Running Head: PEER TUTORING 1

6012 Final Paper

Chelsea-McCall Lujan
University of Utah
PEER TUTORING 2
Introduction
he !orld of dance is centered on a feelin" of co##unity $et!een dancers%
&ithin a co##unity there is a $road ran"e of people' includin" those !ith disa$ilities%
(s a dance teacher' the classroo# should reflect a !hole co##unity% )y includin"
students !ith disa$ilities into the classroo#' students have a chance to learn and "ro!
fro# the e*perience% +o!ever' includin" students !ith disa$ilities' especially physical
disa$ilities' re,uires so#e e*tra help% he idea of usin" peer tutorin" in the classroo# is
helpful $ecause it allo!s for "eneral education students to !or- !ith students !ith
disa$ilities' !hile at the sa#e ti#e helpin" teachers address the needs of those students
!ith disa$ilities in their class% .ancers !ith disa$ilities are $eco#in" #ore pro#inent
participants in the professional dance co##unity% Unfortunately' trainin" for dancers
!ith disa$ilities is not al!ays availa$le /&hatley' 20001% &ith the help of peer tutorin"'
students !ith disa$ilities !ill have the chance to $e part of a co##unity of dancers in
trainin"%
Peer utorin"
he use of peer tutorin" has $een proven as an evidence $ased practice !ith
different peer tutorin" strate"ies provin" to $e effective in the classroo# settin" /2tenhoff
3 Li"nu"aris' 20001% here are #any different #odels of peer tutorin" includin"
Class&ide Peer utorin" /C&P1' Peer-(ssisted Learnin" 2trate"ies /P(L21' Class!ide
2tudent utorin" ea#s /C21' and 2(4 /Maheady' Mallette' 3 +arper' 20061%
&hile #ost of these #odels are specifically for readin"' they do have so#e practical
applications that !ill $e loo-ed at in the application section of this paper% here are
different types of "roupin" that can also $e used !ith peer tutorin" includin" reverse-role'
PEER TUTORING 3
hetero"enous' ho#o"enous' and cross-a"e "roupin" /2tenhoff 3 Li"nu"aris' 20001%
4everse-role "roupin" allo!s the tutor to $eco#e the tutee% +etero"enous "roupin" is
!here tutees are tau"ht $y tutors of the sa#e "rade level $ut !ith a hi"her level of
-no!led"e of s-ill% +o#o"enous "roupin" is !here tutees and tutors havin" si#ilar s-ill
levels% Finally cross-a"e "roupin" is !here older students instruct youn"er students% Peer
tutorin" is the a$ility to use students to teach fello! students !ho are in $oth "eneral and
special education%
rainin" Peer utors
(n inte"ral part of usin" peer tutors effectively in the classroo# is to #a-e sure
that students are trained to $e peer tutors% 5vidence supports that the #ost effective peer
tutors are ones !ho have $een trained in peer tutorin" /2tenhoff 3 Lin"nu"aris' 20001%
herefore it is up to the teacher to #a-e a ,ualified peer tutor% 5llen Mohr co#piled
#any topics that should $e covered in a tutor trainin" sessions% It !as found that students
should $e "iven an orientation session that outlines "oals and structure' provided "eneral
tutorin" techni,ues' "iven techni,ues to use !ith difficult students' and have tutors
practice "ood ,uestionin" s-ills% .ance peer tutors !ould have to $e a!are of "oals in the
dance classroo# includin" tolerance for all students and applyin" dance to the real !orld%
If the tutors aren6t a!are of the "oals' they #ay not follo! the# are help their students
!ith disa$ilities learn the#% .ance is a "ood place to as- ,uestions and thin- in ne!
