PROMOTING ACCEPTANCE ABILITY AWARENESS CURRICULUM FOR KINDERGARDEN THROUGH GRADE THREE

PROMOTING ACCEPTANCE: ABILITY AWARENESS CURRICULUM FOR KINDERGARDEN THROUGH GRADE THREE Schea Ashby B.S., University of California, Davis, 2005 Krista Nylen B.S., California State University, San Diego 2003 PROJECT Submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degrees of MASTER OF ARTS in EDUCATION (Special Education) at CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, SACRAMENTO FALL 2010 PROMOTING ACCEPTANCE: ABILITY AWARENESS CURRICULUM FOR KINDERGARTEN THROUGH GRADE THREE A Project by Schea Ashby Krista Nylen Approved by: , Committee Chair Jean Gonsier-Gerdin, Ph.D Date ii Students: Schea Ashby Krista Nylen I certify that these students have met the requirements for format contained in the University format manual, and that this project is suitable for shelving in the Library and credit is to be awarded for the project _, Graduate Coordinator Bruce Ostertag, Ed.D _ Date Department of Special Education, Rehabilitation, School Psychology and Deaf Studies iii Abstract of PROMOTING ACCEPTANCE: ABILITY AWARENESS CURRICULUM FOR KINDERGARTEN THROUGH GRADE THREE by Schea Ashby Krista Nylen Collaboration for this project was determined before the start of the project with the program advisor Both project participants collaborated across all levels of the project, including researching the perspectives on disabilities and current practice in ability awareness programs, determining best practices in implementing an ability awareness program and developing the specific curriculum Individuals with disabilities continue to experience segregation and feelings of inadequacy in our society Research has shown that perspectives on disabilities are developed through media, education and community, but such resources may maintain ideas of ableism and the need to overcome the hardships that burden individuals with disabilities Current practices in inclusive education, though encouraging awareness, may fall short of persuading acceptance of and belonging for students with disabilities Research has pointed out the need for educators to have access to ability awareness There is limited material designed to assist teachers to promote acceptance of individual differences on a continuous basis and across varying abilities iv This project presents a curriculum that, through interactive experiences, encourages awareness of individual differences and promotes acceptance and inclusive education of students with disabilities This curriculum was designed as a supplement to California state standards and incorporates discussion-based lesson plans allowing for self-reflection and concentration in the areas of diversity framework, communication, academics, gross and fine motor skills, social/emotional/behavioral, adaptive/daily living skills, vocational and health _, Committee Chair Jean Gonsier-Gerdin, Ph.D _ Date v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Schea’s Acknowledgments I would like to acknowledge the support and assistance provided to me by Jean Gonsier-Gerdin, Ph.D Hours of collaboration, editing and advising lead us to produce a product we are truly proud to call our own Her support and dedication to this project was monumental in allowing me to become confident in my strengths as a student as well as in my profession Special acknowledgment goes to my colleague and friend, Krista Nylen We came along way from bickering about the topic of the project to finishing each other’s sentences Your positive attitude and encouragement gave me confidence to persevere even when we were too burnt out to move forward I couldn’t be more impressed with your dedication and I am very proud of our accomplishment Our next chapter will no longer involve a computer but rather a lifelong friendship Finally, I would like to acknowledge my husband, Paul Ashby Without his love and support none of this would have been possible He gave me confidence through multiple late night and early morning editing sessions and cheered me on during times of success I am lucky to have a husband who understands and encourages me even at the expense of our time together He is an amazing man and I could not be more blessed to have him in my life vi Krista’s Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge the love and dedication of my family, “The really real Nylen’s,” to my life long partner in crime, Jason Arata and the support and assistance provided by two key colleagues, Jean Gonsier-Gerdin, Ph.D and Schea Ashby I owe my deepest gratitude to my parents and sisters who have cheered me on throughout my educational journey Mom and Dad, for the moral support despite residing an hour away, they were always just seconds away with positive words and acts of kindness I am forever indebted to my parents for always being such positive role models and guiding me in a direction to support and accept all people I am grateful each day to have such a wonderful man in my life! I will forever love him and my best to also support him as he has supported me throughout this difficult yet rewarding process Jason lifted me up when I needed encouragement, completed household chores when I was under stress meeting deadlines and made me smile each day just knowing I have him in my life Jean served as both my professor and advisor at California State University, Sacramento She has made her support available in a number of ways: by providing hours of editorial review; time to collaborate and discuss current issues; and in the end, much needed emotional support Jean’s expertises strengthened our understanding of the subject and lead us to create a project that will benefit future students I am indeed a better graduate and educator because of the feedback and knowledge she instilled in us! Schea, it was a pleasure to collaborate with you What can I say? The completion of this project would have not been possible without you You taught me many editing vii techniques and an alternate perspective on controversial issues that arose I am so proud of what we were able to produce while working together! We all know this was a lengthy process, good thing our friends, family, co-workers as well as the local establishments supported the progression and gave us feelings of “relief” along the way You will forever be a friend and I will never forget our journey! Lastly, I offer my regards and blessings to all of those who supported me in any respect during the completion of the project viii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Acknowledgments vi Chapter INTRODUCTION………………… ………………………………………… … Background of the Problem Statement of the Problem……….