GCU College Of Education Lesson Unit Plan Template Se 082094

Gcu College Of Educationlesson Unit Plan Templatesection 1 Lesson Pre

Develop a three-day English Language Arts (ELA) unit plan for a resource classroom targeting fourth grade literacy standards focused on vocabulary acquisition and use. Incorporate strategies to enhance students' language development and communication skills, including differentiating content for diverse learners with considerations for assistive technologies, such as augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems. Design differentiated formative and summative assessments to monitor progress toward specified IEP goals, particularly supporting a student with language impairments like April, who uses AAC systems and assistive technologies.

Additionally, provide a detailed rationale explaining how your instructional choices meet April's needs and justify the use of selected assistive technology to support her learning. Support your rationale with 2-3 scholarly resources, ensuring your explanations address the appropriateness of the AAC systems and other accommodations made for her communication and comprehension challenges.

Sample Paper For Above instruction

The implementation of a targeted three-day literacy unit focusing on vocabulary acquisition for fourth-grade students with diverse needs requires strategic planning and differentiation, particularly when addressing students with language impairments such as April. April's case underscores the importance of integrating augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems and assistive technologies into instruction, creating an inclusive environment that promotes equitable access to learning.

In developing this unit, the first consideration is aligning activities with state ELA standards that emphasize vocabulary development and comprehension skills. The targeted standards should align with the core objective of enabling students to understand and use new vocabulary effectively. For instance, standards such as CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.4 (determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases) would be foundational for this unit.

To enhance language and communication skills, the unit incorporates multiple means of representation by employing visual aids, symbol-supported texts using Mayer-Johnson symbols, and speech-generating devices such as Proloquo2go. These strategies are vital for students like April, who demonstrate difficulties with semantics and morphological processing. Pre-teaching vocabulary with visual cues and utilizing software that combines text-to-speech support will enable her to actively participate in lessons, fostering her comprehension and expressive capabilities.

The activities are designed to engage students in exploring vocabulary through interactive read-alouds, matching games, and sentence creation exercises that incorporate AAC systems. These methods ensure that students can explore, practice, and apply new words in meaningful contexts. Differentiation strategies include providing additional supports such as graphic organizers, simplified texts, and personalized prompts for students with special needs, including those with organizational challenges in writing. Gifted students can be challenged with extension tasks, such as using newly acquired vocabulary in complex sentences or peer teaching activities.

Assessment of student understanding will utilize both formative and summative measures. Formative assessments include observing student participation during activities, using checklists to monitor correct use of vocabulary, and providing immediate feedback through discussion and modeling. Summative assessments involve collecting student-created sentences and definitions, evaluated with rubrics aligned to specific IEP goals. For April, assessments must be adapted to include her AAC devices, ensuring her ability to demonstrate understanding and use of vocabulary in different modalities.

The instructional design also emphasizes engagement and critical thinking through inquiry-based questions, such as "What does this word mean, and how can you use it in a sentence?" and prompts that encourage students to relate vocabulary to their experiences. Differentiation again plays a key role here by tailoring questions and prompts suitable for students' language proficiency levels and organizational skills.

The rationale for these choices hinges on the necessity of supporting April's communication needs via AAC and visual supports to facilitate her access to content and active engagement. Research indicates that incorporating AAC systems into instruction significantly improves comprehension and expressive language in students with language impairments (Cascella et al., 2020; Thistle et al., 2019). Moreover, strategies such as visual supports and differentiated assessments have been shown to promote inclusive participation and academic success for learners with disabilities (Wacker et al., 2019).

In conclusion, designing an effective three-day literacy unit for students like April requires thoughtful integration of assistive technologies, differentiated instruction, and evidence-based strategies. These practices promote an inclusive classroom environment where all students can develop their vocabulary, improve comprehension, and demonstrate their learning through accessible means. The use of AAC systems and visual supports not only addresses individual needs but also fosters a culture of shared learning and mutual support among diverse learners.

References

• Cascella, C., Thistle, J., Rivera, J., & Kuo, C. (2020). The impact of augmentative and alternative communication on vocabulary development for students with developmental disabilities. Journal of Special Education Technology, 35(2), 109-119.
• Thistle, J. W., Carr, J. E., & Haring, K. (2019). AAC interventions for students with language impairments: Evidence-based practices. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 35(1), 12-23.
• Wacker, D. P., Evangelista, C., & Henrichs, M. (2019). Inclusive assessment and instruction for students with disabilities: Strategies for success. Remedial and Special Education, 40(11), 680-692.
• Higgins, K., & Levin, L. (2018). Visual supports in language impairment intervention: A review. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 61(3), 420-431.
• Light, J., & McNaughton, D. (2019). Assistive technology and communication: Advancing participation. Physiotherapy, 105(3), 283-285.
• Fitzgerald, J., & O'Connell, B. (2020). Strategies for teaching vocabulary to students with language impairments. Educational Psychology Review, 32(4), 1073-1094.
• Ally, M. (2018). Adaptive learning technology to support inclusive education. International Journal of Educational Technology, 9(1), 45-59.
• Roth, F. P., & Newman, J. (2021). Differentiated instruction for diverse learners: Practical strategies. Learning and Instruction, 75, 101-110.
• Cook, A., & Officer, L. (2019). Evidence-based practices for vocabulary instruction for students with disabilities. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 34(2), 73-81.
• Gentry, S. & Gable, R. (2021). Visual supports for learners with language impairments. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 51(5), 1626-1638.