1)
Individual:
Teaching for Exceptionalities (Benchmark Assessment)
a)
General Practicum information:
i)
Students’ practicum experiences should follow the practicum experience requirements, including the diversity and hour requirements for this course.
b)
Benchmark Assessment:
i)
Contact a school, identify yourself as a GCU student, and
request an opportunity to observe and participate in two different educational settings/grade levels that serve students with mild to moderate disabilities.
Legally, you may not ask what the student’s disability is and you may not look at the IEP without parental permission. Of the total 15 hours required schedule to spend a minimum of 5 hours with the student during this practicum experience in one of the educational settings.
ii)
Spend a total of 15 hours, approximately 7.5 hours in two different grade levels. Each setting needs to serve students with mild to moderate disabilities.
iii)
During your initial observations of the student, take note of which modalities are strongest for the student (auditory, visual, kinesthetic, etc.). Also, note the curricular areas in which the student exhibits strengths and weaknesses.
iv)
Obtain a lesson plan that has been written by the teacher in a curricular area that is a challenge for the student (math, writing, reading, science, etc.). Make a copy of this lesson to submit with the Benchmark Assessment. Review the learning objective, activity/assignment description, and assessment (where applicable).
v)
Write an Accommodation/Lesson Plan based on your observations and inclusive of the following. Ensure that you review the plan with the mentor teacher(s).
(1)
A brief description of the targeted student with a disability: (a) Age and grade level of student, (b) Areas of academic strengths/weaknesses, (c) Student’s preferred modalities of learning.
(2)
A learning objective that would be more appropriate for the targeted student with disabilities.
(3)
An activity/assignment that would match this objective and would be appropriate for the student based on his or her cognitive level.
(4)
An assessment for this activity that would be appropriate for the targeted student; consider and describe technologies and other instructional supports that would enhance the learning for this student.
vi)
Implement the modified lesson with the targeted student. Seek the mentor teacher’s feedback on your teaching.
vii)
Write a 1000-1250-word Reflective Analysis.
(1)
Consider the following. Ensure your responses are inherent in the essay, not simply short answers to these questions:
(a)
Which accommodations and modifications were successful?
(b)
If you taught this lesson again, would you do it the same/different? Explain.
(c)
What other accommodations/modifications might the student’s regular education classroom teacher make?
(d)
What other accommodations/modifications might the student’s special education classroom teacher make?
(e)
What other accommodations/m.
1)Individual Teaching for Exceptionalities (Benchmark Assessm.docx
1. 1)
Individual:
Teaching for Exceptionalities (Benchmark Assessment)
a)
General Practicum information:
i)
Students’ practicum experiences should follow the practicum
experience requirements, including the diversity and hour
requirements for this course.
b)
Benchmark Assessment:
i)
Contact a school, identify yourself as a GCU student, and
request an opportunity to observe and participate in two
different educational settings/grade levels that serve students
with mild to moderate disabilities.
Legally, you may not ask what the student’s disability is and
you may not look at the IEP without parental permission. Of the
total 15 hours required schedule to spend a minimum of 5 hours
with the student during this practicum experience in one of the
educational settings.
ii)
Spend a total of 15 hours, approximately 7.5 hours in two
different grade levels. Each setting needs to serve students with
mild to moderate disabilities.
iii)
During your initial observations of the student, take note of
which modalities are strongest for the student (auditory, visual,
2. kinesthetic, etc.). Also, note the curricular areas in which the
student exhibits strengths and weaknesses.
iv)
Obtain a lesson plan that has been written by the teacher in a
curricular area that is a challenge for the student (math, writing,
reading, science, etc.). Make a copy of this lesson to submit
with the Benchmark Assessment. Review the learning objective,
activity/assignment description, and assessment (where
applicable).
v)
Write an Accommodation/Lesson Plan based on your
observations and inclusive of the following. Ensure that you
review the plan with the mentor teacher(s).
(1)
A brief description of the targeted student with a disability: (a)
Age and grade level of student, (b) Areas of academic
strengths/weaknesses, (c) Student’s preferred modalities of
learning.
(2)
A learning objective that would be more appropriate for the
targeted student with disabilities.
(3)
An activity/assignment that would match this objective and
would be appropriate for the student based on his or her
cognitive level.
(4)
An assessment for this activity that would be appropriate for the
targeted student; consider and describe technologies and other
instructional supports that would enhance the learning for this
student.
3. vi)
Implement the modified lesson with the targeted student. Seek
the mentor teacher’s feedback on your teaching.
vii)
Write a 1000-1250-word Reflective Analysis.
(1)
Consider the following. Ensure your responses are inherent in
the essay, not simply short answers to these questions:
(a)
Which accommodations and modifications were successful?
(b)
If you taught this lesson again, would you do it the
same/different? Explain.
(c)
What other accommodations/modifications might the student’s
regular education classroom teacher make?
(d)
What other accommodations/modifications might the student’s
special education classroom teacher make?
(e)
What other accommodations/modifications might related service
specialists make (where applicable)?
(2)
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the
GCU Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.
viii)
Ask the classroom teacher to complete the Classroom Teacher
4. Evaluation Form. Include it, the classroom teacher’s lesson
plan, your Accommodation/Lesson Plan, and your Reflective
Analysis as the Benchmark Assessment submission to the
instructor.
