The Action Reflection Process: Supporting All Students in Inquiry-based Science

Changes in Teaching and Assessment

Through the Action Reflection Process, teachers were encouraged to try new teaching techniques, new strategies to support students with disabilities, new methods of assessment, and a new method of professional development.

New Teaching Techniques

Through the Action Reflection Process, teachers used science notebooks for students to record their learning. Many teachers commented on how this practice changed their views of notebooks. One teacher said:

"Using science journals for writing gives us a chance to see how ideas change. Students with special needs need to be encouraged to write on a daily basis. Using the inquiry method encourages these students to write. This process provides an opportunity to draw for students encountering difficulty with written language."

The teachers also appreciated seeing students' ideas change over time. One teacher reported that the journals gave her "information on a regular basis, not just for the end of the unit, but to find out how much they learned, who is where, who knows this much, and who we need to go back to and check things out." Teachers encouraged their students to use their notebooks more regularly, checking their previous drawings and comparing what they learned.

Teachers began to incorporate multiple methods of representing knowledge in their assignments. Students were encouraged to talk, write, and draw science. Teachers found that when they encouraged students to use multiple methods, they could learn more about their students' understanding. One teacher wrote:

"I think the amazing part was really focusing on three students to see how they process the same lesson and also how they varied in their expression [of their understanding]. Some were very verbal, some liked doing drawings; everyone found their own niche for expressing themselves. I did feel like for some students illustrating was a real strength, and it was very clear that they could express in detail through drawings what they had learned without writing paragraph after paragraph."

Teachers saw that asking students to represent their ideas in multiple ways provided more information about what students were learning. Another teacher commented that she may have previously misjudged what students knew when they only expressed themselves in one modality. Teachers also saw the value of providing students with multiple ways of demonstrating their thinking. One teacher said:

"The children shine in different ways. If I look at Peter's [an at-risk student] drawing without the words, I wouldn't think he gets it. If I look at Thomas's [a student with an IEP] drawing, I would say he's a crackerjack. The two of them really shone in different ways, and I think it's nice to have a lesson that allows them to do both."

Using lessons that provided opportunities for students to demonstrate their knowledge in different ways marked a change in this teacher's practice.

Modifications for Students with Disabilities

Teachers saw the connection between the modifications they made and the achievement of students with disabilities. Teachers examined student work and modified instruction for students ranging from kindergarten to sixth grade and with disabilities in math, writing, language and fine motor control, as well as emotional disturbance, autism, developmental delays, cerebral palsy, Down's syndrome, and Asperger's syndrome. For students with learning disabilities and language and writing issues, teachers across the grade levels made simple modifications. They created science word lists and posted them in their classrooms. Some students were given individual word lists to keep at their desks. Teachers allowed other teachers to scribe for students who had great difficulty writing, and introduced AlphaSmartÆ electronic keyboards for those students when available. One teacher was concerned that asking students to provide written responses would be difficult for students who had language disabilities. She found that using graphing software helped her students overcome their difficulties with language. The library/media/technology specialist, who orders a great deal of technology in one school, commented:

"Getting the experience and opportunity to work with one student and his buddy [in the library] has been helpful for assessing the resources that we have here in the library and elsewhere in the school, like the glass display cases in the hallway, the soils and rocks I display, and the videotapes and slide shows. Now I can assess how well they support the kids and teachers in the curriculum."

Teachers were also introduced to a variety of low-tech adaptations such as raised lined paper, specially shaped pencils, and highlighter tape. Students were given larger instruments (e.g., stereomicroscopes, hand lenses) when necessary, although teachers often found that the entire class enjoyed these modifications. Thus, technology was embedded in the action reflection discussions so that teachers could use technology where it fit naturally into the curriculum or supported a student's learning goal.

Overall, teachers became more explicit about scientific writing and drawing, creating structured worksheets and modeling for the group. All of these strategies supported the learning of students with mild disabilities. One teacher commented:

"I think the students with disabilities had a more successful experience because of the adaptations we were able to make . . . Because we allowed students to draw as well as write, the students with disabilities were able to show me where their strengths lie and how much they know. They had two ways of expressing themselves."

Some modifications were so powerful that they were included on the student's IEP for the upcoming year. At one school, the physical therapist found science to be such a strong opportunity to build fine motor skills, she requested that some of her services be provided during science instruction. Another teacher commented:

"Looking through the portfolios, I noticed a tremendous improvement in [science] skills, particularly observation. Lessons can be easily adapted for students with learning disabilities so that they meet the same objectives as the typical kids."

