Initial Teacher Preparation Synergized Judith Emerson Ph D

Initial Teacher Preparation Synergized! Judith Emerson, Ph. D Georgia State University College of Education Department of Educational Psychology and Special Education

Georgia State University Initial Teacher Preparation Infusion Model • Presenter will: o Describe the ITP Infusion Model for General Education Pre-Service Teachers • Audience will: o Identify the merits of the GSU ITP Infusion Model o Have the opportunity to pose questions for clarification o Be provided information in order to replicate the model

Atlanta

GSU Snapshot • Founded in 1913 • Premier urban research university • 100 fields of study with 250 degree programs offered through eight colleges • Enrollment is approximately 32, 000 undergraduate and graduate students.

College of Education • Offers 54 Degree Programs • Employs more than 160 faculty • Enrolls about 3, 000 students per year

Initial Teacher Preparation Program • 555 teachers produced in 2010 • Employed in 21 counties in Georgia • 3664 GSU teachers currently employed in Georgia • 573 GSU teachers currently employed in the 5 metro Atlanta County School Districts

Our Urban Setting • Atlanta’s urban K-12 schools challenge us to train our graduates in critical needs areas • Our student profiles o o At least 44% qualify for free lunch 10 -20% have identified learning disabilities 20 -30% speak languages other than English 40 -45% minority/ethic groups Our pre-service teachers must be prepared to meet the challenges of the ever increasing diversity in the 21 st century classroom.

Teacher Preparation Program Synergized Synergy: the increased effectiveness that results when two or more people or businesses work together

GSU’s Infusion Model implemented in Fall 2011.

Background Prior to 2011, doctoral students worked with General Education departments as part of graduate assistantships Study conducted to investigate the effectiveness of this model. • Improve beliefs • Practices • Skills (Cannon, 2011) • Collaboration support • Checking with pre-service teachers • Individualized instruction • Grading issues

EXC 4020 Inclusion Specialist MSIT Content Areas EPSE Collaborative Infusion English Mathematics Science Social Studies Literacy ESOL

Infusion Model • Curricular Infusion • Content Specific • Collaborative Models • Field Experience Support • Research

Infusing the Curriculum • EXC 4020 Characteristics and Instructional Strategies for Students with Disabilities • Universal Design for Learning (UDL) included in content area syllabi • Methodology classes include differentiated lesson plan template o Students with disabilities o Accelerated Students o English Language Learners

Lesson Plan Template Differentiation Strategy: What will teacher do to meet the needs of… Assessment: What will the student do to display learning with specific differentiation. How will you assess student learning? Students with Special Needs Students that are Accelerated Learners (Gifted) Students of ALL Diverse Backgrounds considering race, ethnicity, culture, gender, sexual orientation (see terminology definitions below)*

