Central Bucks Schools Teaching Authentic Mathematics in the 21st Century

When applying authentic achievement to students with disabilities, the questions of adaptation and accommodation arise. Within authentic achievement, the curricular level or complexity can be adjusted to meet diverse student abilities. Thus, the model generalizes across grades, and across individuals at different ability levels within a classroom. Furthermore, Newmann and Wehlage (1995) acknowledge that not all instructional experiences can capture all three elements. In fact, "repetitive practice, retrieving information, and memorization of facts or rules may be necessary to build knowledge and skills as a foundation for authentic performance" (Newmann & Wehlage, p. 11). Newmann and Wehlage recommend that educators not abandon all forms of less authentic work. Instead, educators should focus on the goal of authentic achievement as they plan, deliver, and evaluate educational experiences for their students. Finally, Newmann and Wehlage emphasize that specific educational practices do NOT equal authentic learning. Although some instructional practices appear more authentic (e.g., hands-on projects, small group work), it is the intellectual demands of student performance that determines authenticity.

Although authentic achievement provides the basis of the investigative framework for this project, we have modified the original model to specifically address the needs and assets of students with disabilities. This expanded model is known as Schools of Authentic and Inclusive Learning (SAIL). To accomplish the goal of the Institute, we have conceptualized the SAIL model as three primary parts: outcomes, teaching and learning, and policy and context (see Figure 1).

As highlighted by Newmann and Wehlage, a clear, shared vision of student learning that produces authentic achievement creates a learning environment where all students are challenged academically. The RISER vision of reform and inclusion efforts center on the outcomes that reflect high intellectual quality. Therefore, we begin with the standards for authentic achievement defined by Newmann and Wehlage (1995) and Newmann et al. (1995). We add to these outcome standards graduation rates and attendance rates, performance on standardized tests, performance on standards and benchmarks (reflecting the core attributes of authentic achievement), and other assessments used to determine the effectiveness of school practices (e.g., district, state proficiency tests). Additional considerations will be focused on students' work/performance level. We also regard as important post-school outcomes that reflect adult life: employment, continuing postsecondary education, independent living and community functioning, and social-emotional functioning.

The following research questions are being addressed in the RISER model: (a) How have changes in authentic inclusive learning and schooling practices affected the within-school and post-school outcomes for students with disabilities (collectively and disaggregated) using frames of reference focused on equity, value added and accountability? and (b) How do schools accommodate students with disabilities in district and state outcome assessments, and how do such accommodations affect the participation in, reporting of, and validity of assessment?

Teaching and Learning

Teaching and learning within the SAIL model emphasizes pedagogical practices reflecting high intellectual quality. We will focus on identifying and describing learning experiences in which all students produce knowledge through higher order thinking operations. We extend the authentic achievement characteristic "value beyond school" to include learning in nonschool contexts. Finally, we alter the authentic achievement standard requiring elaborated written communication to include a variety of communication modalities used in various disciplines and professions, with necessary adaptations and accommodations.

The research question related to this aspect of the model is: What are critical features of instruction, assessment, and support strategies that promote authentic understanding, achievement, and performance for all students?

Policy and Context

Finally, the professional community and external supports are also being examined. Research in this area explores the engagement of teachers, administrators, support service staff, parents, and others in creating frequent and ongoing communication regarding student learning and achievement. Additionally, we will examine how parents and community leaders are involved in planning and setting standards for students' learning outcomes and experiences, and how teachers enhance their professional development.

The research questions for policy and context are: (a) In schools evolving toward authentic and inclusive instruction, what are the roles and expectations of stakeholders as they engage in planning for secondary and post-secondary experiences? and (b) What contextual factors are required to support and sustain the development of secondary-level learning environments that promote authentic understanding, achievement, and performances for all students?

