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Alyssa Margulis 11/28/11 Phase 1

School Inventory
Class: 4th Grade Special Education Classroom Day/Time: 9-10:00 Location: L.T Elementary School Method of Data Collection: Naturalistic Observation 1. Draw a picture of the classroom layout.

See attached document 2. Is the environment accessible for the student? If not, what would it take to make the room accessible? Are these changes reasonable in your opinion? Juan- Yes, I think this environment is accessible for the student. He has no physical disabilities that would hinder his ability to move around the classroom in any way. Furthermore, the room has many spaces the student can go. There is a back table and many corners which chairs in them for silent time. There is a smart board in the classroom, which is big, and bold, and not only does it have words written on it, there are also pictures and interactive activities the teacher uses with it. Carmen- this room is one of the bigger rooms in the school. There is a lot of space, and I generally believe she would be able to move around the room with little problems. The room is very organized, with everything in boxes, so there isnt much clutter around. There are however a lot of chairs in the room, because students are given the option to switch out their seats at the beginning of the day. It would be difficult for Carmen to maneuver around all of these chairs if they were in her way. Also, the space at the computers in the room is very tight. When students do work on the computers, it would be quite difficult for her to get her wheelchair into the space. If the teacher or paraprofessional Carmen was working with was aware of this, they could easily move the desks back to allow more space for Carmen to move around in her wheelchair. Finally, the desks in the classroom are quite large in space and seem sufficient to allow for a wheelchair to fit under them.

3.

List the general classroom routine (i.e., major activities and tasks) for the specific time period you observe. The general classroom routine I observed was during reading. The students do a variety of mini activities

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that follow a scripted intensive reading intervention plan called Wilson Reading instruction. The teacher has them move between her and a paraprofessional in each activity. Sometimes the students are met with on a one on one basis, other times the activities are whole grouped based. The means of presentation are also different. There is a part where students are asked to read flashcards, spell words, write words, write sentences, and orally sound out a word. The students follow a similar routine everyday, and so they all seem to have a very solid idea of what is expected of them. For reinforcement, a fake monetary system is used in which students can earn money, and money can be taken away. At the end of the week, the student is able to take that money and purchase items set out in the store.

4.

How could the student address his/her goals in this class (i.e., list specific activities and skills that could be targeted linked to the key areas identified for the student)?

Juan- In this classroom, reading is the general focus for the first half of the day. There are a lot of assessments being performed in this classroom on a daily basis. His parents said they wanted to help to decide which reading track was right for him. Since this focuses so much on reading, this would be a great place for him to begin intensive reading intervention. It would also help him with his goal to help foster social interaction and not always be the center of attention. Because of the way the classroom and routine is structured, there are many activities, which involve different kind of student involvement. For example, there are whole group activities where everyone needs to take turns, there are partner activities, and there are one to one (teacher/student) activities. Because there are many different ways the students are asked to participate in, it will force Juan to not always be the center of attention, but to interact according to how the other students are behaving. The last goal that this classroom could help in would be to help foster his love for history/science. There are times when the teacher lets the students independently read/work on homework when they have finished their other work. If the student is given functional materials that are focused on history and science he will be doing something he enjoys while also better increasing his skills in reading. Carmen- this classroom would be a different fit for Carmen than for Juan, but there are still ways in which being in this classroom would help her. One example is that her parents and family noted that it was imperative that Carmen used a PBIS system to help her with her behavioral problems. This classroom uses both the school wide PBIS system of rewarding dawg gone good awards as well as using an interactive fake monetary system to reward the students for good behavior. Using her VOCA communication device could be incorporated into this classroom environment as well. She could use her device to answer specific questions or find specific words when the rest of the students are doing similar activities. There is a section in which the students are asked to write down sentences that the teacher orally dictates. Carmen could participate by instead making these sentences on her VOCA device, and being rewarded with a penny like the rest of her peers in the classroom. 5. How were students grouped for instruction? All four students are at similar instructional levels, and therefore not much differentiated instruction is applied. Depending on the activity being done, the students either participated independently, one on one with a teacher, with peers, or as an entire class. The students work with new people each day, and are able to interact socially with all students in the classroom.

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6.

Describe the teachers teaching style and method of classroom management. The teacher has an effective teaching style in her classroom. She uses a monetary system in which the students are able to earn money for good classroom behavior and can lose money for behavior that is not satisfactory with the classroom teacher. She allows for the students to give suggestions, and has short, fast changing activities to keep student engagement. She is not a dictator, but definitely gets the job done when it comes down to making sure the students learn the curriculum.

7.