Differentiated Lesson Plan Rubric Field Experience Beginning 1 Developing 2 Accomplished 3 Exemplary 4 LESSON PLAN DESIGN Level of Differentiation The lesson plan does not mention differentiation. Lesson plan includes minimal differentiated instruction, limited to either gifted students OR students with special needs OR English-language learners. Lesson plan includes some differentiated instruction for gifted students, students with special needs, and English-language learners. Lesson plan clearly offers appropriate, creative, and well-integrated challenges for students of all levels, including gifted students, students with special needs, and English-language learners. Differentiation of Content (What the student needs to learn) Content is not differentiated. Lesson plan includes minimal differentiation of content is present. Lesson plan includes some content differentiation for gifted students, students with special needs, and English-language learners. Lesson plan clearly offers appropriate, creative, and strategies to present content for students of all levels, including gifted students, students with special needs, and English-language learners. Differentiation of Process (Activities in which students are engaged to make sense of the content) Process is not differentiated. Lesson plan includes minimal differentiation of process is present. Lesson plan includes some process differentiation for gifted students, students with special needs, and English-language learners. Lesson plan clearly offers appropriate, creative, and activities (process) for students of all levels, including gifted students, students with special needs, and English-language learners. Differentiation of Product (Culminating projects for students to demonstrate, rehearse, apply, extend what is learned) Product(s) is/ are not differentiated. Lesson plan includes minimal differentiation of product(s) is/are present. Lesson plan includes some product differentiation for gifted students, students with special needs, and English-language learners. Lesson plan clearly offers appropriate, creative, and a variety of product options for students of all levels, including gifted students, students with special needs, and English-language learners. Culturally Responsive Practice The lesson plan does not mention culturally responsive practice. Lesson plan includes minimal culturally responsive practice. Lesson plan includes some culturally responsive practice. Lesson plan clearly offers culturally responsive practice. Instructional Grouping Lesson plan does not mention grouping. considerations. Lesson plan is designed for whole group instruction only. Lesson plan is designed for homogeneous grouping only. Lesson plan is designed for varied instructional groupings (whole group, small groups, partners, heterogeneous, and homogenous groups). Materials Lesson plan does not consider varied materials or resources. Lesson plan design includes minimal (less than two) consideration of varied materials which allow for learner needs (i. e. , materials at different levels and allowance for multiple learning styles. ) Lesson plan design includes a few varied materials and/or resources which allow for learner needs (i. e. , materials at different levels and allowance for multiple learning styles. ) Lesson plan design includes a variety of materials and/or resources which allow for all learner needs (i. e. , materials at different levels and allowance for multiple learning styles. ) Lesson Plan Design collaboration The pre-service teacher has minimal opportunity for collaboration. The pre-service teacher collaborates with the mentor teacher and other educational partners at least once weekly regarding lesson plan design. The pre-service teacher collaborates with the mentor teacher and other educational partners 2 -3 times weekly regarding lesson plan design. The pre-service teacher collaborates with the mentor teacher and other educational partners daily regarding lesson plan design. Lesson Plan Implementation The pre-service teacher has minimal opportunity for collaboration. The pre-service teacher collaborates with the mentor teacher at least once The pre-service teacher collaborates with the mentor teacher 2 -3 times weekly regarding implementation of lesson plan. The pre-service teacher collaborates with the mentor teacher daily regarding implementation of lesson plan. Instructional adjustment based on implementation reflection The pre-service teacher received minimal guidance. The mentor teacher provides the pre-service teacher guidance regarding subsequent instruction based on implementation feedback at least once weekly. The mentor teacher provides the pre-service teacher guidance regarding subsequent instruction based on implementation feedback daily. Mentor Teacher and Educational Partner(s) The mentor teacher provides the pre-service teacher guidance regarding subsequent instruction based on implementation feedback 2 -3 times weekly. Score (NA)

Curricular Topics • Models for Successful Inclusion • Co-Teaching: What it is and What it is not • Accommodations and modification strategies to meet the needs of diverse learners • The IEP and my role as a member of an IEP team • Alternative grading options • Unpacking objectives to facilitate the development of realistic learning goals • Characteristics of students with Specific Learning Disabilities • Differentiated Instruction to include all students • RTI, the Tier Process • Assistive Technology use in the inclusive classroom • Universal Design for Learning (UDL) • Lesson Plan design to include all learners • Curriculum Based Measurement (CBM) • Examining teaching styles • Effective collaborative practices

Content Specific • The ESOL Teacher in the General Education Classroom • Co-teaching Strategies in the Middle and Secondary ELA Classroom • Differentiating Instruction and Assessment in the Science Classroom • Differentiating Instruction to Include All Learners in the (all content areas) Classroom • Strategies to Address Student Challenges in Middle Level Math • Addressing the Needs of Diverse Learners in (all content areas)

Collaborative Infusion Faculty need to increase the extent to which they view themselves as part of a team, and decrease the extent to which they view themselves as autonomous agents working in isolation (Hargreaves, et al, 2001). • Science Education Methods Course – UDL Inclusion presentation followed by a science lab experiment modeling inclusive strategies. • Middle Level Triad – 3 faculty conducted seminar on differentiation and coteaching as they modeled the approach

