Teaching Learning-Focused Strategies and Skills to Educators with Students with Special Needs in Their Class
Course Date: Refer to Calendar page.
Normal Fee: S$750 (Singapore Residents). Funding details available at the Funding page.
Course Overview
It is now commonplace to have students with learning disabilities or special needs within a mainstream class. There are obvious benefits for their inclusion in a ‘typically functioning’ class. Yet, whilst this is a necessary and positive development, it poses a vitally important question:
Are teachers’ current pedagogical approaches equally effective for a student with learning disabilities or special needs?
The answer may be negative due to a host of different reasons; for instance, practical demands such as time or class size may skew the choice of approaches to benefit one type of learners over another; the pressure of looming exams may dictate pedagogy; teachers are not familiar with the challenges faced by some students. Whatever the case, it is valuable to reflect and review the effectiveness of current practice based on evidence-based research on pedagogical strategies including those that have a proven track record in enabling students with special needs and learning disabilities to learn better.
This workshop emphasises on evidence-based pedagogies, effective differentiation and socio-emotional and behavioural strategies to support learning.
The trajectory of the workshop is as follows:
At the end of the course, participants will:
The course will include regular participant discussions and hands-on activities (e.g. case scenarios, resource preparation, pedagogical and assessment design and implementation) as well as suggested post-course, follow-up activities.
Mr Simon Reynolds is the workshop facilitator. Simon worked with the Singapore Ministry of Education for over thirty years. In his various roles there, he oversaw the development, implementation and review of a range of national syllabuses, developed and implemented programmes in assessment for special needs, sexuality education for special needs as well as working on syllabuses for Social and Emotional Learning, Communication, Language and Literacy, and Daily Living Skills. Simon also worked closely with several Special Education Schools with a particular emphasis on autism and intellectual disability, teacher development and pedagogy, assessment, and curriculum design and implementation in Special Needs Education.
Simon is currently a consultant for Special Education Schools in Singapore working on pedagogy, assessment, programme design and effective classroom management. Simon is also a part-time lecturer and practicum supervisor in teacher training for Special Needs with the National Institute of Education. He continues to work on a voluntary basis with individuals on the autism spectrum.
Simon has a Master’s Degree and Graduate Certificate in Autism Studies from the Autism Centre for Excellence ,Griffith University Queensland, Australia, and a Master’s Degree in English Studies from the National University of Singapore. He is currently pursuing certification in Applied Behaviour Analysis. Simon was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Bronze) in 2013.
Target Audience
This workshop is designed for educators and management staff, especially from the tertiary institutions, who have students with special educational needs, and learning disabilities in their classes and schools. Educators and management from special needs schools will also find this course very useful.
It is suitable for:
No previous understanding of special needs or learning disabilities is assumed. The exact pitching of the course will be based on a brief pre-course survey of participants’ current knowledge and experiences, and their goals and expectations.
Duration
One and a half days
Delivery Mode
Online via Zoom
Workshop Topics:
Part A: Reflections on the Nature of Teaching and the Teacher Role
Part B: How to Build an Inclusive Classroom
Part C: Developing Effective Pedagogy and Assessment
Part D: Partnering and Engaging the Family
Part E: Building School Processes
Part F: Putting It Together: Table Top Case Study
Participants will be divided into teams (depending on participant demographics, groups may be based on grade level/age divisions). Each group will:
The instructor will be on hand to advise and mentor the teams.
Each team will submit the plan to the instructor who will provide feedback and if time allows present the plan to the full group.
It is now commonplace to have students with learning disabilities or special needs within a mainstream class. There are obvious benefits for their inclusion in a ‘typically functioning’ class. Yet, whilst this is a necessary and positive development, it poses a vitally important question:
Are teachers’ current pedagogical approaches equally effective for a student with learning disabilities or special needs?
The answer may be negative due to a host of different reasons; for instance, practical demands such as time or class size may skew the choice of approaches to benefit one type of learners over another; the pressure of looming exams may dictate pedagogy; teachers are not familiar with the challenges faced by some students. Whatever the case, it is valuable to reflect and review the effectiveness of current practice based on evidence-based research on pedagogical strategies including those that have a proven track record in enabling students with special needs and learning disabilities to learn better.
This workshop emphasises on evidence-based pedagogies, effective differentiation and socio-emotional and behavioural strategies to support learning.
