1/3/2021
Topic:
Students With Disabilities
Michael Pineda
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I had a student who would be labeled as "Other Health Impairment". He woke up each day with severe migraines, leading him to miss a significant amount of school. I am surprised that he was not listed as "Homebound/Hospitalized", as he missed such a large amount of instruction. This was very challenging as my class is a performance-based class, and the students need to create their work utilizing specialty equipment that the students would not have access to at home. We were able to modify curriculum to meet course standards so he could largely work from home. |
1/8/2021
Topic:
Tools and Strategies
Michael Pineda
|
I use peer partners and graphic organizers. The curriculum I teach can be overwhelming as it requires a balance of fine arts, technical understanding, performing arts, and strong writing/storytelling skills. Strategically partnering students with peers is a fantastic way of allowing students to compliment each other's strengths, resulting in the group incorporating all the strengths needed to accomplish the goal. The correct balance of a group is critical and does require significant thought.
The assignments my students work on are large and take pre-planning. In this case, graphic organizers (storyboards), are wonderful. They allow all students to organize their thoughts and the visuals of the project before hand.
Since I teach digital animation, technology is incorporated into every facet of my curriculum. Each day students use computers and tablets in conjunction with software like Adobe Animate, Photoshop, Illustrator, etc. Though while technology is an amazing tool, it can be quite overwhelming. Finding the right technology for a student is very important, particularly in a time where many students are working from home. This is why we have the student's utilize phone apps and other free cloud-based software like pixlr.com, flipaclip, and others to complete their assignments. These software are more user friendly and allow for more convenience of use while still achieving the same results. This way all students can find an avenue of success. |
1/8/2021
Topic:
Assessment of Learning
Michael Pineda
|
I allow my curriculum to be self-paced and directed by self-interest. All students can choose the scope and concept/topic for their short animated films. I have minimum craftsmanship requirements on my rubrics as the student body I work with is highly motivated and I found that assessing their "craftsmanship" was unnecessary and instead chose to focus on more strictly objective measurements to further expand their skillsets. For my ESE students, I leave off all craftsmanship components entirely. This way they do not feel overwhelmed by the aesthetic quality of the project (something they often get frustrated with).
I reinforce this by showing them several levels of quality films ranging from very beginner to expert. I then have them grade each using their rubric for the assignment. In their astonishment, they give each a 100% A as it hits the objective goals for the project. This alleviates an enormous amount of pressure the students feel as they know they can achieve success no matter their skill level and ability. You would think that removing the "quality" component from the grade that the overall project would suffer but I have found the exact opposite to be true. The students, particularly students with disabilities, get out from under the "pressure of the rubric" and begin interacting with the curriculum in a more meaningful and personal way.
This method of assessing came from adapting the assessments for students with disabilities but have since implemented it across the board in all of my classes as I believe all students benefit from it. |