Individual Education Program for a Special Education Goal - Assignment Example

RUNNING HEAD: MELANIE'S IEP INDIVIDUAL EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR A SPECIAL EDUCATION GOAL FOR MELANIE (A Comprehensive Plan on Increasing Literacy and Reading Competency of a Four-Year Old Learner) Note: I am a full-time student doing my Masters in Guidance and Counselling. Prior to this, I was working in the IT industry for 3 years, but I quit my job to pursue an education in Psychology and Counselling. Hence, I do not have any experience in Education industry. This paper was written purely based on my understanding of research I have done, and what I have learnt thus far in class. I do not have any student on hand, hence I choose to work with my niece. Thank you. INDIVIDUAL EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR A SPECIAL EDUCATION GOAL FOR MELANIE (A Comprehensive Plan on Increasing Literacy and Reading Competency of a Four-Year Old Learner) Description (350 words) 1. Describe the student's special need using evidence to support your observation (e.g. appraisement, educational adjustment profile (EAP), specialist report, assessment - minimum 3 types, research literature - minimum 4). 2. Use positive language to highlight what the student can currently achieve. Do not use a deficit approach. Avoid comparisons with the norm. I am particularly interested in finding out about the student's interests, likes and dislikes and learning characteristics. What do you already know about what works for this student Melanie (pseudonym name) is a healthy four year-old girl, currently attending K1 in Modern Montessori International Group (MMI). Through the use of appraisement observation (Wood, 1992), it has been noted that when she is asked to read a selection and later on asked of what she has understood about it, she loses track of the entire reading subjecting her to forgetting even the simple words that she has already come across within the reading. Besides that, it could be noted too that even though she is asked with regards the meaning of the words that she was already given familiarity to while reading the material given to her, she has the hardest time remembering them during the first time of questioning. If closer observance is paid to the reading process of Melanie at home, it would likely lead to different end results, as per suggested by the Educational Adjustment Profile (Balasundarm, 1998). If one lets her read a line that includes very simple words that she already knows or has come across earlier, there is no reason why she could not finish the task. As for a fact, she will readily do the reading from the beginning of the text as required continuously up until the end of the reading piece. However relating the different meaning of the words in the reading becomes a hard matter for her to complete. Through the use of one-to-one assessment method (Steven, 2008), I, as the teacher of Melanie, was able to observe her different developments based from the number of practices and trainings that she has undergone such as phonics, reading comprehension and other word based programmes that are all aimed to help an individual verbally comprehend with written pieces of reading. Through a systematic process of gathering the data I was able to keep a record on how well my niece is making improvement based from the daily activities that I handle with her in a regular basis. I used both formal and informal assessments to ensure that the Melanie is making progress. This means that the assessment could happen during or even after classes (ASHA, 2009). Through this mandated procedure, I am sure to be able to help Melanie enhance her skills on understanding words and their context even after class allowing her to see things in a practical manner. As noted through the said observation I learned how my niece has become much patient and perseverant in accepting the lessons I present to her making her better acquainted with the lesson thus pushing her to develop further in her learning. Planning (350 words) 1. From what you know about the student, prepare an individualised education plan (IEP) for four hours (teaching may include one-to-one, small group, whole class). 2. Inform the process of IEP development through: 1. Collaboration with key stakeholders, 2. The preparation of a goal statement (see description of a goal statement below) Goal Statement Formula (Adapted from Ian Healey) Goal = Behaviour + Conditions + Criterion Realistic Specific Environment Time lines Functional Measurable Activities % Correct Attainable Observable Equipment Assistance Rational Graphic Materials How often Genuine Precise Strategies Degree OR GOAL = WHAT + WHERE + HOW + WHEN + WHY 3. Details of how student achieves success in learning 4. Details of how assessment will be used to clearly demonstrate that learning outcomes have been achieved. Creating the IEP for Melanie The first step in creating the IEP is to identify Melanie's difficulties and what she needs or lacks of. As observed, Melanie is having difficulties in communication and comprehension strategies. Hence, to ensure that she develops a better sense of understanding, the use of visionary and kinesthetic learning shall be implied within the lesson plan to be used to incite learning upon her. With this IEP approach, I am also preparing a week-long program that would comprise of a total of