………………… ……….……………… Purpose of the Project Significance of the Project Limitations Definition of Terms Organization of the Remainder of the Project 10 REVIEW OF LITERATURE 12 Influences on Perspectives of Individuals with Disabilities 12 Perspectives on Educating Students with Disabilities in Inclusive Settings…16 Necessity of Ability Awareness to Support Effective Inclusion 20 Current Practices in Ability Awareness 22 Best Practices for Implementation of an Ability Awareness Program 36 METHODOLOGY 41 Rationale for Developing an Ability Awareness Curriculum 41 Decisions about Grade Level Implementation .43 Decisions about Content Area 43 DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT, DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 51 Description of the Project 52 Evaluation and Dissemination of the Curriculum 54 Implications for Future Practice and Research 55 Appendix 57 References .200 ix Chapter One INTRODUCTION Background of the Problem A history of unequal access in education and social opportunities for students with disabilities has resulted in prejudice, isolation and decreased quality of life (Wilson, 2004) Years of legislation have created change to move toward equal opportunity for students with disabilities Nevertheless, continued efforts are necessary to promote acceptance and reduce discrimination (Hehir, 2007; Kluth, Biklen, English-Sand, & Smukler, 2007) Over the last two decades, in particular, inclusive programming has influenced educational literature focusing on supports for students with disabilities in the general education classrooms and settings Practitioners within the field of special education have continued to research specific environments that are most effective for optimal student learning, best practices in teaching students with disabilities and strategies to create awareness about disabilities Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), first established in 1975 (as Education for all Handicapped Children Act), enforces educational opportunity for individuals with disabilities focusing on individualized education plans (IEP) based on the unique needs of the student (U.S Department of Education, 2006) IDEA requires students with disabilities to be provided with supplementary aids and services appropriate to meet their unique need in order to enable these students to succeed within the least restrictive environment (LRE), with typically developing peers (U.S Department of Education, 2006) 186 Health I Can “See” It All! Lesson Goals/Rationale: These are your goals for the students and why you believe it is important to teach this lesson Students will… - learn new vocabulary - see the world differently - experiment with different visual tools and exercises - recognize that some people utilize glasses, contacts and/or visual supports to see - the teacher will define vision and illustrate ways individuals use their sight to gain information (e.g eye gaze, entertainment, directions) - participate in an art project, attempting to create an optical illusion - collaborate with peers and brainstorm ideas - work in a small group and participate in activities during stations/rotations - practice presentation skills - brainstorm ways to help others Suggested Duration: 120 minutes Vocabulary: These are key vocabulary words students should gain an understanding of - Vision Optical illusion Eye Gaze Adjectives (e.g., big, round) Visual aides Differences Similarities Technology Glasses Visual supports Contacts Materials: These are items that will be used during the lesson to enhance the learning of all students - Copy of Who wears glasses? by Ana Galan Illustrated by Seb Burnett Optical illusion books Prediction graphic organizer (attached) Eye Gaze System (available from onsite AAC) Optical illusion videos Paper Sequins Pinto beans Rice Glue 187 Strategies and Procedure: These are the specific activities/skills you want students to perform as they participate in the activities Teacher asks students, “How you see? Can everyone see? What does vision mean?” - Many students will raise their hand and describe what they know about vision (e.g., I use my eyes to see) - Teacher defines vision and illustrates ways individuals use their sight to gain information (e.g eye gaze, entertainment, directions) - Teacher leads a book walk and manages this by having students look through open pages at a time and talking about what they see - Students participate and make predictions about what will happen in the story and what they will be learning - Students answer questions about the visuals presented on each page - Students fill in their prediction graphic organizer and clap their hands when they are ready to find out what really happens in the story - Teacher reads a story, Book, Who wears glasses? by Ana Galan - Students return to their seat and have an opportunity to brainstorm using a think/pair/share discussing the moral of the story - Students break up into groups of four and begin rotations to develop further “job skills.” - Stations (5 minute per station): h Sentence Starters: Complete sentence starters, (students will use a whiteboard to complete the sentence, “My favorite thing/person to see is _ When I can’t see I If I can’t figure out what I am seeing I _.” i Optical Illusions (books and vocabulary): Poster board with the question, “What are "illusions?” Student can define illusions as tricks or eye games Each student will write one initial prediction (guess of the word) and then begin exploring in the optical illusion book Student will go back and write an additional word/sentence if they figured out the meaning j Collaboration-Students complete an activity (e.g., build a house out of block/legos) with their peers Students will wear 3D glasses while participating in the activities and use different roles (leader, additional team member, helper, etc.) throughout the five minute period k Tools-Students