5/4/2021
Topic:
Students With Disabilities
Jessica Greenberg
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I have had numerous ASD students in all different levels of art through the years including the current one. I have three autistic students this year - two in Art 2 who is on-campus and one in AP Design who is virtual (briefly on-campus then switched back). One of the students in Art 2 comes to school everyday but does very little while in class. I encourage him to take out his supplies and work but he only does so for a short period of time. He still does well in the class because his mom works with him and helps explain the assignments. She and I have communicated many times throughout the year regarding project and modifications so it has worked out ok. The other student in 2D 2 did very little in the beginning of the year - nothing when we were only virtual- and when we returned there were some issues of him keeping his mask on. The school put a para in the room with him and that seemed to help him get back on track, partly because he didn't want her there. So now he communicates more and shows me the work he is producing. The third student is virtual and in AP. The beginning was tricky. His skill level isn't really up to AP standards and he doesn't take constructive criticism well but I think we've figured out a way to work together. The parent, student and I had a conference to try to smooth things out as the parent told me her son thought I hated him (obviously not the case!). I had to adjust the way I give suggestions and make sure I comment on something done well. The mom said she read feedback over her son's shoulder and he had a big smile on his face because of praise I gave him. He's become more communicative in asking for accommodations and even shared that it was his birthday during roll call. I call it a win! |
6/17/2021
Topic:
Tools and Strategies
Jessica Greenberg
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Two strategies that I would be useful are peer partners and self-evaluation & reflection. Students are often more comfortable asking questions of a classmate or getting help from a peer rather than asking a teacher so specifically pairing students so a student who has disabilities becomes comfortable with a classmate is a great option. Informally I'd had that situation occur in my classroom so it would be great to purposely employ that technique. Self evaluation is valuable for all students and a strategy that I have used at various times at the end of a project. Students often have to write an artist statement and have had to identify strengths and weaknesses of their artwork. If they can recognize areas of improvement on their own they are better equipped and more likely to make those changes on the next project. |
6/17/2021
Topic:
Assessment of Learning
Jessica Greenberg
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I've used adaptive assessments with numerous students over the years. I generally have students sketch out a couple ideas related to the project and then together we choose the best option. After that point students begin work on a final version of the piece. Some of my recent ESE students didn't do well having to come up with multiple ideas and then transfer the work into a "final version." Eliminating the preliminary sketches or having them do one and then work that version into a complete work seems to work better. For some it gives them additional time to work and add details which is beneficial. For others with difficulty focusing for a longer period of time this allows the student to stay focused on the task with fewer steps. |