EDUC5468 Special Education Assignment 2 Year 8 English Learning Program for a Student with a Disability by Rochelle Coleman

Background and Rationale This program was created for a year eight English class at a secondary school in a high socio-economic area. The class is academically diverse with students ranging from those who are very strong academically to those with literacy problems. In the class there are two students with dyslexia, one student with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and one student with a hearing impairment. The year eight English class have been studying a novel, Jetty Rats by Phillip Gwynne, since the beginning of term two and have completed reading the novel prior to this part of the program commencing. This program will focus on the literacy strand of the curriculum, in particular interacting with others, to plan, rehearse and deliver presentations, selecting and sequencing appropriate content, including multimodal elements, to reflect a diversity of viewpoints (ACELY1731). As the summative

assessment for the program is a persuasive oral presentation on a character from the novel, this program focuses on characters and their development in order to scaffold students to write their own persuasive speech to present to the class. The program needs to be modified to take into account the diverse needs of the students in the classroom. This document will focus on the modifications required to make it suitable for a hearing impaired student, Elizabeth. 1 It is vital to adapt teaching and learning programs to take into account the needs of a hearing impaired student. As

outlined by Ashman and Elkins (2012, p. 223), Hearing is extremely important for

Not her real name.

Year 8 English Teaching and Learning Program Modified for a Student with a Hearing Impairment learning. School and classroom communications are largely based on spoken language, so hearing difficulties affect all levels of communication. Elizabeths hearing impairment is not severe, but she often misses instructions in class and consequently, her education and literacy has been somewhat affected. Unfortunately, Elizabeth has not yet had a formal assessment and provided this information to the school, so we are not clear on the level of her impairment and the assistance she may require. According to the definition provided by Ashman and Elkin (2012, p. 223) and in the absence of any further information, I would theorise that Elizabeth is hard-of-hearing, as opposed to educationally-deaf, or with a central hearing impairment. A student is hard-of-hearing if, after correction, the student has some

functional hearing available for learning. This student can use oral met hods of learning. This definition appears to fit my observations of the student and the information she has disclosed to me. The English Learning Support Coordinator at the school is working with the students parents to have Elizabeth assessed and have the necessary documentation forwarded to the school. However, in the meantime, Elizabeth is in the class and needs to be taught, so I will consider her general needs as a hearing impaired student until I have more concrete information about her requirements. As a student with a hearing impairment, Elizabeth firstly needs to ensure that she wears her hearing aid. Unfortunately, she does not like to do this and draw attention to herself, but it is important that she takes accountability for her own learning and ensures she wears it. Teacher management of personal remarks from other students may be required. Some students with a hearing impairment benefit from a sound field system to help overcome poor acoustic environments and support students communic ation and academic development. (Foreman, 2011, p. 285). Unfortunately, without a formal

assessment in place, this equipment is not available to this student, even if it was appropriate for her needs.
Rochelle Coleman, Student no. 21089837 ~2~

Year 8 English Teaching and Learning Program Modified for a Student with a Hearing Impairment Apart from equipment considerations, the classroom environment will also need to be carefully considered for a student with a hearing impairment. It is helpful to teach a student with a hearing impairment in a relatively quiet classroom located away from noisy equipment and using items such as carpets, curtains, and artwork to minimise reverberation in the room (State of Queensland Department of Education and Training, 2011). Foreman (2011) also suggests that good lighting levels must be available in

classrooms so that students are better able to read lips and see facial expressions. Additionally, the student needs an appropriate place in the classroom to sit. Elizabeth is seated (with a group of three other students) towards the front of the room with an unimpeded view of the whiteboard and usual teaching position. This position has been chosen in consultation with the student to determine where she can hear the best in the classroom (Ashman & Elkin, 2012, p. 224). Potentially the most significant impact on the education on a student with a hearing impairment is the skills and teaching practice of his or her teacher. It is important to have a teacher that is knowledgeable and confident about working with students with a hearing impairment. Teachers should always ensure their face is visible to students this

enables students to see your facial expressions and facilitate lip reading. (Foreman, 2011, p. 285). Ashman & Elkin (2012, p.234) agree on the importance of facing the

student directly when speaking and emphasise that teachers should start each lesson by making sure the student is looking at you. Foreman (2011, p. 285) goes on to caution teachers that they should articulate words clearly, but without exaggeration. It is vital that teachers do not speak too fast to enable all students to understand your instructions and input. Most importantly, a student with a hearing impairment requires a teacher who is willing to take the time to learn about her needs and plan for them, as I have done in the following program.

