An Independent Learning Plan for Students with Special Needs - Assignment Example

Introduction An independent learning plan for with special needs is very important towards the improvement of the performance of the in class. The independent learning plan will help the teacher to know the special needs of each and every student and this way, the teacher will know the approach he or she will give in trying to help the student perform better. In the independent learning plan, a procedure that will be used to gauge the level of each student is developed. There is a general procedure that should be followed and a set of questions that the interviewer can use to determine the level of the student. After the level of the student has been correctly determined using the set of questions, the other important aspect in helping the student is the development of an approach that the teacher will use to teach these students with some special needs. The parents to these students and the teaching professionals should know how to deal with students who require some special needs. Early intervention is also important as it will help in the discovery of these students early enough so that curative education can be given. There are institutions that help those who feel out of place to integrate with the rest of the society and carry out their activities as usual since their skills are very important to the economy of the country. Determination of the Level of Student Who Needs Some Special Needs Depending on the institution or the center that is willing to help the student who requires some special needs, a general procedure and a set of questions are necessary. The first test that the student does is a speaking test that is in connection with the books of the student’s class. The interviewer should first give a brief introduction of himself or herself and then ask some general questions to the student (Peter, 2000). These general questions will help the interviewer to estimate the general level of the student and from then onwards, any questions asked will be based on this level not unless the student gives the answers to some of the questions very fast that the interviewer needs to shift to the next higher level. If the questions asked seem to be very complex to the student, the interviewer should ask questions from the next lower level. The interviewer then enters the name of the class that he or she feels that the student could belong. Questions from intensive classes are also asked in a test that gauges the level of the student in line with the vocabulary that is used in the writing (Winebrenner, 2000). Here, performance is stated as low or average or good. The student is also given a business class test where conversation between the interviewer and the student takes place. A written test is also taken and the two are used to gauge the student as elementary, pre-intermediate, intermediate, and advanced. An English writing also helps the interviewer to know the writing ability of the student. During the interview, it is important for the interviewer to make sure that the student feels free to answer any questions they are asked. This way, the student will be able to give the correct information and therefore the levels assigned to the students will be accurate. The questions that the students are asked are divided into six different levels. Level one questions are general questions and could cover questions such as the student’s personal information, location of objects, activities and routines, future predictions, etc. (Winebrenner, 2000). Level two questions could cover areas on directions, experiences, preferences, schedules, etc. Level three questions cover past events, polite requests, opinions, logical deductions, future conditions, etc. Level four covers past actions, infinitives, describing, second conditional, etc. Level five has questions on present perfect simple, third conditional, suggestions, defining relative clauses, and generalizations. For the case of level six, the questions focuses on complains, regrets, future perfect simple, reported speech, etc. A template of questions that the teacher will ask students of different levels to determine their special needs. Level One Questions Level one students should be asked questions such as:- Where do you live? What is your favorite food? Describe your bedroom What places are close to your bedroom? How often do you go shopping? What did you eat yesterday? Where do you think I’ll go tonight? etc. Level Two Questions The following are examples of questions that level two students should be asked. How do I make a cup of coffee? Have you met a famous person? What do you enjoy doing on Sundays? What does a beautiful person look like? Level Three Questions Examples of questions for level three questions include:- Where were you at 6.00pm last night? Have you been embarrassed in public? What happened? I feel really hot in class. What should I say to the teacher? Finish this sentence: ‘If I miss the next train...…’ Your best friend is late for an important dinner. What do you think possibly happened? Level Four Questions What was the hardest thing to get used to at the university? I enjoy running, but I prefer swimming. What about you? What do you think about cheating? What was your favorite teacher like? If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? Why? Level Five Questions Below are examples of questions for level five students. What have you been trying to change recently? If you hadn’t come here today, where would you have gone? Finish this sentence: ‘My best friend is...