This learning module is a unit from an interdisciplinary Humanities high school course for students in a self-contained therapeutic program. This introduces them to the course through self reflection and basic outlining of US History.
Metacognition, executive functioning, self-contained, therapeutic, milieu,
Self-contained classrooms, programs, and schools provide high levels of various supports to students with severe and profound disabilities. Since the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 and the Individuals with Disability Education Act of 1990, there has been a consistent goal of giving all students a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). This has created more diverse classrooms throughout the country. Yet there are still percentages of students who are educated in self-contained settings. According to the 2015 NCES data, 12.9% of students who have a recognized emotional disturbance are placed in separate self-contained schools which is the third-largest population to be in separate schools. Students with multiple disabilities are the highest percentage group which often includes a large population of students with emotional disabilities.
This group represents a complicated subsection of students in our education system. These students are often lacking the fundamental academic skills of their peers which impacts their learning and achievement. They also are frequently resistant to attempted interventions due to a mix of social-emotional deficits (Lane et al., 2005) and a history of negative experiences at school. Lane et al. (2006) show that 58% of the population performs below grade level in academic achievement, 93% were below grade level specifically in mathematics. In Mattison's 2011 study, they compared the effectiveness of self-contained classrooms and schools for students with emotional disabilities and found that academic achievement was not improved but that psychopathology exhibited by the students was improved over the course of time, based on the more restrictive and supportive setting. One component of this lack of academic achievement is highlighted by Kurtcu (2017) that though self-contained schools or programs have smaller student populations, they also have smaller overall staff that limit the diversity of educators and expertise they are able to provide in the classroom. There is also a reduction in the course offerings which primarily focus on graduation requirements and segregate the population from more diverse courses related to science, technology, or electives (Kurtcu 2017).
It is in the opinion of the author that self-contained settings have the potential to make stronger academic and therapeutic gains then they currently do by examining the model of learning the students experience in such settings with the understanding of the previously stated limitations. This module will explore a less traditional format of delivering content that is focused on interdisciplinary learning, milieu therapeutic approach, to practice and strengthen executive functioning and metacognitive skills in a blended learning environment. Milieu approach, traditionally, integrates academic and therapeutic work and support, into a single physical environment. Such an approach is not often replicated in a remote or e-learning environment.
Due to the experiences in school that many students with emotional disturbances share as well as the comorbidity with other disabilities, it is common for them to have executive functioning deficits and lack metacognitive skills. Many of their peers gain these skillsets through traditional learning in what Dewey (1938/1988) referred to as "collateral learning" (p. 42). This exacerbates their struggle to achieve in traditional classrooms with peers of comparable intelligence. Trainin and Swanson (2005) explored the impact of employing high strategy metacognitive practices with students who have learning disabilities as well as those that did not and found that the practice greatly benefitted those with disabilities. This practice brought their achievement to a comparable range to their non-disabled peers. Lin (2001) adds to the application by stating, “Research shows that effective learners are those who are aware of their strengths and limitations and find ways to remedy the latter” (p. 23). She continues and argues that students make stronger gains when students are taught "domain-specific knowledge" alongside "knowledge of the self as learner". This blending of academic content with metacognitive reflection is the primary inspiration for portions of this module. The goal is to improve the students' engagement with their learning, understanding of themselves as a learner, improve psychopathology functioning and overall academic achievement.
This module will be a short introduction unit designed for an interdisciplinary humanities high school course that will combine American Literature and US History curricula. The course is designed for students who are in a therapeutic self-contained program that services students who have a primary diagnosis of emotional disturbances but also a high comorbidity rate for other disabilities such as specific learning, ADHD, or Autism. The majority of the students have average to above-average IQ's but often have significant deficits with executive functioning, gaps in learning, and a history of negative experiences with school. As Hattie (2012) states, "when students do not learn, they don't need more, they need different." On average, a class of this type would have anywhere from five to twelve students at a time. Its current design is an attempt to broaden the social aspect of the course work and digital components will be used with at least one other section and possibly more. The idea is that multiple courses will be interacting in a shared digital space to broaden their social connections beyond the often small therapeutic classroom.
