Teaching Special Needs Students
by
Dennis Smith
My purpose for this paper is to find and list web
sites
that will assist teachers who are teaching "special needs" students.
As more "special needs" students are entering the classroom,
teachers need more and better information on teaching them. The purpose
of this paper will be to enable teachers access to information about
teaching
these students in the field of Geography. It is my endeavor to create a
list that will span most grades that will be helpful to both new and
experienced
teachers.
When teaching special needs students, we must
search
for the best way to instruct them to ensure that they have the best
education
available. The following are just a few ways in which we can insure
that
the students are getting the proper education. General Guidelines The
exceptional
child's basic needs and goals for geography are not so different from
those
of the "ordinary" child, but the means of achieving those goals
and fulfilling those needs may be different. The following general
practices
are crucial in teaching exceptional children.
1. Maintain a positive attitude toward exceptional
learners.
Special children require a great deal of encouragement and
understanding.
Show that you are interested in them: talk with them about their
geographic
interests; places they have been; be friendly and encouraging. Give
each
child's personal worth and mental health primary consideration, and
assist
each child in every way possible to develop personally and socially as
well as academically.
2. Consider learning styles and modalities when
planning
instruction. An exceptional child might be an auditory learner who
remembers
geographic items they have seen, or perhaps a kinesthetic-tactile
learner
who needs to touch, manipulate, and move in order to learn. Such
factors
as lighting, space, time of day, and temperature may also affect
children's
ability to learn.
3. Provide individualized instruction as needed.
De-emphasize
arbitrary age grade standards and individualize instruction so as to
focus
on each child's educational needs. Matching teaching procedures in
geography
to the child's needs, strengths, and weaknesses, learning styles,
disabilities,
and interests. Consider special needs for particular disabilities, such
as special equipment, seating arrangements, and stimulus reduced areas
while teaching geography.
4. Offer meaningful, balanced instructional
programs.
Help the students see a reason for learning geography and emphasize
skills
through which they will learn, not through artificial drills. Encourage
them to use different strategies for attaining the needed skills in
geography.
5. Provide materials the children are capable of
using
as well as ones that are of interest. Carefully select what to use in
initial
instruction; concrete (maps), manipulative materials (puzzles) and
firsthand
experiences are usually effective. Do not use materials with which
students
have previously failed. Become familiar with various instructional
strategies
and learn how to adapt them to the students' learning style in
geography.
Do not overlook the effectiveness of audiovisual materials; games;
high-interest,
low- vocabulary books, television commercials, and other contemporary
materials.
6. Communicate with others who work with special
children.
Be sure to coordinate each special learner's program with all others
involved
in his or her instructional, particularly the resource teacher. Discuss
the child's progress and needs in geography, and work together to
provide
the best possible plan, with each teacher reinforcing and supplementing
the work of the other in all fields.
7. Provide a positive classroom environment. Help
the
children in the regular classroom to accept and appreciate the special
qualities of mainstreamed children by including them in class
activities
and providing opportunities for them to make worthwhile contributions.
If a special needs child is good at coloring, use that child to color
maps
or other items to be turned in for the group. Foster a climate of
acceptance
and appreciation for each child's uniqueness.
8. Use varied instructional and assessment
techniques.
Present concepts by means of concrete objects, manipulative devices,
and
multimedia presentations to make use of the child's five senses.
Provide
various opportunities for practicing skills in authentic situations,
various
instructional techniques, and various types of assessment.
9. Provide opportunities for success in
undertakings.
Assign tasks at or below ability levels of exceptional children who
have
problems to ensure reasonable success. Provide short- term goals such
as
outlining the state and locating the capital, and give immediate
feedback
to encourage good work. Use progress charts to make growth apparent and
have children compete against their own records, not those of their
classmates.
Give praise for genuine efforts and successful completion of tasks.
Make
every effort to build self- confidence and avoid frustrating situations
that may aggravate learning problems. (Ross 637-638)
Tips for Teachers: Sometimes faculty and service
providers
must advocate for equipment and support services for their students
with
disabilities. These tips are aimed at service providers.
I. If no one at your school is knowledgeable or
interested
in adaptive computer technology, bring the information to your school.
Research it yourself. Find a computer resource center in your area, and
bring brochures and other information on adaptive computer technology
to
the IEP team, Disabled Student Services Office or Academic Computing
Office.