!ays% Peer tutors !ould need to -no! that it is alri"ht not to -no! all the ans!ers'
especially if the peer tutor has no e*perience in dance' $ecause a lot of the ti#e doesn6t
have a concrete ans!er% Peer tutors !ould $e trained to as- their student !ith a disa$ility
!hat they thou"ht the ans!er to the ,uestion #i"ht $e% he $est peer tutor is also the
PEER TUTORING 4
practiced one' so use of role-playin"' videotapes' and evaluation of the peer tutor #a-e
for a #ore effective peer tutor /Mohr' 17711% )y usin" these strate"ies' teachers can
ensure that their peer tutors are ready to tutor students and have the -no!led"e necessary
to !or- !ith students !ith disa$ilities%
)enefits of Peer utorin"
he $enefits of usin" peer tutorin" in the classroo# are nu#erous and even
evidence $ased% 2tudents !ho are stru""lin" acade#ically tend to achieve hi"her !hen
receivin" peer tutorin" /&ar"er' 17711% Peer tutorin" supports tailored instruction and
one-one-one interaction !hich is hi"hly $eneficial to students !ith disa$ilities
/Mc.onnel' Mathot-)uc-ner' horson' 3 Fister' 20011% here are social $enefits to peer
tutorin" as !ell% 8eneral education students !ho participate in peer tutorin" have less
fear around students !ith disa$ilities and are #ore li-ely to interact !ith students !ith
disa$ilities outside of the classroo# and in future en"a"e#ents /Cle#en9' 20021%
I#portant to note here is that si#ple inclusion of students !ith disa$ilities in "eneral
education classroo#s does not chan"e peer attitudes a$out students !ith disa$ilities%
2tudents have to $e tau"ht ho! to interact !ith students !ith disa$ilities and helped to
overco#e fears or attitudes they #ay already have% Finally there are so#e specific
$enefits of usin" peer tutorin"% 2tudents relate !ell to fello! students and $oth can "ain
confidence and e#pathy throu"h the peer tutorin" relationship% utors are often a$le to
e*plain content at a level their fello! student understands and there is fle*i$ility in peer
tutorin" /Mohr' 17711%
(pplication
&ithin a dance classroo# pro$a$ly the #ost effective peer tutorin" strate"y to use
PEER TUTORING 5
!ith special education students !ould $e one-one-one tutorin"% his !ould allo! for the
student !ith disa$ilities to $eco#e co#forta$le !ith their tutor and e*cited a$out ne!
!ays to participate in the dance class% :ne e*a#ple of ho! a peer tutor could $e used
!ould present itself in a situation !here the student !ith disa$ilities is una$le to #ove
their le"s and is confined to a !heelchair% he peer tutor could $eco#e the le"s for that
student and help #ove the# throu"h the classroo# so that they can participate in
choreo"raphy that is $ased on loco#otion% (nother e*a#ple of ho! to use a peer tutor
!ould $e in a situation !here the student !ith a disa$ility is learnin" a$out ho! dance is
)%5%2%% he student !ith a disa$ility could $e part of a reverse-role "roupin"% he
student !ith a disa$ility could use the visual dia#ond that already has the letters )52
on each corner% he student !ould then fill in the rest of the !ord $y statin" $ody'
ener"y' space' and ti#e /the #ain ele#ents of dance1 to their peer tutor% his !ould
effectively #a-e the student !ith a disa$ility the tutor for a chan"e' !hich pro#otes
hi"her self-estee# of the student !ith a disa$ility /:s"uthorpe' 5iser#an' 2hisler' op' 3
2cru""s' 17;<1%
he four types of peer tutorin" #odels presented earlier in this paper are $ased on
readin" instruction' $ut all four #odels have ele#ents that could $e used in the dance
classroo#% (ll the #odels clearly specify tutor and tutee roles and syste#atically train
pupils to present instructional ite#s' evaluate tutee perfor#ance' provide positive and=or
corrective feed$ac-' and #onitor partner pro"ress% 2tudents !ould clearly -no! !hat
their role is and the tutor !ould $e provided instruction in thin"s li-e ele#ents of dance
and have availa$le adaptive curricula for the different dance units% Perfor#ance is a lar"e
part of the dance class' so peer tutors !ould evaluate students !ith disa$ilities to the level
PEER TUTORING 6
they can achieve and not the level the rest of the class is at% his #eans #ay$e peer tutors
