The Public Law 105-17 and chapter 247 from the Code of Ethics and Standards Practice for Texas Educators supports the need of lesson modifications to serve special needs population (Texas Safety Standards, 2000). Teachers must be aware of the Individual Education Plan (IEP) designed for the special needs students to follow the Annual Review and Dismissal (ARD) committee recommendations to adjust the lesson plan to their needs and take advantage of their existing equipment in order to provide the same learning opportunity. The IEP if the students do not have sufficient equipment to be successful in the lesson you will need to implement some modifications to it.
Educators should not only enlarge, illustrate, and emphasize the activity handouts for instructions and safety precautions, but also review this information one-to-one using sound enhanced equipment (adjustable volume, or speech rate) to accommodate the (hear or visual impaired) special students.
· Further, the classroom should include graphic representations of the classroom safety protocol and detailed instructions for students during an emergency (CAST, 2011).
Teachers need to clarify not only the lesson vocabulary and symbols but also those required for the safety of the activity. Teachers and aides need to become familiarized to the National Center on Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM) to access formats needed by the special needs students in order to provide them a fair opportunity to access lesson content (CAST, 2011).
· The instructor needs to provide the student with instructions handouts in Braille (request them in advance so they can be available for the students by the time of the activity).
Make sure that all every student is receiving the same concept. Mathematical expressions, graphs and symbols should be incorporated during the explanations. Special aide personnel (sign language interpreter) should be allocated to provide guidance across the instruction time and make accessible the information from the activity to special students.
· AIM Explorer should be available in the computer software to provide students with the opportunity to customize their use of the Internet according to their needs. This software is free and allows the user to magnify text and graphics. It also supports text to speech for human and synthetic voice and allows the user to adjust the speed.
Every science teacher should master the WGBH’s Guidelines for describing STEM Images (CAST, 2011).
· Written description of the activities following these guidelines should be available to the aide personnel to assist the blind student during the student’s instruction.
In addition, educators need to provide specific instructions to the aide personnel and allocate some time for their special students to work on their homework activity under their supervision. This time will foster their inquiry and active participation in the lesson.
Educators should not only enlarge, illustrate, and emphasize the activity handouts for instructions and safety precautions, but also review this information one-to-one using sound enhanced equipment (adjustable volume, or speech rate) to accommodate the (hear or visual impaired) special students.
· Further, the classroom should include graphic representations of the classroom safety protocol and detailed instructions for students during an emergency (CAST, 2011).
Teachers need to clarify not only the lesson vocabulary and symbols but also those required for the safety of the activity. Teachers and aides need to become familiarized to the National Center on Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM) to access formats needed by the special needs students in order to provide them a fair opportunity to access lesson content (CAST, 2011).
· The instructor needs to provide the student with instructions handouts in Braille (request them in advance so they can be available for the students by the time of the activity).
Make sure that all every student is receiving the same concept. Mathematical expressions, graphs and symbols should be incorporated during the explanations. Special aide personnel (sign language interpreter) should be allocated to provide guidance across the instruction time and make accessible the information from the activity to special students.
· AIM Explorer should be available in the computer software to provide students with the opportunity to customize their use of the Internet according to their needs. This software is free and allows the user to magnify text and graphics. It also supports text to speech for human and synthetic voice and allows the user to adjust the speed.
Every science teacher should master the WGBH’s Guidelines for describing STEM Images (CAST, 2011).
· Written description of the activities following these guidelines should be available to the aide personnel to assist the blind student during the student’s instruction.
In addition, educators need to provide specific instructions to the aide personnel and allocate some time for their special students to work on their homework activity under their supervision. This time will foster their inquiry and active participation in the lesson.