Conclusion

Currently, special educators are in disagreement as to what constitutes appropriate optional educational opportunities for students with disabilities. This discussion centers on the issue of inclusion. Proponents of inclusion argue that the general education setting provides the widest array of opportunities for all students. Inclusion critics state that the impact of setting has not yet been documented and that general education needs to be significantly reformed before inclusive efforts can be seriously considered. Historically and unfortunately, general education reform efforts have often provided little consideration to the needs and goals of students with disabilities. Despite these circumstances, some of these efforts have shown promise for improving outcomes for students without disabilities. Authentic pedagogy and achievement has shown particular promise for outcome improvement with many types of students, including students considered at-risk for school failure. Given the similarities between reform based on authentic achievement and reform based on inclusive education, RISER has decided to investigate how teaching and learning focused on authentic achievement affects students with disabilities. In 1999 and beyond, RISER is working with schools who have incorporated both elements, reform of instruction and inclusion efforts, into their current schooling operations. We will identify and document practices that are effective for all students, attempt to replicate these practices in other sites, and disseminate the results. Our goal is to identify and disseminate practices that ensure all students, including those with disabilities, meet high levels of authentic student performance.

Baker, J. M., & Zigmond, N. (1990). Are regular education classes equipped to accommodate students with learning disabilities? Exceptional Children, 56, 515-526.

Baker, J. M., & Zigmond, N. (1995). The meaning and practice of inclusion for students with learning disabilities: Themes and implications from five cases. Journal of Special Education, 29, 163-180.

Fuchs, L. S., Fuchs, D., Hamlett, C. L., Phillips, N. B., & Karns, K. (1995). General educators' specialized adaptation for students with learning disabilities. Exceptional Children, 61, 440-459.

Kauffman, J. M. (1993). How we might achieve the radical reform of special education. Exceptional Children, 60, 6-16.

Lieberman L. M. (1996). Preserving special education... for those who need it. In W. Stainback, & S. Stainback, Controversial issues confronting special education (pp. 16-27). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Lipsky, D. K., & Gartner, A. (1996). Inclusive education and school restructuring. In W. Stainback & S. Stainback, Controversial issues confronting special education (pp. 3-15). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

McDonnell, L. M., McLaughlin, M. J., & Morison, P. (1997). Executive summary. In L. M. McDonnell, M. J. McLaughlin, & P. Morison (Eds.), Educating one & all: Students with disabilities and standards-based reform (pp. 1-10). Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

Munson, S. M. (1987). Regular education teacher modifications for mainstreamed mildly handicapped students. Journal of Special Education, 20(4), 489-500.

Newmann, F. M., Marks, H., & Gamoran, A. (1996). Authentic pedagogy and student performance. American Journal of Education, 104(4), 280-312.

Newmann, F., & Wehlage, G. G. (1995). Successful school restructuring. Madison: University of Wisconsin, Center on Organization and Restructuring of Schools.

Phelps, L. A., & Hanley-Maxwell, C. (1997). School-to-work transitions for youth with disabilities: A review of outcomes and practices. Review of Educational Research, 67(2), 197- 226.

Schumm, J. S., & Vaughn, S. (1995). Getting ready for inclusion: Is the stage set? Learning Disabilities Research and Practice, 10(3), 169- 179.

Trent, S. C., Artiles, A. J., & Englert, C. S. (1998). From deficit thinking to social constructivism: A review of theory, research, and practice in special education. In P. D. Pearson & A. Iran-Nejad (Eds.), Review of Education Research (Vol. 23). Washington, DC: AERA.

U.S. Department of Labor. The Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills. (1991, June). What work requires of schools: A SCANS report for American 2000. Washington, DC: Author.

Zigmond, N., & Baker, J. M. (1994). Is the mainstream a more appropriate educational setting for Randy? A case study of one student with learning disabilities. Learning Disabilities Research and Practice, 9(2), 108-117.

Figure 1. Schools of Authentic and Inclusive Learning Model

Used with permission from the authors. The article originally appeared as Research Institute on Secondary Education Reform for Youth with Disabilities Brief, No. 1. Published by the Research Institute on Secondary Education Reform (RISER), University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, WI.

I am passionate about helping kids with learning disabilities. (I'm not sure the PC word but that's the one I'll use.)

Any teacher can teach a smart kid -- a "smart kid" with regular learning abilities can learn from an inanimate object -- a book. They can teach themselves on the Internet. Teach them and you are knowledgeable about your subject. But it is the child who has challenges -- you are a true teacher when you accommodate and reach that child.