Describe the classroom climate (e.g., is it friendly? Will students with disabilities be easily accepted? What is the teachers attitude toward the students and other adults in the classroom?

This classroom climate is very accepting and inviting. The students are a small group, only four, and so there is a huge sense of camaraderie. The students work in a team, and are readily available to help each other. The teacher has developed a sincere relationship with each student, and truly seems to know the students and what they like to do. In the classroom, it is only the teacher, with a paraprofessional occasionally in and out of the classroom doing small activities. The classroom is always enthusiastic, and I think both Juan and Carmen would feel at ease in this classroom setting.

8.

How does this setting match the characteristics and preferences of the student?

Juan- this setting is small and would allow for Juan to get the attention he needs, without always making it solely about him. Also, because there is a set routine being done each and every single day, Juan will have an easier time staying on task, because he will have a better understanding of the content as the time doing the activities go on. Also, because this is a literacy focused class, it will be good to help Juan to see if he is able to gain reading skills with scripted instruction. Carmen- This setting would be good for Carmen to help her make friends. In this classroom, she would not be overwhelmed by a lot of other students because it is small and intimate. She would be able to make friends with the other kids, by working with them in small groups, or with a partner. She could also embed the use of her communication device into the academic reading curriculum in this classroom, and try to participate in all the activities in a modified way the teacher feels fit for her.

9.

Would you recommend this setting for instruction? Why or why not?

Juan- I think this setting would be appropriate for Juan. I think that he would do well here because it focuses so much on reading and gaining increased reading skills. I do believe that his interests, such as sports, history and science should be incorporated into reading. When time for free read is available, he should be

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given age appropriate content, which allows him to gain more knowledge in all of his interests. Carmen- I do not think this classroom would be the best fit for Carmen in this case. I think this classroom focuses too much on simple literacy, and not enough on independent living skills. There is another selfcontained classroom in this school, which focuses more on the functional life skills aspect of education but also embeds the academic curriculum into their teaching. I think this setting would be more ideal for Carmen, and would try to include her into the general education classroom for all specials, such as art, lunch, music, and PE.

General Education Classroom Inventory

Class: 4th grade classroom Location: LT elementary school Day/Time: 8:30-9:30 Method of Data Collection: observation Observation of the Environment 1. Draw a picture of the classroom layout. See Attached 2. Is the environment accessible for students with varying needs? If not, what would it take to make the room accessible? Are these changes reasonable in your opinion? Juan- this area would be considered to be accessible for the student. There are a lot of signs up that explain the rules and what the student should be doing. There is a very set classroom routine which is posted in the classroom, and which lays out the expectations of the students. Carmen- this classroom might be harder for Carmen to move around because she is in a wheelchair. There are many desks in this classroom that are very close together. There are also mats in the back of the room the student goes to sit on. She would have to have a desk in either the front or back of the classroom, and might require assistance from aides when trying to navigate the classroom. The teachers desk is in the back of the classroom, but she does walk around a lot when teaching. To make the room more accessible for Carmen, the desks might need to be arranged in a way, which allow for more space between the desks, and a larger aisle to allow Carmen to move about more freely.

3. List general classroom routine for the specific activity, time period, or academic class you observed. I observed in the morning and the first lesson. The morning routine is a set routine that is done everyday. The students are required to walk in the classroom, get out all of their supplies, and put their belongings in their assigned locker in the hallway. The students are asked to use the smart board to sign up for the lunch that they want. They then are expected to independently fill out their assignment notebooks with the assignments they are to do for homework. At 8:45, they then begin whatever lesson they are working on. On this day, I observed for part of a social study lesson. The students read out loud as a classroom popcorn style, and then were asked to answer comprehension

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questions. They were multiple choice and short answer questions.

4. What were the major tasks/activities that you observed? Independently filling out their assignment notebooks, reading out loud, answering reading comprehension questions. 5. What evidence did you see (or not see) of differentiated instruction? i. Content- The content was all the same for all students in the classroom

ii. Process- The process in the classroom was a set routine. The students were allowed to do it at their own pace, as long as they finished everything expected of them by the time the lesson was starting (Approximately in 15-20 minutes).

iii. Product- all the students were asked to turn in the same comprehension questions at the end. They were checking to see if comprehension of the material read out loud was gained. The student was allowed to use their books.

iv. Learning Environment- The environment was either a whole classroom environment, or independent work. The students were generally self-reliant and did not need much instruction from others around them.

6. How were students grouped for instruction?

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At this time, the students were either put into groups as a whole class, or working independently by themselves. I did not witness much differentiated instruction going on. All students were given the same questions to answer, and the answers were then turned into a turn in folder.