There are plenty of computer programs and web sites devoted to
geography.
One such web site is footprints.
II. Research and share success stories about
students
with disabilities who have benefitted by using adaptive computer
technology.
See what other schools and universities are doing and suggest the same
path for your school. Contact local colleges or universities to ask
professors
in geography courses for assistance.
III. Discuss adaptive technology with teachers,
campus
computing center directors and professors, and give them information on
picking accessible software and integrating the computer into the
classroom
curriculum.
IV. Invite faculty and staff to visit your adaptive
workstation.
Let others see the students' successes in your class.
V. Encourage school administrators to seek help
from
federal, state and private agencies to pay for adaptive equipment and
training.
VI. Keep informed of assessment and funding sources
that
are available to help obtain the best possible education for students
with
disabilities. In particular, there are many resources available for
adaptive
computing technology information and funding. handout
Adaptive Technology - A Necessary Foundation
K-12 students with disabilities must be trained on
adaptive
technology as early and as much as possible. A basic foundation in
using
computers and special applications to make the computers accessible is
critical for disabled children if they are to move into higher
education
and the workplace. Adaptive computing technology, also called assistive
technology, has two important uses. The first is to adapt general
computers
so that they are seable by people with disabilities. For instance,
people
with no hand movement are not able to use traditional computer
keyboards.
They can use a variety of tools, such as on-screen keyboards and
pointing
devices or voice input systems to manipulate computers. Computers can
also
be used as compensatory tools. In this way, a person might use a
computer
to accomplish tasks in geography that aren't usually performed on
computers.
For example, a blind person might scan written material into the
computer
and then have it read aloud with a speech synthesizer and
screen-reading
program. There are programs that will help these students learn states
and capitals on the Internet. Helping students learn adaptive
technology
early and comfortably will prepare them for the advanced technology
they'll
need in college. Consider the curriculum and goals of the student. What
kind of classes is the student taking? Can the student learn geography
by using technology in the class? What is the student's ultimate goal?
Evaluate the requirements of the student. What is the student's
disability?
What abilities does the student have? Can the student draw or color as
good or better than others in a group? If so utilize that ability and
by
doing so you will improve the students self-image. What tasks does the
student have difficulty with? Make a detailed task analysis for each of
the student's classes. Exactly what is required for each class? Does
the
student require assistance in reading, writing, listening, speaking, or
organizing information? Match appropriate assistive technology to each
task. What technology best fulfills each specific function? What
technology
is the student most comfortable with? Continually re-evaluate the
effectiveness
and practicality of the assistive technology. Is there technology that
is easier for this particular student to use? Is there technology that
is less cumbersome or more portable? Is there a less expensive way to
fulfill
the same need?
STUDENTS WITH ATTENTION-DEFICIT DISORDERS
Many learning-disabled students have difficulty
focusing
on tasks and maintaining attention. Some of these children are said to
have ADHD if
the
behavior occurs much more frequently than in others of the same mental
age and if the onset is before age seven. Children who cannot
concentrate
are likely to have trouble learning. Teachers who work with these
students
should reward on-task behavior and ignore inappropriate behavior, ask
students
to paraphrase directions back to them, use improvised study carrels to
eliminate distractions, provide structure by adhering to schedules and
routines, make sessions short and use contract or progress charts. When
constructing a map, break the step down into smaller units. Chart each
step so the student knows where they are and what the next step is.
STUDENTS WITH MENTAL RETARDATION
The primary characteristic of mildly mentally
retarded children is that they do not learn as readily as others of
the same chronological age. They are usually unable to make complicated
generalizations and learn material incidentally. This is due in part to
their slower ability to learn. If the instruction is slowed down, many
MR students will learn the desired material. Remember, "slow and steady
wins the race." Break steps down and allow time for the student to
complete their work.
STUDENTS WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS
Teachers can make provisions for visually
impaired children by adjusting lighting, providing tape-recorded
stories
and books with large print, and reading orally to the whole class
frequently.
They should refer children to visual specialists if they observe
symptoms
as the following: squinting, closing, or covering one eye, rubbing eyes
frequently, or making frequent errors when copying board work.
