Andrew Server

Intro to Special Education

D.J. Yocom
12/12/13

Common Assessment

The disability assigned is emotional disability

Characteristics of students with an emotional disability may include:

Lack of motivation to participate in daily classroom activity.

Passively listening while concentrating on a secondary activity, such as doodling.
Acting in or remaining silent when asked to answer a question and keeping to
themselves in general. Other instances of acting in may be wearing hair over ones face,
keeping ones hood over the eyes and not showing much regard to the activity at hand.
Acting out or being overtly rambunctious in the classroom while also, on occasion,
speaking out of hand, talking back to the teacher. Other instance of acting out may be
being physically abrasive, refusing to take ones seat and using inappropriate language
towards the teacher and classmates.
Extreme behaviors that may change erratically, without provocation. This can be the
result of traumatic experiences in ones personal life, such as witnessing a death or
physical or mental pain dealt to the student from another person.
Lack of attendance in class, possibly due to the anniversary of a traumatic experience or
due to family or parental decision.

In assessing Ed, the case study at hand, one may notice that his academic skills are

generally above grade level in all subjects (Case Study). In this, one may interpret that he is a

bright individual. However, since his mother may be a distant figure to him since she also works

a job, he may feel forgotten or useless. His mother moved to Chocolate Valley to get Ed away

from the influence of other students at the school he attended before the residential program

(Case Study). In this move, Ed may feel too new or awkward in facing so many new people who

have already had themselves established in their school. As Ed has sporadic behavior fluxes and

is currently acting in rather than acting out, it may be wise to not expect him to speak out in
class in excess. He has scored above his grade level in all content matter, as per the Woodcock

Johnson Test of Achievement, it can be noted that Ed is above proficiency in his academics. He

does not, however, react appropriately even in normal situation. This could be the result of

having a broken family, as the case study only mentions him having a mother. His band Suicide

or Die may be a healthy way for him to vent his stresses or express his feelings, as well as

doodling in his notebook. Eds vision, hearing and intellectual deficits were not of note during

his evaluation, possibly insinuating that he is proficient enough in those areas. In all, besides the

occasional outburst at the teacher, Ed is highly capable and should be encouraged that he can

indeed succeed and that he is intelligent.

One measurable annual educational goal that one might give Ed is speaking up in class at

least once a week. While he does prefer to keep to himself in class, encouraging him to speak

up in class and share his knowledge may give him confidence through having himself realize

that he is an intelligent person and also allow his fellow classmates to realize that he is capable.

Ed would be expected to, by the end of the semester, be able to speak up willingly once a week

in class without need for encouragement from the teacher. Another measurable educational

goal is possibly to have Ed write out his notes or comments on a class lecture, since he dislikes

talking in class. In grading his writing, a teacher will be able to realize how much he

comprehends the information presented. In addition, it will allow Ed to demonstrate how well

he knows through a medium that he feels most comfortable using. At the end of each day, Eds

notes would be collected and assessed for how well he understands what is discussed in class.

By the end of the semester, Ed would be expected to proficiently show that he is

comprehending what is going on in class through his written notes or observations.

 The least restrictive environment in which Ed should be instructed is the general

education classroom. Since his vision, hearing and intelligence are presumably up to standards

as they were not noted in the case study, Ed would be best instructed in a general education

classroom. Aside from the occasional outbursts at the teacher, he would most likely benefit

from being around his peers and learning content matter that is at his grade level.

Accommodations that might be utilized in the general classroom for Ed may include

providing him a stress ball in those instances where he feels the urge to tear his papers or have

a violent outburst towards the teacher. A modification in the general classroom for him may be

to change vocal activities or activities in the classroom that may require individual participation

into writing assignments. In allowing Ed to write out his ideas and thoughts instead of be forced

to be uncomfortable in front of his peers, this will prevent him from shutting down as well as

provide better feedback as to how well he retains information and course content.

In the instance of my lesson plan, I would allow and modify the lesson plan for Ed to

write down his rationale for his choice of which individuals of the Civil War advance in his

bracket worksheet. This would allow for the measurable goal of taking notes on his thoughts in

class about the content matter to be met. To meet the measurable goal of being vocal once a

week as I described above, I would encourage him to argue for his choice to advance a figure

from a Civil War on the classs bracket sheet.

As Ed has had a history of violent outbursts towards the teacher, it would be wise for

there to be a paraprofessional to be present in the room. Other than that, there would not be a

need for support services in the general education classroom for Ed.
Lesson Plan

Review and Context: Students have been learning about those divisions and differences

between the North and South at the brink of the Civil War.

Objective: Students shall, through this lesson and completion of the worksheet, be able to

identify correctly (90 percent of the time) the various and prominent individuals of the Civil War

and their importance.

Materials and Time Needed: Students will be using textbooks, bracket worksheets in order to

perform this lesson. This lesson will require a blocked schedule class period of 75 minutes.

Wyoming State Standards: SS11.5.1, SS11.4.1, SS11.2.2

Procedure: Students shall receive 5 minutes of direction. Then, they shall have 15 minutes of

individual work, filling out their brackets as to who was, in their eyes the most important figure

in their Civil War. They will base their conclusions off of their studies in the textbooks. This will

encourage students to think critically and competitively to successfully fill out their worksheet.

In this, they shall be more apt to comprehend those important figures and know them better.

The class will then attempt to fill out a class bracket in a democratic process. Those who

disagree with who the majority of the class thinks should advance in the brackets will have the

opportunity to argue their case to the class, with use of facts and evidence from the text to

back their disagreements. Then a secondary vote shall be held to determine who the class

believes should advance in the brackets.

Assessment: Students shall be assessed in either vocalization of their opinions or based on their

filled out bracket sheets and rationale that they include. This allows for those students who are
not so inclined to speak aloud in class to have an easy way to perform and still receive an

adequate grade. Students must fill out 100 percent of the bracket worksheet to receive credit.

Those more vocal students shall have the same amount of points granted in their participation.