7. Describe the teachers teaching style. The teacher in this classroom seemed to be pretty laid back. She treated her fourth graders as independent students. She did not badger them; rather she expected them to do their work independently. She would reprimand orally the students who got off task, but always seemed to use respectful and fair language in dealing with her students. She let her students pick who was going to read next during the social studies lesson, and she encouraged students to pick someone who hadnt read yet.

8. Describe the classroom climate (e.g., is it friendly? Will students with disabilities be easily accepted? What is the teachers attitude toward the students and other adults in the classroom?) This classroom climate is very accepting and inviting. The students are a small group, only four, and so there is a huge sense of camaraderie. The students work in a team, and are readily available to help each other. The teacher has developed a sincere relationship with each student, and truly seems to know the students and what they like to do. In the classroom, it is only the teacher, with a paraprofessional occasionally in and out of the classroom doing small activities. The classroom is always enthusiastic, and I think both Juan and Carmen would feel at ease in this classroom setting.

9. What was the quality of the teacher/student interactions you observed? During the time I observed, the teacher was not doing much instruction. The students were reading out loud as a class. The teacher would stop periodically to clarify a phrase a word, but nothing beyond that. Once an idea was clarified when a student asked a specific question. The students were also expected to use their books to find the answer to reading comprehension questions. The teacher walked around, and stopped at desks of specific students who has questions about the reading.

10. Besides the activities you observed, what are some other non-academic tasks students could perform in this setting. Part of this classrooms routine is to assign students in the classroom with jobs. There are jobs like line leader, window washer, pencil sharpener and board eraser. These jobs are assigned to the students randomly each week. The students are able to do this job whenever it becomes necessary. These jobs would give all students, with and without disabilities, a sense of leadership and ownership in the classroom. I think that both Juan and Carmen would benefit from having these jobs and doing different jobs each week to help them gain many different kinds of skills.

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11. Would you recommend this setting for learners with diverse abilities? Why or why not? Juan- Although this setting incorporates many of the key subjects that Juan likes, I feel that instructional benefits found in the special education classroom would better meet his instructional needs at this time. I feel that this classroom would give him the content he enjoys, but would not really provide him with adequate instruction in his true needs as a student. Carmen- I also think a special education setting would better serve Carmen and her needs. I think this classroom would be a good homeroom for Carmen, to allow her to have a morning routine around other students, but I think she needs to be given a greater focus on independent living skills. Many of the skills in this classroom were strictly academic. I think she would benefit socially from being included with her classroom during special activities, like movies, guest speakers, and the arts like music and art class.

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Non-Classroom / Community Inventory

Location: School Cafeteria Time of Observation: 4th Grade Lunch 11:00 am 1. Draw a picture of the physical layout of the setting See attached 2. What, if any, unusual characteristics are present in the setting? This is the typical school cafeteria. This cafeteria has 12 lunch tables, a hot lunch line, a milk line, and a place for cold lunches/sandwiches. There are monitors all throughout the cafeteria, and many students. There are three separate lunch periods, separated by grade level, to accommodate for all the students.

3. Is the environment accessible for the student? If not, what would it take to make the setting accessible? Are these changes reasonable in your opinion? This environment is generally accessible for both Juan and Carmen. The only change that would need to be made in the case of Carmen would that she would need to be brought there about 5 minutes early to allow to get her food before the rush because it could be hard to navigate around the long lines in her wheelchair. She would also have to transfer from her wheelchair to the cafeteria tables, because they are benches and not chairs. With the help of a paraprofessional, I dont foresee this being a big problem that could not be overcome. The aisles and spaces between the tables are generally pretty large, and see as if they would be easy to navigate through if one were using a wheelchair. What are the sub-environments in this setting where the student address his/her goals? For each potential sub-environment, identify the activities that would allow for instruction in key skills. Sub-Environment: Tables Activity: Children eat their lunch independently and socialize with their peers. Juan- this aspect could help with his socialization skills. Because he would be eating with his peers, he would need to learn what would be age appropriate conversation and behavior at a table. He could work on taking turns with talking. To help with these skills, a teachers aide could stand nearby and monitor the conversation, stepping in when it is necessary. Juan could also share his love for history and science, by sitting with children who also like to discuss these topics.

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Carmen- the tables would also be a great place for Carmen to begin using her VOCA device. It could have simple sentences and key phrases programmed into it, and Carmen could lead a conversation with her peers. Since she is shy, it would be important to first ask Carmen to identify a few peers she would choose to eat lunch with, and approach them to ask if they would eat lunch with her. By starting her in smaller groups, it would be less overwhelming, and it would encourage her to open up and use her VOCA device more.

