Use this discussion thread to post a reply outlining your Next Steps plan from the Numeracy Instruction and Adults with Learning Disabilities online course.
Your plan should detail how you will implement what you have learned in this course over the next three (3) months.
Be sure the plan in your posted Reply addresses these questions:
- What questions do you have? Where might you find answers? By when?
- What topics or ideas do you plan to learn more about? How? By when?
- What are some specific instructional strategies you plan to try out in the next three months? What resources or supports might you need?
To enhance your understanding: Read and reply to other participants' posted plans. Check back to this page, or subscribe to this post to read and reply to others' responses or thoughts on your plan.
Comments
It is understood that many students in adult education have struggled with academics. This course has brought to my attention that it is possible that some of those struggling may have disabilities and not just difficulties with math. Keeping that fact in mind has caused me to change my way of thinking from simply offering a positive attitude and non-threatening learning environment to an attitude of searching for accommodations that may assist students through a maze.
What questions do you have?
I plan on making a deliberate effort to learn more new strategies for working with students with math difficulties. One great source for ideas is the discussion activity for this course and I can easily keep reading the great ideas from the participants here. Since I am going to be working closely with the staff development activities for our district in the fall, I plan on doing a little research with our staff in August, as well.
What topics or ideas do you plan to learn more about?
I know very little about learning disabilities and, because of this course, I want to know more. I specifically want to know more about math difficulties and disabilities. My search for information will begin with the organizations mentioned in session 2 and on the reference list for this course. I would like to have read more on this subject by the end of July 2016.
What are some specific instructional strategies you plan to try out in the next 3 months?
There are several strategies that I plan to try out. I plan on using the multi-grouping idea from Maria's scenerio with my students, along with scaffolding. Both of these strategies will help me keep my eyes on how the students are understanding the math put before them. I will certainly offer them the opportunity to have fun studying patterns and taking a look at the "Number of the Day." None of these things will involve any extraodinary tools or supplies, but planning and organization.
Does anyone have websites that have been beneficial in working with students who have difficulties or disabilities? I am hoping the group members will share resources. I have used www.ck12.org, www.learnzillion.com, www.multiplication.com, www.wallace.ccfaculty.org (free downloadable workbooks and YouTube videos) www.thegreatmartinicompany.com, and https://www.youtube.com/user/tecmath. I am also a member of www.edweb.net. Edweb hosts webinars on a variety of subjects including math. If you view the webinar live, you will receive a certificate and if viewing a recorded webinar there is a quiz to take to receive the certificate.
I plan to learn more about strategies that have worked for others. I hope that others will share resources that have worked for them.
I plan to use more technology rich resources in the future, perhaps online manipulatives will be my first choice. I have the equipment necessary, I just need to get my resources together
www.mathisfun.com
www.mathplayground.com -- has some good games that are much more concept-based than most such things
http://www.mathvillage.info/
There's another one that I can't remember that's focused on apple stuff but has lots of nifty short videos
www.yaymath.org videos are really funny but they're on the advanced side (it's a teacher who dresses up as different roles ... )
algebra2go has some good videos for pre-algebra, too.
I want to learn more mnemonics to incorporate into my classroom. I have a few already (PEMDAS and now STAR), but it is such a great way for students to remember procedures. I also would like to get some more ideas about incorporating real world examples in our daily math work. This is something that I am trying to do, but right now it is more of a culminating activity for certain topics. I would like to start doing this on a daily basis. Lastly, one of the big things I am going to start doing is incorporating algebra early on. I am starting to see how this can be done, but I will spend some time this summer looking into how I can work it in as early as possible. I have the summer free from teaching, so this will be a great time for me to really develop some plans and ideas for class.
To begin my three month implementation plan, I do not have any questions. However, everyone knows that may change next week. To find answers I will Google the internet for credible sources and contact my regional LINCs representatives.
Several of the topics we covered in the course I’ve been introduced to in other trainings; the standards-based training, STAR training, and/or TEAL training. These strategies are research-based and are sound practices for instruction, with or without difficultly learning. I did notice the strategies have been refined. Over the next three months, I plan to re-visit all of the instructional strategies and digest them for a more robust understanding of the implications of math instruction. STAR is a new instructional strategy for math instruction and would like to learn more about this strategy. I think it will help students learn to solve word problems.
I’m not in the classroom at this time. It would be so much fun to try these strategies with my students! However, I am looking forward to sharing the online course to the ABE practitioners that I meet with on a regular basis. I would like to co-facilitate the group and receive feedback that addresses Florida’s program and instructional needs.
Your plan should detail how you will implement what you have learned in this course over the next three (3) months.
Next Steps:
I plan to keep doing what I have been doing in my mathematics classroom. I will continue to provide my learners with engaging interactive math activities. However, I will keep in mind that some learners may have more than learning difficulties, they may have learning disabilities. It is easy to assume that learners just “don’t like” math or they have difficulties retaining the information. After taking this training I now question if maybe some of my learners have not been as successful as others because of a learning disability. I will definitely look for the signs of disability now that I am more aware of that topic.
What questions do you have? Where might you find answers? By when?
What methods do others use to determine difficulty vs disability? I will use internet research to find more answers to the above topic and will also use co-workers and research to find methods of teaching those with disabilities. Timeframe: immediately.
What topics or ideas do you plan to learn more about? How? By when?
I plan to learn more about learning disabilities in math. Again, I will do this by internet research and information from coworkers.
What are some specific instructional strategies you plan to try out in the next three months? What resources or supports might you need?
I plan on using key words like STAR, PEMDAS, etc. to teach math concepts and processes. I would like to learn new ones to implement into my teaching. I will continue to use explicit instruction, specific strategy instruction, scaffolded instruction, active engagement, and structured instruction.
3 Month Plan
I want to share what I've learned with all my instructors. I will be working on how to do this in the short amount of time we have for in-services. With implementing Professional Learning Communities, I need to figure out how to present that along with teaching strategies and the accommodations part of this session. I will review my notes and your handouts to come up with a plan.
This session really goes along with the PLC's, so it will be helpful in discussing best strategies for instruction. I want to research more strategies to use in the classroom. You have given a lot of websites, so I will be spending my summer investigating these sites.
This session has made me think about the ways I have students respond to content I've taught. I want to get the students to not just write, but to create their own tables, charts, graphs, and other graphic organizers. I, too, would like to be more intentional in relating what we learn to the students' real world.
Be sure the plan in your posted Reply addresses these questions:
We've covered some important content and been introduced to a wealth of resources and ideas. The biggest question is my skill researching the plethora of resources. I'll continue researching the many links shared through this course.
Increasing the use of real life situations and improving problem solving strategies are two immeadiate ideas that we'll explore further and expand on. We've been using them, and now see that there are many more learning opportunities that will improve learning and retention.
I have begun to introduce algebra earlier. I'm weaving it into daily realistic situations. So far, it's seems to be going well. I'm introducing this and some of the other concepts to my two colaborating instructors. Their support is crucial. Initially we'll utilize the links and foundation of this course to move on. As this is traditionally when we evaluate the past year and set new goals for the next, this is an ideal time to plan and incorporate.