Flak,+Chelsea,+Inclusion+Strategies+in+Mathematics


 * Chelsea Flak and Milo **

//**Inclusion Strategies in Mathematics **//

I am the most uncoordinated person you will ever meet, but I somehow have a secret ability when it comes to playing Guitar Hero….. ON EXPERT. I destroy it.
 * Something about me that is interesting: **

I plan to graduate from SOU with a degree in elementary education with a math education minor, then move on to the MAT program to get certified to teach upper elementary/middle school math! After I graduate, I hope to get a job in a more rural area teaching math at the middle school level.
 * My education and career goals: **

FARM ANIMALS. :)
 * What brings me joy: **

Aside from that, I find joy in spending time with loved ones, exploring the outdoors, laughing, dancing, watching movies, and cooking. I also like to clean, which is weird to say – but I find it rather therapeutic.

My greatest fear about being a teacher is being unable to get through to my students. It is challenging to plant a concept in thirty different minds with different learning styles. I am very nervous about unknowingly losing some students’ understanding somewhere along the way, and failing to bring them back.
 * My greatest fear about being a teacher: **

As a student, I had a very hard time learning math. I used to get so frustrated and upset feeling like there was no possible way I could understand it. To be honest, I still don’t have my multiplication tables memorized. It has been a huge barrier for me to overcome, and it wasn’t until college when I had two professors completely change my attitude towards math that I realized how much I absolutely love it.
 * My experience with something extremely difficult to learn and how it made me feel: **

I know that if it was possible for me to find a way to make sense of math, then it’s possible for anyone to do just about anything. I am a faithful believer that if you put your mind to it, anything is possible. As a teacher, it is important to be able to present a concept from many different angles until it resonates with each student. That is what both of my life-changing professors did for me, and that is what I plan to do for my students.
 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">How this experience might help me connect to students with learning differences: **

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">I would really like to gain some more knowledge about the different types of disabilities and challenges I might be faced with as a teacher, and insight on how to work with them and be the most effective educator I can be!
 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">What I want to gain from this course: **


 * __<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">Topic Introduction __**

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;"> Mathematics is a very important and critical component in every student’s knowledge vocabulary. It is a building process and function that permeates throughout a child’s daily life. Without a firm mathematical foundation - understanding basic number processes, students will likely fall further and further behind with each passing school year. It is the educator’s job to be certain that each and every child gets the support and assistance they need to thoroughly understand math concepts, theories, and methods. With this foundational understanding, students will be far more likely to thrive in the continuing development of their mathematical world.

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;"> I chose this topic because I strive to someday become a math teacher for middle school students. I believe that researching this topic will strengthen my teaching skills in that subject area – making me more knowledgeable, understanding, and effective in my work!


 * __<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">Top 5 Things I Learned __**


 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">1. **<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">Focusing on “big ideas” rather than individual details, and providing adequate time for practice and review will help students succeed in math.


 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">2. **<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">The use of manipulatives are a highly effective strategy to reinforce mathematics instruction for disabled learners.


 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">3. **<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">Dyscalculia affects 5 percent of children, making it about as common as dyslexia.


 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">4. **<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">The effects of math failure throughout years of schooling, coupled with math illiteracy in adult life, can seriously handicap both daily living and vocational prospects. In today's world, mathematical knowledge, reasoning, and skills are no less important than reading ability.


 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">5. **<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">Patience is the most important quality a teacher can have when working with a dyscalculic student. They need ample time, modified test formats, and one-one-one tutoring and testing. Working individually with them makes all the difference.


 * __<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">Top Resource __**

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">//(**5** out of 5 stars)//


 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">Mastropieri, Margo A., and Thomas E. Scruggs. **//**<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">The Inclusive Classroom: Strategies for Effective Differentiated Instruction. **//**<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;"> Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill, 2010. Print. **

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;"> This book has an entire chapter (14) dedicated to teaching math in inclusive settings. It has detailed strategies for teaching beginning math, addition and subtraction, multiplication and division, problem solving, money and time, fractions and decimals, area and volume, algebra, and functional math. This is a very thorough and useful resource for teachers who are educating students with dyscalculia.