Rochelle Coleman, Student no. 21089837 ~3~

Year 8 English Teaching and Learning Program Modified for a Student with a Hearing Impairment
Time Week 1 Lesson 1 Specific Objectives Students will be able to: Demonstrate their understanding of visualization techniques when reading a novel in order to build a picture of whats happening in the novel. Teaching and Learning Strategies Introductory activities: Visualising when reading Think-aloud visualisation of a scene from the book (Ch 7) Ask students to close their eyes and try to picture the story as we read through it. Imagine what we could see, hear, taste, smell, and feel. Remind students visualization is like making a movie in our heads. Students to complete visualization worksheet. Modification: Ensure I face the class while I am giving instruction. Request Elizabeth to keep her eyes open and follow-along with my guided reading of Ch 7, rather than closing her eyes like the other students. Inform her that she still needs to visualise what she can see, hear, taste, smell, and feel. Ensure I place myself near Elizabeths desk and face her while I am speaking so that she can hear my think-aloud. Introductory activities: Visualising when reading Guided visualization of Ch 9 of the novel all students to read along in their texts. Show students an example of a caravan park Students to design a map of Hunters Caravan Park Modification: Ensure that I face the class while I am giving instruction. Ensure that I face the class and not the board while I am talking and pointing out items on the map. Week 1 Lesson 3 Rewrite an extract of the story from the point of view of another character. Visualising - Point of View The Plan (Ch19) Check students understanding of point of view. Close reading of Ch19 to visualize the scene. Think-aloud to students about the clues we receive from the text to help us build a picture of whats happening in the story from Hunters point of view. We need to consider how the story changes if we hear it from someone elses point of view. Model changes to class to write from Storms point of view.
Rochelle Coleman, Student no. 21089837 ~4~

Resources Jetty Rats by Phillip Gwynne, Jetty Rats visualization worksheet

Assessment Formative: Students to complete visualisation worksheet.

Evaluation

Week 1 Lesson 2

Demonstrate an ability to visualize setting by creating a map of Hunters caravan park.

Jetty Rats by Phillip Gwynne, map of caravan park, page references for setting, A3 paper, textas

Formative: Students to create a map of Hunters caravan park

Jetty Rats by Phillip Gwynne, whiteboard markers

Formative: Check students have written a paragraph rewriting the section of Ch 19 from Storms point of view.

Year 8 English Teaching and Learning Program Modified for a Student with a Hearing Impairment
Guided assistance to class to rewrite the next section. Students to write the next section by themselves. Modification: Ensure that I face the class and not the board while I am speaking. Use a visual reminder of tasks on the board i.e. watch me, lets do it together, you do it with related page numbers for the sections we are going to use for our rewrites. Ensure that I do not call on Elizabeth to verbally share her answer with the class as she is not comfortable speaking in front of a large group. Instead, she can plug her laptop into the projector and show the class what she has written. Week 1 Lesson 4 Differentiate between literal, interpretive, and evaluative questions to enable them to develop effective questions for their classmates next week. Three Levels of Comprehension teacher modelling Explain the difference between literal, interpretive, and evaluative questions. Explain that this can be applied to Jetty Rats. Hand out comprehension questions to students and project up on to the board. Explain to students that these questions are from the three different levels of comprehension and that they need to answer them before discussing them in their groups. Modification: Ensure that I face the class and not the board while I am speaking. Wait to speak until all students have received the handout so that they have a visual prompt of what I am explaining to the class. Jetty Rats by Phillip Gwynne, Ch 23 comprehension questions Several students to share their answers with the class.

Formative: Answer comprehension questions about Ch 22-23 to demonstrate knowledge of literal, interpretive and evaluative questions and discuss them in their groups.