I speak from experience. My younger sister was in fifth grade when she was labeled as "slow" and "dumb." She was belittled by classmates and put on the "stupid" track according to her peers. She couldn't spell, couldn't read her own writing, couldn't read her math problems, and was frustrated because her two older sisters had achieved so much academically. She thought she was adopted! She was tested in the 2nd grade and 5th grade and nothing showed up. Then, her sophomore year Mom and Dad had it! They sacrificed and took her to Atlanta Speech where she was tested for two days and voila -- learning disability with spatial processing, dysgraphia , and a few other issues.

My Mom took the recommendations from Atlanta Speech and typed up a list of responsibilities along with our learning lab coordinator, Mrs. Grace Adkins. They had a list of what the classroom teachers would do, what the learning lab would do, my parents, and ultimately my sister.

Let's make a long story short -- after accommodations and my sister "learning how she learned" (and taking notes with a laptop) she went from the bottom third of her class to the top third of her class from the 1st day of her junior year to the last day of her senior year. She graduated 3rd in her class from Brenau University, received a BFA from Savannah College of Art and Design in Graphic Arts (Magna Cum Laude), and her MFA from there (Magna Cum Laude Again.) She now works in the Disney Travel Department as a Graphic Design intern designing ads. She couldn't draw sticks in 10th grade. Now, she can draw or paint anything and loves what she does!

She says her turning point was when she realized that she wasn't dumb -- she just learned differently!

I have another friend who was dyslexic and couldn't learn to read. He was taught to read using special accommodations and joint work between his parents, teachers, and the learning lab. He is completing his final residency and received offers of five major fellowships around the country.

But it hit home 2 years a go. My son was a "third grade melt down." I had suspected as early as first grade that he may have had some of the same issues as my sister but it didn't show with our testing locally. We struggled and saved and went to Atlanta Speech for my son. Voila! Yes -- he had some learning disabilities. (We call them learning differences in our house.) We followed the same process as my Mom did -- he's been back on the Honor Roll since the end of fourth grade and is now doing very well in fifth.

What is in common with all of these and how does it relate to new technology?

1. 
   Each of these students were tested early and effectively.
   
2. 
   An action plan was created where the teacher, parents, and learning lab (where our students go for one on one assistance) determined who would do what item.
   
3. 
   The child was talked to by the parent during which time they were talked with openly (don't keep kids in the dark). They were told:
   
   1. 
      You are mentally capable of handling the material in class
      
   2. 
      You learn differently and I will teach you how you learn.
      
   3. 
      You will have to work harder to make the same grades as others.
      
   4. 
      We will help you. You are not alone. We have a plan.
      
   5. 
      It is your job to do your part. (You can't push someone up a ladder.)
      
   6. 
      I love you and am here to help you be your best.
      
4. 
   The plans were followed, evolved, changed and used throughout their lives even through college.
   

5. 
   They were given a way to ask for help that was unobtrusive and didn't call attention to them.
   

For my son, it was the highlighter. We selected a highlighter that wasn't used in the class -- red. He had it in is desk bag. When he needed help and didn't understand the directions he took the highlighter out of his desk bag and put it on his desk. That was his secret cue to the teacher, "I'm lost and clueless, I need help. Don't fuss at me for not doing anything -- I'm lost!" It made all the difference!

Here is the exciting part about all of this and where new technology comes in. Let me tell you first what we're doing with my son.

My son has difficulty copying from the board. He also has issues with spelling and punctuation where he has a processing sort of "overload." If he's writing a history paper, for example, he doesn't even see that he's misspelling words or forgetting punctuation. Atlanta Speech recommended a laptop for him to take notes. It took us two years to save and to get his keyboarding up to snuff. (I taught his whole fifth grade class keyboarding and he's up to 40 wpm.)

Since Christmas, he now uses a laptop and takes his notes in Microsoft One Note . He had already gone up in grades last semester, however, last week his lowest grade was an 88 -- the rest were 90's+. When typing paragraphs, he types everything in One Note and then exports it to word. (File--> Send To --> Microsoft Word for Office.) He saves it on his memory key and prints it on the teacher's computer. (We're working on a wi-fi setup, but until then this is the best we can do.) I adore One Note -- I can blog on that later if there's interest.

The teacher has been very willing. He doesn't use the laptop for math (he uses graph paper) or spelling tests. We decided that we were going to tough it out there and when he's focused on just one task - spelling - he can usually do pretty well.