explore and identify ten items covered in handkerchiefs and spread out between ten different desks Students will number a paper 1-10 and work independently in this station Students must use a kaleidoscope, sunglasses, magnifying glass, and/or binoculars to identify each item Each student will take turns and pull off the handkerchief for three seconds and identify each item l Eye Gaze-Students review pictures and practice making selecting pictures using an eye gaze system An individual who typically uses an eye gaze system for their mode of communication will present and model choice selection The presenter will communicate with the students using his/her eye gaze technology system Students take turns using the eye gaze system with the guest speaker and communicate with one another - 188 - Students return to their seat and have an opportunity to create their own art project, optical illusion Students will think of a term that they just learned throughout the unit Students write the new term using a permanent marker in the middle of a white paper Students then add pinto beans, rice or sequins to hide the word, creating an optical illusion Once the art project dries, the following day the students will try and trick their peers Students will place their art project in front of their peer and see if they are able to decipher and figure out the word underneath the distracter (e.g pinto beans, rice, etc.) Teacher facilitates Questions and Classroom Reflection Questions and Classroom Reflection: This is the content knowledge you want students to gain as a result of participating in activities and discussion of ideas/themes that reach beyond this lesson - Teacher asks, “What is an eye gaze system?” Teacher asks, “Have you ever worked with a classmate and asked for help?” - Teacher asks, “If not, how will you go about it now?” - Teacher asks, “Did the exercise make you feel good, bad or…?” Key Concepts and Essential Questions for Teacher Reflection: These guide your inquiry into the big ideas and concepts of the unit, to reinforce in your classroom - - - What strategies did you use to overcome some of the challenges observed during the implementation of the health thematic unit? Did the students meet the goals in learning about the varying health needs in the school classroom, campus, and community? Evaluate how you can incorporate and promote diversity into your classroom on a daily basis Teacher asks, “What did you learn from the experience?” Plan For Independent Practice and/or Home School Connection: This allows for students to connect their learning from this lesson to their natural/home environment - - Notes: Student will share with their families three things they learned about themselves and three things they learned about a peer Students will place their art project in front of their caregiver and see if they are able to decipher and figure out the word underneath the distracter (e.g pinto beans, rice, etc.) 189 Health “Health Bingo” Lesson Goals/Rationale: These are your goals for the students and why you believe it is important to teach this lesson Students will… - learn new vocabulary - identify medicines and medical tools and their function - recognize medical needs are different for everyone to keep them safe - develop problem solving strategies in the case of a medical situation/emergency - learn the importance of medical safety Suggested Duration: 60 minutes Vocabulary: These are key vocabulary words students should gain an understanding of - Medicine Medical tool Safety Health Inhaler Tissue Prescription medicine Cough syrup Medical bracelet Crutches Needle (Shot/Epipen) Thermometer Soap Stethoscope Reflex Hammer Band-aid Materials: These are items that will be used during the lesson to enhance the learning of all students - “Health Bingo” card (attached) Bingo chips/beans/small blocks Strategies and Procedure: These are the specific activities/skills you want students to perform as they participate in the activities - Teacher asks students, “What is health? If you are injured where you go or what should you do?” Teacher explains to students they will be discussing healthy choices and health safety Teacher passes out “Health Bingo” and Bingo chips Teacher tells students, “I will give the definition of each medicine and/or 190 - medical tool and you will have to locate the item on your board.” Teacher defines each medicine and/or medical tool (e.g., “I’m thinking of something you put on yourself when you get a cut.” “I’m thinking of something you spray in your mouth to helps bring air to the lungs.”) Teacher responds to any questions regarding the medical tools along the way Teacher discusses with students if they have ever used any of the medical tools Teacher will ask students what other medications or medical tools they have seen or used Teacher asks students how to respond to health concerns that they may see in the classroom including, but not limited to; “What should you if someone gets a cut and is bleeding?” “What should you if someone eats something they are allergic to?” “What should you if someone has an asthma attack?” “What should you if someone falls to the ground?” Stress the importance of ONLY using medical tools with permission from caregivers Teacher facilitates Questions and Classroom Reflection Questions and Classroom Reflection: This is the content knowledge you want students to gain as a result of participating in activities and discussion of ideas/themes that reach beyond this lesson Key Concepts and Essential Questions for Teacher Reflection: These guide your inquiry into the big ideas and concepts of the unit, to reinforce in your classroom - - - Teacher discusses how everyone uses medicine or medical tools to help them feel better Teacher discusses that some medicines and tools are meant for certain people and some are meant to help everyone Teacher discusses how everyone in the class is part of a community and we want to know the strategies for keeping everyone safe - - What strategies did you use to overcome some of the challenges observed during the implementation of the health thematic unit? Did the students meet the goals in learning about the varying health needs in the school classroom, campus, and community? 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