Sub-Environment: Lunch Line Children wait in this line to get their lunch. They verbally ask for a hot lunch, cold lunch, or cheese sandwich. They must also indicate whether or not they get milk to drink. This line would be good for the both Carmen and Juan to increase their socialization skills. Juan would practice how to wait in line without getting impatient, and make an option about what lunch he wanted. He would have to wait. While in line, he could appropriately interact with his peers and then address the lunch ladies. Carmen- This activity would be even more beneficial for Carmen because it would force her to use her VOCA to communicate a simple selection. She would learn how to answer someone questions, and since the routine is the same, it would help for her to learn what it is like to order something. This could also help her if she was going out in the community, because it could be generalized to ordering in a restaurant, or making a simple selection in a grocery store.

4. Were employees easily sighted? Explain. There were monitors everywhere! The cafeteria probably had between 8-12 workers, all visibly available. They all walked around to monitor the students. There was very little interaction between the workers; almost all attention was focused on the students. 5. Were employees available for assistance? Explain. Yes. This was probably one of the most positive school cafeterias I have ever experienced. The workers were nice and efficient. They seemed to know their students. They made sure everyone got what they

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needed, they occupied students to the bathrooms, and they had conversations for the students. They reminded students to throw away their trash and gave warnings when lunch was almost over.

6. Describe the climate of the setting (e.g., Is it friendly? Will students with disabilities be easily accepted? What are employees attitudes toward customers?) The climate of this setting was very friendly. There was more laughter than anywhere else in the school. The students were allowed to just be kids. I didnt hear the monitors yelling, more giving simple and nice warnings. I feel that students with disabilities would find it to be enjoyable, as long as they were included in lunch tables with their non-disabled peers.

7. Are there safety concerns for participating in this setting? Juan- No Carmen- Because she would have to get out of her wheelchair to sit at a table, if there was an emergency, she would need assistance to get out of the cafeteria. Other than that, this is a generally safe and warm place that would allow for Carmen and Juan to just be normal kids having fun and eating lunch.

8. How does this setting match the characteristics and preferences of the student? Juan is an enthusiastic child, and this place was full of enthusiasm. Everyone was talking and laughing enjoying their lunches. There is no set topic to talk about, and everyone seemed to be enjoying different kinds of conversations. Carmen- I think Carmen would have a more difficult time in this setting because she is a shyer introverted child. This is a very loud and overwhelming environment. If Carmen were to do instruction in this environment, it would be important for her to come early, and get a routine. Also, she would have to have peers who she felt comfortable with join her for lunch. She can however, learn valuable skills here, such as how to make her preferences known (making a choice) and adding into conversations with her peers. 9. Would you recommend this setting for instruction? Why or why not? Yes. This would be a great place for both Carmen and Juan to gain socialization skills and incorporate their other goals into a non-intimidating environment.

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Non-Classroom / Community Inventory

Location: Schaumburg Library Time of Observation: Middle of the day- 12:00 1. Draw a picture of the physical layout of the setting See attached 2. What, if any, unusual characteristics are present in the setting? This is probably one of the biggest libraries I have ever seen in my entire life. This library has three floors, and is broken into 7 different sections, which are all in different rooms/spaces in the library. - Movies, Music, Children, Young Adult, New Arrivals, Fiction, and Non-Fiction. Within each room, there are subsections that help the reader find what they are looking for. There are also conference rooms, study tables throughout, and rooms where special events are held, such as movies or large presentations. There are two computer labs, one that is silent, and one, which allows for children to play interactive, educational games. There is also a play area that allows young children to play with many different toys, and large checker pieces are on the entire table in this section. 3. Is the environment accessible for the student? If not, what would it take to make the setting accessible? Are these changes reasonable in your opinion? Juan- This environment is accessible in the sense of physical space in the children section. However, there are many different area and spaces that Juan would successfully have to navigate through. The Adult spaces all have higher shelves, but the main material he would be looking at is in reach. There are things in all sections that Juan would find to be interesting. The children section had brightly displayed artwork from the local elementary school in it, while the adult non-fiction room has posters all over the walls, which depict reading topics and historical events. To make the library accessible to Juan, it would important for him, as a fourth grade student, to go there accompanied by an adult or older sibling to help him navigate more freely. Even as an adult, with three floors, it would be easy to get mixed up on where everything is located. Carmen- The first thing noticed when walking in the building is that there is an elevator directly when you walk in. It is nearly impossible to miss, because it is not in a back corner and there is a both the word elevator and a picture. The bathrooms are all also very wheelchair accessible. They have huge stalls, and a sink, that is lower to allow young children, and in this case Carmen, to wash her hands independently. The only potential problem seen is that some of the aisles in the sections are close together, or have plants/book racks at the corners, which could make it hard for Carmen to ambulate. Obviously, if Carmen was going to go to the library often, library staff could figure out alternate places for these things to make sure Carmen

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would be able to move about freely without obstacles. Like Juan, because Carmen is only in 4th grade, and has significant cognitive disabilities, it would be important for her to be with an adult, or least have them stay in the same building, just to make sure all safety concerns are covered for.

