7/22/2020
Topic:
Students with Disabilities
Katherine Gebhart
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I have taught several students with ASD in the past. The thing with ASD is it effects each child differently. A few years ago I had a student who would not speak, and would start, erase, start, erase, start, erase, etc. never satisfied with what he was working on. He would shut down completely after a time, and refuse to participate. Working with the ESE team, and learning more of the student's interests, I engaged him with subject matter he was comfortable with. Mostly pokemon and star wars. When he could relate to the subject matter, he was able to let go of some of his anxiety and enjoyed the creative process more. I also gave him his own safe space, where his work was his and private, and he didn't feel judged by his peers. By the end of the trimester, he was completing work, and by the end of the year, he was sharing it with others. |
8/7/2020
Topic:
Tools And Strategies
Katherine Gebhart
|
There are several strategies that I can use in my visual arts class to help students absorb, practice, and master new skills.
1. Task Cards
I really like the idea of breaking down art projects into smaller processes. Each "Step" of a project could be made into a visual cue, with both picture cues and written instruction. Not only will this help students manage their time, and help them accomplish the assignment, but they can also tell me exactly where they need help. I believe that my SLD cluster I see once a week will greatly benefit from this strategy. A lot of the times, they are unable to tell me what they are struggling with, or express what has them stuck or fustrated. This way, they can point out the step they are stuck on, which leads me to the next strategy I really like...
2 Backwards Chaining
I was always taught that you should never do someone's work for them. If you do that, they will never learn. Well, that simply isn't true for many students. So many students benefit from hands-on and direct demonstrations. Showing how to make trees with your fan brush, is very different from feeling how to make it. Brush pressure changes strokes immensely, and a student with decreased motor or sensory function, would benefit immensely from backwards chaining. Watch the teacher make a tree. Put your hand on the teacher's hand and make a tree. Put your hand on the brush and make a tree with teacher guidance. Make a tree on your own with teacher watching and holding end of the brush with forefinger. Finally, make a tree on your own. And of course, celebrate your forest! |
9/22/2020
Topic:
Assessment of Learning
Katherine Gebhart
|
As part of an Elementary School with an ASD unit, I push in to four different ASD units every week. Students in these classrooms range in ability and behaviors. Some can learn new vocabulary, and some cannot speak. Some students have complete motor function, and some struggle to hold a pencil. Due to the wide range of abilities, adapted assessments are used on a frequent basis so all students may participate and demonstrate learning. In our most recent unit, about shapes used in art, my students were tasked to identify and use different 2D shapes in their art compositions. Students with motor impairment, or any student with anxiety in relation to drawing, were given stencils to help them. They were provided with all of the shapes, and asked to use them in their composition. Students still needed to identify the correct shapes to use, and still needed to compose them into a picture, but they had more confidence with the aid of a stencil and were able to complete the assessment without anxiety. |