Adapting materials!
How do we learn to use and adapt impersonal curriculum materials in ways that allow us to meet our students' needs and address multiple standards and objectives? (Cirillo, 2009, p.3). This is a perpetual question and like an onion, the answers keep peeling off one layer after another! I do not think that anyone has found all the answers for the same. As per Cirillo (2009, p.3) "well-prepared teachers have developed a sense of 'where they are going' and how they and their students are going to get there". I always knew that I want to make maths classroom accessible to all students. it is the ‘how’ that has been a continuous search.
I discovered that “inclusive environments can enhance educational practices and benefit students with and without disabilities” (Scanlon, 2012, p.1). Hence I focused on whole class accommodations in my curriculum.
My favourites:
Using colourful visuals:- Board work: Using colourful markers on the board, especially when explaining a math concept. For example, while explaining the difference between base and power, mark power with a different colour than base. This helps to focus attention.
- Solving word problems: Drawing a picture to solve word problems. This is a series of steps called PIES by (Heater, Linz & Howard, 2011) in “Solving word problems: as easy as PIES”. This entails drawing a puncture (P) to begin the process.
- Visual cues: A dyslexic student was unable to read ‘corresponding’, ‘alternate’ or ‘co-interior’ angles in geometry. I gave her cur cards with words on one side and a visual on the other. I asked her to use the cards as long as she needed them. She returned after 2 weeks, having mastered the words.
Journal writing: I gave students choice of how to make a journal entry at the end of a lesson. They could explain, draw or record their voice.
Presentation of concept: Students could choose the way to explain a concept to the class. This could be: Role play, Speech, Dialogue, Body movement or a power point presentation.
Project or Research or Problem solving: At times very few students would not want to do a project. They preferred a problem solving session. This gave me the idea of giving them choice between a project or research work or a drill sheet. This ensured that they thought about their need and chose what they felt was best for them. Some of them did not do the project but I feel the objective is to connect to maths and not focus on a strategy.
Time limit for work: Time Limit: There is always a tug of war about how much maths should be done in a day as classwork or homework. I changed this to ‘how much time should students spend thinking about maths?’ Depending on the grade I was with I asked for 20 to 40 min for HW and switched the work to thinking about maths. Finishing the problem set was rendered not necessary.
“Accommodations tend to be most effective when integrated in the curriculum and aligned with teachers’ “routines and procedures””, (Scanlon, 2012, p.5).
For me, adaptations in curriculum as a natural and organic flow in the face of having diverse groups of students. After multiple trials, they became a part of my curriculum.
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