Class outline: Class #11

.Teaching Students with Intensive Communication Needs

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June 18, 2007 (class #11)
Topic: Assessment Issues

Class outline:

4:20-4:30 Quick questions and quandaries. Announcements:

Don't forget to turn in your rough draft of your progressive essay.

Don’t forget your intervention assignment and presentations are due Friday. We strongly urge you to include a handout for your colleagues. Think about what you would want to know and let that guide your preparation.

4:30-4:50 Small group activity:

Develop a brief informational summary about assessing the communication skills of students with intensive communication needs. This could take the form of an overhead, handout, brochure, etc. and should be in parent friendly language.

4:50-5:10 Report out

5:10-5:20 Quick write: As a special educator (not diagnostician), what sort of information should you gather that would provide relevant, meaningful, and informative assessment data? If you are not a special educator, what sort of information do you think teachers (general and special) should collect?

5:20-6:15 Interactive presentation: General assessment issues and best practices

6:15-6:20 Minute paper:

What was the most important concept you learned in class today?

What was the muddiest part of the class?

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Overheads:

PowerPoint file

Handouts:
none today
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Optional Reading Questions:
Note: All of the readings, required and recommended, can be found on electronic reserves at Zimmerman library. Please contact the instructor for the course password.
Downing, 1999, chapter 2

1) What reasons does Downing identify for assessing students with severe disabilities (what is the purpose of assessment)?

2) Why does Downing argue that students with severe disabilities can benefit from communication intervention? And why might some professionals think such students are not eligible for services?

3) What should be assessed

4) What methods of assessment does Downing recommend?

5) How can you use assessment to guide program planning?

6) Now that you've read this chapter:

what are some new terms for you from this chapter?

what seem to be some important concepts in this reading?

what new questions do you have?

Downing, 1999, chapter 3

1) Downing states that students with intensive communication needs should be educated in general education classrooms. Why does she say this? Do you agree or disagree with her position? Why or why not?

2) Why should the communication environment be assessed, rather than only student's language skills?

3) What techniques does Downing recommend to assess the communicative environment?

4) Now that you've read this chapter:

what are some new terms for you from this chapter?

what seem to be some important concepts in this reading?

what new questions do you have?

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Additional Resources:
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Recommended Readings:
Brown, F., Snell, M. E., & Lehr, D. (2000). Meaningful assessment. In M. E. Snell & F. Brown (Eds.), Instruction of students with severe disabilities (pp. 67-110) (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill.
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Carter, M., & Iacono, T. (2002). Professional judgments of the intentionality of communicative acts. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 18(3), 177-191.
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Nelson, C., van Dijk, J., McDonnell, A. P., & Thompson, K. (2002). A framework for understanding young children with severe multiple disabilities: The van Dijk approach to assessment. Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 27(2), 97-111.
Recommended Websites:

Information on task analysis by a professor at Hunter college: http://maxweber.hunter.cuny.edu/pub/eres/EDSPC715_MCINTYRE/TaskAnalysis.html

Look at the home page for SPCD 527 -- Kay Osbourne provided a wealth of data sheets appropriate for students with intellectual and severe disabilities: http://www.unm.edu/~devalenz/527/527home.html (scroll down to the bottom rght side of the page)

Portfolios and Parents—An Unbeatable Combination: Assessment with Deaf and Hard of Hearing Toddlers. From Perspectives in Education and Deafness

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Return to top Julia Scherba de Valenzuela, Ph.D.
Last updated: June 14, 2007

4:20-4:30	Quick questions and quandaries. Announcements: Don't forget to turn in your rough draft of your progressive essay. Don’t forget your intervention assignment and presentations are due Friday. We strongly urge you to include a handout for your colleagues. Think about what you would want to know and let that guide your preparation.
4:30-4:50	Small group activity: Develop a brief informational summary about assessing the communication skills of students with intensive communication needs. This could take the form of an overhead, handout, brochure, etc. and should be in parent friendly language.
4:50-5:10	Report out
5:10-5:20	Quick write: As a special educator (not diagnostician), what sort of information should you gather that would provide relevant, meaningful, and informative assessment data? If you are not a special educator, what sort of information do you think teachers (general and special) should collect?
5:20-6:15	Interactive presentation: General assessment issues and best practices
6:15-6:20	Minute paper: What was the most important concept you learned in class today? What was the muddiest part of the class?

1)	What reasons does Downing identify for assessing students with severe disabilities (what is the purpose of assessment)?
2)	Why does Downing argue that students with severe disabilities can benefit from communication intervention? And why might some professionals think such students are not eligible for services?
3)	What should be assessed
4)	What methods of assessment does Downing recommend?
5)	How can you use assessment to guide program planning?
6)	Now that you've read this chapter: what are some new terms for you from this chapter? what seem to be some important concepts in this reading? what new questions do you have?

1)	Downing states that students with intensive communication needs should be educated in general education classrooms. Why does she say this? Do you agree or disagree with her position? Why or why not?
2)	Why should the communication environment be assessed, rather than only student's language skills?
3)	What techniques does Downing recommend to assess the communicative environment?
4)	Now that you've read this chapter: what are some new terms for you from this chapter? what seem to be some important concepts in this reading? what new questions do you have?