Competency Four
This competency is focused on individualizing instruction. It includes Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) and instructional strategies.
Individualized Education Plans: Video: Understanding the IEP Plan
Reflection: This YouTube video is supplementing my self-generated artifact for this competency. This video is a great summary of what an IEP is and the process through which the IEP is developed.
The way that the process is explained is simple enough to understand but also has some really important information. For example, they explain the purpose of an IEP, that it is created by a team, that it is based on data which includes tests, and that decisions are made in collaboration with the parents. The video describes the idea of inclusion, the types of accomodations and modifications that may exist, and that an IEP meeting must happen once a year but that it can happen outside that time period.
I also chose this video because it has subtitles, which I thought would make it more accessible.
Source: Commission, B. E. (2016, September 06). Retrieved May 15, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaZtQNez6Yc
Instructional Strategy: Jigsaw Evidence Based Practice Summary
Jigsaw Method
Jigsaw is a cooperative learning experience. It requires everyone to contribute a piece of the puzzle to produce the final product (Aronson, May/June 2000). Each student is split into a jigsaw group that includes 5-6 students (Aronson, May/June 2000). Each student in the groups is assigned a separate subject they will be responsible for reading about and then presenting to their group (Aronson, May/June 2000). They will only have access to their own reading.
Before presenting their information to their jigsaw group students will meet with the students from other jigsaw groups who were assigned to present on the same topic ("home group") (Aronson, May/June). While in their home group, the students will work as a team of specialists, sharing what they have learned, listening to what others have learned and practicing how to present their information (Aronson, May/June 2000). This portion of the process is useful for students who have learning disabilities that make it more difficult for them to learn or organize their part of their assignment and allows them to benefit from seeing presentation strategies and rehearsing their part of the presentation (Aronson, May/June 2000).
Students will then move into their jigsaw group and each student will present on the topic they are an "expert" on (Aronson, May/June 2000). This portion of the process helps students who are different from the rest of the group gain acceptance from the others and self-confidence (Aronson, May/June 2000). Because the other students need the information that the diverse student has they learn to work with each other in a more collaborative way (Aronson, pg. 18).
To further increase the benefit of jigsaw, students should return to their expert/home groups to discuss what they have learned from the other students (Fisher and Frey, 2018). Although not originally devised as a literacy method, the jigsaw method is effective On John Hattie's scale it has an effect size of 1.20, which is much higher than the average score of .4 (Fisher and Frey, 2018). The other benefits of jigsaw include: (a) It is an efficient way to learn the material; and (b) It encourages empathy, listening, and engagement by requiring all members of the team to provide an essential piece of the puzzle (Aronson, May/June 2000).
References
Aronson, E. (May/June 2000). Nobody Left to Hate. Psychology Today, 17-21.
Aronson, E. (Nov. 2000). The Jigsaw Strategy. Psychology Review, 2-7.
Fisher, D., & Frey, N.
(Nov. 2018). Let's Get Jigsaw Right. Educational Leadership, 82-84.
Reflection Jigsaw Summary: I created this artifact, with my partner Jacob Leverett, for the Evidence Based Practice Lesson Plan assignment. This is a 1 page summary describing an Evidence Based Practice designed for educating students effectively. The Evidence Based Practice we focused on is called the "Jigsaw" strategy.
One of the greatest benefits of Jigsaw is in individualizing instruction. First of all, Jigsaw encourages grouping students by including a wide range of ability. All students benefit when grouping is diverse. Secondly, a teacher can differentiate the readings based on student interests. For example, a student with Autism may enjoy reading about what they are interested in. If one of my students has an interest in machines, I could give them a reading that focuses on machines to present to the group.
After researching the Jigsaw Strategy I realized that it can be used in many different content areas with great success but since I am in social studies I will describe a few ways it could be use in a future social studies classroom. I could give the students different sections of a major document, like the Constitution to read. The students can share what they have learned and do a project together about it. Another example could be a lesson on people relevant to a movement. For a Civil Rights Movement activity students in one Jigsaw group may be assigned to read about and present on one of the following: Martin Luther King, Jr., John Lewis, James L. Farmer, Roy Wilkins, Rosa Parks, and the Little Rock 9.