During
my time at CQUniversity I have developed a passion for working with students
with special needs. This is attributed to courses including Managing Diversity and Understanding Inclusion in Education
where I was able to learn about difficulties that students face and how I can
best provide for them. The Queensland Education
(General Provisions) Act (2006) states “education
should be provided to a child or young person in a way that provides positive
learning experiences; promotes a safe and supportive learning environment; and
recognises his or her educational needs”. This statement is at the
forefront of my thinking when I am planning and implementing learning
experiences for all of my students. This is also supported by the core beliefs
of the role of the learning manager which is to design learning experiences
that produce learning outcomes in all students (Lynch and Smith, 2006).
When
working with students with special needs I always made sure to develop a
relationship with staff in the Special Education Unit. The knowledge and strategies
that they passed on to me where invaluable when working with students in my
classroom. For example I modified writing tasks for students in my class where
I would act as a scribe for them, they could type it on the computer or they
could voice record it. I wanted to provide as many opportunities for these
students to achieve learning outcomes that were suited to their needs. I
received a written reference from Beth Sharry, a SEP teacher which stated “I
have been extremely impressed with Nick’s initiative and commitment to our SEP
students. He has regularly consulted with SEP teachers to differentiate for his
students. Nick has adjusted tasks on a daily basis to maximise student
engagement and has also consulted us when differentiating assessment tasks. For
example Nick developed a modified Science assessment task that demonstrated the
SEP students’ knowledge, in line with the curriculum he had differentiated.
The Disability
Standards for Education (2005) states that an adjustment is “a measure or action (or a group of
measures or actions) taken by an education provider that has the effect of
assisting a student with a disability.” I
make a variety of adjustments with my teaching to ensure that my students needs
are being met, they have included; modified tasks and assessment items,
classroom layout and access, visuals, posters, timetable for routine, regular
breaks, teacher aide support and opportunities to work collaboratively with
peers. My Mentor Teacher (Carter,
personal communication, 2012); discussed how he was impressed with how I had
modified the spelling program so it was tailored to each student’s needs. The amount
of words that each student received was based on their individual ability. I
saw no advantage in giving a student twenty words a week if they struggled to
get more than five correct. I adjusted
the program to suit their needs and built their confidence to the point where
the majority of students were on twenty words by the end of my internship.
This cartoon helps me to understand how crucial it is that I differentiate in the classroom.
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