Sub-Environment: Children Play Area Activities: Children of all ages are playing age appropriate board games, and are reading materials such as magazines, books, or listening to music silently Juan- This area would be a good place for Juan to practice interacting and socializing with his peers. Many children seem to be playing board games. He could practice asking children if he could play, and appropriately playing games with them. Also, he could practice silently and independently reading, or at least attempting to read by choosing age appropriate materials that go along with his interests in science and history. Carmen- Carmen could work on independence skills in the library, such as navigating the library independently, selecting a material (movie. Book, CD act) that she would like and incorporating her VOCA into the activity when checking it out. She would have to remember to bring her library card, and ask for a bag for her item at the end. Sub-Environment: Check Out Area Activity- Children and Parents are interacting with librarian to check out the materials they would like to take home with them. Juan- This area would be good to instruct him on how to wait in line and properly follow directions or instructions. There is not any reading involved in this part, so it should be something that he can do semi independently. It would be a good place to teach him organization skills, like waiting in line and making sure he has his card ready to hand to the librarian. Carmen- The check out line would be a great place for her to use her VOCA. She could use simple phrases like thank you, I would like to check this out and No. The librarians could be instructed in advance to ask her questions which would be sure to be answered by her VOCA, and generally once she got more comfortable using it, they could engage in their normal conversation, and hopefully generalization in this situation would occur and Carmen would know how to respond. This would also be a similar activity to waiting in the lunch line, and it again is helping her gain communication skills

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and independence. Sub Environment- Movies Section Activity- people of all ages browsing reviewing and selecting DVDs and VHS tapes for viewing pleasure This would be a good place for both Carmen and Juan for the reason that it does not require them to have literacy skills. They can choose movies based on the picture on the front of the movie. This would also be a good way to increase their socialization skills, and ask a librarian to help them find a movie that fits their needs. Juan can look for movies that are historical or historical fiction, and Carmen can look for movies that she is interested in. This will help them communicate their preferences and become more independent. 4. Were employees easily sighted? Explain. The employees were easily sighted, and were always at the reference desk. They seemed generally friendly, but they did not move around or ask you if you needed help. It seemed as if the students/patrons needed to seek their help directly. Juan and Carmen would both need explicit instruction on how to approach these workers and ask for help if they were to need it. 5. Were employees available for assistance? Explain. Yes. Again, they would give help IF the patron went to seek their assistance.

6. Describe the climate of the setting (e.g., Is it friendly? Will students with disabilities be easily accepted? What are employees attitudes toward customers?) The climate was very quiet. It seemed to be a generally academic place in the upstairs section, with many college and high school students quietly reading or studying for exams. The downstairs children section however was bustling with lots of families. There were many different age groups represented, as well as people of all genders and ethnicities. I feel that a person with a disability would be generally well accepted because the library is a place where everyone is able to go, regardless of what you are and are not able to do.

7. Are there safety concerns for participating in this setting? I think the main safety concern in a library this big would be for a stranger to approach either Juan or Carmen and take advantage of the fact they have a disability. Because they are 4th grade students, they are at a heightened risk to be kidnapped, as compared to a student in high school. As noted before, it would be

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important for an adult to be in the library at all times, just to monitor that everything is going all right.

8. How does this setting match the characteristics and preferences of the student? Juan is an enthusiastic child and there is certainly a lot he can be enthusiastic about. He can learn skills at the library that will help in the future, such as making choices, waiting in line, and checking things out. The library is a great place to find things of all different kinds of subjects- history, art, and science, all of Juans favorite things. He could find picture books, and books with simple words. It is a good place for him to come hang out and socialize. Carmen- Carmen too would gain the same benefits as Juan. She however, would get more practice using her VOCA, and since checking things out at the library is a pretty constant process, she should be able to learn how to use her VOCA in this setting generally pretty quickly.