The trajectory of the workshop is as follows:
- Reflect on the exact nature of teaching (and the teacher) from the perspective of special educational needs
- Discuss the socio-emotional dimension of teaching and learning.
- Consider the nature of the inclusive classroom and the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL).
- Explore the use of key evidence-based pedagogical strategies proven effective for students with learning disabilities and special needs (e.g., Direct Instruction, Peer Collaboration, Cognitive Strategy Instruction etc.).
- Design and modify pedagogies for practical use whilst retaining their fidelity.
- In an instructor-led setting, plan the practical implementation of each strategy for the participants’ individual school and classroom.
At the end of the course, participants will:
- learn to reflect on their current teaching practice;
- plan the safe and practical implementation of pedagogical strategies for the classroom, and
- enhance systemic processes at the subject, departmental and school levels to better meet the needs of all students, be they “typical” students, students with autism, ADHD or learning disabilities, or simply struggling to keeping up with the demands of the syllabus.
The course will include regular participant discussions and hands-on activities (e.g. case scenarios, resource preparation, pedagogical and assessment design and implementation) as well as suggested post-course, follow-up activities.
Mr Simon Reynolds is the workshop facilitator. Simon worked with the Singapore Ministry of Education for over thirty years. In his various roles there, he oversaw the development, implementation and review of a range of national syllabuses, developed and implemented programmes in assessment for special needs, sexuality education for special needs as well as working on syllabuses for Social and Emotional Learning, Communication, Language and Literacy, and Daily Living Skills. Simon also worked closely with several Special Education Schools with a particular emphasis on autism and intellectual disability, teacher development and pedagogy, assessment, and curriculum design and implementation in Special Needs Education.
Simon is currently a consultant for Special Education Schools in Singapore working on pedagogy, assessment, programme design and effective classroom management. Simon is also a part-time lecturer and practicum supervisor in teacher training for Special Needs with the National Institute of Education. He continues to work on a voluntary basis with individuals on the autism spectrum.
Simon has a Master’s Degree and Graduate Certificate in Autism Studies from the Autism Centre for Excellence ,Griffith University Queensland, Australia, and a Master’s Degree in English Studies from the National University of Singapore. He is currently pursuing certification in Applied Behaviour Analysis. Simon was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Bronze) in 2013.
Target Audience
This workshop is designed for educators and management staff, especially from the tertiary institutions, who have students with special educational needs, and learning disabilities in their classes and schools. Educators and management from special needs schools will also find this course very useful.
It is suitable for:
- Mainstream classroom teachers and AEDs
- Senior Teachers, HODs, and School Management overseeing the implementation of effective inclusive programmes for students with learning disabilities such as ASD, ADHD, and dyslexia.
- Specials needs teachers and management
No previous understanding of special needs or learning disabilities is assumed. The exact pitching of the course will be based on a brief pre-course survey of participants’ current knowledge and experiences, and their goals and expectations.
Duration
One and a half days
Delivery Mode
Online via Zoom
Workshop Topics:
Part A: Reflections on the Nature of Teaching and the Teacher Role
- The challenges of managing and teaching a class of students with different learning abilities in a mainstream school
- Recognizing neuro-diversity: autism, ADHD, ADD and other learning disabilities - implications and misconceptions
- Behavior as communication- what is student behavior communicating?
- The value of strength-based approaches
Part B: How to Build an Inclusive Classroom
- Inclusive teaching
- Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
- Different ways of presenting lesson content
- Different ways of engaging students: principles of authenticity, relevance, activity, physicality, imagination, interests and strengths
- Demonstrating Learning in a variety of ways
Part C: Developing Effective Pedagogy and Assessment
- Evidence-based pedagogical strategies for all students
- The value of working in groups, collaboration and group projects and peer mentoring
- Transiting from formative assessment to formal exams; the importance of accommodations and modifications
Part D: Partnering and Engaging the Family
Part E: Building School Processes
- The importance of sharing: challenges and solutions
- Building and sharing resources
- Coordination and consistency across teaching staff
Part F: Putting It Together: Table Top Case Study
Participants will be divided into teams (depending on participant demographics, groups may be based on grade level/age divisions). Each group will:
- Identify up to three pedagogical/assessment strategies from the course that they can usefully implement
- Design a brief preliminary plan for implementing the strategies that take into account practicality, school culture and processes and their own knowledge and experience. [SR1]
The instructor will be on hand to advise and mentor the teams.
Each team will submit the plan to the instructor who will provide feedback and if time allows present the plan to the full group.