Teachers were empowered by observing the evidence that adaptations made a difference for students with disabilities and students at risk. The students with disabilities demonstrated strengths in science that the teachers hadn't seen before. One teacher said:

"I saw things that some of the kids with special needs were doing that the other kids weren't doing. So, you were looking at their strengths rather than always talking about what they can't do. You saw that even though their motor skills might be poor, they were still able to show some of the concepts or vocabulary or ideas that the rest of the class learned."

In addition to this, one of the literacy consultants who worked with the action reflection team noticed how students with IEPs had internalized and used some strategies to organize their work. As the group members noticed evidence of students using these strategies effectively, they suggested that students with disabilities share their strengths with the rest of the class. The literacy consultant commented:

"We noticed that throughout the nine weeks of getting together that some of the kids with IEPs benefited from some wonderful teaching and internalized some great strategies. When they wrote, they put in place an organization that would help them. [For example] they might draw lines on a paper that had no lines, they might frame boxes to draw their pictures in, or number the items they listed. We saw this as an opportunity to point out their strengths and utilize these children, who are not typically seen as leaders, to teach strategies to the rest of the group."

In this way, teachers recognized another strength of students with disabilities and provided these students with opportunities to be the leaders in their inclusive classrooms.

New Ways of Thinking About Assessment

Teachers also began to think about assessment differently. They began to see assessment as an ongoing information-gathering process that did not always require formal tools. Teachers remarked that what they expected, and then what they and others actually saw, didn't always match. Through viewing the written work of students, teachers began to be objective about what students knew and to relate what students wrote or drew to the science goals. One teacher, who had the opportunity to work with the teacher who had her students from the previous year, made this comment:

"I've learned to better assess students' work through the eyes and experiences of my colleagues. I also learned more about adapting the curriculum for diverse learners, which allows me to plan lessons more successfully. I've learned to look at science content, especially relating to standards and framework goals. I've also had the privilege of hearing what science my former second graders are doing in third grade, and to learn how I can prepare them for it."

Thinking about the curriculum goals and their students' ongoing performance helped teachers to learn how to improve the assessments they gave. Teachers described wording their questions more carefully and inviting students to draw their responses. Teachers discussed how to organize assessments to invite more writing and encourage students to fully explain their understanding. One teacher commented:

"As a result of the project, I'm thinking more about assessing children's understanding, both for the student I focused on and for other children in the classroom. I would use an audiotape to record student's ideas about shadows, and then listen to it later to establish students' understanding."

Teachers thought about using technology to support their assessment as well as their instruction.

