Essay Example on Engaging Students With Special Needs: Strategies for Active Learning

The case study involves students' disengagement following different disorders during math instruction and discussions in the fifth grade. This calls for strategies that will seek to cater to each student's special needs. Active learning could be the most effective mode of learning in this classroom environment. The paper aims to explore the strategies to ensure students' engagement, modifying instructions, students' satisfaction, and motivation for students with diverse special needs.

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Student engagement is defined as the cognitive investment that involves participation in activities and commitment to learning (Bender, 2017). Usually, the student's engagement can be measured through eye contact, which determines whether the students are paying attention. The instructor should implement effective learning strategies to ensure students stay engaged. Firstly, creating collaborative learning that promotes healthy classroom relationships-holding meaningful conversations with students, for example, talking about what might interest the student and acting upon their suggestions (Bender, 2017). Personalizing the learning content is an effective way of demonstrating the relevance and meaning of the content. Incorporation of the use of movement to make the learning more active increases retention in the learning environment. The teacher should use language effectively in a manner that fosters a student's cognitive development in mathematics lessons. In this case, the use of representations coupled with the use of maths play games, would help deliver mathematical concepts effectively. The readiness of learning is an essential aspect of the student's success in schools and can be achieved through strategies like leveled assignments. This kind of tasks help students meet learning outcomes step-by-step; for example, they think dots.

As an instructor, many are the times one finds that some students with disorders, especially those that impact attention-deficit benefit at a more substantial degree from some instructional modification, which is the cornerstone for success in such a classroom environment. The students' development will be highly influenced by how the lessons are modified. In the lesson presentation, employing principles of effective instruction during the lesson delivery to ensure the students are challenged and assisted to become successful. Modeling cognitive strategies and techniques, for example, think aloud is an effective way in which students can verbalize whatever they are feeling during the completion of tasks. The other effect is using collaborative groups, which seems to be useful, especially for students with similar goals. As the lesson progress, making it a habit to congratulate, give praise, and feedback after a student complete a task in class like answering a question is an effective way of promoting student's development. In the case where some students are disengaged, physical classroom arrangement should be part of the instructional development. This will ensure the students are attentive and can retrieve learning materials with ease.

Creating developmentally appropriate instruction that accounts for diverse student's needs, strengths, differences, interests, and needs will require a sense of flexibility during the lessons but consistent activities. The efforts to accommodate all the students do not, in any case, lower the expectations or standards of the instructional level, the content, or the performance criteria. Still, instead it only fixes the mode of instruction delivery and the assessment methods to ensure all the students have accessed equal learning opportunities (Olinghouse, 2008). In this class environment, giving clear directions both orally and verbally as well as providing a demonstration or model of what is expected is one of the effective ways of helping the students. Secondly, having a consistent routine for switching between lessons, class activities, and seeking assistance is one of the methods that will tend to incorporate all students regardless of their strengths and weaknesses. To ensure students follow such routine, it is prudent to enlighten them regularly about it and rewarding those who consistently follow it (Olinghouse, 2008).

Motivation in a classroom setting plays a vital role in the success of the students as well as the achievement of the instructor. The main problem that causes most of the students to fail in their studies is demotivated learning. Some teachers still execute teaching process the old-fashioned way where they deliver content and assume motivation is not part of their job (Wilcox, 2018). Some of the most effective strategies to motivate students in the acquisition of knowledge include; fostering growth mind-set among students through encouraging hard work and challenging students more often while you congratulate them for attempts made, unlike fixed mind-set. They are developing healthy instructor-students and student-student relationships in the classroom. By doing so, this will cultivate sense communalism in the school among learners who are ready to assist each other (Wilcox, 2018). Lastly, implementing clear goals and establishing high expectations will enable learners to put more effort in the struggle to achieve the goals.

Equitable access for appropriate digital tools and resources among all students can be achieved through the following strategies, incorporation of cooperative learning strategy think-pair-share, which encourages students to work together. Often the students pair up with their friends or rather neighbors in the class, share resources and thoughts throughout the learning. Close monitoring of students will enable understand the behavior of a student, like shyness, selflessness, and help those who might not be in a position to acquire learning materials for themselves.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the class requires an active learning approach to ensure every student benefit from the learning experience regardless of their conditions. The instructor should implement the most appropriate strategies for promoting student's engagement, motivating, and developing instructions to create a conducive learning environment.

References

Bender, W. (2017). Twenty strategies for increasing student engagement. Learning Sciences International.

Olinghouse, N. (2008). Designing Lessons For Diverse Learners By Natalie Olinghouse 2008.pdf - Free Download. Ebookpdf.com. Retrieved 11 May 2020, from https://ebookpdf.com/designing-lessons-for-diverse-learners-by-natalie-olinghouse-2008.

Wilcox, L. (2018). Top 5 Strategies for Motivating Students - NBPTS | Shaping the profession that shapes America's future. NBPTS | Shaping the profession that shapes America's future. Retrieved 11 May 2020, from https://www.nbpts.org/top-5-strategies-for-motivating-students/.