9. Would you recommend this setting for instruction? Why or why not? Yes. This would be a great place for both Carmen and Juan to gain socialization skills and incorporate their other goals into a non-intimidating environment. It also would be a good place for them to go and just hang out and have fun. This is a place where all different kinds of people go, and it is nor weird to just sit there and read, hang out, or look at a magazine. Also, Carmen and Juans parents want them to learn skills in the community, and a library is a great place for them to start building these community skills

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Objectives Special Education Classroom Objective Juan- When shown a flashcard of a high frequency word at his instructional level, Juan will orally say the word accurately within 5 seconds with 100% mastery of 10 words for 5 consecutive school days to increase his reading abilities of high frequency words. Carmen- During a reading lesson, Carmen will use her VOCA to answer questions that the teacher has orally dictated to her about a book or passage that was read out loud to her to check for reading comprehension. Mastery will be when Carmen is able to respond with her VOCA correctly as determined by the grading rubric with 100% mastery of three sets of questions for 7 consecutive probe trials. Regular Education Classroom Objective Juan- After listening to his classmates and teachers read a social studies material out loud, Juan will orally dictate and summarize key information from the readings to the teacher to help improve his comprehension and summarizing skills. Mastery will be based on the grading rubric designed by the teacher, and will be when Juan successfully completes the rubric with at least a 4/5 for 10 consecutive probe trials. Carmen- During the morning routine, Carmen will use her VOCA to orally choose what her lunch selection will be. Mastery will be when she is able to independently choose her lunch selection each day on 14 consecutive days. School Cafeteria Juan- When in the cafeteria, Juan will choose a table to sit at with his peers and will discuss topics, which have been deemed appropriate through discussion between him and his teachers. He will take turns listening to his peers and waiting at least 3 seconds to respond to them. Mastery will be when he is able to have a conversation in which he does not interrupt his peers more than five times in a 30 minute conversation for 5 consecutive school day. Carmen- When Carmen reaches the front of the line, she will use her VOCA to communicate which of the three options available for lunch is the one she would like to eat for the day. Mastery will be when she can independently dictate her choice to the lunchroom monitors with accuracy 100% of the time for 10 consecutive school days. Library Juan- When at the library, Juan will complete all the mandatory steps of the task analysis of how to check a material out from the library independently. Mastery will be when he is able to complete 100% of the steps

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on 3 consecutive probe trials. Carmen- When checking out at the Library, Carmen will use her VOCA to give a salutation to the librarian, say thank you, and say an a closing signifying she is all complete with her transaction. Mastery will be when all three of these are done on five consecutive trials. Name: Alyssa Margulis

Juan
Base this brainstorm on your school placement (age group) this semester.

ALL Important Environments Brainstorm

Regular Ed Classroom Special Education Classroom

Rationale
To see where instruction takes place To see how he interacts with

School Library

peers during quiet time, to see if he checks out books at his instructional level To see his socialization with

Public Library

peers, He loves sports and frequents

Sports Center

his brothers games

School Cafeteria

Time where he socialized with peers, might need help with self monitoring Goes there with his parents a lot, may have options to increase his vocational/independence skills Interested in history and science

Community College where his parents work

Museum

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Is in fourth grade and probably frequents these places a lot. McDonalds, other FF restaurant School Playgrounds Has a lot of socialization with peers on playgrounds, may need help with interacting with his peers. This is the time where most On school bus children prone to problem behaviors act up and get upset. May need help to appropriately self-monitor behavior.

Possible Priority Areas (Only after you brainstorm) 1. SPED classroom

Rationale This is where instruction is taking place, where he is getting most reading instruction His homeroom, where much of the socialization aspects come in that he needs help with. Socialization with peers is happening all the time in the cafeteria, may need advice on how to properly socialize. May want to see books/find books at his instructional level that have to do with history or science, may also help with his social skills.

2. Regular Ed Classroom

3. School Cafeteria

4.Public Library

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Carmen Base this brainstorm on your school placement (age group) this semester. ALL Important Environments Brainstorm Rationale To see where instruction is Reg-Ed Classroom SPED classroom taking place, to see what kinds of accommodations are being made.

School library To see what/Carmen interacts with her peers in a different setting other than a classroomsee what materials interest her.

School Cafeteria

See how accessible the cafeteria is, to watch with what independence she can eat, get her food, sit with peers ECT.

School Bathroom

TO see with what independence she can use the bathroom.

Wal-Mart

Her parents want to increase her

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community skills, Wal-Mart is a big part of the community (shopping) May go there to do Community Center activities/sports outside of school.

Students Home

To see the home environment/what accommodations have been made/what it is like for Carmen at home.

Public Library

To watch for socialization skills are needed, to see with what independence she can access material, to see how accessible the building is.

