Memo #3

Memo #3 I am eager to see what direction my primary sources will take me. I have four teachers in the Chariho Public Schools I will begin with. First, I will speak to the Special Education teachers at the high school. They work in very different classrooms as one primarily deals with severe disabilities. However, their educational background will be similar. I also plan to meet with a Teacher Assistant who works one on one in the class. It will be interesting to see her role in supporting the teachers during instruction. In addition, I plan to meet with the middle school Special Education teacher. Although my research focuses on secondary education, I think it will be interesting to see the instruction that leads up to the secondary level. With that in mind I would also like to meet with an elementary education teacher in Westerly. Education does not happen in a vacuum. I am curious to see if there is continuity in the instruction of writing. I first would like to get an overall idea of how they determine what level or standards the students are at entering high school and what their anticipated goal is upon graduating. I would imagine it is VERY different depending on the student. Next, I am curious to know in their education what or how does writing instruction look in theory and do they actually implement this in the class. Or, I am curious, have they adapted their own strategies they have learned through experience over the years. Or perhaps it is a combination of techniques. I would like them to see the articles that I have found as well to see if they have even heard of theses strategies. If so have they used any of them. If so, do they work? If not, why? According to secondary research it is identified that writing for learning disabled students is a major challenge for several reasons. According to Marshall Welch in “The PLEASE Strategy: A Metacognitive Learning Strategy for Improving Paragraph Writing of Students with Mild Learning Disabilities” he states students with special needs demonstrate poor planning and organizational skills associated with writing. They also have difficulty with idea generation as well as word and sentence production. Many are unaware of the purpose of writing which leads to irrelevant details and poor conclusions.We also know that because of the communication component writing is a challenge for learning disabled students as well. In addition, students struggle with handwriting and spelling. After all, even if a person is a phenomenal writer, it means nothing if its not understandable due to ineligible writing or misspelling. In the article by Steve Graham, “Handwriting and Spelling Instruction For Students With Learning Disabilities A Review” he lays out a comprehensive approach to teaching spelling and handwriting to learning disabled students. In conclusion, I have learned through secondary sources that there are comprehensive approaches and strategies for teaching learning disabled students. In general these include understanding the child’s knowledge about the writing assignment, pre-planning, use of graphic organizers, modeling, revision, handwriting spelling, and multiple opportunities. So now it is time to ask others, is this what is happening in the classroom? If so, does it work? If not, why not. Or is this all good in theory but there is a whole different reality that exists in the world of special education.

Memo #2

Research provides evidence that writing among special education and learning disabled students is in fact a challenge. As we have learned through our class reading and discussion, academic achievement ( including writing in high school ) plays a critical role in a student’s future academic and career success. High school is a time of increased academic focus for all students with or without disabilities as they transition to adulthood. According to the following articles, “Addressing the Academic Needs of Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Secondary Education” and “Writing Instruction for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders : A review of Literature,” the development of composition skills may be challenging for students with ASD. Several reasons may account for this phenomenon according to Pennington. He states writing as a communicative act is a social event between the writer and audience. This requires an awareness and understanding of other’s perspectives. However, individuals with ASD have difficulty comprehending this. In addition, Pennington states that “researchers have demonstrated that a strong relationship exists between written and oral language development” (Pennington, p158. ) The communication deficits that are the cardinal feature of ASD, also serve as a great barrier to learning and acquiring essential writing skills. Fleury in his research also documents struggles that students with ASD encounter. Writing difficulties can also be attributed to the mechanics of writing, content related aspects of writing, visual motor speed issues, as well as difficulty with the complex tasks of being able to plan, generate text, organize, and revise. Taken together as Fleury explains, “ issues around fine motor, processing, and executive functioning can affect both the quantity and quality of the written product”( Fleury p71) Although children with Autism may experience difficulty developing writing skills, the acquisition of these skills is critical. Writing can be used in a variety of ways. These include writing texts to express ideas, access information and reinforcement, make requests, engage in dialogue or evoke emotional responses states Pennington. So the question remains, how do teachers instruct writing to students with special needs and learning disorders. What I found in the secondary sources somewhat surprised me, although I am not sure why. The reality, according to multiple sources, is that instruction is very similar to that of a non-disabled student. Where the pressure remains to have all students improve and meet specific standards, instruction resembles that of a general classroom. In the article “ Success for Learning Disabled Writers Across the Curriculum,” Sills identifies the need to classify students as visual, auditory or kinesthetic learners. He suggests making assignments that accomodate all three perspectives to reach every student and allowing physical relief for those that have difficulty concentrating. In addtion teachers can ask individuals to state their understanding of the assignment in order to check their comprehension. Providing reading guides, scaffolding and modeling are also techniques that teachers may find helpful during instruction. Allowing students to re-read and re-write several times with a specific focus in mind is also helpful. Lastly using the acronym SCAN will encourage the students to revise as needed before their final draft. Allowing un-timed writing in a low stress and low stakes environment is an accomodation that can foster the success of a challenged writer. To my surprise, I’m finding there is no magical method reported to teaching students with special needs. It boils down to the basics. Know your students learning style, instruct, scaffold, instruct some more, model, practice, revise, and revise again. Managing the classroom to provide a safe environment as well is a crucial component of instruction as well. Having an understanding of what writing instruction should look like in the classroom, I will be interested to see what the reality is in the world of special education.