Presentation Prep • Plan with content area faculty • Student inquiry / input • Prepare content specific presentation • Universal Design for Learning

Field Experiences Inclusion Liaison as member of Initial Teacher Preparation Faculty and University Supervisor Cohort • Supervise cohorts of students in their practicum and student teaching experiences • Collaborate with mentor teachers and pre-service teachers • Focus on differentiation / support • Bring inclusive strategies into the field

Assessing effectiveness • Pilot Study o Guided follow up study including student parameters • Current Research Study o Differentiated lesson plan design o Mentor teacher collaboration • 3 Phases of Data Collection

Pilot Study An Initial Teacher Preparation Program Inquiry to Examine Pre-Service Teachers’ Instructional Design for Diverse Learners Results • Overwhelmingly, pre-service teachers expressed their lack of confidence in their ability to develop differentiated lesson plans. • They expressed the need to get experience with collaboration for developing instructional strategies. • They wanted more in-field experiences in working with students with disabilities.

Current Study An Investigation of Strategies to Develop Competence in Pre. Service Teachers in the area of Instructional Design for Diverse Learners Methodology: Lesson Plan Design and Collaborative Support • 3 semester phase of lesson plan design w/UDL & differentiation focus • Consultation/conferencing for support/evaluation with pre-service teachers and mentor teachers • Implementation of lesson plan in field experience • Reflection/revision/implementation in field

What students are telling us…

Initial Baseline What our students need to know… • Differentiation o What are practical/applicable ways to differentiate? o When do I know to differentiate? o How do I differentiate for gifted students? • Fair vs. equal o How can we explain fair is not equal to students (or do we have to)? o How do we answer students’ questions when they see another student getting accommodations? • Accommodations o How can you encourage a student to make use of accommodations if they are embarrassed to use word banks or have tests read to them? o What is the best way to modify texts for different level readers? • IEPs o What will I need to know or be expected to do in relation to IEPs? o What do I really need to know/use from an IEP ?

Phase Two Data: Student Evaluations • • • The examples of cooperative teaching gave me ideas for my lesson plans. I will look at the CAST website. I’m very interested in learning these strategies. I feel like we were presented w/more useful information in the past hour than in some of our semester long classes. The information was timely and helpful. I will contact Dr. Emerson in the future. Great resources! Will definitely use in class. Very good to have Science specific. I am grateful to have such valuable resources and have many of my questions answered. The presentation motivated me to change my unit plan & support lessons with more technology & differentiation strategies for students who are high achievers. I would really like further instruction/training in differentiation. PBIS is particularly relevant. Got clarification on issues I was not sure about.

Phase 3 Data: Follow-up Survey • 70. 6% in field placements; 8. 8% provisional teachers • 88. 2% content was relevant to their practice • 85. 3% resources presented were relevant to their current setting • 66. 7% accessed the resources after the presentation o 23. 3% one time o 43. 3 % 2 -5 times o 30% never • 42. 4% shared the resources with others o 35% shared with their mentor teachers o 23. 5% with classmates o 23. 5% with colleagues

In the Works • Student Blog o Recently opened o Within 2 week time frame, 89 hits • Module Development o Individual topic content o Infuse in curriculum o Independent study or part of faculty course content • Focus Groups o Function of gathering evidence to guide program offering

Questions? Contact information: Judith Emerson Georgia State University jemerson@gsu. edu (404) 413 -8444

References • Cannon, J. , et al. (2011). (in press) The effects of an inclusive model for training pre-service general education teachers. • CAST (2011). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 2. 0. Wakefield, MA. Retrieved from www. cast. org. • Emerson, J. & Junor Clarke, P. (2012). (in press). A pilot study: An initial teacher preparation program inquiry to examine pre-service teachers‘ instructional design for diverse learners.