3/13/2017
Topic:
Students with Disabilities
Deborah Fahmie
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In the past, I've had a student with an emotional/behavioral disorder. Foremost, I needed to make this child feel as though he was important to the class. The only time that he was able to mainstream throughout the day was for the block classes (music, art, PE, computer) and quite often met his time in these classes with humiliation. So, building his self-esteem was crucial to me. He loved music and could be very successful if he didn't let his behavioral issues interfere. I knew that I always had to move quickly with him on activities and never allow for any downtime as that is when he would find time to "get in trouble". Sometimes, it would be as simple as asking him to go and straighten out the mallets at the barred instruments while the rest of the class took some extra time with something. He took great pride in being a helper in my classroom. It was important for me to give him a variety of activities that could be accomplished in a short period of time with success. |
3/13/2017
Topic:
Tools and Strategies
Deborah Fahmie
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I have found peer partners to be most successful in working with the ESE students that mainstreamed into my classroom. I set up guidelines for the "music buddies" as I paired a regular ed student with the ESE student and found it to be most helpful to both students involved. It was helpful to disburse the ESE students among the class and I found that the regular ed student took much pride in being able to assist the ESE student in our goals for the day. I also love the concept of Discovery Learning whereby a mixed ability group of students discover possibilities by exploring options. By doing so, I feel that all students will utilize higher order thinking strategies at whatever level they are at and not only discover answers to prompts, but also wet their curiosity for what other possibilities there are out there. Curiosity is a great thing to instill in young minds and Discovery Learning is a great way to help students acquire this attribute. |
3/13/2017
Topic:
Assessment of Learning
Deborah Fahmie
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In working with students with Intellectual Disabilities, I have used access points for a performance based assessment where I would reduce the levels of complexity on what was being accessed. For example, if students were playing back a recorder phrase as an echo to a dictation I give, I would use a limited number of notes for the student with Intellectual Disability (the regular ed class was assessed on phrases containing a pentatonic scale, but he phrase with accommodations included only do-re-me) or a cross over bordun was being used to assess barred instrument playing technique, but the option of playing a broken bordun was used as an accommodation. |