evaluatin" the effort a student !ith disa$ilities puts into creatin" a sy##etrical shape and
providin" positive feed$ac- if the student achieves the ri"ht shape% Peer tutors !ould $e a
valua$le asset in deter#inin" if the student !ith special needs is learnin" and en"a"in" in
the classroo# activities% Peer tutors could provide feed$ac- to the teachers if they notice
the student !ith disa$ilities is stru""lin" !ith certain dance ele#ents' providin"
infor#ation to the teacher to adapt or #odify the activity as needed%
Peer tutorin" is also a techni,ue that could $e used !ith the entire class as it
allo!s individual feed$ac-' so#ethin" dance teachers so#eti#es stru""le "ivin"%
2tudents could $e paired and as-ed to !atch each other durin" a certain #ove#ent
phrase% he students could then provide each other feed$ac- on !hat they need to !or-
on and positive feed$ac- on !hat they are already doin"% 2tudents !ho have peer tutors
!ould $e a$le to practice criti,uin" their peer tutors' an e*perience that is $eneficial for
learnin" to "ive constructive criticis#%
here are several potential li#itations to havin" peer tutors in the dance
classroo#% Peer tutors #ay not al!ays $e availa$le or #ay even $e a$sent durin" the
class period% his forces a chan"e in plans for the day as the teacher #ust #odify
instruction to #a-e up for the #issin" ele#ent% (nother possi$le li#itation to peer
tutorin" is that so#e students !ith disa$ilities #i"ht feel that they aren6t acco#plishin"
thin"s on their o!n $ecause there is al!ays so#eone there !atchin" the# or assistin"
the#% )ut the $enefits of peer tutorin" still see# to out!ei"h the li#itations' so peer
tutorin" is still an effective #eans of teachin" students !ith disa$ilities%
Conclusion
PEER TUTORING 7
Benefits of a!ing "ee# tuto#ing in te dan$e $%ass#oo& in$%ude "#o!iding student
feed'a$( and &a(ing students fee% !isi'%e )Ha#ding * Ha!en+ 2,,-./ I fee% tat tis "a"e#
as &ade &o#e !isi'%e te "ossi'i%ities I a!e as a tea$e# to use "ee# tuto#ing in &0
$%ass#oo&/ One ting I a!e %ea#ned is tat "ee# tuto#ing is not so&eting tat $an 1ust 'e
de$ided on one da0 and i&"%e&ented te ne2t/ If I 3ant &0 students 3it disa'i%ities to
#ea%%0 'enefit f#o& a!ing a "ee# tuto# I need to 'e #ead0 and 3i%%ing to tea$ te "ee#
tuto# te s(i%%s te0 3i%% need to 'e an effe$ti!e "ee# tuto#/ I a!e a%so %ea#ned tat "ee#
tuto#s sou%d not 'e %eft to tei# o3n de!i$es+ 'ut sou%d 'e $a#efu%%0 &onito#ed /2tenhoff
3 Li"nu"aris' 20001% (s a professional it is al!ays $est practice to $e a!are of !hat6s
"oin" on !ith your students% If trou$les should arise fro# peer tutorin"' I need to have
the evidence that sho!s it is an effective teachin" strate"y%
Finally' the #ost i#portant thin" I "ained fro# this e*perience !as the
-no!led"e that inclusion of students !ith disa$ilities does not necessarily #ean
acceptance of those students% (s a dance teacher I !ant that feelin" of co##unity and
safety to $e fir#ly esta$lished in #y classroo#% his #eans that I have to teach students
ho! to accept students !ith disa$ilities and not assu#e "eneral education students !ill
auto#atically sho! acceptance% ( co##unity includes all types of people and $y usin"
peer tutorin" in #y classroo# I a# applyin" one #ore strate"y for teachin" tolerance and
acceptance of everyone in the co##unity% (s a professional I !ant to $e ready and a!are
of anythin" that !ill $enefit #y students' $oth "eneral and special education ali-e%
PEER TUTORING 4
Refe#en$e:
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presu#pt ion of difference% Research in Dance Educat ion' 8/11' 4etrieved
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tutorin" on students !ith #ild disa$il iti es in secondary set tin"s% Counci l
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http>==!!!%cec%sped%or"=(M=e#plate%cf#?
2ection@+o#e35MPL(5@=a""edPa"e=a""edPa"e.isplay%cf#3PLI.@2B3PPI
.@1<163+I2P(85@13C:C5CI.@A<26
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PEER TUTORING -
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di#e$t;t#ue*d';e#i$*<N;E=255,17*site;eost8%i!e