Teaching for Exceptionalities (Benchmark Assessment)

1. Contact a Title I school, identify yourself as a GCU student, and request an opportunity to observe and instruct a student who has a current individualized education plan (IEP).   The student’s classroom setting may be an inclusion, resource or self-contained classroom that services students with mild to moderate disabilities in autism, intellectual disabilities, traumatic brain injury, emotional disability, specific learning disability, orthopedic impairments and/or other health impairments.   Legally, you may not ask what the student’s disability is and you may not look at the IEP without parental permission. Schedule to spend a minimum of 15 hours with the student during this observation.
2. During your initial observations of the student, take note of which modalities are strongest for the student (auditory, visual, kinesthetic, etc.). Also, note the curricular areas in which the student exhibits strengths and weaknesses.
3. Obtain a lesson plan that has been written by the teacher in a curricular area that is a challenge for the student (math, writing, reading, science, etc.). Make a copy of this lesson to submit it with the Benchmark Assessment. Review the learning objective, activity/assignment description, and assessment (where applicable).
4. Write an Accommodation/Lesson Plan based on your observations and inclusive of the following. Ensure that you review the plan with the mentor teacher(s).
   1. A brief description of the targeted student with a disability:
      1. Age and grade level of student.
      2. Areas of academic strength/weaknesses.
      3. Student’s preferred modalities of learning.
   2. A learning objective that would be more appropriate for the targeted student with disabilities.
   3. An activity/assignment that would match this objective and that would be appropriate based on this student’s cognitive level.
   4. An assessment for this activity that would be appropriate for the targeted student; consider and describe technologies and other instructional supports that would enhance the learning for this student.
5. Implement the modified lesson with the targeted student. Seek the mentor teacher’s feedback on your teaching.
   1. Write a Reflective Analysis (1,250–1,500 words) considering the following. Ensure your responses are inherent in the essay, not simply short answers to these questions:
      1. Which accommodations and modifications were successful?
      2. If you taught this lesson again, would you do it the same/different? Explain.
      3. What other accommodations/modifications might the student’s regular education classroom teacher make?
      4. What other accommodations/modifications might the student’s special education classroom teacher make?
      5. What other accommodations/modifications might related service specialists make (where applicable)?
   2. Prepare this assignment according to the APA guidelines found in the GCU APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.
6. Print and complete the Practicum/Field Experience Observation and Activity Log found in the College of Education Teacher Preparation Programs Practicum/Field Experience Manual on p.36. Ask the classroom teacher to complete the Classroom Teacher Evaluation section of the Practicum/Field Experience Observation and Activity Log. Submit the Practicum/Field Experience Observation and Activity Log, the classroom teacher’s lesson plan, your Accommodation Plan, and your Reflective Analysis as the Benchmark Assessment submission to the instructor.

NOTE:  For a professional presentation please remember to include the Rationale and Standards that apply to this assignment.