This module will act as an introduction to a new format of the course. Previous iterations of the courses were split by discipline and followed a traditional curriculum that reflects a setting that parallels a setting they have previously struggled or failed. In response, this new course will provide an alternative course in an alternative setting and is intended to build into primarily a problem-based learning framework. Due to the novelty of the course, it is designed to move from low student autonomy to high student autonomy over the course of the school year as they become comfortable with the curriculum.
I have taught these classes separately to this population for over a decade and always felt there was significant room to better connect these students to their passions and the world around them. So, that is the desired driving force rather than traditional linear curriculum. The first several units are designed to give fundamental knowledge around the content of the course. As this knowledge is obtained, the students will be empowered to synthesize and apply this understanding in a context they are passionate about. As Agarwal and Bain (2019) state,
learning is not unidirectional or a hierarchy; we don't need to necessarily learn facts before we can think critically, analyze, or engage in higher order thinking. Instead, particularly in the context of retrieval practice, a bi-directional route and a mix of basic and complex knowledge can be more beneficial for students' higher-order thinking. p.42-43.
With this in mind, the students will not spend a large amount of time developing fundamental knowledge about the content areas but this unit will function as a structural tool for the students to consistently reflect on both the linear aspects of history but also the context in which historical events or themes occur.
Hattie (2012) argues that sharing with students the learning intentions and success criteria increases the impact of achievement. As you will see in the module below, most everything the learner and instructor need to know is on the For the Learner side. The course goals revolve around a mixture of English and US History standards, but the primary focus based on student placement and need is about self-monitoring their own learning and functionality.
This module is designed as a high school level class. It can be applied to various grade levels but it is geared towards junior and senior students who have taken several history courses prior to this one. Basic historical events should already be known to the learner so this module can use that as a guide to dig deeper into the context of history. It is also geared to developing reflective writing and communication skills that can improve the learner's ability to think critically and represent their thinking to an audience.
In the end, the learner should be able to better understand American history and the context in which people lived and how it impacts us today. This will help the learner better connect to cause and effect of actions, large and small. It will also see how history, as well as the learner's life, is a process in which engagement can impact the outcome. Reflecting on actions and our history can improve decisions moving forward. As Maya Angelou said at the inauguration of President Clinton:
History, despite its wrenching pain,
Cannot be unlived, but if faced
With courage, need not be lived again."On the Pulse of Morning"
This module is designed for a high school level US History and English integrated course for students who are in an alternative milieu education and treatment program. The course would be directed towards junior and senior students who have already taken several high school English courses as well as at least a World History course prior to this course. Additionally, many pieces are added to help the student gain a better understanding of themselves relative to where they are in the world and how they can both impact and be impacted by events. Reflection throughout the module will balance between historical and personal so the student is aware of their thinking and functioning as well as their ability to make an impact.
The course would be six to eight weeks in length depending on the final writing piece. For the course, they will need internet access and potentially the book American Like Me that is referenced near the end of the course. All other "materials" would be platforms employed by the course. All that are chosen are free or made available through the institution (email, GC Scholar). In the duration, different apps or platforms can be used for similar learning strategies and the listed ones represent ones that have been tested and prove to be effective and accessible to students and instructors.
As we set forth on this journey, we set forth together. Our goal is to make an organizational system that works for you and your thinking. In the beginning, you are expected to use the recommended system but over time will aim towards building something suitable to your strengths and weaknesses, as you figure them out. To get started, we will take a quick tour of what you need as a foundation for this course. You will need access and accounts setup for the following sites/apps:
Tutorials for each of the platforms are linked above. Your assignment is to at least log on or create an account at each before our next session. If you have questions or issues, email me directly (provide email link).
Calendar
Due to the nature of this class and the school year, in general, this year, you are to keep your own calendar. This calendar should have your weekly class schedule, days you are required to attend in-person, meetings scheduled with your instructors and social workers and any other appointments that come up. This should be a calendar you frequently have access to and can check and update as needed. Ideally, it should be something that is both on your phone and personal computing device.
CGScholar
You will use this platform to access your learning modules and course content. It will also be where you can dialogue with peers remotely and share work as you complete them. Each "Update" such as this will cover the necessary content for the day. It will also contain three important components at the end.
