6/24/2019
Topic:
Students With Disabilities
Meredith Nation
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I usually have at least 1 severely ADD student per semester. These students find it challenging to listen, sit still, stay on task, persevere and turn in their work.
When I know a student is not a good listener, I will stop while I am explaining to the whole group and ask a quick questions to the student with ADD to remind them that I am talking and to pay attention to what I am saying. When I'm done with group explanation, I re-explain to the student with ADD, giving a chance for them to ask questions and restate the instructions back to me so I can add any additional clarification they may need. Often I am able to have a peer support person who either helps the student with ADD stay on task or alerts me when an intervention is needed.
I have "studio assistance" tasks for these students to do when they struggle to stay seated, for instance organizing markers back into their colored bins. I provide tall stools and a counter level desk so students can stand and work. I have had students move their seat several times during a class (90 minute classes) to change their environment and refocus. If the student is not a big talker, I will suggest they walk around the room and look at other student progress so they can see the potential if they stick with their own work.
Students are required to photograph their completed artwork using an iPad in class. This is always a challenge for students who struggle with finishing projects. I notice they lose interest in their work the moment it is done. I provide verbal encouragement and praise as a reminder to submit their photo, saying things like, "I can't wait to see how great that looks in the photo you send me!" |
6/29/2019
Topic:
Students With Disabilities
Meredith Nation
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- Art project lessons are tiered to make success more attainable or more challenging based on the differentiation most suitable to an individual, whether due to a specific disability or to a lack of prior exposure to art (often cultural). Students who have a background knowledge in art vocabulary and technique work at an accelerated pace from students who are new to art. Students with disabilities may work at a pace that best suits them; in fact I usually have a small group consisting of students that work at a specific pace that includes students with a disability and those without. Accelerated students are provided a larger option of materials to use, options that can be overwhelming to new art students or students with processing disorders. Lessons all have a basic structure to them and students are all prompted to problem solve and persevere, the amount of structure and prompting required fluctuates. I have some Autistic students who require almost no structure or prompting who work well paired with seasoned art students at an accelerated tier level. Conversely I have gifted students that struggle unless provided with explicit structure so they can make a good peer partner to a student that has a disability requiring numerous repetitions to understand a task sequence (ADD, ELL, Vision).
In addition to designing tiered lessons I use established pneumonic devices (like the acronym R.O.Y.G.B.I.V) and encourage students to make meaningful personal connections with concepts and vocabulary (for example pointing out that horizontal lines are laying down like one of the lines in the letter “H”). Graphic organizers are useful for nearly everything we do in class. Having a visual explanation is essential for some students understanding and supportive for me to assess students quickly as I walk through the room. T Charts can point out comparisons like which tools have a fine point for detailed drawing, Venn Diagrams can demonstrate how combining primary colors results in Secondary colors and itemized task lists/forms can used to completing a reflective assessment of completed projects.
I would love to discuss technology use in my classroom, unfortunately my school does not provide me with any technology resources. |
6/30/2019
Topic:
Students With Disabilities
Meredith Nation
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- Describe an example of adapted assessment you have successfully used in the fine arts classroom for students with disabilities.
My students compete a unit on color theory by creating a 10 page story book using the color wheel illustrations they complete during the weeks spent understanding color relationships. Students can either describe/explain color theory (non-fiction) or use their imagination to develop a story (fiction). Students are evaluated on how well their text and illustrations work together to create a children's book, how well they followed sequential tasks, the quality of photograph they take and submit to their online portfolio, how thoroughly they complete their reflective graphic organizer, and the quality of their craftsmanship. Nearly all my students complete this task as described above, with a tremendous range of final products. The best student books are then entered in the Broward County Literary Fair.
Recently I had a student in my class with Down Syndrome who was assessed on this project. I evaluated her on the same items but adapted the process of reviewing her work. Her paraprofessional uploaded the photograph for her and read the reflective organizer aloud to her while completing it for her. Questions were rephrased by me where needed to reach the student at her developmental level. The student’s craftsmanship was assessed taking into consideration her developmental age and physical limitations. To grade the content of her story, I asked the student to read it aloud to me and explain the pictures. She was extremely proud to be able to present her final work to the class by reading it aloud as well.
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