 * __<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">Additional Resources __**

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">**<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif';">1. ** //<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">(**5** out of 5 stars) //

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">**<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif';">Hassan. **//**<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif';">Developing "Number Sense" - Special Educational Needs. **//**<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif';"> Ning, 17 Jan. 2012. Web. 16 May 2012. < [] >. **

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;"> This website is an excellent resource for students with dyscalculia, as well as teachers who are aiding in the mathematical development of these students! It provides several scholarly publications, multiple relevant resources, links to online numeracy programs and games, and the opportunity to create a profile and communicate with other members on the site. It is easy to navigate and very informative. I would highly recommend this website (and its available links) to anybody curious about dyscalculia.


 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">2. **<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;"> //(**4** out of 5 stars)//


 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">Michaelson, Matthew T. " **//**<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">An Overview of Dyscalculia: Methods for Ascertaining and Accommodating Dyscalculic Children in the Classroom. **//**<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">" Australian Mathematics Teachers 63.3 (2007). Print. **

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;"> This is a great article packed with information about dyscalculia. This is where a teacher should begin their research when they are going to have a numerically disabled child in their classroom. It discusses what dyscalculia is, the origins of dyscalculia, three methods for diagnosing it – including child’s attainment of age-appropriate mathematical skills, direct observation of dyscalculic tendencies, and the dyscalculia screener. Lastly, it provides a variety of instructional modifications design to accommodate this type of learner.

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;"> **<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif';">3. ** //<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;"> (**5** out of 5 stars) //

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">**<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif';">Van De Walle, John A., and Lou Ann H. Lovin. **//**<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif';">Teaching Student-Centered Mathematics: Grades 3-5 **//**<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif';">. Vol. 2. Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 2006. Print. **

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;"> Although this book isn’t specifically designed for an inclusive setting, I feel that this book is absolutely critical for any teacher who has math in their curriculum. It is so informative and detailed, focusing on big ideas, assessment notes, expanded lessons, and includes an abundance of very effective activities. This book would – without a doubt – be extremely helpful to an inclusive teacher for the design and implementation of their accommodating lesson.


 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">//4.// **//<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;"> (**4** out of 5 stars) //


 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">Newman, Renee M. //Math Learning Disability Resource//. 1988. Web. 21 May 2012. <http://www.dyscalculia.org/>. **

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">This website is another great resource for those researching dyscalculia. It provides free information about math learning disabilities: history, terminology, science, research, treatment, causes, best practices for diagnosis, teaching and learning, relevant laws, and resources and accommodations across the academic lifespan. It also aims to develop science-based multimedia instruction on dyscalculia for teachers, administrators, parents and professionals.


 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">5. **//<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;"> (**5** out of 5 stars) //


 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">"Watch. Practice. Learn Almost Anything for Free." //Khan Academy//. Khan Academy, 2012. Web. 22 May 2012. <http://www.khanacademy.org/>. **

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">This website has a library of over 3,200 educational videos available to students and teachers for free. These videos explore every math topic ranging from basic arithmetic and pre-algebra all the way through differential equations and linear algebra. It is a great resource to learn step-by-step methods for very specific topics, which would be extremely helpful for a dyscalculic learner.


 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">//6.// **//<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;"> (**3** out of 5 stars) //


 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">Butterworth, Brian, and Diana Laurillard. "Low Numeracy and Dyscalculia: Identification and Intervention." //Mathematical Brain//. 1 June 2010. Web. 21 May 2012. <http://www.mathematicalbrain.com/pdf/2011BBDL.PDF>. **

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">This is a great research article that provides scientific information about dyscalculic learners’ neurological processes, along with pedagogical interventions that rely on digital technologies rather than teacher-student small group instruction for learners with special needs – which is already in use in schools. Lastly, it offers programs and evaluations directly related to the research found.


 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">7. **//<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;"> (**3** out of 5 stars) //


 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">"Maths Resource for Dyscalculia and Low Maths Achievers." //Dynamo Maths//. JellyJames Ltd., 2010. Web. 22 May 2012. [] **

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">This is a British website that offers a three-stage online intervention and remediation program for learners with dyscalculia and low math achievers. It is available in international versions for the U.S. (and other countries) and has been used successfully by both school and parents alike. It can also be used as an application for an iPad!


 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">8. **//<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;"> (**4** out of 5 stars) //


 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">"Discovering Dyscalculia." //YouTube//. Tvoparents, 18 Jan. 2010. Web. 22 May 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjGwcSgc-GU>. **

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">This is an excellent video where an expert panel discusses the math learning disability called dyscalculia, which affects five percent of children, making it as common as dyslexia. It also includes many comments made by viewers describing their personal stories and methods that have helped them succeed academically.