Feedback
For the majority of this course, my feedback for you and the feedback you give each other will be based on a revised version of what is considered Bloom's Taxonomy. We will discuss this in-depth in a live session as well.
This will be the foundation for our discussions about your work. Also, it can give you a sense of what your learning looks like from the outside. This will not equate to a traditional A-F scale of grading. The goal will be to help you make your learning more visible. As someone displays their learning the series of questions on the right can be asked to signify the depth of understanding. While it is not necessary to reach the outer ring of the diagram, it can be something to strive for. In our case, we will adapt this model even further to better suit our group.
| Stage | Description |
| 5 | Creating |
| 4 | Analyzing and Evaluating |
| 3 | Applying |
| 2 | Understanding |
| 1 | Remembering |
| 0 | Battling or Avoiding |
As you can see we have combined two levels that many students find to be very similar and often exhibit similar attributes. We have also added a zero that is called Battling or Avoiding. This can look like a student who is struggling with learning or at least displaying their learning.
TO DO:
Survey Please take this survey regarding grades.
Comment Make a comment on this update by reflecting on your perspective or experience on grading. What do you think an assignment that you would rate as a 1 look like compared to that rated a 4 or 5?
Update Post an update about your plans on being organized this year. What are you hoping to use? What has been successful in the past? What have you struggled most with in staying organized? Post in the Update section and reply to your peers.
This update is nuts and bolts. But, students need explicit guidance for executive functioning early in a term. These skills should be taught explicitly and support given to build student habits at the onset of the course. Due to the course being blended learning, they will need to gain fluency in multiple environments to be more successful later in the course. The introduction unit should give focus to practicing the digital literacy of the student to remove potential hurdles early. This will give more bandwidth later for the student to focus their thinking on critical components of the course rather than the platform functionality.
TED. (2007, January 6). Do schools kill creativity? Sir Ken Robinson. [Video] Youtube. https://youtu.be/iG9CE55wbtY
What is the purpose of school? Is learning separate from education?
Watch the video above. Ken Robinson has done some amazing work on learning and education and it happens to be one of the most watched TED Talks of all time. But the key to me is that he highlights the amazing skills and creativity that students have and the process in which skills squash and inadvertently kill that sense of you, the learner. Does anyone feel that way? I watch how my four year old approaches his school day and learner with awe and excitement. My seven year old, is already starting to shif towards the "business of school". And most of you are long past that point. But, can we recapture it?
As a teacher, my view of learning has drastically shifted over my career. Most of that has come from my own experience as not just a teacher, but as a learner. I have taken on many random ventures over the last decade and a half and through pure stubbornness have taught myself a vast amount of information and skills. In reflecting on things I have either learned or accomplished, it has greatly shaped my recognition of where knowledge comes from. One of the most critical components is the desire or need to learn something. Those moments have been of the greatest impact to me and have been driven to build that for my students. I hope to turn my classroom from a static structure to a dynamic workspace for learning. I hope to shift from being a teacher, who deposits knowledge, to a place where I act more as a mentor on your path of learning.
This course is linked to the desire to shift my pedagogy towards being significantly more student-centered. This means to put you all in the driver's seat of your own learning. I want you to be hands-on and advocate for yourself as a learner.
TO DO:
Comment: Based on the comments written above, reply with your thoughts about the course you are embarking on. You can also respond to other people's comments by starting comment, @Name.
Make an Update: Similar to what I have written above, explain your personal experience or perspective on learning, education, or school. What are some moments where you felt you really learned something important or of value? How has school impacted you as a learner? What do you want school to be like? Try to include some form of media in your update to exemplify or clarify your perspective.
Intentions: You all have varied experiences in school this far. But learning is something you should do, not something that is done to you. There is a critical difference. As a learner, you should pay attention and discover what helps you learn best. Not to say what makes learning easiest, but what helps you best engage with content and then what improves overall retention or acquisition of knowledge and skills. Try not to mistake easy learning as powerful learning, research shows that "desirable difficulties" in obtaining knowledge leads to more long-term learning (Agarwal & Bain, 2019, p.18).