When providing instruction, teachers should speak
slowly
and clearly with adequate volume, seat the child as far as possible
from
distracting sounds. (Ross 640-642)
Visual Learners
Have a table set aside for students to work puzzles
on.
You can buy old puzzles at garage sales which will be very cheap. If
pieces
are missing, have the students create the piece that is missing. This
will
help the students see some of the characteristics of the puzzle. This
will
help if the puzzle is of a state or country because the students will
have
to use a map to find the pieces that are missing, and then copy it on a
piece of paper to replace the missing one.
Classroom management can sometimes be a problem for
special
needs students. Many special needs students will have some type of
management
problem. The following are a few helpful thoughts on how to manage the
class. It contains many activities that will help to control some of
the
spare time that students have. It will be helpful for both the special
needs students and the regular ed students.
Lesson Plan Sites
Teaching the U.S. by using this lesson
plan can help to reinforce the information for special needs
students.
Here are some special activities that can be used
to
help teach about the global
environment.
This site has very useful information about
teaching
geography
to all students.
LESSONS:
Having a difficult time getting your students to
focus?
Are their brains (or your brain) already on summer vacation? I've got
just
the solution for you! Gather together an encyclopedia, some atlases,
and
other detailed U.S. maps---and let your students go! Challenge them to
search the country for silly,
offbeat, or otherwise unique city and town names.
Following are just a few of the names I located in
a
quick scan: Zap, North Dakota Santa Claus, Indiana Noodle, Texas
Frostproof,
Florida Zigzag, Oregon Whynot, Mississippi
FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES: Map Skills - Choose ten of
the
unusual town names that your students found and provide activities that
challenge students to apply their newfound geography skills. (Here's
where
your knowledge of grade-level geography skills will come in handy.) At
lower grades you might ask students to tell whether each town is east
or
west of the Mississippi River. In the middle grades you might ask
students
to identify the region in which each city/town is found. At the upper
grades,
you might challenge students to identify each town's longitude/latitude
location. Alphabetical Order - Invite students to alphabetize the list
of town names they found. Creative Writing -(Students might work in
cooperative
groups to complete this exercise.) Unusual town names often result in
humorous
newspaper headlines. For example, this headline appeared in an Illinois
newspaper: "Normal Man Weds Oblong Woman." (Normal and Oblong,
of course, are Illinois town names and not adjectives describing the
betrothed!)
Invite students to create their own fun headlines!
Poetry
- Poet Stephen Vincent Benet penned this stanza about American town
names:
I have fallen in love with American names, The sharp names that never
get
fat, The snakeskin titles of mining claims, The plumed war bonnet of
Medicine
Hat, Tucson and Deadwood, and Lost Mule Flat. Invite your students to
author
their own poems using the list of unique town names they found.
Create a 3-D map of the country or state of your
choice
using flour, water, tissue paper, food color, and wheat paste. Design
your
map (USA) with an outline of what you think it should look like. Fill
in
the area using the mixture of flour and water. To create the mountains,
soak the tissue paper in the wheat paste and wrinkle up. This will
create
a multidimensional look for the mountains. Place it along the sites
where
the mountains of North America are. Use the food color to dye other
areas
of the map to represent forests, deserts, water ways (Great Lakes) or
anything
else you desire to color code. Allow to dry and display. After the
model
is dry, the students can go back and draw in lines denoting the
separation
of states. They can then go back and place a spot on the model for the
different capitals of each state. This activity is very useful for
students
who need to see and touch something for it to become real and stick
with
them.
Another lesson plan for teaching states
and capitals is from Amy Vick. Her lesson can be found here.
For students who have a musical talent or ability,
try
teaching the states to the song "Fifty Nifty United States."
I learned it back in the late 70's and it is still with me. You can
find
it at probably most music stores. I also heard on the radio a song
about
the capitals. This can also be incorporated into your lesson to teach
students
capitals and states that they belong to.
MORE THAN A DOZEN *fun learning activities* that
can
help families teach children the fundamentals of geography are
available
in the new, revised version of "Helping Your Child Learn Geography."
This 32-page booklet offers information on geography standards plus an
updated resource section that includes geography-related software &
web sites. It can be found in our Online
Library.
