Teaching Diverse Students 

Rationale for Artifact #1: 

Description: This artifact was an assigned paper labeled "Causes and Characteristics" that I completed for my SPED 216 class. In this paper I was assigned to research the causes and characteristic of low incidence disabilities as well as multiple disabilities. This includes the signs and symptoms that these conditions possess as well as how they are diagnosed. Near the end of this paper, I was also able to go over how to adapt or modify instruction for students with these types of disabilities. 

Connection: This artifact aligns with ITPS knowledge indicator 1D which states "The competent teacher understands the impact of cognitive, emotional, physical, and sensory disabilities on learning and communication pursuant to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act". This paper is written to illustrate my understanding of this particular disability and the different strategies used to adapt this instruction. 

Importance: The importance of this artifact is to create an environment of inclusion. It is important within the classroom to meet students where they are at and in order to do this a teacher needs to understand what they are capable of and how to get them further. 

Rationale for Artifact #2: 

Description: This artifact was a lesson in my elementary placement at Jackson Elementary School. This was the final week of our basketball unit and we concluded with a half court scrimmage split into two separate sections labeled competitive and non-competitive. On page two of this document you can see student specific planning that was implemented for several different disabilities and impairments. 

Connection: This artifact aligns with ITPS performance indicator 1H which states "The competent teacher analyzes and uses student information to design instruction that meets the diverse needs of students and leads to ongoing growth and achievement". This lesson highlights the needs of the students and illustrates how those needs will be met. 

Importance: This artifact highlights the importance of analyzing student information and then using that information to craft effective and intentional instruction. In this lesson I attempted to practice inclusion by readily preparing instruction and meeting the needs of these certain students so they could be involved in the learning in the general education classroom.