I Search Research Proposal: Teaching writing in a Special Education Classroom Having worked as a nurse during summer school in a Special Education classroom, I’ve seen the spectrum of severe and profound mental and physical disabilities integrated with students on all levels of the Autistic spectrum. In the summer, the school focuses primarily on maintaining the students’ current level of functioning. Depending on the student this may be a physical or academic need. Teachers do not accomplish these goals alone. Teacher Assistants, Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists span the room as adjuncts to support the various student’s needs. As a Registered Nurse and Certified School Nurse Teacher I enter this topic with a decent understanding how to physically and emotionally care for students with special needs. At Chariho the Special Education Teachers and I collaborate in helping my Health Career Students understand this population better in order to serve their needs in the medical field. I have become very attached to several students through my work. I’ve seen them progress from elementary school to high school. Some students have become more ill due their medical conditions while higher functioning students become eligible to enter the work force and are emotionally and academically prepared for their transition from high school to life beyond. As we know the ability (or lack of ability ) to write can be an important component to a person’ s success. It can open or shut doors to employment opportunities. This led me to thinking about what writing instruction looks like in a Special Education Classroom. As students enter the workforce there must be a necessity to write as well as read. When I thought about the students I’ve encountered, I started wondering to what extent are they able to write. I’ve watched a classroom that focused on money and interpersonal skills. Surely, writing is a part of the process to prepare them as well. So this leads me to the burning question... What is the writing expectation of a special education teacher and student? Response to Literature, Response to Informational Texts, Reflective essays and Argumentative papers clutter an English teacher’s desk. But do they in a Special Education room? Or is it a focus on more basic skills, for example a job application or a thank you letter. For the purpose of this I-Search paper I think it is best to narrow down the type of student I will need to investigate. Due to the physical limitations of most severe and profound kids I think it will be difficult to use that population for this proposal. Therefore, I think it is most appropriate to research the students who are capable of physically writing and communicating their thoughts, as well as being productive citizens in the workforce where different types of writing will in fact be expected of them. For this proposal I will focus on students in the self contained academic classrooms. The diagnoses vary from mental retardation, children on the autistic spectrum to children with seizure disorders that has over time affected their mental capabilities. My plan is to not focus on the specific illness, but more that those student have “special needs.” I will be curious to see how or if instruction varies. If need be, I will tailor my research come that time if I discover there is a significant difference that will support further research. Understanding that writing is a critical component of a successful person it would make sense that the teaching of writing is an integral part of a special education classroom. This leads me to the following questions that I will focus on for my I -Research Paper. First, what does the writing curriculum look like in a Special Education Classroom and how is it different from a regular high school class? Second, what standards and/ or benchmarks are expected of students upon graduation? Third, who or what determines these standards? What are the pressures placed on the teacher to meet standards? Fourth, as a teacher of a diverse class how is writing taught and differentiated among students? Fifth, what type of writing is taught and how is it assessed? Lastly, is their any evidence that students who are more capable writers have an increase likelihood of success is the workplace. In order to gather my data I will need both primary and secondary sources. Fortunately, I have direct contact with the elementary, middle, and high school special education teachers. I plan to interview staff directly as these teachers are the ones who have direct instruction with the students and have degrees in the field of special education. I am anticipating they will guide or inform me of the standards they are governed by, at which point I can gain secondary research. In addition, I will be investigating the various methods of instruction across the spectrum for different age groups as well as the expectations. I am curious to understand how teachers differentiate instruction as well as assess student work. What are the expectations and benchmarks for a student that will be graduating high school with regards to writing standards. My last thought I think will be difficult to research. I would like to know if there is any research that supports the notion that students that have graduated and are successful in the workforce had a higher level of writing ability in secondary education. It can not be argued that the skill of writing is essential to the success of students. In a nutshell, I want to know how does this relate to special ed students. What are the expectations and how are they different from a general classroom? How do teachers instruct, differentiate and evaluate? Finally, how does their instruction benefit this population as citizens. I am unsure if my last question will be answered. I am not sure if I will have success finding secondary sources and I do not know if teachers stay connected in order to see the students post high school. Regardless of what I find I do already know one thing. The innocence and hearts of these kids is overwhelming. They struggle, laugh, and love like everyone else just maybe expressed in different ways. I am looking forward to spending time in the classroom learning more about the kids I hold dear to my heart.

SPED 101