four hours of learning system which I believe would help Melanie progress further (Appendix: Table 1) Getting In Touch with the Stakeholders Coordinating with the parents is a vital part of the process of assisting young learners of their literacy problems (Hamil & Everington, 2002). Besides that, involving Melanie's parents in the process may increase the possibility of making the learning system more personalized and more effective. What is even more important is to have a meeting with Melanie so that her difficulties can be observed more closely. This meeting can also help in analyzing the probable ways that might help Melanie recover from her difficulties. Goal Statement In this case, I expect to receive some end results from the different procedures of teaching activity that I am to incite. Undoubtedly, as Melanie's teacher, I intend to see developments in the process by which Melanie is personally able to comprehend with the words that I am teaching her during our sessions of study. How Success Could be Achieved Through careful application of the process mentioned in the lesson plan presented in the previous sections of this paper, it is expected that I would be able to gain the cooperation of Melanie. With Melanie's cooperation, the process would become easier to handle and mush reasonable to present to the young learner. How the Assessment Procedures Could Ensure Development on Melanie As mentioned earlier, both formal [in-class] and informal [outside-class] observation shall be used to ensure that Melanie is improving. I personally believe in this process of observation as it is believed that the best approach to observation could happen during and even after classes which means observation upon her development is a clear continuous process that I need to give careful attention to as her mentor. Story of How IEP was Developed (400 words) Use the 400 words to tell the story of how the IEP was developed. The IEP should then be attached as an appendix. I am particularly interested in learning about how the IEP grew out of your collective knowledge of the student's special need and current achievement. Learning: Dealing with Melanie was one of the most challenging tasks I decided to take. This is because of the fact that she is a relative of mine, I knew that the process of teaching her would be subjected with many personal issues that I knew might not be that easy for me to face (Wood, 1992). However, the fact that we are connected to each other would make me rather interested so much in seeing her progress along with the activities that I present to her on the process. For this particular reason, I began to observe her as a preliminary process of the program. Through this observation I was able to note her attitude and her process in reading while she was still being read to by her parents. Through an interview with her parents, I too gained much confidence in knowing the right procedure to use to be able to receive grand results from the youngster at the end of the program. I knew then that because she was still a young learner, she needed to receive a variety of approaches to training and studying but a rather consistent system of discipline and appraisal that would likely motivate her to study her lessons seriously. Through the reward system, she becomes aware of the good things that she does and relates the said situation to the reactions I show her. I observed that when she knows that she is being praised for a good thing, she becomes aware that she could do more good things to receive my appraisal of a job well done. Being young though, she usually lacks the discipline she needs to focus on her lesson, so the punishment system balances the whole picture of learning assistance that I am giving her. As her teacher, I believe that giving her a chance to realize the consequences of her act is essential to helping her be motivated to continue with the learning system that we are undergoing. As I have set as a goal for myself, her response to the program I created is of outmost importance and it is through giving her appraisal and punishment system, I know I would be able to reach this goal. Reflection (1400 words) brief explanation on the Dewey 's reflection During the 4 hours of teaching use Dewey's four criteria of reflection as outlined in Rodgers (2002, as attached) to detail what is being learnt from the experience (both by the student and by you the teacher) and how you are making ongoing improvement in your teaching. Melanie has to be kept under constant observation in order to see if she is recovering from her difficulties studying at home. If necessary, the goals of the IEP have to be modified according to the intellectual level and the age of the student (Steven, 2008). Dewey's Four Criteria 1. Reflection as a meaning-making process (350 words, 8 marks) a. Here you audit tasks 1 - Description and 2- Planning) One of the basic problems for the little four year-old student is that she cannot remember how she has come to know a word, though she can read the word. She cannot even say the meaning of that particular word. This problem can be solved by reflection, as meant by Dewey (1933). According to Dewey, reflective thinking is nothing but the art of turning experience into learning. In How We Think Dewey (1933, p.107) says that "reflection occurs when one signifies or indicates another". The suggestion is that reflection or