Leda Velychko-Simpson Tammy Ortynski Winn Braun Saturday, November 20, 2010

1. Equality and Diversity for All:A Resource for Educators Leda Velychko-Simpson Tammy Ortynski Winn Braun Saturday, November 20, 2010

2. Needless Suffering

3. “Children who experience too much failure too early in life are exquisitely vulnerable to a wide range of complications” Mel Levine, Educational Care, 2001

4. Unrecognized and untreated problems can be prone to….. Behavioural problems & Emotional difficulties

5. Frustrated Overwhelmed Wondering what to do Asking Why/How Running to the resource teacher for suggestions Solution...

6. Dr. Mel Levine Who is this?

7. Professor of Pediatrics at the University of North Carolina Medical School in Chapel Hill • Pediatrician, Researcher & Learning Disability Expert • Work has been a foundation in teacher training programs for decades • co-founder of the non-profit organization All Kinds of Minds promotes research in practice in teaching children with learning disorders through information and professional development programs • He is an author – some of his published works include; A Mind at a Time, The Myth of Laziness and Ready or Not, Here Life Comes

8. The Model • based on clinical, educational and research experience • Favors informed observation and description over labeling • Takes into account the great heterogeneity of children with disappointing school performance • Strong emphasis on identifying and using the innate strengths of children • Recognizes both that children’s brains change over time & that the school changes over time in terms of the level and complexity of demands placed on children

9. Understanding a child’s underachievement Academic Skills Academic Subskills Neurodevelopmental Functions

10. Academic Skills Reading Writing Math

11. Academic Subskill Enables a student to possess the needed academic skill • word decoding and comprehension are subskills of the • academic skill of reading • letter formation, spelling, mechanics, use of language on • paper, generation of thoughts during writing, organization • of ideas are all subskills of writing • never ending inflow of new subskills in math

12. Neurodevelopmental Functions • Basic brain process needed for effective performance • help a student spell accurately • an aspect of motor function required for legible letter formation

13. Two Questions… Which subskills are weak and not doing their share? Which of the neurodevelopment functions needed for those Subskills are deficient?

14. Observable Phenomenon Manifestation of one or more neurodevelopmental dysfunctions (gaps, delays, variations in the way a child’s brain is developing) There are many causes for the above including chemical/metabolic Abnormalities, uneven brain growth, lack of appropriately dense nerve connections in specific regions of the brain, unusual patterns in the blood circulation in the brain. Simply, there is no exact cause that can be defined. What can be said for sure is that we are certain that the dysfunctions themselves have the potential to interfere with learning, productive work output and with behaviour in school.

15. To help teachers help their students be successful we decided to research Dr. Mel Levine’s framework further in order to create a working document where we wanted to emphasize to teachers to accurately recognize and understand the problems of the child in front of them and to supply them with different ways to manage the child within the classroom. What is the framework?

16. Attention Controls Neuromotor Function Language The Neurodevelopmental Constructs Sequential Ordering Spatial Ordering Higher Order Cognition Social Cognition Memory

17. Handbook Sections • All created with the same headings within each • section • Offers teachers an easy to follow method for • looking up needed information • Includes individual support for teachers within • each of Mel Levine’s 8 framework parts

18. Definition – • Gives an explanation of the section topic • Outlines the subsections or sub skills within the topic

19. What is __________?

20. What to watch for– • Outlines and lists “red flags” or concerns for teachers to watch for • Each subsection will have their own varying lists of concerns • Acts as a guideline for teachers when observing their students

21. Recommended teaching strategies • Strategies for teachers to apply within their classroom to help with student concerns • Range of ideas that are practical and can be easily implemented • Additional areas for others to add • ideas as it is meant to be an ongoing collaborative document

22. Case Study • Grade 5 boy – Chase Smith • reads slowly and with limited comprehension • letter formation is weak making printing laborious • is disorganized / forgetful – often loses homework, forgets to turn in hot lunch money, field trip notices, etc.

23. Human beings differ with their gifts and talents. To teach them, you have to start where they are. Yuezheng in 4th century B.C.

24. Higher Order Cognition • What to watch for– • Memorizes, but can’t generalize learning • Difficulty making connections • Decodes, but doesn’t comprehend • Can’t “read between the lines” – unable to make inferences • Weak problem solving skills

25. Temporal and Sequential Ordering • What to watch for– • Approaches tasks in illogical order (e.g. glues before cuts) • has difficulty “keeping track of belongings” • Unable to follow multi-step directions • Poor time management • Stories do not follow a logical sequence • Has difficulty with sequential mathematics – e.g. counting, understanding more and less, etc. • Words are spelled with correct letters, but incorrect order

26. Graphomotor What to watch for– • lazy, unmotivated and / or oppositional • often does not complete writing task or it takes considerably longer than other students • frequently engages in avoidance behaviours – frequent washroom breaks, often asks to go to the bathroom, needs to sharpen pencil , needs a Kleenex from backpack • sits and stares Even • disrupts the class

28. Recommended teaching strategies / activities – • model strategies, ask student to reflect on how effective the strategies he used were • guided reading • use Handwriting Without Tears / Co-Writer • encourage the parents and student to designate a specific place at home for backpack, homework, etc.

29. . . . students must understand whether they understand. So they should cultivate the habit of comprehension monitoring – (Do I really get this? If not, where is my breakdown in understanding occurring?). Mel Levine Educational Leadership (2007)

31. “Appreciating learning differences is the first step. Celebrating the differences is the goal.” Levine (1999)

32. Something to ponder… “I always tell people that from the moment a kid gets up in the morning until he goes to sleep at night, the central mission of the day is to avoid humiliation at all costs.” - Dr. Mel Levine