Rochelle Coleman, Student no. 21089837 ~5~

Year 8 English Teaching and Learning Program Modified for a Student with a Hearing Impairment
Time Week 2 Lesson 1 Specific Objectives Students will be able to: Demonstrate understanding of literal and interpretive questions and answer comprehension questions on the text. Teaching and Learning Strategies Three Levels of Comprehension guided practice Students to work in groups to design comprehension questions at all three levels for Ch 23-30. Each student to come up with three questions one literal and two evaluative. Groups to quiz each other in a round robin until there is a winning team. Modification: Ensure I face the class while I am giving instruction. Allow Elizabeths group to sit in the Activity Area outside of the classroom for their group discussion so that she can hear people more easily during the planning phase. During the competition phase, send teams out to Elizabeths team rather than have all teams competing at once in the classroom to minimize noise. I will then divide my time between the main classroom and the Activity Area (adjoining rooms). Character and relationships Quick quiz to review chapters set for homework. Explain concept of a character map to students and show them an example from another text. Students to create a character map to show characters and their relationship to each other. Modification: Ensure I face the class while I am giving instruction. Character and relationships Quick quiz to review chapters set for homework. Students to work in groups on a given character from the novel and find words that would describe their character, along with evidence for that character. Model with one trait to describe Mr Crevadas character.
Rochelle Coleman, Student no. 21089837 ~6~

Resources Jetty Rats by Phillip Gwynne, scoring sheets, lined paper, scoring totals sheet, timer, whiteboard markers, 4x chocolates

Assessment Formative: All students participate in their teams to ask and answer comprehension questions

Evaluation

Week 2 Lesson 2

Week 2 Lesson 3

Develop a deeper understanding of the characters and their relationships to each other, as a prerequisite for moving on to a discussion about characters and their motivations. Describe character traits and find evidence in the novel of where that trait is depicted, in preparation for

Jetty Rats by Phillip Gwynne, whiteboard markers, lined paper, blank paper, character map example

Formative: Character map is created to show all of the characters in the novel and their relationships to each other.

Jetty Rats by Phillip Gwynne, whiteboard markers, lined paper, blank A3 paper

Formative: Each group of students to have a chart describing the traits of one of the characters

Year 8 English Teaching and Learning Program Modified for a Student with a Hearing Impairment
Time Specific Objectives Students will be able to: finding evidence for their short speech. Teaching and Learning Strategies Guided practice with another trait describing Mr Crevadas character and evidence. Students to continue with their given characters in their groups. Modification: Ensure I face the class and not the board while I am giving instruction and input. Allow Elizabeths group to work in the Activity Area outside of the classroom to minimize noise and assist with her hearing. I will then divide my time between the main classroom and the Activity Area (adjoining rooms). Week 2 Lesson 4 Complete a summary of eight of the characters from the novel in preparation for their short speech assessment. Character and relationships Quick quiz to review chapters set for homework. Go through oral presentation assessment sheet. Students to work in the same groups as the last lesson and choose the five traits that best describe their character and write them on the summary sheet. Transition students into four groups of eight students so that there is one person from the original group in the new group (representing one character from the novel). Each student to share their information about their character with the others in the group and all students to complete their table. Complete character homework sheet over the weekend. Modification: Ensure I face the class while I am giving instruction. Take Elizabeth aside towards the end of the lesson to discuss her requirements for the assignment. As her speech is not always clear and her literacy has ben somewhat affected by her hearing impairment, she is anxious about speaking in public. I will offer her the opportunity to present her speech just to my mentor teacher and me, rather than the whole class. Jetty Rats by Phillip Gwynne, whiteboard markers, lined paper, OneNote document with assignment instructions, character summary sheet, character homework sheet, timer Formative: Students should now have a summary sheet completed for all eight characters Resources Assessment from the story, with supporting evidence. Evaluation

Rochelle Coleman, Student no. 21089837 ~7~

Year 8 English Teaching and Learning Program Modified for a Student with a Hearing Impairment
Time
Week 3 Lesson 1

Specific Objectives
Students will be able to:

Teaching and Learning Strategies Speech preparation oral presentation methods Students to make a choice on which character they are using for their speech. Complete a ranking activity to assist them in making a decision. Using the character summary sheet and the questions on characters completed for homework, compile a list of the top three reasons their character should be brought back to life. Project speech-planning example on the board and go through it with students. Ask students to download the speech-planning template from the virtual classroom and start planning their speech. Modification: Ensure I face the class while I am giving instruction. Do not dim the lights or close the curtains when using the projector. It is important to give Elizabeth a bright room to assist with lip-reading.