reflective thinking results into a unique cause and effect theory. There might be a question about how reflection as a meaning making process can be applied for the four year old little girl. To be able to help the child reflect on her learning, I prefer implying empathy and concern for the child's learning progress. As her teacher and her aunt, I know how much this program would affect the connection that we have between each other. It is certainly undeniable that through empathetic approach, I would be able to understand her reasons for her attitude much deeper and thus gain better focus on how I need to deal with that certain attitude she receives. Concern for attitude is a certain matter to be given attention to. Hence, as a result, I prefer to take notice as to how I handle her behavior during the sessions of learning that we are to undergo during the program. Too much punishment though might kill the enjoyment that the child must feel while learning to remain motivated in the process. Hence, the reward system would also help her reflect on the good things that she has done, thus making her remember what she did to say the right words and relay their meanings. This particular incident might remain as a clear picture of achievement for her that is expected to make her feel more motivated to continue with the process of learning that she is being presented with. It could be noted that through this approach, I am living to my goal of assisting her to take consideration on how my niece is actually grasping what I teach her, allowing her to apply her lessons in her learning process later on. 2. Reflection as a systematic, rigorous, disciplined way of thinking, with its roots in scientific inquiry (350 words, 8 marks) a. This involves 6 phases: the teaching experience, spontaneous interpretation, naming the question that arises from the experience e.g., what is being learnt and possible improvements, generating suggestions, developing them, testing them) As properly aligned with the principles of Dewey, after Melanie is past the first step, that is, reflection as a meaning making method, Melanie should be introduced to the method of reflection as a disciplined, systematic and rigorous way of thinking. This phase of reflection is typically characterized by its roots in scientific enquiry and seeking for evidence (Rodgers, 2002, p.65). In the case of the program I applied with Melanie, I could say that the plan of the disciplinary and appraisal path I opted to apply during the process is the primary and basic foundation of the system I used. This teaching experience gives me a chance to give a spontaneous interpretation of the developments that my niece is going through as she undergoes the program that I prepared for her. A person can, however, develop another person's ability to be present or to perceive more or less. Yet, it is quite expected from the teacher, especially from the experienced one, that he or she would be able to direct the attention of Melanie to what he or she sees or hears (Rodgers, 2002). Through the experience I have in assisting others with their learning procedures, I know I would be able to handle the difficulties of my niece in a much personal approach which could help her personally benefit from the program I prepared. Besides that, naming questions that are arise from the experiences of learning that we both have gone through could be notes as a primary process I need to give attention to so as to ensure that Melanie learns her lessons through the track of understanding that I have further set for her. Reflection as a systematic way of thinking needs reason the most. According to Dewey (1933, p.150), it is the reasoning faculty that differentiates reflective thinking from the other ways of thinking or other forms of thoughts. It appears that it is a process of identification of problems, generating questions and then finding various conclusions that might be the most probable answer for the question (Feldman, 2007). Furthermore, through asking Melanie some questions to ensure that she understands the process during each lesson, I would be able to find the right way to assist her in coming up with the right understanding she needs to acquire to get the best out of the learning program prepared for her. Through this, both I and Melanie would have a better chance to relating to each other's wants and needs during the process of learning that we are trying to adapt to. 3. Reflection needs to happen in community, in interaction with others (350 words, 8 marks) a. Here you share your observations and idea with the student and key stakeholders and invite suggestions. The person who is thinking or reflecting much puts himself or herself in the shoes of the others so that the person can come to be aware of the ways of the thinking of the others. In that case the thought process will be quite rich since it takes into account larger number of possibilities and probabilities which should be accepted or rejected depending upon their reliability in terms of reasoning and evidence (Vaughn, et al., 1997). To know the way of thinking of the others one has to communicate with others. In this case, interviewing the parents of Melanie about the difference of understanding and learning process of their child before and during the applied IEP plays a vital role in the process. Occasionally asking Melanie about what or how she feels about