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Possible Priority Areas (Only after you brainstorm) 1. Reg Ed Classroom

Rationale To see where her instruction is taking place, how, and how to incorporate her communication device within To see where her instruction is taking place, how, and how to incorporate her communication device within To see how independently Carmen will be able to access the facility, the potential hazards of the environment, how peers interact and socialize. A safe, public place where Carmen can start to learn some independence skills and selfadvocacy.

2. SPED classroom

3. School Cafeteria

4. Public Library

Summary- Juan

Why Were the Four inventories selected and how were they relevant-?

The four inventories selected for Juan were, his special education resource classroom, his general education classroom, the school cafeteria, and the public library. The first two were selected because they were the most obvious places that Juan would be receiving instruction. These are important places to survey

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because as a teacher, it is important to see where the instruction he is currently receiving is taking place. In addition, it is important to note the similarities and more importantly the differences in the two environments. For example, the resource room focuses intensely on reading and reading acquisition, a skill Juan greatly needs to improve with. His general education classroom focuses on individual subjects taught at the 4th grade level. Although it would be great to just automatically put Juan in the special education classroom, it is important to note that he still would benefit from some of these lessons, and there are different activities he can to do participate in class and gain experience socially. The school cafeteria was chosen for Juan because it was a practical place that he would be gaining valuable social skills that he desperately needs. This is a safe environment where he can learn to appropriately and maturely interact with peers his own age. The last environment looked at was the public library. I chose this environment because it was a place Juan could learn independence skills with checking material out, and he could also find materials at his level that could help keep his interest.

Your Overall impression of whether or not each setting is appropriate-

I think that each setting that was inventoried had activities with in the setting that could be beneficial for the students. In all environments, Juan would gain a valuable skill, such as increased reading, increased independence, and socialization skills. However, I thought some environments were more appropriate than others. For example, I thought the special education classroom, with its intensive reading intervention, was the best academic placement for Juan because it focuses on skills that all members involved in his PCP meeting thought were most beneficial. I think that the general education classroom had certain lessons in it that were beneficial for Juan, and there were classroom jobs that focused on important non-academic skills that Juan could acquire, such as learning responsibility to go down the officer, or leading his class in the pledge. The public library was the last place inventoried. I think that this setting offers a place where Juan

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can appropriately learn independence skills, and can finds books of all different reading levels with a variety of interests. There are even places with in the library, like the computer lab and play area, where Juan can play games independently or with peers.

Summary of most relevant activities and Sub environments for instruction and why-

I think the most relevant activities in the special education classroom for Juan would be the activities, which focus on blending sounds together to begin to make words. This would help him to gain a basis for reading, and would hopefully begin to foster a higher reading level. In the regular education classroom, I think it would be important for Juan to be able to listen and hear lessons that focus on his interest in science and social studies. However, I think the teacher would need to modify the comprehension aspect of the lesson so Juan would be able to do the lesson without having the ability to read the question. If it was done in an auditory format where a paraprofessional could dictate his answers, he may be able to summarize and dictate information back. In the school cafeteria, I think the most important sub environment would be at the school lunchroom table. This is where all the kids with and without disabilities were seated and talking. It would be important for Juan to learn socially acceptable table conversation and manners, and how to properly interact with his peers. In the last place, the public library, I think the most important sub environment would be the check out line. By learning that you need to always bring a card that identifies you, using proper manners, and independently going through the process of checking material out, Juan will be able to gain skills of independence, which will help in the future possibly live on his own or get a job.

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Summary- Carmen

Why the four inventories were relevant, and how they were selected from the list-

The four inventories were selected from the list because they offered a diverse range of activities and needs that met Carmens goals for her future. The first two setting inventoried represented different places where Carmen could go to receive academic instruction. The first was a general education fourth grade classroom. The general education classroom seemed like an appropriate place to inventory because it is always important to look at ways to include children with disabilities in the regular education classroom. It was

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important to see how Carmen could be included in this class, including during academic and non-academic times. The second place inventoried was the special education resource room. I thought this was important because this is not a self-contained classroom, but a pull out room, which offers additional instruction to students struggling in a variety of content areas. Because Carmen has a disability, it was important to see the types of resources available to her outside of the general education curriculum. I choose to assess the school cafeteria because it seemed to be a place that Carmen could find overwhelming. It also provided a place where Carmen could learn many social skills and how to interact better with her peers. The last place I choose was the library. Carmens parents started they wanted her to learn skills outside of school and in the community. The library is a generally safe place to start and build independence and communication skills. There are many friendly employees there, who she can learn to use her VOCA to engage with. It seemed this was a great first step in giving Carmen a sense of community outside of her home and school.