Resources Spare character summary sheets, whiteboard markers, speech planning example, speech planning template

Assessment Formative: Students have decided on a character and have commenced writing their speech using the template.

Evaluation

Make a decision for the character for their short speech and understand their requirements for their short speech.

Week 3 Lesson 2

Week 3 Lesson 3

Complete a persuasive speech to convince the class that their chosen character should be brought back to life. Rehearse their persuasive speech with their partner.

Speech preparation oral presentation methods Continue working on their speech using the speech-planning template. Speeches to be completed for homework. Modification: Ensure I face the class while I am giving instruction. Speech preparation rehearsal Ask class what makes a good speech. Write responses on the board. Rehearse short speeches in class with a partner. Modification: Ensure I face the class while I am giving instruction. Do not continue speaking while I am writing student responses on the board. Ensure Elizabeth rehearses her speech with a close friend in the class, or at least a student who is kind and tolerant so that she feels comfortable.

Whiteboard markers, speech planning example, speech planning template

Formative: Students have completed their speeches (or are near completion)

Whiteboard markers

Formative: All students have practiced their speech and are using persuasive techniques

Week 3 Lesson 4

Delivered a persuasive speech to the class to convince their audience that their character should be brought back to life.

Speech presentation Short speech presentation (these will be continued into week 4) Draw students names out of an envelope to randomize order of presentation. Modification: Ensure I face the class while I am giving instruction. Give students five more minutes to rehearse their speeches at the beginning of the Rochelle Coleman, Student no. 21089837 ~8~

Assessment rubric, timer, class names in an envelope

Summative: Students have delivered a persuasive speech to the class to convince their audience that their

Year 8 English Teaching and Learning Program Modified for a Student with a Hearing Impairment
Time Specific Objectives
Students will be able to:

Teaching and Learning Strategies lesson. While the class is occupied, ask Elizabeth to come over to the teacher desk and give her presentation to me before continuing with choosing other students to present to the whole class. The noise of the other students in the room should ensure that Elizabeth could comfortably present without other students making her feel uncomfortable.

Resources

Assessment character should be brought back to life.

Evaluation

Rochelle Coleman, Student no. 21089837 ~9~

Year 8 English Teaching and Learning Program Modified for a Student with a Hearing Impairment

Reflection of Program Post-implementation

The program seemed to work relatively well, although it was hard to remember to finish talking before turning around and writing on the whiteboard. However, regardless of

whether there is a student in the class with a hearing impairment or not, it is good teaching practice to ensure that I am facing the class while I am speaking to ensure they can see and hear me clearly and I can monitor the understanding of all students. Elizabeth achieved the objectives of the program and presented a persuasive speech to convince her audience that her character from the novel should be brought to life. She seemed very relieved to be able to present to a smaller and sympathetic audience, rather than in front of the whole class. However, I noticed that there were several students in the class who seemed a little disgruntled that Elizabeth did not have to present in front of the whole class, as they did, and though the situation was unfair. It required some careful management of the class to educate them about diversity and different needs, while maintaining Elizabeths right to privacy.

Rochelle Coleman, Student no. 21089837 ~ 10 ~

Year 8 English Teaching and Learning Program Modified for a Student with a Hearing Impairment References Ashman, A. and Elkins, J. 2012. Education for Inclusion and Diversity. Fourth ed. Pearson Australia: Frenchs Forest, NSW. Foreman, P. 2011. Inclusion in Action. Third ed. Cengage Learning: South Melbourne, VIC. State of Queensland (Department of Education and Training). 2011. Hearing Impairment: Teacher Aides Working With Students With Disabilities. Retrieved from www.learningplace.com.au.

Rochelle Coleman, Student no. 21089837 ~ 11 ~

Year 8 English Teaching and Learning Program Modified for a Student with a Hearing Impairment Attachments Jetty Rats Visualisation worksheet Map of caravan park Page references for setting Ch 23 comprehension questions Quiz Scoring sheets Quiz scoring totals sheet Character map example Oral presentation task sheet Character summary sheet Character homework sheet Speech planning example Speech planning template Assessment rubric

Rochelle Coleman, Student no. 21089837 ~ 12 ~