle 1

Action and Expression Principle 2

Engagement Principle 3

Presenting information and Allowing students alternatives Stimulating students interests course content in multiple to express or demonstrate their and motivation for learning in a formats so that all students can learning variety of ways access it

Examples

Examples

Examples

Provide alternatives for accessing information (e.g., visual, auditory) Provide or activate background knowledge in multiple ways (e.g., pre-teaching concepts, using advanced organizers)

Provide options for responding (e.g., keyboard instead of pen to complete a writing assignment) Provide options for completing assignments using different media (e.g., text, speech, film, music)

Provide options that increase the relevance and authenticity of instructional activities (e.g., using money to teach math, culturally significant activities) Provide options that encourage collaboration and communication (e.g., peer tutoring)

Traditional Goal: The students will read the textbook chapter about ancient Egypt and write in cursive a 500-word report about burial customs.

Representation barriers:

Action and Expression barriers:

Printed text
o

Writing a 500-word report

o

Some students with certain visual impairments and certain physical disabilities may have difficulty accessing information. Some students may struggle with decoding text.

Some students may have difficulty with cursive handwriting. Some students may not be able to effectively organize their thoughts and put them on paper to create a report of this length.

Engagement issues are often not addressed in traditional goals such as the one suggested above.

UDL Goal: The students will learn about and present information about the burial customs of ancient Egypt.

Representation: Students are still required to learn about the burial customs of ancient Egypt, but they are now permitted to use alternate methods for accessing that information (e.g., audio books, digital text, internet, video).

Action and Expression: The students still need to demonstrate that they learned about the burial customs of ancient Egypt, but they now have options for doing so (e.g., handwriting a report, making a film, recording a presentation, creating a diorama).

Issues with engagement are addressed in how students choose to access the content and how they demonstrate their knowledge. Students will complete the assignment in accordance with their learning need or preference (i.e., visual, auditory, tactile, kinesthetic).

UDL Differentiation of Instructional Materials

Sycamore Middle School Traditional Materials Text-based materials (textbook/ handouts) Audio-based materials (lectures/ video) Barriers Requires students to:
o o

Image/ graphic-based materials (video/ handouts)

Requires students to:

o o o o

Requires students to:

o o

See Decode and comprehend written text Process visual information

Hear Identify key points Process aural information Be physically or cognitively able to take notes

See Process visual information

Format Options Speak

Lecture Class discussion Question-and-answer session Oral reading Verbal description

UDL and Differentiating Instructional Methods

Illustrate

Picture/ graphic Overhead transparency Whiteboard with markers Video Movie captioning

Demonstrate

Think aloud Model or act out Build/ construct Use manipulatives

Media Options

Video or film Audio Computer Television Tactile materials

Adapted from Nolet & McLaughlin, 2000.