63 Tactics for Teaching Diverse Learners, Grades 6-12

Bob Algozzine, Pamela Campbell, Jianjun Adam Wang

• Publisher: Corwin
• Year: 2009
• ISBN:
  9781452272290
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education Teaching Methods

This collection of 63 instructional strategies for teaching diverse secondary students includes teacher feedback, literature resources, and information for choosing appropriate strategies.

PART I

Planning Instruction

Effective teachers carefully plan their instruction. They decide what to teach and how to teach it. They also communicate their expectations for learning to their students. In this part of our resource, we describe evidenced-based strategies for each principle of planning instruction.

Planning Instruction Works: A Case Study

I’ve always considered myself an excellent planner, regardless of the fact that my principal reviews my plan book every Friday. I really want to be organized and prepared; you know, you have to be with 35 ninth graders in one room. So I’ve been very careful in deciding what and how to teach; I also know exactly what the instructional goals and objectives are each day. I have collaborated with our special education staff to ensure that each student’s Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) includes appropriate instructional goals and objectives that specify exactly how each objective will be taught and measured. The IEPs use the ABCC format: Actor (the student), Behavior (observable/measurable student action), Content (materials/methods used), and Criterion (how student performance will be measured). For example: “Given 10 flashcards, John will able to name 10 CVC [consonant-vowel-consonant; e.g., h-a-t] words with 90 percent accuracy.” So this year, it has been so helpful to have Mr. Laird, my special education co-teacher, in my classroom for most of the day. Between the two of us, we are able to circulate around the classroom and really monitor and record student learning, as well as respond to any questions or problems students might be having. When we compare our notes, we are able to make accurate decisions about what and how to teach the next day. It’s really great because not only are we able to make immediate modifications for any of our students, we can be really smart about planning next steps and ensure that we’re adhering to IEPs. We are also really able to “close the loop” between evaluating and planning instruction. (Related tactic is located in Chapter 2: Decide How to Teach under Strategy: Monitor Performance and Replan Instruction.)

1

Decide What to Teach

Chapter 1: Decide What to Teach

Strategy:	Assess to Identify Gaps in Performance
Content Skills:	Mathematics/Problem Solving/Calculating; Reading
Learning Difference:	Cognition Low; Attention; Processing Visual Information; Receptive Language/Decoding (listening, reading); Fine Motor (handwriting, articulation, etc.); Processing Verbal Information; Expressive Language/Encoding (speaking, writing, spelling); Cognition Mixed
Disability Category:	Specific Learning Disabilities; Mental Retardation; Speech or Language Impairments; Serious Emotional Disturbance; Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder; Autism; Gifted and Talented; Hearing Impairments; Multiple Disabilities; Traumatic Brain Injury; Visual Impairments; Deafness/Blindness; Orthopedic Impairments; Other Health Impairments

Tactic Title:	Think-Aloud Problem Solving
Problem:	Teachers often think that if they knew more about the way students were thinking and reasoning, they would be better equipped to evaluate students’ understanding of problem-solving methods.
Tactic:	When evaluating problem-solving or reasoning skills of students (especially in mathematics), take students aside individually and have them describe what they are doing as they work through word problems. Tell them to say exactly what they are thinking and doing. Keep careful records of their verbalizations. (A tape recorder is helpful for this purpose.) The think-aloud procedure can be used alone or as a component of a unit test. After the evaluation is complete, review the strategies that students used to arrive at their solutions.
Example:	I’ve found this tactic to be very helpful because I can see exactly where a student is going astray in thinking and start reteaching at that point. In fact, the students often show me an excellent alternative to my own thinking. Sometimes, when my time is limited, I’ve organized the students into dyads and let them talk through their thinking with a peer … [a] nice way to include students of differing abilities in shared problem-solving. For those students who have expressive languages issues, I’ve found that just observing their work closely provides extremely useful information for me, as the teacher. While I’ve used this idea in my algebra and general mathematics classes, I’m sure teachers in other content areas would find it very useful.
	Arturo C., teacher
Benefits:	Verbalizing thinking enables teachers to design instruction that is specific to the exact needs and abilities of students; incorporate opportunities for students to use their strategies on tests; and ensure that individual learning styles, appropriate modifications, and IEP objectives are being met.
Literature:	Marjorie, M., & Applegate, B. (1993). Middle school students’ mathematical problem solving: An analysis of think-aloud protocols. Learning Disability Quarterly, 16, 19–30.

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Chapter 1: Decide What to Teach

Strategy:	Establish Logical Sequences of Instruction
Content Skills:	Mathematics/Problem Solving/Calculating; Reading; Writing; Social Studies; Science; Arts; Music
Learning Difference:	Self-Confidence; Social Knowledge; Social Behaviors; Expressive Language/Encoding (speaking, writing, spelling)
Disability Category:	Specific Learning Disabilities; Autism; Orthopedic Impairments; Other Health Impairments; Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder; Speech or Language Impairments; Specific Learning Disabilities; Serious Emotional Disturbance; Hearing Impairments; Mental Retardation; Multiple Disabilities; Traumatic Brain Injury; Visual Impairments; Deafness/Blindness; Gifted and Talented

Tactic Title:	Assessing Student Participation in Group Activities
Problem:	When teachers ask questions in a group setting, most students will volunteer answers some of the time. However, other students may hesitate to respond due to shyness, lack of confidence or knowledge, and/or misunderstanding the question. Consequently, teachers may not be able to assess what these students really know.
Tactic:	To encourage greater participation, first ask a question to the class as a whole. Select students who raise their hands and thank them for participating. Provide supportive and/or corrective feedback. Then, ask additional questions; however, select students who do not raise their hands as well. Encourage any response (related to the question) and, again, acknowledge participation and provide supportive/corrective feedback. Pay attention to the quieter students to ensure that you notice when they do raise their hands. Be sure that students know why it is important to participate, even if they are not sure of their responses.
Example:	With more and more students with disabilities being included in my classes, it is essential that I make every effort to encourage them to participate. Some are really hesitant … at first, because they may not know the other students in the class and, then, because they are not sure of the content. Some are simply shy; they like to listen. However, I’ve always tried to create a community of learners that accepts others abilities and disabilities; it just makes the conversations so much richer. I make sure that I ask a variety of questions, both open-and closed-ended and at different levels of Bloom’s taxonomy. In fact, I keep a “Bloom’s Guide” with me most of the time when I’m teaching; it’s invaluable. Sometimes during class discussions, I divide the students into two groups and monitor their participation as a group. Now, so many students volunteer that it sometimes hard to keep track of it all.
	Emma F., teacher
Benefits:	Using this tactic will encourage all stude...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Dedication
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• About the Authors
• PART I: PLANNING INSTRUCTION
• PART II: MANAGING INSTRUCTION
• PART III: DELIVERING INSTRUCTION
• PART IV: EVALUATING INSTRUCTION
• References
• Additional Readings
• Index