1/28/2019
Topic:
Students with Disabilities
Jordan Wolf
|
At my previous school I had a student with cerebral palsy. Her disability impacted her speech, mobility, and fine motor skills. She loved art and was very imaginative and obviously got so much joy out of creating, but she only had full use of one arm, and with her good hand she struggled to grip and manipulate art supplies and tools. She often struggled to keep her paper from moving all over the table as she drew or painted, so I started securing her paper to the table with painter's tape. We used model magic wrapped around a paintbrush to create a custom-made grip. If she needed to use a ruler to draw straight lines, I would hold the ruler still for her. I always encouraged her to do as much as possible on her own and only intervened when absolutely necessary. At first she was very dependent on her aide, but over time her confidence and skills developed. She became quite capable of creating independently with just a few adaptations and modifications. |
2/12/2019
Topic:
Tools And Strategies
Jordan Wolf
|
1. Describe how two of the strategies discussed could potentially be implemented in your classroom. Be sure to identify the two strategies by name, and describe how they could be used to address the student's disability. Share your response in the threaded discussion.
The first strategy I have implemented is the use of graphic organizers, especially the Venn diagram, which we use to compare and contrast two works of art or two artists. I project a large Venn diagram directly onto the whiteboard and allow students to come up and write their observations themselves. The Venn diagram is a fantastic, simple, effective visual that helps students grasp the concept of "same" and "different."
The second strategy I have used with success is cooperative learning/peer partners. I divide students into groups to complete an artwork or an art-related challenge. Students who are more advanced support those who are struggling while demonstrating their mastery of the content or skill through teaching. Students who need more assistance enjoy learning from their peers and benefit from seeing the skills modeled by another student - sometimes my teacher demonstrations/examples seem too "perfect" and intimidating to some children. |
2/12/2019
Topic:
Assessment of Learning
Jordan Wolf
|
Currently I have a kindergarten student who is nonverbal. When we do assessments together I use an "Art Board" that has images of colors, shapes, lines, art materials - it changes and is related to whatever we are learning at that time. For example if I am assessing the student's knowledge of lines, I may ask him to "point to a horizontal line" on the board. If we are learning about colors I may ask him to "point to a primary color" that is depicted on the board. |