1. From the case, identify the problems which occurred in Miss Lim’s classroom and
explain why they took place. Cite evidence from the case to support your answer. (6marks)
1. Might not have conveyed clear instructions for class to go to the special room. But it is unlikely, since they have been doing the same thing for the past 3 lessons
2. Seats were arranged in one row. Allowed free seating. This led to boy segregating together.
3. Hot environment
4. Boys formed a small cluster
5. Girls sat at the back of the room, and kept the back door open (complained it was too cold)
6. Skipped introduction
7. Only maintained eye contact with first 2 rows
8. Teacher was engrossed with the computer
9. Overly focused with carrying out planned lesson, instead of engaging students
10. Teacher was situated not within students’ sight and wasn’t aware of what the student was doing. She wasn’t aware they were not paying attention. E.g. yawning etc
11. Did not face the class while writing question on the whiteboard, and asking questions
12. Group of boys distracted the teacher
13. Not everyone was doing the work assigned by the teacher.
14. Volume started to increase
15. Tossing event between david and susan. Ignore the incident. Distracted the class.
16. Did not do anything when she saw that Keith looked confused and lost.
17. Neglected keith even though he had confided in the teacher how he felt. Allowed him stay in the same group as David
Main problems:
-had difficulty managing the class as there were too much movements
-As a result, the students could not concentrate. This was made worse by teacher who did not make sure they were listening and in control.
-Allowed the boys to congregate together.
-All the rush at the start of the lesson caused teacher to neglect Keith.
-did not enforce discipline from the start.
-Rules and routines are neither established nor reinforced
2. What relevant classroom management strategies and models would you have adopted to prevent the problems discussed in 1 from taking place in your class? (7marks)
Authoritative style – should not have allowed the students to sit wherever they want. Put an immediate stop to any disruptions in class. Instead of just staring at the group of boys, should have enforce her authority and prevent them from forming their own table. Should not just ignore the tossing incident.
Indifferent style -
Structuring physical environment – could have used planned sitting. Engage the students in some group activities to keep them attentive.
Rules and routine, developing consequences – since the class always need to go to this special room, rules and routines should have been stated from the start. In this way, the teacher could have prevented a lot chaos and unnecessary movements. E.g. the students could have been assigned to fixed sitting.
Logical consequences - the classroom is a learning environment for all students, those who misbehave; compromise learning will be asked to move to the back of the class for a "time out" until they are ready for lesson.
Discipline model AD,BM, LC – The teacher clearly subscribed to a AD model. But yet it wasn’t done wholeheartedly.
Kounin group management theories – integrate teaching and discipline.
-withitness - awareness and ability to correct misbehaviour before it gets out of control and before other students in the class see it and also begin to do it
-Overlapping: how a teacher deals with two or more events that are going on in the classroom at the same time
Group Alerting: is engaging the attention of the whole class while individuals are responding
Encouraging Accountability: communication to the students the their participation will be observed and evaluated
3. At one point in the case study, it was stated that ‘Miss Lim looked at David and Susan ...’ What should Miss Lim have done to handle the situation? Give reasons for your answer and substantiate with the relevant classroom management strategies and models that you have learnt in this course. (7 marks)
-could have get both of them out of the class and question them what is happening. Find out what is the root reason for David’s misbehavior. Use LC to explain why his action is wrong. Then only can we achieve discipline through preventive approach. Give verbal warning to David. Develop the consequence of repeated offence. (AD + BM = Setting rules and implement them using punishment or rewards accordingly).
-could ask them to see her after class, to prevent disrupting lessons. (lesson is already disrupted as it is)
-at the start, teacher should have confiscated the notes David passed to Susan.
4. As a teacher, what are some signs displayed by a student that could indicate to you that he or she might have a hearing impairment? Does Keith display some of these characteristics? (3 marks)
Characteristics Found in the Classroom:
uses hearing aid; Frequency Modulation (FM) system
Keith had mentioned to Miss Lim the day before on feeling awkward and self-conscious about wearing his hearing aid and displaying the FM system. He also confided that he was afraid and too sensitive to ask his classmates for help. This is because they were always making fun of his other classmates. He was afraid that they may steal or make fun of his hearing aid. He also felt lonely as nobody took the initiative to befriend him.
These issues may prevent Keith from developing age appropriate spoken language and be linguistically independent. It may also hamper his cognitive skills, which may result in slow learning and difficulty progressing in school. He may suffer from social stigmatization and isolation as a result of hearing impairment.
In the short run, his self-esteem would suffer and may hinder his social skills development, confidence and self-efficacy in the long term.
Classroom learning environment
- Keep close proximity to the student: make him sit in front where he can see and hear the teacher clearly
- not forgetting needs of the other student
- make sure students with hearing impairment has a FM system
- classroom should not be too noisy as it would be uncomfortable for keith
- Check the device often to ensure it is working (teachers need to know how the FM system works)
- Shut classroom doors to help eliminate noise
Instructional strategies
Measures to build self esteem
Collaboration
Reference:
Kirk.,S., Gallagher, J.J., Coleman M.R. & Anastasiow N. (2009). Educating Exceptional Children. Wadsworth: Cengage Learning.
