Grand Canyon University Technological Tools & Apps Worksheet

Assignment 1 Special educators have the important task of creating and implementing lesson plans that effectively differentiate instruction, meet student needs, and are aligned to appropriate state standards. Planning effective language arts lessons includes accommodating all students, incorporating interesting materials, and meeting standards and student IEP objectives. It is essential to model pre-reading, during reading, and after reading metacognitive strategies and to incorporate cross-curricular content areas in reading and language arts lessons.

Using the “COE Lesson Plan Template,” create a cross-curricular lesson plan that incorporates a picture walk and is specific to the needs of students in the “Class Profile.” Select a K-3 grade level and align your lesson to the Arizona or other state academic content standards. Using an appropriate non-fiction picture book, incorporate the following into your lesson plan:

• Pre-reading strategies and activities
• During reading strategies and activities
• Vocabulary development
• Interactive differentiation activities
• After reading activities and strategies
• Written language and oral language activities

In addition, rationalize your instructional choices in a 250 word reflection, citing appropriateness for students detailed in the “Class Profile.” Explain how you will use your findings in your future professional practice.

Assignment 2 English language arts is an academic area that can be challenging for many students due to comprehension and writing difficulties. When planning interventions, it is first important to identify where and why the student struggles. With this information, the appropriate tier of intervention can be addressed. Understanding the tiers of intervention can help to differentiate struggles associated with content, application, or delivery.

Collaborate with the mentor teacher to create an intervention plan for the student/s identified in Clinical Field Experience B. Base the plan on your own observational data, as well as other assessment data the mentor teacher has available. Discuss with the mentor an upcoming grade level ELA lesson or activity during which you can implement applicable interventions from the plan.

Include the following in your plan:

• The names and grade levels of the students for whom the plan is designed. (Continue to use pseudonyms to maintain student confidentiality.)
• The tier of RTI (1, 2, or 3).
• A brief description of 1-2 intervention strategies for the student/s, and how each supports the identified ELA challenges.
• Materials needed and procedures for each intervention strategy.

Upon completing the intervention plan, continue to collaborate with the mentor teacher to ensure the plan will appropriately meet the needs of the student/s identified. Incorporate feedback accordingly.

Use any remaining field experience hours to assist the teacher in providing instruction and support to the class.

In 250 words, summarize and reflect upon your conversations and instructional support. Address how your mentor teacher plans for and reflects upon intervention choices in his or her own classroom and explain how you will use your findings in your future professional practice.

APA format is not required, but solid academic writing is expected.

Assignment 3 In this assignment, practice developing ELA instruction that is appropriate for the students described in the “Class Profile” by designing a comprehensive ELA unit plan using the “5-Day Unit Plan Template.”

Part 1: Unit Plan

Develop a 5-day unit plan that integrates vocabulary, reading, grammar, writing, listening and speaking, and technology, for the “Class Profile” students, choosing either the resource or self-contained learning environment. In a typical resource or self-contained learning environment the teacher would differentiate for every student. For this assignment, choose three students for whom you will differentiate the instruction. Align your unit to a 6-12 grade level ELA standard from the Arizona or another state academic content standards.

Design the unit plan to include:

• National/State Learning Standards: Select standards that address reading, writing, speaking, and listening integration skills.
• Multiple Means of Representation: Select strategies that allow opportunities to develop oral and written language for students with disabilities. Incorporate individual abilities, interests, learning environments, and cultural and linguistic factors in the section.
• Multiple Means of Engagement: Select strategies to enhance language development and communication skills.
• Multiple Means of Expression: Use technically sound formal and informal assessment.
• Extension Activity and/or Homework: Incorporate activities that include critical thinking and problem-solving.
• In the Differentiation rows of the unit plan template focus on the three students you selected.

Part 2: Rationale

In 250- words rationale at the bottom of your unit plan, explain the following:

• How literacy skills from your lesson plan will be helpful for students in other content areas.
• How communication and language arts strategies prepare students and provide them strategies to be successful academically and personally across multiple settings with a variety of collaborators (e.g., individuals, families, and teams).

Support your findings with a minimum of three scholarly resources.

While APA format is not required for the body of this assignment

Assnignment 4 Staying current on technology is an essential aspect of being an educator. Today’s students are digital natives, and they often respond better to media than to traditional methods of teaching. Having a strong technology repertoire is important.

Create a matrix detailing a variety of multimedia, technology, games, apps, and other technological tools for teaching reading and writing to struggling readers and writers. Include five tools/media/apps and address the following, in 100 words per tool:

• App/technology tool description, app/technology location (online, offline through software, through a game console, etc.), and the cost.
• Age level or academic level for which the technology is appropriate.
• Advantages of using the technology.
• Drawbacks to using the technology.
• Rationalize why struggling students may benefit from the app/technology tool.

Additionally, write a 250 word overview of the contents of the matrix, describing how you will implement technology in your ELA classroom. Justify which of these technologies you think will be most beneficial and describe how you might convince an administrator to help you acquire the technology.

Support the matrix and summary with 3-5 resources.

Assignment 5 Upon identifying an appropriate intervention tier and aligning intervention strategies for students, teachers are able to begin the implementation process. Implementing identified intervention strategies during instruction will not only help to meet the students’ needs, but also help teachers to identify where to monitor and adjust instruction as needed. Planning, implementing, evaluating, and planning again is an ongoing, cyclical process when working with all students.

With your mentor teacher, identify an ELA lesson or activity in which interventions from the Clinical Field Experience C intervention plan can be implemented to benefit the previously identified student/s.

Continuing to work with the mentor teacher:

• Identify an upcoming grade level ELA lesson or activity to implement applicable interventions from the Clinical Field Experience C intervention plan.
• Discuss strengths and potential improvement for the student/s.
• Implement the identified intervention strategies with the student/s during the agreed upon ELA lesson or activity.

Use any remaining field experience hours to assist the teacher in providing instruction and support to the class.

After the ELA lesson or activity, summarize and reflect upon your experiences in 250 words:

• Describe how the student/s performed on the ELA activities, and reflect upon your experience implementing the intervention strategies. Include possible changes you would make in the future when implementing these strategies.
• Describe how the student/s could utilize one of the intervention strategies at home.
• Explain how you will use your findings in your future professional practice.

APA format is not required, but solid academic writing is expected.

Benchmark – Language Disabilities and Assistive Technology Unit Plan Essay