Consider a video game or other activity that is far too easy for you. There is little desire to continue playing and no long term knowledge to obtain. But then think of a game you were really sucked in to. Likely there was more challenge and practice involved in completing the major components of the game and you probably walked away with more long-term skills as unique as they may be. Learning is the same way, there should be a struggle and some resilience is needed. But too much or too little struggle, there will likely be little to gain.
This exercise models a reflective practice for the students to think about ways in which they learn. It is important that the instructor share their personal perspective or experience with learning. Learning should be an activity everyone is participating in through each activity. The "intentions" section at the bottom is to be an explanation of why we are doing each activity. This is something a teacher would say to a peer or supervisor. But for the sake of the student becoming more aware of their own learning process, there is expected value in them hearing the rationale as well.
It is recommended for additional modalities to record the instructor's personal perspective on learning. Have it be a brief video where they share their own thoughts on learning and education or pedagogy. In the update, it should be written out as well for the student to interact with the update in their preferred manner.
UsefulCharts. (2018, September 17). Timeline of US history. [Video]. Youtube. https://youtu.be/r6DkltFk5h8
We have discussed a little about your thoughts on education, now let's look at the history of the United States. Above is a video of a fascinating timeline that shows a very basic history of one document. It is a quick and useful reference tool to give some context to more in-depth topics we will tackle through the course of this class. The video above shows an amazing inforgraphic on American history. It has an amazing amount of information in one not so simple chart. What is the effect of having all the data in one spot? How can it be a tool we utilize in the the future? Look through it and see if you can come to any personal conclusions.
The single major theme this class will investigate is HOW DID WE GET HERE? This is a concept that will guide the bulk of our work and can be applied in so many ways. It is a question that is both personal and historical. To understand how we get somewhere, we need to also understand where that is. Where is here and how did we there? This will cause us to reflect on various different aspects of both our society and our own lives.
Our first collective activity as a class will be to create our own timeline. we will develop it over a course of several sessions and then continue to add topics throughout the course of the year. We will each be responsible for adding to this timeline and should represent both the history of the United States and our own history.
TO DO:
Update In place of an update this session, go to our timeline on Padlet, add 5 new historical events. Each date must be unique (two people cannot add the same event), have a picture or video attached, the exact date in the "title" section, have a brief description written below, and be in the correct place on the timeline.
Comment In place of a comment, you will read at least 5 events posted by your peers, rate their post, and leave feedback on the item in the comment section. The feedback can be personal about the event or a comment for the author. For your rating, we will use a version of Bloom's Taxonomy as our "rubric" as discussed in our Course Goals update. In Padlet, each post allows a rating on a 5 point scale. Using the scale discussed in our course goals, rate each post 1-5 as they line up to our stages of learning.
| Stage | Description |
|---|---|
| 5 | Creating |
| 4 | Analyzing and Evaluating |
| 3 | Appling |
| 2 | Understanding |
| 1 | Remembering |
| 0 | Battling or Avoiding |
Intentions For this activity I am encouraging you to dig into your memory and pull out items from your memory. This has multiple purposes. First, it gives the class some control and ownership over the ideas that generated and allows you to create the foundation which we will use as a reference tool moving forward. Second, it gives us all a chance to see what is either meaningful or more memorable of one another. Third, it reinforces the concepts you already have in your memory. Based on research by Agarwal and Bain (2019), this type of memory retrieval can help improve overall performance and learning (p. 83).
The Intentions already explain things about why the update. A few additional notes, the number of posts each student should make is up to the instructor to dictate. It would be helpful to have a list of events from US history to potentially divide between the students to add more control for the instructor or if the students need the support. But the goal is for them to dig into their own memory more than a short research assignment.
Once the Timeline is updated, create a quiz based on the events listed. Practice retrieval right from the beginning to reinforce the information. The quiz can be a quick digital clicker or Kahoot style quiz. It should be engaging and not linked to credit. This is for skill-building only. That should be reinforced to the learners.
A large part of history is the interaction it has with us. We are both a part and culmination of history. This is what makes literature, and art in general, so powerful and important. It captures not just a moment of an event, but the experience and emotion in the context of that event. The COVID-19 pandemic will someday go in the history books with statistics and pictures. But will that capture your actual experience of what last spring felt like? What school feels like now? And that is the intersection of art and history.
