I have to first make a comment about the findings in an article from our reading list that I had me thinking for a while. My first comment has to do with a teacher who felt that the most useful function for online accessibility was the cut and paste feature (Kim et al., 2020). Cut and Paste? With all the functions that enable students to access, deconstruct, and analyze text, such as highlighting, cut and paste was found to be the most important? The first teacher was a 2 year teacher, so I thought, perhaps she/he is new to teaching, but another teacher who had 15 years of experience also found the cut and paste to be the most useful. Images of students cutting pasting to create their essays flooded my mind.
How well a student can be accommodated as stated in their IEP, really depends on what those accommodations are. A teacher can provide those accommodations, but because the student is not within reach, it will depend on the student and perhaps even the parent to ensure the student is being accommodated. For example, a student may need the accomodation to be moved away from an area where there is too much stimuli. The teacher cannot ensure that the student is in an area where the student will not be distracted.
accommodation would be best accommodated in a Zoom break room if there is a para available, or with the use of an app such as Flipgrid. The student can record their answers on FlipGrid and turn that in in lieu of the written test. With Few exceptions, the majority of IEP accommodation can be met in an online class, even more so, if there is parent and/or para support.
As the grandmother of special needs child who has a severe language delay, and incidentally just attended an IEP meeting with my daughter, I can say that it is important to not just follow the IEP as a teacher, but also how important for parents to understand the IEPs and what those accomodations look like when implemented. Parent involvement is crucial in an online environment. With parental involvement, a teacher can ensure that the accommodations are being implemented and meeting the needs of the student in a online setting.
I wish that EL students had IEPs. That would make it so that teachers would understand how to support their novice ELs. The accommodations would be very similar to an IEP for a SPED student.
- Provide visuals and gestures.
- Allow for extra time on tests and assignments
- Modify the assignment so that content is not lost, but the student is able to answer.
- Provide students the ability to read the concept in their primary language and for those who are new to the English Language, to answer in their primary language.
- Use sentence frames so that student can answer in English.
- Provide academic vocabulary lists with translations.
Carrie
Reference
Kim, A. A., Monroe, M., & Lee, S. (2020). Examining K-12 educators’ perception and instruction of online accessibility features. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 35(3), 437–468. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2019.1705353
I always enjoy your visual aspects of your blog post. I have to say as soon as I saw the final meme, it reminded me of this one class. I had a class that was ESL. It was not fair to the students at all. While I spoke a little Spanish, it was not enough to teach the students correctly. The thing that surprised me the most, I was not informed about this class. If I would have known, I would have translated all the work and their worksheets so the students would have not been frustrated. I figured out ways around it to make the experience better for the students. However, I did not like how some teachers said to sit there and do nothing because they do not understand anyway to not aggravate myself. I found that disgusting and repulsive that a teacher would even think that thought. I even get upset that teachers act like they're the best teacher for accommodating the students IEP needs. It makes me so upset that there are teachers in NYS that act this way, while there are graduates who cannot find a job who are willing to help students. IEPs is to help the students- while some teachers view it as "extra work". Do you think teachers who ignore IEPs should lose their jobs?
ResponderBorrarCourtney
Hello Courtney!
ResponderBorrarI think it depends on the circumstances. A teacher who taught ED students (emotionally disturbed - I dislike how this label) got behind on her IEPs that she shredded the documents. She was terminated immediately. Another teacher I worked with, refused to accomodate a student who needed to be read the questions on a paper test. She was taken to court and then lost her job. However, if it is a first time and a small issue, a stern warning accompanied by a list of legal consequences the teacher faces if they do not follow IEPs, would suffice. Now, if it happens again, consequences should follow.
Carrie
I want to add to my commentary. I think a school should set the expectation and inform teachers of the consequences - legal ones as in lose your job, get fined, etc. If a school takes the time to inform teachers how to read an IEP, what some of the more common accommodations look like in the classroom, and lets teachers know that the school takes it seriously and will not back up the teacher if it is found that they do not follow the IEP, it might happen less often.
ResponderBorrarCarrie
Carrie,
ResponderBorrarThanks for sharing your personal story as well as your opinions about the need to go beyond the "cut and paste" function. I am sure you were able to be an excellent advocate for your grandchild. And while yes, it may seem that "cut and paste" is basic, many teachers may not have had the training or currently have the resources to go beyond.
You make great points about the need for accommodations, and how often they are a part of an effective classroom. Have you ever encountered teachers who were less willing to implement accommodations? If so, what was the reasoning?
Hello Dr. Boxterman!
ResponderBorrarYes, I have encountered many teachers who dislike having SPED students in their classrooms. An IEP is seen as undue extra work. It is very sad. It is a form of prejudice that is similar to racism. These students are seen as inferior and should not be with others that are not SPED. Perhaps teachers are not putting into this context, but they are not wanting to grant SPED students the same rights as GEN ED students. These teachers want a separate but equal, but seldom is separate equal.
Carrie