the program applied on her would also help in improving the system of teaching that I primarily use on her. There is no doubt that the reflection of the teacher about Melanie can never be converted into action unless the thoughts and especially the experiences of the teacher are not shared with the others. The teacher has to share his or her observations and the reflection that the observation led to with the other stakeholders so that they can find out if the reflections of the teacher is strong enough to serve the purpose of better learning of Melanie or have some weaknesses that need to be mended (Lewis & Sugai, 1999; Miettinen, 2000). Through this phase of reflection, I would be able to understand how my program actually affects the stakeholders of the case. The assessment process of interviewing the people involved in the IEP system I made shall also give me an overview on how I should still improve the process so as to ensure that I am to receive better results than usual which would both benefit me as the teacher as it reflects my capability on handling literacy teaching challenges, Melissa, as she begins to improve in her process of reading and understanding, and Melissa's parents, as they are to learn how to deal with the difficulties of their child successfully. 4. Reflection requires attitudes that value the personal and intellectual growth of one-self and of others (350 words, 8 marks) a. Readiness to engaged in reflection requires four attitudes, namely: whole-heartedness, directness, open-mindedness, responsibility Attitude is a big factor that plays a very important role in the process of the different phases of reflection of reflective thinking. It is a very common fact that the attitude that an individual bears during the process of reflection has the ability to accelerate the process of learning. On the other hand it can also block all the ways of thinking (Dewey, 1993). In his opinion, awareness of the attitude and the emotions of a human being and the discipline to harness them and use them for the advantageous results can be regarded as a piece of good work on part of the thinker or the person who does the reflective thinking. (NASDSE, 2008) There are mainly four attitudes that a reflective thinker has to be aware of and harness for a productive result. Wholeheartedness is the most important factor. It needs spontaneity on part of the thinker so that he or she can channelize all his energy and thinking faculty for the sole purpose. The lack of wholeheartedness can lead to lack of concentration and confidence, resulting in an incomplete result (Senge, Scharmer, Jaworski & Flowers, 2005) In Melanie's case, wholeheartedness in accepting what is being presented to her through responding to the teaching process is a primary foundation of understanding that she needs to learn from the planned program. Directness is one more attitude that plays an important role in reflective thinking. One has to be quite straight in addressing the problem or the subject that he or she is thinking about. Any confusion in treating or observing the experiences may lead the reflecting process in the wrong way (Vaughn, Bos, & Schumm, 1997). This particular reflection process depends on me as a teacher. The process by which I direct Melanie would actually reflect on the capability that she has to grasp what I insist for her to understand during the lessons I present to her. Responsibility is also a factor that is quite important in reflective thinking. It is not that the thinker has to be forcefully responsible. In that case he would lack spontaneity, resulting in the blockage of his ways of thinking. Again, there is every possibility that lack of the sense of responsibility may leave the reflective thinking and its turning into action quite incomplete. Through being responsible on my part, I know I would be able to gain the goal that I have set for myself to reach in the first part of this assessment and IEP system I have planned to apply on Melanie's learning process. Certainly, in my case with the mentoring process I am providing Melanie herein, I could say that our attitude towards each other and towards the program I created for her naturally plays a great role in making everything work well. ASHA (2009). Special Needs: Special needs children from socially disadvantaged backgrounds. Retrieved February 2, 2009, from http://www.ashanet.org/projects/project-category.phpt=12&display=1 Burns, R.B. (1986) Child Development: A Text for the Caring Professions, Taylor & Francis. New York: Wiley Publications. Dewey, J. (1933). How We Think: A Restatement of the Relation of Reflective Thinking to the Educative Process. Boston: D C Heath. Feldman, R.S. (2007). Essentials of Understanding Psychology. Boston/ New York: McGrawhill. Kotelnikov, V. (2001). Corporate vision, mission, goals and strategies: Traditional and new approaches to corporate vision and strategic intent formulation and use. Ten3 Business e-Coach. Retrieved February 3, 2009, from http://www.1000ventures.com/business_guide/crosscuttings/vision_mission_strategy.html Lewis, T., & Sugai, G. (1999). Effective behavior support: A systems approach to proactive school wide management. Focus on Exceptional Children, 31(6), 1-24 Miettinen, R. (2000). The concept of experiential learning and John Dewey's theory of reflective thought and action. International Journal of Lifelong Education, 19(1), 