Your overall impression of whether or not each setting Is appropriate for instruction-

I thought the general education classroom would be a good place for Carmen to start out in. This would be a good time for her to learn a morning routine and to gain valuable social skills while greeting her peers in the morning. However, based on the very high degree of academic content presented in this classroom, with very little differentiated instruction, I believe Carmen would find being in this classroom quite difficult to comprehend. I think that a special education curriculum, which focuses more on vocational skills, would be a better fit for Carmen. Similarity, in the special education resource room, I think many of the activities would need to be modified to help fit Carmens needs. However, the activities are all more individualized, and focus on what the student needs help on (content wise). Building in working on learning to use her VOCA to answer questions and participate in activities, could be embedded into both the general education classroom, and the special education classroom. If I were making a recommendation for Carmens parents, I

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would tell them I would now like to survey the special education functional life skills classroom, to see if the activities they do in that classroom would more better fit the needs of the student. The school cafeteria and the library were both places that I thought instruction was appropriate. The students learned valuable social and independence skills, and the use of her VOCA could easily be incorporated into many aspects in both of these settings.

A summary of the most relevant activities and sub environment and why-

I think the most relevant activities seen across all environments was incorporating the use of Carmens VOCA whenever possible. It is important for her to know that she can use their piece of AT in a variety of settings in similar ways. By using this is the lunch line, or the check out line at the library, Carmen is gaining independence, and learning how to make preferences and choices. I think these two sub environments were the most important to teach in, because the provided the most naturalistic setting to have instruction in. Critical Reflection and Application to Future Work:

Strengths of the EI processI think the strengths of this process were that is really forced you to think of how a different environments would affect a different students. Many of these environments are places you go all the time, but you truly begin to look at them differently when you are observing them, looking for specific things and topics to address. I also thought this process was nice because it showed you how many of the same skills can be taught and incorporated across many of the different environments. Another strength of this process was that is was very thorough. The observer really had to spend time in the environment to find out all the information that they needed to find. The last strength was that the inventories could be used for multiple

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students. It was nice because they observer could go to one environment, and think how it could be applicable for more than one student.

Weakness of the EI process- I think one of the biggest weaknesses that I noticed was that the observer could only really be there for a short time. They were only seeing what was going on for that specific time. For example, I was not able to see any differentiated instruction in the general education classroom, because it was a standardized comprehension lesson. I think it would be beneficial to go in multiple times and observe to see if different finding happen during different times on different days.

How will you apply the EI process to you future work- In my future work as an educator, I think the most important thing to realize is that my students are going to need help in places just outside of the classroom. AS a teacher, it is your job to give your students not only book smarts, but street smarts as well. I will work diligently to provide them instruction in a variety of settings, to help promote generalization of activities throughout a multitude of different settings. As an educator, when trying to promote different learning objectives with my students, I will use the EI to get a basis of instruction. I think it is important to know you must incorporate activities and instruction into the environments. Although some environments allow for the student to learn and generalize naturalistically, it is also important as a teacher to be prepared. I think when looking at my caseload as a teacher, if I was going to conduct an EI, I would first looks for correlations between the students. As you can see, all four environments used in this EI fit for both Juan and Carmen, and met different needs. As a teacher, it would be important to consider all of your different students, and how their needs would vary across different environments. I think one of the most difficult parts of doing an EI would be to accurately be able to do it with out using up too much time. Observing four environments, brainstorming, and reflecting alone took between 720 hours of work, and this was just for four! If a student had severe disabilities, and needed instruction in

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many different locations, it would be difficult to devote enough time necessary to get an accurate view of the environment. I think the only answer to this would be that the teacher would really have to know exactly what it was they were looking for, and go in with a plan (such as the way this EI survey was set up). Also, as a teacher gets more experience in doing EIs, they will be able to refine their skills, and find their answers faster. It is important to remember that you have to do what is most going to benefit your students, and if it takes time, so be it. The last and final aspect that can be a barrier of an EI is getting the IEP team members to buy in to the idea. Many different people have their own ideas of the best way to provide instruction to an individual student. As a special education teacher, it is important to remember to take every persons opinion into account. Maybe for an individual student, a team member has a better idea of how to make instructional decisions for that student. However, if you really believe that this is the best way for your student, I think the most important thing you can do is advocate. Show your team examples, give clear, reasonable explanations, and be patient with them. Show them why it works and how. Ask them to participate by coming along with you to conduct the observation. Also, make it known that this is a collaborative effort in combination with many other things that will help to be beneficial for the student.

Although an EI takes a lot of time to complete, It is a valuable process that can help put you in the perspective of your student. Look at how they would see the world, and think of activities you could do to promote learning and growth each and every day.