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			Through the Action Reflection Process, teachers were encouraged to try new teaching techniques, new strategies to support students with disabilities, new methods of assessment, and a new method of professional development. New Teaching Techniques Through the Action Reflection Process, teachers used science notebooks for students to record their learning. Many teachers commented on how this practice changed their views of notebooks. One teacher said: "Using science journals for writing gives us a chance to see how ideas change. Students with special needs need to be encouraged to write on a daily basis. Using the inquiry method encourages these students to write. This process provides an opportunity to draw for students encountering difficulty with written language." The teachers also appreciated seeing students' ideas change over time. One teacher reported that the journals gave her "information on a regular basis, not just for the end of the unit, but to find out how much they learned, who is where, who knows this much, and who we need to go back to and check things out." Teachers encouraged their students to use their notebooks more regularly, checking their previous drawings and comparing what they learned. Teachers began to incorporate multiple methods of representing knowledge in their assignments. Students were encouraged to talk, write, and draw science. Teachers found that when they encouraged students to use multiple methods, they could learn more about their students' understanding. One teacher wrote: "I think the amazing part was really focusing on three students to see how they process the same lesson and also how they varied in their expression [of their understanding]. Some were very verbal, some liked doing drawings; everyone found their own niche for expressing themselves. I did feel like for some students illustrating was a real strength, and it was very clear that they could express in detail through drawings what they had learned without writing paragraph after paragraph." Teachers saw that asking students to represent their ideas in multiple ways provided more information about what students were learning. Another teacher commented that she may have previously misjudged what students knew when they only expressed themselves in one modality. Teachers also saw the value of providing students with multiple ways of demonstrating their thinking. One teacher said: "The children shine in different ways. If I look at Peter's [an at-risk student] drawing without the words, I wouldn't think he gets it. If I look at Thomas's [a student with an IEP] drawing, I would say he's a crackerjack. The two of them really shone in different ways, and I think it's nice to have a lesson that allows them to do both." Using lessons that provided opportunities for students to demonstrate their knowledge in different ways marked a change in this teacher's practice. Modifications for Students with Disabilities Teachers saw the connection between the modifications they made and the achievement of students with disabilities. Teachers examined student work and modified instruction for students ranging from kindergarten to sixth grade and with disabilities in math, writing, language and fine motor control, as well as emotional disturbance, autism, developmental delays, cerebral palsy, Down's syndrome, and Asperger's syndrome. For students with learning disabilities and language and writing issues, teachers across the grade levels made simple modifications. They created science word lists and posted them in their classrooms. Some students were given individual word lists to keep at their desks. Teachers allowed other teachers to scribe for students who had great difficulty writing, and introduced AlphaSmartÆ electronic keyboards for those students when available. One teacher was concerned that asking students to provide written responses would be difficult for students who had language disabilities. She found that using graphing software helped her students overcome their difficulties with language. The library/media/technology specialist, who orders a great deal of technology in one school, commented: "Getting the experience and opportunity to work with one student and his buddy [in the library] has been helpful for assessing the resources that we have here in the library and elsewhere in the school, like the glass display cases in the hallway, the soils and rocks I display, and the videotapes and slide shows. Now I can assess how well they support the kids and teachers in the curriculum." Teachers were also introduced to a variety of low-tech adaptations such as raised lined paper, specially shaped pencils, and highlighter tape. Students were given larger instruments (e.g., stereomicroscopes, hand lenses) when necessary, although teachers often found that the entire class enjoyed these modifications. Thus, technology was embedded in the action reflection discussions so that teachers could use technology where it fit naturally into the curriculum or supported a student's learning goal. Overall, teachers became more explicit about scientific writing and drawing, creating structured worksheets and modeling for the group. All of these strategies supported the learning of students with mild disabilities. One teacher commented: "I think the students with disabilities had a more successful experience because of the adaptations we were able to make . . . Because we allowed students to draw as well as write, the students with disabilities were able to show me where their strengths lie and how much they know. They had two ways of expressing themselves." Some modifications were so powerful that they were included on the student's IEP for the upcoming year. At one school, the physical therapist found science to be such a strong opportunity to build fine motor skills, she requested that some of her services be provided during science instruction. Another teacher commented: "Looking through the portfolios, I noticed a tremendous improvement in [science] skills, particularly observation. Lessons can be easily adapted for students with learning disabilities so that they meet the same objectives as the typical kids." Teachers were empowered by observing the evidence that adaptations made a difference for students with disabilities and students at risk. The students with disabilities demonstrated strengths in science that the teachers hadn't seen before. One teacher said: "I saw things that some of the kids with special needs were doing that the other kids weren't doing. So, you were looking at their strengths rather than always talking about what they can't do. You saw that even though their motor skills might be poor, they were still able to show some of the concepts or vocabulary or ideas that the rest of the class learned." In addition to this, one of the literacy consultants who worked with the action reflection team noticed how students with IEPs had internalized and used some strategies to organize their work. As the group members noticed evidence of students using these strategies effectively, they suggested that students with disabilities share their strengths with the rest of the class. The literacy consultant commented: "We noticed that throughout the nine weeks of getting together that some of the kids with IEPs benefited from some wonderful teaching and internalized some great strategies. When they wrote, they put in place an organization that would help them. [For example] they might draw lines on a paper that had no lines, they might frame boxes to draw their pictures in, or number the items they listed. We saw this as an opportunity to point out their strengths and utilize these children, who are not typically seen as leaders, to teach strategies to the rest of the group." In this way, teachers recognized another strength of students with disabilities and provided these students with opportunities to be the leaders in their inclusive classrooms. New Ways of Thinking About Assessment Teachers also began to think about assessment differently. They began to see assessment as an ongoing information-gathering process that did not always require formal tools. Teachers remarked that what they expected, and then what they and others actually saw, didn't always match. Through viewing the written work of students, teachers began to be objective about what students knew and to relate what students wrote or drew to the science goals. One teacher, who had the opportunity to work with the teacher who had her students from the previous year, made this comment: "I've learned to better assess students' work through the eyes and experiences of my colleagues. I also learned more about adapting the curriculum for diverse learners, which allows me to plan lessons more successfully. I've learned to look at science content, especially relating to standards and framework goals. I've also had the privilege of hearing what science my former second graders are doing in third grade, and to learn how I can prepare them for it." Thinking about the curriculum goals and their students' ongoing performance helped teachers to learn how to improve the assessments they gave. Teachers described wording their questions more carefully and inviting students to draw their responses. Teachers discussed how to organize assessments to invite more writing and encourage students to fully explain their understanding. One teacher commented: "As a result of the project, I'm thinking more about assessing children's understanding, both for the student I focused on and for other children in the classroom. I would use an audiotape to record student's ideas about shadows, and then listen to it later to establish students' understanding." Teachers thought about using technology to support their assessment as well as their instruction.

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