54-72 Minichiello, V., Aroni, R., Timewell, E., & Alexander, L. (1995). In-Depth Interviewing (2nd Ed.). Melbourne: Longman NASDSE. (2008). NASDSE Works! Volume 1, Issue 1, retrieved on February 5, 2009 from: http://www.nasdse.org/Portals/0/VOl%201%20-%20Final.pdf National Association of State Directors of Special Education. (1996). Enhancing individual student accountability through the IEP: Report of the Wingspread Conference on accountability in special education. Alexandria, VA: National Association of State Directors of Special Education Rodgers, C. (2002). Defining reflection: Another look at John Dewey and reflective thinking. Teachers College Record. The Teachers College Record, 104(4), 842-866 Balasundaram, P. (1998). Samadhan: Registered under The Societies Registration Act XXI 1860. Samadhan. Retrieved February 3, 2009, from http://www.samadhanindia.org/program.htm Schn, D. (1983). The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. New York: Basic Books Senge, P., Scharmer, C. O., Jaworski, J., & Flowers, B. S. (2005). Presence: Exploring profound change in people, organizations, and society. London: Nicholas Brealey Steven, J. B. (2008). Individual Education Plans: IEPs. KidsHealth. Retrieved February 2, 2009, from http://kidshealth.org/parent/growth/learning/iep.html Vaughn, S., Bos, C., & Schumm, J. (1997). Teaching mainstreamed, diverse, and at-risk students in the general education classroom. Boston: Allyn and Bacon Wood, J. (1992). Adapting instruction for mainstreamed and at-risk students. New York: Merrill APPENDIX: TABLE 1: FOUR HOUR LESSON FOR MELANIE DURATION: 1 WEEK to two weeks depending on the feedback from Melanie Time Duration Type of Learning Learning Activity Expectations and Assessments FIRST SESSION: Focus on Visual Learning Procedures 30 minutes Visual learning Through the use of word-to-picture relationship activity, Melanie is expected to comprehend with word spellings and word meanings directly through a step by step process. For at least thirty minutes, the repetitive flashing of pictures and words to Melanie is expected to at least help in the process of familiarizing Melanie to certain words that she might have difficulties understanding. SECOND SESSION: Focus on Visual Learning Procedures 25 minutes Visual Learning A book with pictures shall be presented to Melanie. Through the pictures, the events in the story are to be explained to the reader. With the use of pictures, it is expected that Melanie would be able to remember words as well as the events and be able to relate the story in her own words. 10 minutes ICE BREAKER A song or poem recital could be used to break the ice and keep Melanie from looking forward to the next class Through poems and songs, Melanie is expected to be able to ease her mind off the pressure and still have the chance to learn new things through the words or the lyrics she speaks of in her poem or her song. THIRD SESSION: Visual Learning to Understand and Remember Story Plot 55 minutes VISUAL Learning A Story shall be read to the child with several words that are highlighted for the attention of Melanie. Later on, after reading the story, the teacher shall show pictures of words found heard during the reading. As the teacher shows a picture, Melanie is expected to write down its spelling [as identified] then explain how that word was used in the story in her own words. Through this, the visual and mental capability of Melanie to learn and identify words while learning their meaning is expected to be enhanced. FOURTH SESSION: Focus on Audio and Kinaesthetic Learning Procedures 25 minutes Auditory Learning For at least 10 minutes, a recorded story shall be presented to Melanie of whom she needs to pay clear attention to. As she does that, she shall be asked to list at least 15 new words that she could pick from the story which she would relate to the teacher later This activity is expected to increase the attention span of the child as well as give her a chance to pick the words she thinks she would be most competent presenting in a sentence later on. 25 Minutes Memory Enhancement Through Auditory Learning The 15 words are to be presented by the child one by one and she would be asked how she particularly remembers the usage of the said words within the story she just heard. Through this, the memory of Melanie shall be improved thus helping her retain the meaning of words and their usage in her mind. 10 Minutes Audio and Kinaesthetic Learning An action song shall be asked of Melanie to sing with the mentor This would relax the mind of Melanie as well as help her relate words with movements. FIFTH SESSION: Acting Out Words 40 minutes Kinaesthetic Learning Charades: Melanie is to be asked to identify a word and relate its meaning as the teacher is to present a word description through actions This activity is expected to keep Melanie active and attentive during the process which would likely increase the capability of Melanie to handle the learning process successfully. SIXTH SESSION: Listening through songs 20 minutes Audio learning through a song to be presented to Melanie, the teacher shall pick words from the lyrics and ask Melanie as to how the said words impact her view of the message of the song With this activity, the process of personalizing the learning scheme would become much easier to handle making it easier for Melanie to express her thoughts freely. Read More