Standard+7-Instructional+Planning

**7S3: Integrating language instruction into academic areas.**

**__Vocabulary __**

I have noticed in my past deaf end placement that the teacher did a lot of vocabulary work with her students. This was a total communication classroom; however some of the students were just beginning to learn language. I know that a kindergarten student was at a three year old vocabulary level. The CT made sure that vocabulary and new language was discussed when being presented with all subject levels. Anytime a new vocabulary word was presented, it would go up on the word wall and be incorporated with a picture. This would help the student make reference to the new language. I remember helping the kindergartener with her language arts, and at the beginning of each new story, the vocabulary words would be written in English with a picture next to it. I would then sit with the student and have them sign the word that way both the languages were being recognized. This idea could be used for all subjects.

**__Language Into Math __**

In my field placement for 401, I was able to lead a math lesson about shapes. I stood up in front of the students and held up one shape at a time asking them what it was called. Once we got that down, I asked them what it looked like, what did they notice about the shape. For example, when I held up a cone, one of the student yelled out, "an ice-cream cone." I could see that this student was making reference to something that they were familiar with. When I got to a cylinder, the students were not able to identify what it was called. After discussing it with the students, one girl came up to me and pulled out her chapstick and said, I have a cylinder in my pocket. This to me told me that after discussion, students were able to see that those shapes are all around us. Integrating new vocabulary into the child's memory was done by visual aid, discussion, and reference to real like materials. If doing this lesson with a group of deaf/hard of hearing students, I feel that I would do much of this the same, except knowing that we will have to go over how to exactly sign the shapes. Discussion of what the shapes looked like really added new vocabulary to the kids’ word bank. This new language was found especially when discussing what was similar and different for two shapes. This was a way for the students to dig deep and come up with a way to describe a shape, helping others who may not have that vocabulary make the visual connection. This was a good way of incorporating math and language arts together into one lesson. However, if I was doing this lesson with deaf students, when it came to identifying the square and rectangle, I would make sure that they have a way to describe it so that I know which one they are talking about since the signs are the same. This will help the students expand their knowledge and learn the "why's" of the information presented. Not only is this a square, but why is this a square?

**7S4: Planning instruction to address academic content standards. **

**__Integrating All Subjects __**

I have found out that at the school where I am doing field, there is now a designated time everyday where the entire school will be doing language arts. This means that the Kindergarten classroom I am in does not have time for science and social studies. However, I am noticing that my CT has done an amazing job with incorporating those two subjects into language arts. For example, the students will be writing a journal, in their best kindergarten words, but the teacher will make the subject about something science related. For example, one of the questions was about animals. I also noticed that in my past field experience when the students were writing a report; they also incorporated science, where they wrote a report about their favorite animal. This required the student to then do research and learn about science. I also notice that in my placement now, the teacher will read a lot of new books to the students and a lot of these are social studies related, for example, the books sometimes are about community. The students will then talk about the new vocabulary words that came up in the story. I feel that all subjects can be integrated into one another; it will just take a more creative mind and more time for preparation. **__Lesson Plan __**

For my TE 401 class I was required to create a lesson plan for Science and teach the content to the Kindergarten classroom. I had taught this lesson for the first time in my deaf education class where I did a mock lesson for my fellow classmates. After I had taught the lesson, I decided that I needed to change things up a bit to better accommodate all students but mostly deaf/hard of hearing. However, I did not have any deaf/hard of hearing students in the kindergarten classroom; I feel that they would have also benefitted from doing the activities in the lesson as well. I taught the students about the basic needs of plants which included, soil, water, air, and sunlight. I started with putting the students into groups and giving them pictures of things where they would sort into categories of living and categories of non-living things. If I had a class where there was a deaf student I would make sure that they are placed in a group where the interpreter was able to work with them as well if they were needed. After the students sorted out the cards, I would go around to groups and they would explain to me what they did. This gave me a good starting point to know how to properly accommodate students during the lesson. I then spent some time discussing what a plant needs to live and then showed the students a PowerPoint presentation which I made that went through the cycle of a plant. Starting from a seed and showing each individual thing needed in order for it to grow into a plant. If there was a deaf student in the class I would make sure that they were seated in an area where the smart board was easily visible as well as the teacher and interpreter. I would use longer wait time when asking questions giving the interpreter a chance to finish so that the student has time to process and then raise their hand. The last item to my lesson that I added that I feel would properly accommodate deaf students was a role playing activity. The students got into groups and each of them wore a "necklace' around their neck with a picture of one of the basic needs of plants hanging on it. One of the students was the plant, so the other four students would have to work together to make the plant grow. Each student took turns and rotated their basic need. The students really enjoyed this activity and seemed to take a lot away from it. During the activity, the student who was the plant would be laying on the ground, saying "I need water, I need sun, hurry I'm going to die if you doing come fast!" I feel that this hands on activity would be really beneficial and visual for deaf students and a great way to incorporate heterogeneous group work and hands on learning to all students. The interpreter would be around the deaf student, but depending on their needs would not use it unless they needed further help. I feel that this activity is visual enough where the students could all communicate someway and this would then help the students simply interact and learn content without adults always by their side.