Activity 2.1 "Special Students Learn Strategies for Social Studies"

1. If I were the principal, I would answer the charge that it was not fair. If the students had not previously learned “how to learn” (due to their learning disabilities), or in this case study for the test, then the resource specialist would be the person that would help fully support them in their learning experience. Thus it would be fair for these students. The students that went to the resource room were active learners, but had learning disabilities that required the support of the resource specialist. The students that are not sent to the resource room, on the other hand, have shown through various implications that they know how to employ effective learning strategies independently.

“Metacognition refers to the awareness of one’s systematic thinking about learning” (Lerner & Johns, 2012, p. 159). The students with Ms. Weiss exhibit metacognitive awareness when they study the chapter text in manageable parts. The remaining students are more than capable of exhibiting metacognitive strategies; thus, they need to control their own learning by enabling the strategies themselves. Metacognitive strategies are difficult for students with learning disabilities. When I went to tutoring after school during my junior high and high school years, I was repeatedly and strategically modeled and guided through the use of charts and graphic organizers to better organize and formulate my thoughts. My tutor also modeled and repeatedly guided me through each comprehensive process because I struggle comprehending and processing information correctly and efficiently. Going to a tutor allowed me to progress in my ideas and build upon my knowledge in a comprehensive manner. Meanwhile, my peers used their knowledge and learned skills to accomplish tasks in effective manners. Furthermore, it is fair for me to have a “Ms. Weiss” who guides my cognitive skills into effective learning strategies.

2. Motivation plays an important role in doing well in the test with Ms. Weiss’s group. Ms. Weiss made learning enjoyable for the students because she provides a guided and social environment that supports the learning needs of these individuals with learning disabilities. The motivation of the remaining students depends on Mr. Keene’s instructional strategies and form of instructional approaches. This is important in playing an important role of motivation because the engaged and active learners correlates with the knowledge and self-confidence they had when taking the test.

3. Ms. Weiss used behavioral, cognitive and developmental strategies in her teaching. The learning strategies she implemented were developmentally appropriate for the seventh-grade students in her group. A behavioral objective she employed was the use of task analysis by breaking down the chapter contents into manageable steps. In addition, she structured the materials and lessons to help the students master each component. For instance, she had the students analyze the key vocabulary words, followed by outlining the chapter, using the subtitles to guide the outline structure. These behavioral strategies function as a support for students with learning disabilities, helping develop automaticity in a sensitive manner. (Lerner & Johns, 2012, p. 148)

Ms. Weiss employed cognitive instructional strategies for her group of students because she organized the information and applied techniques that helped them grasp the concepts and subject matter. She used metacognitive strategies to help them understand and recall the material by acting out the parts and outlining the chapter. By developing questions to ask each other, they helped themselves understand and recall the material.