For this session, you will add yourself to our class timeline. Last time you added historical events you remembered, likely from books, classes, or films. Now I want your story to be part of this timeline.
TO DO:
Update Add five new posts to our Padlet Timeline. Think of five events or moments that have influenced who you are today. These can be things from your family's history such as a war a relative fought in or when your family first came to the United States. Or they can be personal events that you feel made a significant impact on who and where you are today. These posts will be shared with the class so be aware of your audience. Just as our last Update, use an image or video, put the date in the Title section, and state the event and a brief description and its importance.
Comment In place of a comment, you will read at least 5 events posted by your peers, rate their post, and leave feedback on the item in the comment section. The feedback can be personal about the event or a comment for the author. For your rating, we will use a version of Bloom's Taxonomy as our "rubric" as discussed in our Course Goals update. In Padlet, each post allows a rating on a 5 point scale. Using the scale discussed in our course goals, rate each post 1-5 as they line up to our stages of learning.
Our Feedback Rubric
5 Creating
4 Analyzing and Evaluating
3 Appling
2 Understanding
1 Remembering
0 Battling or Avoiding
Intentions History has consequences, both good and bad. We are strongly linked to history in many ways. As the intention of my history classes is always about "complicating the story". That means not to simply look at the list of facts, but to empathize and dig into the experience of the people who were living at that time. Find primary sources that give more context to events at hand. As Maya Angelou (1993) said, "History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again." Your history is important as your perspective will influence and shape the way you see other historical events. So, very early in the year, I want you to start reflecting on your history and your connection to the world around you.
This is early in the course, but as an instructor, the goal is to help the students start connecting their stories with the history they will be uncovering. Instead of making another short quiz like last update, additional discussion around the feedback/rating process should occur. Help create some semblance of interrater reliability to help them understand how to not only give feedback on something, but as they do their own work they will apply the same concepts they are looking for from their peers.
Simon & Schuster Books. (2018, October 10). America Ferrera asks "Who is american like me?". [Video]. Youtube. https://youtu.be/Oc_m7cryOCs
In 2018, America Ferrera released a book called American Like Me that was a collection of essays of prominent figures in the United States telling their stories of what their experience has been growing up in what they describe as being between cultures. They tell interesting anecdotes that describe an experience of being both an insider and still an outsider in many instances that others would take for granted. Above I added a brief intro video to help you get better acquainted with the text.
Choose one of the chapters from the book and read the essay. Digital copies are available through the school library, physical copies will be available in school, or excerpts are available here and here (video with several excerpts read aloud).
Comment In what ways do you sometimes feel like you are not quite an insider but not an outsider in your life?
Update Post an update stating which chapter you read and the basic takeaways from the chapter.
This assignment shifts the student's focus from historical events, the personal side of living in a society. The text is very focused on a diverse perspective of American culture. In a live setting, a student-driven discussion about their readings would be effective. It can help foster the students' ability to understand an experience from another's perspective and empathize more. As a group, they can process the stories collaboratively and the instructor can moderate or clarify aspects of the discussion, but it is encouraged to be more of a Socratic seminar.
What does it mean to be an American? How often do you think about yourself in the context of your nationality or residence? What all goes into being an American? Is it your link to the past of the country? Is it connected to what our country represents from a global sense? Is it something you are proud of or conflicted over? What causes either emotion? You are one person out of the 328.2 million other people on the planet who are connected in a way as Americans. That's just over 4% of the entire world. In what way do you connect to that 4%?
TO DO
For this session, you will focus on writing a reflection on what it means to be an American Like You. You have unique experiences you can share with your peers, but you also have similarities that link to one another.
Your essay should be inspired by the readings you have done for class, the discussions you have engaged in, and personal self reflection. For your essay you will develop an essay that is about 1000 words in length. To create a more unique or engaging experience for your reader, you are encouraged to add and embed media throughout the essay. This includes pictures, images, videos, or audio files. Use my updates as a guide of how and why to include such things. If you wish, you can use an audio or video recording as a portion of your essay. It must be original and created by you if you are using it in lieu of the 1000 word requirement.
