Professional Documents
Culture Documents
18563346
17/09/2016
2H
Student Profile
Name: Marion Dalli1
Age: 14
Year: 8
Marion finds enjoyment in a number of extracurricular activities, in
particular visual arts. She shines in this venture due to her ability to
translate her emotions into striking colours and shapes. Her parents
have high expectations for her, and, recognising her abilities in this
field, encourage her passion. In other activities that Marion enjoys,
including sport and mathematics, her enthusiasm drives her to persist
and achieve. Her parents and two sisters assist in this, by going with
her to the gym and undertaking mathematics programs with her. This
allows Marion to feel confident and reassured when challenging herself
(Down syndrome Australia, 2014, p.6). This is very important because
Marion is very failure sensitive, and making errors in front of new
people or strangers can cause her distress. Marion struggled with
mathematics in primary, and makes a conscious effort to push herself in
this field using online programs with visual demonstrations and clues.
Marion has some minor hearing and visual impairment, but glasses and
speech therapy when she was young have eased the effects of these
conditions on her functioning. She has significant trouble with short
term memory, and often has to have instructions repeated. If people
are impatient, she can often get frustrated or upset, particularly when
trying to communicate complex ideas.
The days in which students with disabilities were segregated and
isolated into separate schools and communities are long over. In their
place, the field of inclusive education has grown, strengthened by
innovative research and positive results. Inclusive education has far
reaching benefits for all students, allowing children with disabilities to
participate and grow, and increasing positive behaviour, independence,
and traits of patience, trust and empathy in their classmates (Stahmer,
2011, p.628). One innovative design for education is the Universal
Design for Learning, developing in 1997 by the Centre for Applied
Special Technology. This universal design can be highly beneficial for
students with a range of disabilities, including students with Down
syndrome. Down syndrome is a cognitive disability caused by an
additional chromosome. Its characteristics vary greatly but it can be
best surmised as slowed development with very specific strengths and
weaknesses, including strong visual awareness and impairments in
memory, speech and language (Miller, Morling and Wong, 2013, p.6-9).
The subject of the above case study, Marion Dalli, presents with several
of these characteristics, and others which are common to children born
with Down syndrome, such as visual impairment. Though there are
1 Case study based on in class observations of a student with Down syndrome
during professional practise (name and some details have been changed). Some
elements from a 2014 documentary produced by Down Syndrome Australia
Down Syndrome Today have been integrated, for the purpose of anonymity
and enhancement of practical applicability of results.
Gabrielle Magee
18563346
17/09/2016
2H
Gabrielle Magee
18563346
17/09/2016
2H
visual literacy. To allow Marion to utilise this ability, the literacy starter
worksheet and the written notation activity in this lesson can be
adjusted. The worksheet would first need to be broken down, from a
paragraph to individual sentences. Next, the word bank would be
broken down, offering three words per sentence, instead of twenty
words per paragraph. This increases the readability of the activity for
all students, particularly for Marion because large paragraphs of text
can overload underdeveloped short term memory processors (Cologon,
2013, p.137). Additional visual support is then provided in the form of
visual clues. Children with Down syndrome learn best though sight
vocabulary, particularly through linking images to words (Miller et al,
2014, p.22). The words within the word-bank that are appropriate to
Marions current vocabulary, such as born, married, died,
books, and a few others that would challenge her vocabulary skills
but can be explained visually, such as magazine or zookeeper can
be supported by visual cues such an image of a man next to a zoo.
These adjustations to the worksheet incorporate the UDL principle of
multiple means of representation, which will assist visual-spatial
learners in the class while also allowing Marion to use her visual
literacy skills to support her reading.
The written notation activities will also need to be adjusted with visual
prompts. A Powerpoint can replace written notes on the whiteboard.
For each of the ten elements of biography and autobiography, a
photograph can be shown, to connect the concept to a scene from
reality, such as a family photograph under Family Members. Again
the first UDL principle is being used, but the visual representation will
also assist Marion in making the connection between complex concepts
and simple, reality based definitions (Cologon, 2013, p.137). By using
both written and visual means of representation, Marion is able to gain
a better understanding of new vocabulary and concepts while also
appealing to a wide range of intelligences within the classroom.
There are several formative activities within the structure of this lesson
plan, including a class discussion and a worksheet to assess students
understanding of the content. UDL recommends multiple means of
expression, including options for physical action and giving access to
multiple tools for construction and composition (Hall, Meyer and Rose,
2012, p.13). Studies show that students with Down syndrome are highly
sensitive to failure, so it is very important to ensure that they receive
significant modelling so they feel confident in undertaking tasks
(Faragher et al, 2013, p.232). There are two adjustments that could be
made to these assessments. The worksheet, a lined page with a
scaffold at the bottom, can be made more accessible to Marion. A model
autobiography, including highlighting and labels of all the important
elements, should be provided at the top of the page. This links the
example more directly to the concepts just learned in the Powerpoint.
This is a tool for composition, as the student can model their own
autobiography on the example. This also limits potential for failure.
This will benefit all students because labels are shown to decrease
cognitive load and short term memory processing strain (Sweller, 2011,
Gabrielle Magee
18563346
17/09/2016
2H
Gabrielle Magee
18563346
17/09/2016
2H
Gabrielle Magee
18563346
17/09/2016
2H
Stage of Learner:
Syllabus Pages: 136 and
Stage 4
142
Date: 12/09/2016
Total Number of
Time: 75 minutes
students: 30
Outcomes
Assessment
Content:
Syllabus outcomes: Assess
Recognise the different processes
Objective A
understandin required for responding and composing in
Outcome 2
g of nona range of forms and media.
Objective C
fiction text
Critically consider the ways in which
Outcome 5
types,
meaning is shaped by context, purpose,
including
form, structure, style, content, language
those
choices and their own personal
previously
perspective.
learned and
new content.
Cross Curriculum themes & General Explicit subject specific concepts and
capabilities
skills:
Work and Enterprise
Point of view, representation, style,
Critical and Creative Thinking
literary value.
Board Notes:
An autobiography is a story that a person writes about themselves and
their own life. It will be in first person. It is usually written in
chronological order.
A biography is a story written about a persons life, by someone who
studied them or who knew them. It is usually but not always written in
third person. This will also be written chronologically.
Biographies and autobiographies are considered to be non-fiction, but it
doesnt mean that they always tell the truth. Authors of biographies
and autobiographies can chose what they include and what they omit
(leave out), to show the audience a certain perspective on their lives.
Though they are different, both texts typically include:
Birthdate/Place
Child/School Life
This note taking
Hobbies/Interest's
will be replaced
Family Members
Anecdotes (Interesting stories about a persons with
life) a
Powerpoint and
Career
photographs to
Reason for Fame
Later Life/Old Age
Death
Photographs
Gabrielle Magee
18563346
17/09/2016
2H
Resources
Literacy Starter Biography of Dr Suess
Biography and Autobiography Worksheet
Clue Sheet for Who Am I? Game
Four Prizes for Who Am I? Game
Time
5
min
10
min
10
min
10
min
15
min
10
min
Organisation
Teacher: Settle students, explaining task.
Students: Sitting down, books out.
Resources: 30 X Literacy Starter
Gabrielle Magee
18563346
15
min
Students complete
Autobiography worksheet.
Worksheet will now include a
worked model with labels and
definitions for each concept. If
time permits, students can
read aloud their work.
17/09/2016
2H
Resources
Dr Seuss Literacy Starter
This worksheet
will now include a
model
autobiography
containing each
of the elements
listed below,
Gabrielle Magee
18563346
17/09/2016
2H