Increasing Student Communication: Encouragement Strategies

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Use the following case scenarios to inform the assignment.

Case Study 1: Sophie

Age: 5        Grade: Kindergarten

Sophie is a kindergartner in Mrs. Fields’ class, Sophie is new to the structured school environment; she never attended day care or preschool. She struggles to engage with her peers and is often seen sitting alone. Sophie specifically struggles to initiate conversation with others and she has not learned how to share with others. She is meeting academic grade level expectations for her age and grade. However, Mrs. Fields is concerned about her limited social skills and interactions with peers. Sophie appears to be interested in playing with the other children, but does not initiate interaction and throws tantrums when she does play and has to share or take turns. These behaviors result in other students becoming frustrated and refusing to engage or play with Sophie.

Mrs. Fields believes Sophie would benefit from the following goals to improve her social skills:

  • Initiate conversation with peers
  • Take turns talking and using toys and class materials

Case Study 2: Ari

Age: 9 Grade: 4rd grade, Spring semester

Ari is a fourth grader in Mr. Jackson’s class. Ari enjoys and excels in math and science. During language arts centers, he enjoys the activities that are more hands-on. He is interested in space and trains. Last semester he created a model of outer space and has a big train collection. Ari, struggles with written assignments. Mr. Jackson and Ari’s parents are worried about his recent school performance. According to recent school data, Ari is falling far below the expectations in reading and writing. Ari has recently been determined eligible for special education in the areas of reading fluency and written expression.

In the general education classroom, Ari gets easily distracted and frustrated during the 90-minute language arts block. Mr. Jackson has noted that Ari avoids any written assignments and requires prompting to get started immediately. This often results in assignments not being completed or handed in on time. A personal computer is available for Ari in the general education classroom as needed.

Mr. Jackson has selected two goals for Ari to achieve within the next three months:

  • Begin independent work assignments promptly
  • Increase the number of completed assignments

Part 1

For both student scenarios, in 250-500 words each, identify and analyze one evidence-based encouragement strategy that would be most effective in reaching the stated goals.

Encouragement strategies to consider include :

  • Specific praise
  • Criterion specific rewards
  • Choice-making
  • Effective rules and clear, realistic expectations

Within your responses, be sure to rationalize your choices and discuss implementation of the selected strategies, ensuring a safe, culturally responsive learning environment .

Part 2

In your future professional practice, describe, in 250-500 words, how you will use evidence-based encouragement strategies to best communicate with your students with disabilities how to adapt to different environments.

Support each scenario response with 1-2 scholarly resources specific to current engagement theories and strategies.

Education Paper

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The curriculum model: Purdue Three-Stage Model by Dr. John Feldhusen, etc.

 

Participants will research one curriculum model that is reported to be effective in meeting the learning needs of gifted students while addressing issues of equity and excellence. Based on this research, they will write a “blog” or persuasive essay to convince an audience of curriculum leaders that this is the best model to implement with the gifted learners in their school or setting. The argument should address how the curriculum model meets the learning characteristics of gifted students, as well as how it addresses both equity and excellence issues:

 

· Equity: an emphasis on creating equal opportunity, increasing access, and eradicating gaps among groups.

· Excellence: an emphasis on high achievement; cultivating individual talent, developing our “best and brightest” in the interest of the nation’s prosperity.

 

The participants’ blog will describe the model and present a positive stance about its ability to meet the needs of gifted learners and balance equity and excellence goals. The argument also must address the opposing views or negative aspects, but present evidence to refute them. Participants may include personal thoughts and opinions in the blog, but must cite evidence to support them. The blog concludes with a “call to action” to inspire the reader to take action.

Part B: Crisis Management (NELP 6.3)

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One of your teachers who was driving home came upon the accident. She reports to you that emergency vehicles are on the scene, and some students have exited the bus through the emergency exits. Other students and the driver are still inside the bus, and the extent of injuries is not known. The teacher reports some students are currently standing on the road, and many are texting their friends and posting pictures of the bus on social media.

hat does Frost tell us about the character at this moment?

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Reading is both a pleasurable pastime and an academic skill. To get the most out of any reading, whether it is a relaxing novel, a textbook, or a report from your employer, you must be able to read it carefully and comprehend it fully. This is called close reading. For this assignment, you will choose one passage from a piece of literature, just a couple of paragraphs, and do a close reading of it to increase your understanding and hone your abilities to get the most out of anything you read.

Instructions: Read Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost. Choose a section where the writer makes the experience meaningful, striking, or revealing. Examine this section for evidence of revealing a depth that reaches beyond the poem. In 2-3 pages, address the following prompts/questions:

  1. Name three literary tools used in this piece and briefly describe how they are used. Examples are theme, tone, mood, symbolism, foreshadowing, irony, imagery.
  2. What does Frost tell us about the character at this moment? What does he leave out?
  3. How does the character communicate (through words, gestures, or other means,) and what does he/she say?
  4. How does the writer convey the character’s identity and culture? What symbols are used to communicate gender, race, class, occupation, and/or other identity categories?
  5. How does this passage relate to the human experience overall? How do you relate as a reader?