Supporting Students with disabilities

Teachers would be aware of the learning needs of students in their classes. This is highlighted on Daymap and is available in the Students with Disabilities folder in the NIHS Teams page that provides information regarding differentiation and recommended targeted strategies for individual students. More specific information can be obtained from the Intervention Team. It is the teacher's responsibility to understand the specific learning needs and to implement strategies for intervention and support.

The main strategy when supporting students with special needs is to provide simple, direct instructions with a clear checklist of task requirements.

Teachers should invite any supporting Learning Support Officers, who normally work with their students, to live interactions with their classes. In addition SSOs will work / check in with individual students at other times to monitor understanding and provide additional support. Progress will be communicated to the teacher.

Effective-Teaching-Strategies.pdf

Structured-Teaching.pdf

New Strategies in Special Education as Kids Learn From HomeIn special education, teachers say that schedules, sensory supports, and close collaboration with families can help smooth the transition to remote learning.

Supporting EAL learners through remote/E-learning

All teachers are committed to the continuous learning of EAL students around the school and teachers are working towards tailoring their programs to suit every student in their care. Via online learning, students will be encouraged to access detailed instructions and formative tasks for the completion of their learning pathways. The main tools used by schoolteachers will be daily Day Map plans that will lead students to find their learning goals for the day. In order to facilitate the ongoing online teaching and learning programs of NIHS, teachers have developed a “plan of action” so all EAL students can have access to a variety of resources and learning opportunities they are expected to complete. This is a unique opportunity for teachers to continue working consistently across the school in order to assist EAL students to reach their best regarding their learning needs. All teachers are also committed to contact students and respond their messages, and if need be, sending students individual learning plans when required.

Strategies to support EAL students in your class:

New topic general teaching via video conferencing or written instructions:

Formative teaching/scaffolding/formative tasks (these ones need to have a purpose and you need to be clear to your students about “what students need to get done”. For this purpose, use VERBS (do, check, count, write, explain, report, demonstrate, draw, build, solve, answer)

· Prepare glossaries for specific and general purposes not lengthy (you can even send students a vocabulary list for them to translate before video conferences)

· Break down complex topics in parts

· Ask questions to check understanding (simple questions as How, when, give me examples)

· Add information/instructions in simple steps

· For each explanation, have a question at the end such as: give me an example of…

· Use short videos

· Use pictures

· Use whiteboard to write a few commands/definition/ synonyms (available on Zoom)

· Use formative tasks (start with short ones and build up (longer ones)

· Ask students to make notes on their notebooks or on the worksheet (even in their first language if they feel more comfortable)

For summative and final tasks (they can’t be too different from the formative ones, continue using clear instructions)

· provide students with: a glossary, dot points and short instructions

· show examples of tasks

· use simplified words (eg instead of “identify” use “find”)

Written tasks: show them sentence starts (to start with, to begin with/ Meanwhile, at the same time, whilst/ in conclusion, all in all) – see list of connectors attached too according to the task type.

· Encourage them to translate to their language to check for understanding (translanguaging)

· Don’t encourage them to write in their first language and then translate (it misses the interpretation part)

Oral tasks/presentation (send them an example)

· Encourage them to use PPP and record their voices over the slides (good practice for them)

· Send students short audios about how they should start their presentations (Eg: Hi everyone, today I am going to present to you some tips on how to work with videos)

Below see a few tips from the web and a few links if you have time to read that I have been using with my ISEC students (basic but helpful for your teaching in general)

Using visual, kinaesthetic and concrete activities to model processes.
Using online animations and videos, for example Royal Society of Chemistry resources.
Modelling how to organise and write reports using evidence from reading.

Specific subject teaching for EAL students:

Science for EAL: https://ealresources.bell-foundation.org.uk/teachers/teaching-eal-learners-science

Maths for EAL (very useful) : https://www.axcultures.com/mathematical-language/

Humanities for EAL: http://esl.fis.edu/teachers/support/hum.htm

Supporting EALD learners remotely summary v 4.pdf

International Students

The online learning strategies that many staff are developing will undoubtedly support our international students for whom English is not their first language. For example

· The use of Vod Casting with Screencast-O-Matic will enable the students to view more than once in order to further develop their understanding of the content.

· Videoconferencing in small groups will support teachers to check in on students, not only to assess their understanding of content and requirements and allow students to ask questions but may help identify whether there are wellbeing concerns. NB: The majority of our international students are living in a homestay situation and whilst our homestays are extremely supportive, please remember that these students may be extremely concerned about the current situation as their families are so far away.

· As for students with learning difficulties, EAL learners are best supported by providing simple, succinct instructions. Providing scaffolds especially in formative tasks may support them in the successful completion of summative tasks.

International Students are identified on Daymap with a Blue marker.

Any concerns about their engagement should be directed to the homestay or caregiver.

The homestay details are in Daymap as the third listed contact where there is an email and phone number. The second listed contact is the parent overseas and hence there is not a phone number listed. (The first listed is the student)

If there are only 2 contacts, then the parent is here with their child. Given the current situation, if they require an interpreter, we can try to access someone from our international Education Services department to support you.

Please contact Andrea Sarantaugas, Assistant Principal International Programs should you require support or further clarification.