EDO-CS-97-08 June 1997
At-risk learners benefit from instructional activities
that are carefully planned and mutually supported by classroom teachers
and learning center staff (Nelson,
1994). Unfortunately, many schools provide separate instruction inboth
settings. For example, in the English classroom, students may explore the
theme of good and evil by reading and discussing William Golding's "Lord
of the Flies," whereas in the learning center, at-risk students may complete
workbook exercises and other fragmented activities unrelated to the instructional
theme. Clearly, at-risk learners are more likely to be successful when
classroom and learning center teachers provide them with congruent goals,
resources, strategies, and skills.
A model that can be adapted to both push-in and
pull-out efforts represents an ambitious approach, but it can be a major
source of support for at-risk learners (Sanacore,
1988). Specifically, these learners receive language arts instruction
7 periods a week. Twice a week, the majority of students experience a double
period of instruction, while the at-risk learners are enriched with activities
that support the language arts program. If "Lord of the Flies" is being
highlighted, the classroom teacher might immerse students in interactive
activities concerning important themes, concepts, and vocabulary of the
novel. Meanwhile, the learning center teacher might engage individuals
in a similar instructional focus, while providing support through a prereading
plan, structured overview, semantic mapping, or semantic feature analysis.
An important part of this classroom/learning center
connection is cooperative planning time that is built into the teaching
assignments of the English staff (Raywid,
1993). These professionals are scheduled weekly for 20-minute periods
of teaching and for one period of mutual planning with the learning center
staff. During the planning session, the key players discuss their community
of learners and organize congruent activities that support effective learning.
Creating a closer link between the classroom and
the learning center makes sense. This approach increases transfer of learning
and simultaneously lessens the incidence of fragmented, reductionistic
teaching. Thus, at-risk learners have more opportunities to engage in cohesive
instruction directly related to their learning strengths and needs. Although
curricular congruence is not a cure-all, it is a serious source of support
for helping at-risk learners to be successful and independent.
Similar to the intent of curricular congruence is
the changing role of the special education teacher serving as a team teacher.
This inclusionary perspective helps learners with mild, moderate, and severe
disabilities to be successful in the heterogeneous classroom and, thus,
to be genuine members of the learning community. In a chapter of Villa
and Thousand's "Creating an Inclusive
School" (1995), middle grades science teacher Nancy Keller and special
educator Lia Cravedi-Cheng describe their bonding as team teachers, which
led to the social and academic growth of themselves and their students.
Initially, the key players decided to meet at least
one period each week for mutual planning. During this time, they focused
on building a trusting relationship as they defined and redefined professional
roles, discussed content to be covered, planned related instructional activities,
and assessed student outcomes. These and other planning agendas set the
stage for continued growth with a variety of joint responsibilities (i.e.,
having parent conferences, managing student behavior). While reflecting
on their professional growth, Keller and Cravedi-Cheng realized that successful
inclusion occurs when both teachers and students receive support. Planning
cooperatively, developing goals, maintaining personal accountability helped
the teachers to merge their talents, to reaffirm their commitment to all
students, and to reach their audience academically and socially. As was
expected, both special needs students and their nondisabled peers became
contributing members of the learning community.
Cheryl
Jorgensen (1995) describes an interdisciplinary program at Souhegan
High School in New Hampshire. The learning environment for grades 9 and
10 involves 2 teams for each grade level, with approximately 85 students
in each team. Social studies, science, English, and special education teachers
share daily blocks of time morning and afternoon, and these professionals
may organize instruction in a variety of ways to accommodate students'
learning needs. An important part of these efforts is collaborative planning
time for content area teachers and special educators.
Interestingly, special needs students at Souhegan
High do not usually require instructional modifications in their heterogeneously
grouped classes; however, when support is needed for nurturing full participation,
it may be provided by peers, adults, adapted resources, or assistive technology.
Individuals also benefit from modified expectations--for example, a physically
disabled learner may have his or her lines in a play tape-recorded by a
classmate. When the lines are to spoken aloud, the disabled learner leans
on a pressure switch which then activates the lines.
