It is hard to believe PME 843: Effective Intervention has come to an end already. This course has truly been one of the most enjoyable yet meaningful courses I have taken so far in my PME journey. It has allowed me to gain an understanding of the various exceptionalities in literacy and ways in which we can support these exceptionalities through effective intervention strategies. Throughout this course I have kept a research reflection journal, noting connections made throughout our readings. Please see my reflections on my website: https://chelseyabrahamson.weebly.com
Looking back through the modules, it is amazing the amount of information we covered in such a short time. Module 1 focused largely on the brain and cognitive processing. Sometimes in the classroom, I get so caught up in the teaching that I end up forgetting about the learning. What is going on in students’ brains when I am explaining something new? When we teach a thorough and explicit lesson, it can be frustrating when students still do not understand the concept. Teachers must consider the students’ working memories and realize working memory does have a capacity. Teacher need students to strengthen their working memory, their ability to store information into long-term memory. I will use this information regarding the brain and memory to expand my understanding of learning exceptionalities. Before this course I would not have considered a struggling decoder to have a literacy exceptionality. I would recognize this student as struggling or challenged but I do not believe I would have used the term exceptionality. I now realize that literacy exceptionalities come in many shapes and sizes and all for different reasons. Two students with ADHD or Dyslexia, for example, may exhibit different behaviours and their exceptionality may be caused by different factors. Some behaviours, such as poor phonological awareness or lack of attention, are more common than others. Through intensive instruction, progress monitoring, and assessment the teacher must determine the exceptionality and implement strategies to support these students. It was interesting to me to learn about exceptionalities I have not personally experienced in my classroom. I have not yet had the opportunity to work with a dyslexic student or a English Language Learner (ELL). As a result, it was difficult for me to connect these research articles to my professional practice. However, through readings and reflections I believe I have developed an understanding of these exceptionalities and have a few intervention strategies in mind to support their literacy needs. One thing I will keep in mind as we move forward is that an exceptionality does not define overall intelligence. Students with learning exceptionalities are still capable of achieving success in the classroom. These students require the support of a high-quality classroom teacher and effective intervention strategies. Perhaps my favourite module for this course was Module 4: Response to Intervention. The IRIS Center website and overall RTI Framework outlined what an effective literacy block should look like. Students with literacy exceptionalities should not be taken out during the reading block, but instead during specials or Social Studies/Science. This is one change I have made to my practice since September. At the beginning of the year, my struggling decoders would meet with me in a small-group centre and then leave during the independent station for their Tier 2 Intervention (we call it Reading Club). Since exploring the RTI framework, we have now changed their Reading Club intervention to a time in the afternoon so these students can participate in the full classroom literacy block. I also enjoyed reading about the RTI framework as it puts such a strong emphasis on the classroom teacher. I was reminded that an effective, high-quality classroom teacher is the most important factor for students who struggle with literacy. I want to help students learn to read and the best way I can do that is together in our classroom. Executive skills were focused on in another meaningful module. Executive skills allow us to plan and organize activities and manage the time needed to complete a task or reach our goal. When students have strong executive skills, they can manage multiple assignments with different requirements and due dates. To help students develop their executive skills, teachers can utilize class schedules, organize supplies, explain tasks one step at a time, and provide picture queues along with instructions. These are strategies I am currently using in my Grade 1 classroom to help my students manage their bodies, time, and materials. Students may also need help managing their emotions. Self-regulation is the ability to calm oneself and and stay in a “ready-to-learn” zone. We cannot expect students to learn if they are unsettled and unregulated. To help students develop self-regulation skills, teachers may need to act as the brain. Teachers can model self-regulating activities such as deep breathing or they can explicitly tell students to squeeze a stress ball in a quiet corner for one minute. Students must develop these skills to adjust their mood, energy, and emotions along with the various activities done throughout the school day. Throughout these modules and our final group project, there are a few strategies that stand out to me as necessary for effective intervention. Students need explicit, high-quality classroom instruction, school-wide use of the RTI framework (especially small group instruction within the classroom), and a safe, supportive environment. Teachers should not overlook the setup of their classroom and how they interact with students throughout the day. I truly believe teachers are able to make a difference in the lives and learning experience of all students. I leave this course inspired to help my students gain the literacy skills necessary for future success. Thank you, it has been a pleasure taking this course with you. All the best, Chelsey Abrahamson
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November 2018
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