Kalivoda, K.S., Higbee, J.L. (1997). Teaching students with hearing impairments. Journal of developmental education, 20(3), 10. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.libproxy.nie.edu.sg/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=9702191230&site=ehost-live
http://specialed.about.com/cs/teacherstrategies/a/hearing.htm
Dear all,
just a link... might be relevant to us...
http://www.schoolbag.sg/archives/2009/11/learning_to_live_in_a_silent_w.php
B. UNDERSTANDING THE AREA OF SPECIAL NEEDS/DISABILITY*
1. The nature of area of special needs/ disability
3. The general impact of the special need or disability on a student in terms of development and learning
Hearing loss affect learning because of the child probably could have weaker linguistic skills as compared to his peers. Having poorer linguistic skills could also affect his ability of the other subjects. He could also face problem hearing what his teacher said and following the lessons. His personal development like self-esteem and social skill could be affected. However, his cognitive ability should not undermined.
C. FOR YOUR GROUP PRESENTATION ASSIGNMENT: IMPLICATIONS FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING*
1. What would I expect of the student with the chosen area of special needs:
2. How will this affect the other students in my class? How do I work with them to understand their peers and to create an inclusive classroom?
3. What would I suggest in terms of provisions/accommodations to meet the student’s needs? (suggest only in areas which are appropriate)
4. Do I have the skills to meet the student’s needs?
There are two types of hearing impairment, defined according to where the problem occurs:
Deafness can be inherited: if one or both parents or a relative is born deaf, there is a higher risk that a child will be born deaf.
Hearing impairment may also be caused before or during birth for several reasons.
These include:
Infectious diseases such as meningitis, measles, mumps and chronic ear infections can lead to hearing impairment, mostly in childhood, but also later in life.
The use of ototoxic drugs at any age, including some antibiotic and anti-malarial drugs, can cause damage to the cochlea (the hearing organ in the inner ear).
Head injury or injury to the ear can cause hearing impairment.
Wax or foreign bodies blocking the ear canal can cause hearing loss at any age.
Excessive noise, including working with noisy machinery, exposure to loud music or other loud noises, such as gunfire or explosions, can damage the inner ear and weaken hearing ability.
As people age, accumulated exposure to noise and other factors may lead to hearing impairment or deafness.
Hearing impairment and deafness are serious disabilities that can impose a heavy social and economic burden on individuals, families, communities and countries. Children with hearing impairment often experience delayed development of speech, language and cognitive skills, which may result in slow learning and difficulty progressing in school. In adults, hearing impairment and deafness often make it difficult to obtain, perform, and keep employment. Both children and adults may suffer from social stigmatization and isolation as a result of hearing impairment.
The burden of hearing impairment and deafness falls disproportionately on the poor, because they are unable to afford the preventive and routine care necessary to avoid hearing loss, or to afford hearing aids to make the condition manageable. Hearing impairment can also make it more difficult to escape poverty by slowing progress in school and the workplace, and placing people in social isolation.
The cost of special education and lost employment due to hearing impairment can also impose a substantial economic burden on countries.
WHO activities for the prevention of deafness and hearing impairment assist countries to reduce and eventually eliminate avoidable hearing impairment and disability through appropriate preventive measures. These include:
The hearing impairment and deafness control strategy is integrated into the overall WHO chronic disease prevention and control framework of the Department of Chronic Diseases and Health Promotion.
REFERENCES
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs300/en/index.html
Hearing Impairment
1. The nature of area of special needs/ disability
· General definition (if any)
Hearing impairment is defined as a generic term indicating a hearing disability that may range from mild to profound, including the subsets of deaf and hard of hearing.
· Range of conditions (if any)
From deaf to hard of hearing.
A deaf person is defined as one whose hearing disability preludes successful processing of linguistic information through audition, with or without a hearing aid.
A hard of hearing person is one who, with the use of hearing aid, has residual hearing sufficient to enable successful processing of linguistic information through audition.
· Characteristics
Most affected area of hearing impairment of comprehension of English language.
Hearing impaired students have unintelligible speech and are unwilling to speak in public.
The deaf have no cognitive deficit.
2. Causes of disability (if any)
Congenitally deaf = born deaf and adventitiously deaf = acquire deaf after birth
3. The general impact of the special need or disability on a student in terms of development and learning
Hearing impaired students usually have extreme deficits in academic achievements, especially in the area of reading. Interestingly impaired students who have parents who are hearing impaired are more likely to be better readers. Lanes (1992) hypothesis that it is due to more frequent use of the American Sign Language with their parents.
These students are also at risk of social maladjustment, given the difficulty to find someone to communicate with them, due to the low incidents of this impairment.
[Tan Oon Seng, Richard D. Parsons, Stephanie Lewis Hinson, Deborah Sardo-Brown, 2003. Educational Psychology. Thomson. Seng Lee Press. Singapore.]