Teachers are often asked to modify instruction to accommodate special needs students. In fact, all students will benefit from the following good teaching practices. The following article takes the mystery out of adapting materials and strategies for curriculum areas.
As is described in I.D.E.A. Reauthorization, individuals with disabilities are to receive a free and appropriate public education. This education must occur in the least restrictive environment (L.R.E.), with supplementary aids and supports when necessary. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 provides some clarification as to how these aids and supports are provided in the L.R.E. for individuals with disabilities.
Assessment accommodations are changes in testing materials or procedures that enable students to participate in assessments in a way that assesses abilities rather than disabilities. Without accommodations, the assessment may not accurately measure the student's knowledge and skills.
Understood.org (n.d). The difference between accommodations and modifications. https://www.understood.org/en/articles/the-difference-between-accommodations-and-modifications
ECACorg. (2016). Accommodations and modifications for students with disabilities. [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/O0xdaCEqrU0?si=yd6R4EiqwM0gVOM7 This video provides a brief overview of accommodations and modifications with specific examples. You will use this resource for Discussion 4.
Checking for understanding permeates the teaching world. If you doubt that, consider the last lecture you heard. Whether the lecture was about chemical reactions, the great American novel, or the causes of World War II, the person speaking most likely checked for your understanding several times during the lecture by using such common prompts as "Any questions?", "Did you all get that?", "Everybody understand?", or "Does that make sense?".
The ultimate goal of teaching is to do just that – teach, not stand up in the front of the room and talk. But sometimes it’s easier to talk than to teach, as we all know, especially when we need to cover a lot of material in a short amount of time. We hope students will understand, if not now then before test time, and we keep our fingers crossed that their results will indicate we’ve done our job.
Checking for Understanding (CFU) is the backbone of effective instruction. Checking for Understanding is the teacher continually verifying that students are learning what is being taught while it is being taught.
When gauging student learning, two approaches likely come to mind: a formative or summative assessment. Fortunately, feeling pressure to choose one or the other isn’t necessary. These two types of learning assessment actually serve different and necessary purposes.
Summative assessments are used to evaluate student learning, skill acquisition, and academic achievement at the conclusion of a defined instructional period—typically at the end of a project, unit, course, semester, program, or school year.
