At Knob Hill Elementary in San Marcos, Christina Renolds (Education Specialist) and Kayla Richardson (General Education teacher) work together to help level the playing field for their students. This co-teaching duo has done an amazing job to make sure all students in the classroom can learn without "barriers" getting in the way. One example of this can be found during math instruction. Kayla provides thoughtfully prepared scaffolds to help students (that need them) with note-taking.
Check out the video below to learn more
Ms. Renolds shared that math was never an area of comfort for her, but because of Ms. Richardson's organization and teaching style, it is now her favorite subject to teach.
Christina Renolds (left) and Kayla Richardson (right) strike a pose in the Learning Center. Behind them are the same visual representations used in the general education classroom. Consistency is key!
The Vista Adult Transition Center Team has recently made a huge shift in perspective that is greatly impacting how they teach the Unique Learning Systems (ULS) curriculum and use communication with their non-verbal, medically fragile students:
Aided Language Stimulation
Core Vocabulary
After attending a few workshops on Unique for Level One Learners, Dylan Valenzuela- Medically Fragile Education Specialist for the VATC program, has worked with his team to shift the status quo methods of teaching ULS and implement the techniques of modeling communication targeting a set of core-based, highly frequently used words to increase exposure and comprehension for their students with complex communication needs. Take a look at Dylan and the team in action:
Many of our teachers encounter this similar challenge of using ULS curriculum with students who are non-verbal, limited verbal, and/or use augmentative alternative communication (AAC). As Dylan explains so perfectly:
"I can say that working on the core vocabulary and Aided
Language Stimulation has definitely been a game changer in the class. Not only
are we working on the biggest hurdle in our class (communication) with the core
vocabulary, but I have seen a huge jump in student and staff interactions. Now that
my staff understands what ALS looks and sounds like, every moment they are
around a student it becomes a learning opportunity by the demonstration of ALS. The best example I could give was how people interact with babies and how they
explain every little thing that is going on when they interact with them- I think
that was their "ah-ha" moment. I push on my staff that ALS should be done with or
without an AAC device. I want the exposure of vocabulary towards the student
increased significantly (and it has). I would say that the two mantras of our
class are:
"Exposure, not comprehension"- speaking about exposing
our students to AGE appropriate material/curriculum with cognitively/physically
appropriate activities.
"Talk the Talk"- Concentrating on the exposure
of Core Vocab via ULS using ALS every interaction with the students."
This shift in perspective in teaching and communicating with students can be applied to any curriculum teachers might be using, as the focus is still on a core set of words with repeated exposure so that student's can be empowered to use language for a variety of communicative purposes. We ALL have more to say than "I want..."
WAY TO GO DYLAN AND YOUR TEAM AT VISTA ADULT TRANSITION CENTER!!