Why did the laptop improve his grades?

I sat down with my son and asked him what the difference was. He basically told me it was a couple of things:

• 
  He doesn't have to struggle with a lot of notebooks.
  
• 
  His notes are no longer full of errors and mistakes and he can read his notes.
  
• 
  When he is writing he can focus on what he is writing and not get mad at himself because he can't read it and it is full of mistakes.
  
• 
  He can focus on studying and getting his work done because the things that "drive him crazy about himself" are under control.
  

My Mom explains it like this. (She has taught school for 20+ years.) A child with a learning disability is walking around school with one leg. All the other kids are walking to class on two legs. The LD child has their backpack on and they are hopping -- on their one leg. Can they get to class? Yes. But it takes longer. It is more difficult. It is frustrating. They feel slow and different. When an effective accommodation is made, Mom says it is like giving them a prosthetic leg. Does it work better than a real leg? No! But it levels the playing field. It makes it fair! It gives the child hope!

If a child is supposed to be in the front of the room -- they belong in the front! End of story! Put them there. (Of course in some classrooms all of them belong in the front -- that's an unfortunate state of events.) For me, I have two or three in each class which require that accommodation and I make it without anyone knowing.

I have a student I teach who I suspect has some undiagnosed issues with reading. He is a straight auditory learner, however, and knows it. (We test all sixth graders and give them their learning style and teach them how they learn.) He was learning his Hamlet "To Be or Not To Be" speech and struggling. He came to me and asked if he could record it into Audacity. I showed him how and he read it. I showed him how to convert it to an MP3 and he e-mailed it to himself. Later that afternoon when he arrived home, he downloaded it into Itunes and then put it in his iPod. He spent the evening driving, walking, eating, and even going to sleep listening to Hamlet's famous speech on his iPod. He learned the speech beautifully.

In my opinion, auditory learners need an MP3 player. With Librivox and other sources of auditory text -- this is the boon they've been waiting for!

Look. Say. Do.

Many of the students with LD have been told to use the Look - Say - Do method of learning.

Wikis fit this beautifully and I've found my ADHD kids are some of the best at it.

Perfect!

Podcasting fits this well, and is especially wonderful for my precious but few auditory learners.

(Listen -- they listen to it -- share it with their friends!)

Wikis and podcasting fit together wonderfully, particularly if you can pair an auditory and visual learner on a team. I've found the auditory learner will usually gravitate to the podcast and the visual will gravitate to the wiki. They make excellent teammates.

Laptops. Wikis. Podcasting.

These are tools to help all students. They can level the playing field for those with LD and give them renewed hope.

I'm passionate about helping all children learn -- not just the "superstar" that is going to be the superstar whether they had ever met me or not.

It is with the children who are frustrated, defeated, and down that I build my legacy that I made a difference. Call me simplistic. Criticize me. It is in helping these children turn the corner that I become a teacher!

Reprinted by permission of the Author, Victoria A. Davis. Originally published on The Cool Cat Teacher Blog, at the following URL: http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/2006/01/how-wikis-podcasts-and-laptops-help.html. All rights reserved.

In this activity you will consider authentic instruction in the context of the subgroups and inclusive population students in your classroom.

1. 
   Using the questions provided, reflect on your experience with authentic instruction and the subgroup/inclusive population students in your classroom.
   
   • 
     What percentage of the class time do you involve your inclusive population students in higher order thinking skills/critical thinking?
     
   • 
     How might you increase student engagement in higher order thinking/critical thinking activities and what impact could this have on academic achievement?
     
   • 
     How do you use higher order technology tools and/or assistive technology to expand the time students are engaged in higher order thinking/critical thinking activities?
     
   • 
     How might you increase your use of higher order technology tools and approaches to have a greater impact on the inclusive population of your class based upon the information provided in the article?
     
   • 
     What challenges do you face when engaging inclusive populations in authentic instruction?
     
   • 
     What benefits will you realize when instructing subgroups authentically?
     

2. 
   For the purpose of the online discussion, summarize your responses in the space provided.
   

3. 
   Fill in the "L" and "D" columns of your "Authentic Teaching K-L-D Chart."
   
4. 
   Return to the course and advance to the next screen in order to receive further instructions to share your summary online.