…’ Your classmate wants to go out drinking every night. What do you suggest? Make a general statement about teenagers. Level Six Questions How would you ask a teacher for the spelling of their name? What could you have done yesterday to improve your day? To how many countries do you think you’ll have traveled by the time you are 70? What is the worst advice that someone ever gave you? Tell me about the worst gift that you received. Approaches to Teaching Students with Special Needs Children with learning disabilities have for a long period of time received poor treatment by members of the society and they are perceived as having made some mistakes so that they suffer. The social status of students with learning disabilities is very low since the students have clearly been shown that they are incapable of doing some other things. It is the work of the teacher to identify such students and apply the knowledge he or she has acquired to help the students feel that they are part of the larger community and that they can do all things just like any other being (Frank & Donald 2003). Early intervention of a student who seems to show the characteristics of a student who require some special needs is the basic solution. These characteristics are said to be noticed early if they are noticed when the student is between three years and six years. Early intervention helps the teachers and the parents of the student to give the student the necessary treatment. Early intervention also helps identify the particular type of disability that the student suffers from. This way, the correct care is given depending on the type of disability. The earlier the discovery, the earlier the student learns and the earlier the student works for the improvement of performance. The school should come up with a method of identifying students who have some special needs and should also employ the necessary skills so as to identify the exact special need required (Frank & Donald 2003). Scientifically based practices should be used in gathering of data that will be used to identify the needs of the special student. The teacher should also ensure that the students who require the special needs receive intensive instructions that will help the student to improve on his or her performance. The intervention must be done at the right time and the solution to the student’s disability will depend on the particular disability of that student. Consistent intervention should be given by the teacher for a long duration of time and at a high intensity so that the improvement can be consistent. The teacher first describes the specific difficulties that the student is going through. The teacher should also try to elaborate on the student’s weaknesses and strengths since these can help him or her identify some skills in the student that will help the student improve his or her performance. Health issues such as sight, hearing etc. should also be addressed since they also contribute towards the performance of the student (John, 1999). If the teacher experiences some difficulties in determining the kinds of a special need that the student needs, he or she with the help of other teachers can formulate a hypothesis that will be used to try and solve the problem of that student. One of the responsibilities of the teacher is to set a goal for the student so that the student could be working towards the achievement of this goal. The teacher will also help the student in focusing his or her efforts so that the student could improve his or her performance. Mild Disabilities Children with mild disabilities are those that experience difficulties such as learning disabilities, behavior disorders, mild mental retardation etc (Frank & Donald, 2003). Negotiating teacher-related or peer-related adjustments is very difficult for students suffering from mild disabilities. When the teacher discovers that a child is suffering from mild disability, it is her responsibility to ensure that he or she has given the right approach to solving the difficulties that the student is experiencing as a result of these disabilities. Conductive Education This is a kind of education system developed for the young students and adults that have motor disorders. These individuals require both medical treatment and education to improve on their performance (Pamela, 2006). Motor disorders interrupt the learning process of an individual completely and therefore it is the responsibility of the teacher to ensure that the victim actively participates in class work and any special assignments given. The continuity of intervention in such a case should be ensured so as to help restore the whole and not a part of the student. Inclusive School The inclusive school is a school that acts to help disabled students to feel part of the large society and not to isolate themselves from the rest of the society (Eric, 2008). Due to discrimination, some students didn’t receive education and since then they feel like there is something that they lack that all other people have (Melodie & Gary 1997). This way, they feel out of place whenever they associate with these other individuals who went to school. Inclusive education advocates for the participation of all students in a class for the creation of a better social and political environment. It also advocates for the respect of all people’s rights (Melodie & Gary 1997). The institution also argues that these individuals with the disabilities also have some skills which they can employ to help their community. Conclusion Students with disabilities are likely to perform poorly if their teachers do not give them some special attention. This may even result to their dropping out of school due to discriminations by other students in the institutions. The teacher needs to come up with an independent learning plan that will help the students improve their performance. There are some general procedures that should be followed such as the order of questions asked should be systematic and the interviewer should create a rapport so that the student could feel at ease while participating in the interview. The answers that a student gives to the first questions will determine which level of questions the interviewer should ask the student. Teachers who attend to students with disabilities should ensure that early intervention is done so as to identify their particular types of disabilities together with the necessary solutions. References Eric, B. (2008). Creating Inclusive Schools for All Students. Arlington; Publisher name and contact information, as provided by the publisher; updated only if notified by the publisher.American Association of School Administrators, 39-41. Frank, M. G & Donald, L. M. (2003). Social Competence and Affective Characteristics of Students with Mild Disabilities. Riverside; University of California, 12-15. John, M. (1999). Response To Intervention. Retrieved from http://www.educationevolving.org/pdf/Response_to_Intervention.pdf on 14-09-2009. Melodie, W. G. & Gary, N. S. (1997)melodie. Importance of social support in the adjustment of children with learning problems. London; Irwin & George, 04-12 Pamela, W. (2006). Teaching Students in Inclusive Classrooms. Retrieved from http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art63003.asp on 14-September-2009. Peter, S. W. (2000). Commonsense Methods for People with Special Needs. Oxford; Oxford University Press, 47-51. Winebrenner, C. (2000). Strategies for Twice-Exceptional Student. London; McMillan Publishers, 136-138. Read More