Another source of help for students and teachers in a heterogeneous learning environment is an "extra set of hands." In "The Reading Resource Handbook for School Leaders" (1996), Patty, Maschoff, and Ransom provide useful insights about parent volunteers and teacher aides supporting the language arts program. Specifically, these individuals may nurture learning by functioning as effective role models, reading to students, listening to them read, listening to their retellings after silent reading, asking challenging questions concerning their reading, coaching their efforts, sharing and monitoring reading and writing, developing instructional materials, administering interest and attitude inventories, organizing a classroom newspaper, assisting with bulletin boards and classroom displays that encourage reading and writing, and serving as a resource during field trips. Volunteers and aides can make valuable contributions to the classroom context, and their support is vitally needed to accommodate the diversity of learning needs which has increased markedly in recent years. Well-constructed questionnaires surveying parents and potential volunteers can provide useful information that can lead to a functional plan of action for eliciting, managing, and developing effective volunteers and aides.
Students' journey toward success also involves natural
immersion in authentic resources. All learners, including those at risk
of failing, benefit from literacy-rich classrooms cluttered with paperbacks,
anthologies, fiction and nonfiction works, dramas and comedies, poetry,
illustrated books, "how-to" manuals, bibliotherapeutic stories, talking
books, large-print books, dictionaries, magazines, newspapers, and pamphlets.
Students are more apt to respond positively to these materials when they
are permitted to choose from a wide variety of options, when they observe
teachers respecting their choices, and when they are encouraged to read
at their own comfortable pace in the classroom.
Being sensitive to students' interests and strengths
will also help them to meet content area expectations, especially if teaching
and learning are organized around important themes and concepts. For example,
if the instructional unit concerns the Civil War, and individual may demonstrate
his or her preferred learning style by reading illustrated materials and
by creating a flow chart showing important battles. Others may respond
to thematic and conceptual aspects of the study unit in ways that represent
their unique styles, as the teacher guides them to focus on instructional
outcomes that fulfill curricular expectations. These flexible considerations
not only provide immediate learning benefits, but also promote a lifelong
love of learning.
Not surprisingly, this flexibility also applies
to technological resources, which play a major role in helping students
to be successful. Disabled learners, in particular, may benefit from adaptive
hardware, such as seating devices, switches, electronic communication aids,
and computers that scan printed materials and read the text aloud. Although
appropriate instructional resources can facilitate learning in heterogeneous
classrooms, a problematic economy has caused school administrators to allocate
budgets for the basic curricula. Administrators need to work with parents
and the community to provide a wide variety of resources to support students
and teachers (Mendez-Morse,
1991). This effort increases the chances that special needs students
and their nondisabled classmates will respond positively to literacy learning
and will use it throughout their lives.
Jorgensen, Cheryl (1995). "Essential Questions--Inclusive Answers." Educational Leadership, 52(4), 52-55. [EJ 496 170]
Mendez-Morse, Sylvia (1991). "The Principal's Role in the Instructional Process: Implications for At-Risk Students." SEDL Issues about Change, 1(3), 1-4. [ED 363 967]
Nelson, Carol (1994). "Organizing for Effective Reading Instruction." ERIC Digest. Bloomington, IN: ERIC Clearinghouse on Reading, English, and Communication. [ED 369 034]
Patty, Del, et al (1996). The Reading Resource Handbook for School Leaders. Norwood, MA:Christopher-Gordon.
Raywid, Mary Anne (1993). "Finding Time for Collaboration." Educational Leadership, 51(1), 30-34. [EJ 468 684]
Sanacore, Joseph (1988). "Needed:
A Better Link between the Reading Center and the Classroom."
Clearing House, 62(2), 57-60. [EJ 386 881]
Villa, Richard A., ed., and Jacqueline S. Thousand, ed. (1995).
"Creating
an Inclusive School." Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and
Curriculum Development. [ED 396 505]
Digest #127 is EDO-CS-97-08 and was published in June 1997 by
the ERIC Clearinghouse on Reading, English and Communication, 2805 E 10th Street,
Bloomington, IN 47408-2698, Telephone (812) 855-5847 or (800) 759-4723. ERIC Digests are
in the public domain and may be freely reproduced. Additional copies may be ordered by
contacting the ERIC Document Reproduction Service at (800) 443-3742. This project has been funded at least in part with Federal funds from the U.S. Department
of
Education under contract number RR93002011. The content of this publication does not
necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Education nor does mention
of
trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
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