A new educational Web site is now available for use
by
students, teachers and parents worldwide. The Kids
Food CyberClub (http://www.kidsfood.org) is a fun and educational
World
Wide Web site for 3rd to 5th grade children with activities which teach
kids about food, nutrition, and hunger. The Kids Food CyberClub was
developed
by the Connecticut Association for Human Services with funding from
Kaiser
Permanente. The goal of the site is to improve health outcomes by
promoting
good nutrition among children. Children can explore 14 sections of the
web site and learn about nutrition and health through interactive
quizzes,
"shop" for food online and receive feedback about the nutritional
value of their choices, investigate and build the food guide pyramid,
contribute
recipes to a Club Cookbook, use Internet search engines in an online
"scavenger
hunt", and contribute book reviews on food-related children's books.
A Teacher's Guide, which is available for free download from the site,
includes detailed lesson plans on use of the site and suggestions for
classroom
activities to supplement online activities. These accompanying
in-class,
hands-on, activities complement the material learned on the site. While
focused on nutrition, the site can be used by teachers for building
skills
in a number of subject areas, including biology, math, language arts,
art,
computer science, earth science, and social studies. The web site also
has links to other web sites for parents, teachers and kids related to
nutrition, health, and using technology with children. A parent's
section
of the site offers a variety of suggested parent-child activities to
teach
children about nutrition and improve eating habits. The Connecticut
Association
for Human Services (CAHS), which developed the site, is an independent,
nonpartisan, research, education, and advocacy organization which seeks
innovative solutions to make our health and human services system work
more productively for low-income people. CAHS also coordinates the
Connecticut
Anti-Hunger Coalition, which is committed to decreasing hunger and
malnutrition
in the state. ------- Monica Belyea webmaster@kidsfood.org
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Alan Wexelblat<wex@media.mit.edu "Footprints."
1998 http://footprints.media.mit.edu/
(April 19, 1998)
"Handout." http://www.rit.edu/~easi/k12/ezk12handout.htm
(March 6, 1998)
Dee Fales "Parents' Guide to ADHD." 12-25-97
http://members.aol.com/docjfales/adhd.html
(April 19, 1998)
Thearc@metronet.com "Home." http://thearc.org/welcome.html
(April 19, 1998)
Webmaster@disserv.stu.umn.edu "Vision
Impairments."
http://www.disserv.stu.umn.edu/AG-S/3-1.html
(April 19, 1998)
American speech-Language-Hearing Organization
"School
Services." 1997. http://www.asha.org/professionals/information/school_serv_FAQ.htm
(April 19, 1998)
Teachnet.co. "Classroom Management." 1995-1997.
http://www.teachnet.com/manage.html
(April 19, 1998)
Foster Parent Community "504 Accomodation
Checklist."
1996. http://www.westworld.com/~barbara/index31list.html
(April 19, 1998)
Teleport Internet Services "States." 1997. http://www.teleport.com/community/schools/Milwaukie_HS/Internet_Lesson_Plans/state.html/state_report.html
(March 12, 1998)
Global Virtual Global Learner center "Global
Issues."
http://www.islandnet.com/vglobe/actenvir.html
(April 19, 1998)
Global virtual Gloval Learner Center "The Geography
Page." http://www.eyesoftime.com/teacher/geograph.htm
(April 19, 1998)
Gary Hopkins Education World "A Boring Lesson in
Geography." 1997. http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/lesson004.shtml
(April 19, 1998)
Amy Vick, "The Fifty States." 1997. http://nicanor.acu.edu/~armstrongl/geography/states.htm
(April 19, 1998)
"Helping Your Child Learn Geography." http://www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/Geography/
(April 19, 1998)
Monica Belyea "New nutrition education web site for
kids." 1997. http://archives.gsn.org/k12opps/0997/0065.html
(April 16, 1998)
Maagum "Cyber Club." 1997. http://www.kidsfood.org
(April 19, 1998)
Eric 1997. http://ericir.syr.edu/Virtual/Lessons/Social_St/index.html
eric (April 16, 1998)
Eric 1997. http://ericir.syr.edu/Virtual/Lessons/Social_St/Geography/index.html
(April 16, 1998)
Morgan "Lesson Plans and Activities." http://www.morgan.k12.ky.us/LINKS/lessplan.htm
(April 16, 1998)
Created April 19, 1998
Return to http://ejw.i8.com/geog/98/plans98.html