Start your essay through Google Docs. It is highly recommended at this point to make a folder in Google Drive for this course. In that folder, you should store all of your sources and writings related to the project. The whole folder should be shared with me. This will not be a means of turning in anything but instead, a means to stay organized so I can help support you and give you feedback.
The rubric is relevant for most of our writing items. When you are done with your draft you will upload it into the Peergrade assignment. The Peergrade rubric will be different as a means to give you more guidance and feedback throughout the process. After submitting, you will be prompted by Peergrade to give feedback to 2-4 of your peers. Please complete the feedback portion thoroughly for your peers.
This will be the first of many essays written throughout the semester. As a means to have the students interact and give feedback to one another, we use Peergrade.com as a platform they are already familiar with. If used in a different class, a tutorial on setting up and using the platform would be needed. As seen here, assignments are submitted then distributed to peers and the instructor can see the progress in the process.
This is a piece of writing, along with the education one, that they will return to at the end of the class and write again. As an instructor, I am hoping to see the depth of their responses change over the course of the year. They should be able to add more context from a historical perspective to connect to their present state, be more thoughtful in their personal reflection, and develop more depth, clarity, and detail to their writing.
Agarwal, P. K. & Bain, P. M. (2019). Powerful teaching: Unleash the science of learning. Jossey-Bass.
Angelou, M. (1993, January 21). On the pulse of morning. New York Times. [Digital]. Retrieved, https://www.nytimes.com/1993/01/21/us/the-inauguration-maya-angelou-on-the-pulse-of-morning.html.
Dewey, J. (1988). Experience in Education. In Boydson, J. A. (Ed.). John Dewey: The later works, 1925-1953 (Vol 13). Southern Illinois University Press. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books. (Original work published 1938).
Flagg, J. M. (1917) Original Uncle Sam recruiting poster. Retrieved https://www.icollector.com/Original-WWI-1917-Uncle-Sam-Recruiting-Poster_i28217212
Hattie, J. (2012). Visible learning for teachers: Maximizing impact on learning. Routledge.
Kurtcu, W. M. (2017). Marginalized student access to technology education (Doctoral dissertation).
Lane, K. L., Carter, E. W., Pierson, M. R., & Glaeser, B. C. (2006). Academic, social, and behavioral characteristics of high school students with emotional disturbances or learning disabilities. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 14(2), 108-117.
Lane, K. L., Wehby, J. H., Little, M. A., & Cooley, C. (2005). Academic, social, and behavioral profiles of students with emotional and behavioral disorders educated in self-contained classrooms and self-contained schools: Part I - Are they more alike than different? Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 30(4), 349-361.
Lin, X., Hmelo, C., Kinzer, C.K., & Secules, T.J. (1999) Designing technology to support reflection. Educational Technology Research and Development. 47(3). 43-62.
Magritte, R. (1933). The human condition. [Oil]. National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Human_Condition_(Magritte)
Mattison, R. E. (2011). Comparison of students classified ED in self-contained classrooms and self-contained school. Education and Treatment of Children, 34(1), 15-33.
McNulty, N. (2019, December 31) Introduction to Bloom's Taxonomy. Retrieved from https://www.niallmcnulty.com/2019/12/introduction-to-blooms-taxonomy/
NCES. (2019). Percentage distribution of students 6 to 21 years old served under Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part B, by educational environment and type of disability: Fall 2015 [Table]. Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=59
Simon & Schuster Books. (2018, October 10). America Ferrera asks "Who is american like me?". [Video]. Youtube. https://youtu.be/Oc_m7cryOCs
Tainin, G., Swanson, H. L. (2005). Cognition, metacognition, and achievement of college students with learning disabilities. Learning Disability Quarterly. 28(3). 261-272.
TED. (2007, January 6). Do schools kill creativity? Sir Ken Robinson. [Video] Youtube. https://youtu.be/iG9CE55wbtY
UsefulCharts. (2018, September 17). Timeline of US history. [Video]. Youtube. https://youtu.be/r6DkltFk5h8
Wimberger, K.K. (2018). Book review: The organized mind by Daniel Levitin. Dark Matter Essay. http://www.darkmatteressay.org/the-organized-mind-by-daniel-levitin.html