Creating learning opportunities through collaborative service, for students with intellectual and complex learning disabilities Upper Midwest Civic Engagement Summit University of Wisconsin, Stout June 13, 2014
Dec 15, 2014
Creating learning opportunities through collaborative service,
for students with intellectual and complex learning disabilities
Upper Midwest Civic Engagement Summit
University of Wisconsin, StoutJune 13, 2014
Carol Burns, Consultant, Bethesda CollegeAdjunct Professor Special Education Concordia University Wisconsin
Karen Roth, President, Partnerships in Education & Service,
Northfield, IL Professor of Education
Presenters
After reading the scenarios, respond to these questions:
What is your impression of the student mentioned?
How would you handle the situation as Team Leader?
What are your expectations of team participants?
Case Studies
This presentation will focus on the intentional use of service-learning as a method for the fuller integration of students with identified learning disabilities with other university students, with the goal of building a more reciprocal, cohesive and caring university community.
Presentation Goal
Tips on how to build relationships and community
within the integrated group of adults with multiple abilities;
Strategies for scaffolding pre- service trip preparations and differentiated reflective methods;
Problem-solving techniques for on-site complications, usually related to the disability.
Presentation Outcomes
In a classroom of 100 adult students, at least 1 will identify as having intellectual, and/or complex learning disabilities. Autistic Spectrum Disorder
(Grandin, T., The Autistic Brain, 2014)
1 in 88
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS:
Have limitations in intellectual functioning co-occurring with a range of learning difficulties. Both strengths and weaknesses are usually present in conceptual, social, and practical areas.
Have general intellectual functioning in the below average range
Have learning difficulties that have significantly affected school performance, including a high probability of difficulty with a regular college curriculum
Have the ability to emotionally adjust and physically participate in all program activities
Intellectual and Complex Learning Disabilities
Recorded diagnoses in one or more of a variety of categories:Intellectual Disabilities, Developmental Disabilities, Learning Disabilities, Autism, High Functioning Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, Physical Disabilities, Other Health Impairment, Traumatic Brain Injury, Visual or Hearing Impairments, Social/Emotional/Behavioral Disorders.
The individual diagnoses can be across several categories. These categorical assignments may be the result of or influenced by diagnoses of genetic syndromes such as Down or William’s Syndrome, as well as medical or accidental traumas, either before or after birth.
Intellectual and Complex Learning Disabilities
We investigated the effectiveness of a pilot
approach for fostering inclusion of all students in a university-community partnership, including those with differing abilities, conducted over the summers of 2011 and 2012.
Using data findings from year one, our second year study focused more specifically on the design & implementation of pre-trip planning strategies, created to better integrate our students with and without disabilities into the service team.
Building Inclusivity
Serving With NOT Service To
Working on grade-leveling and shelving library books
Team work/Team building
Social activities
Increase concern for fellow humans
Develops the ability to problem solve
Motivates learning and improves self-concept
Increases competence and awareness of new settings
Develops a sense of usefulness
Enhances moral development
Heightens responsibility to community
Improves attitudes towards others
Increases academic achievement
Improves communication with others
Develops tolerance for diversity
Broadens knowledge of one’s abilities
Learning how to collaborate and work in teams Source: Kaye (2010); Gelmon, et. all (2001 – Campus Compact)
Characteristics of Growth through S-L
Developing a civic-minded campus.
“informed, engaged, open-minded, and socially responsible people committed to the common good, and practiced in ‘doing’ democracy”.
Democratic campus = a fully integrated community
Crucible moment
NOLA
Recovery School District
PIEsNLU-PACE
Our Partnerships
1886: Miss Harrison’s Training School1891-1929: Chicago Kindergarten College Since 1930: National College of Education (NCE)Since 1990: National Louis University (NLU);
added 2 more colleges to NCE
Graduating: PhD, EdD., CAS, MA, MS, BA, BS , PACE certificate of completion
National Louis University
More than 80% of PACE graduates are employed.
P.A.C.E. students attend classes together two days each week in an undergraduate university environment;
“Highly motivated students who have demonstrated excellent performance in their P.A.C.E. classes are encouraged to register for specific NLU undergraduate classes, usually in the liberal arts or early childhood education.” – from NLU website
NLU’s PACE Program
Service Learning at PACE!
What is Service Learning?
Teaching students to be conscious and active participants in their
community.
Past PACE Service LearningPennies for Patients (Leukemia-Lymphoma Society)
Bears of Hope (Skokie PD)
Walk for Autism Speaks
NOLA Schools Trip
Who, What, Why?This Fall: Partnership with Skokie
Food PantryLearn the possibilities
Meet the peopleDiscover the mission
Reflection
(Began in 2007 as NLU-NOLA Schools Project)
2011 & 2012: Harriet Tubman Charter Elementary School2012: Arthur Ashe Charter Elementary School2013: Paul Habans Charter Elementary School
Since 2011 current or former students of PACE program have been members of PIEs service teams.
Partnerships in Education & Service (PIEs)
Established in 2011
MORE ABILITY than recognized or tested
HIGH MOTIVATION to succeed in life, to be in college, to be “normal”
VERBAL (academics) and NONVERBAL (social, time, organization) functioning is variable
THINKING concretely and in the present
Less inclined to take initiative
Level of SOCIAL Abilities associated with limited experiences
LEARN BEST BY EXPERIENCING AND DOING
STUDENTS WITH DIFFERING ABILITIES
Visual processors – brain creates series of pictures;
Sensory stimulated – sounds, lights, touches can be irritants;
Appears to “move slowly” – life too fast to make sense of;
Creates anxieties - previous bad experiences always looming
(Grandin, T., The Autistic Brain, 2014)
Typical Conditions
Reflections from Pilot Year
Social “Cues”: PACE students initially misread social behaviors and language of other team members.
Team members misinterpreted responses from PACE students.
Feelings of anxiety: PACE students’ anxieties emerged before and initially during trip. Feeling safe and trusting the team members and
related work at the school was important.
Team relationships: Initial pre-trip concerns about skills, focus and commitment of PACE students to the work and as team members.
Year 1 findings to Year 2 changes
Year 1 findings
PACE student feelings of anxieties
Team concerns about PACE student inclusion Social cues miss interpreted Orientation: some non-PACE
students needed more information on abilities of PACE students
Accommodations: PACE w/PACE, non-PACE w/non-PACE = “silos”
Service to schools/group: PACE students had choice between 2 entry level jobs.
Year 2 changes
3 pre-trip workshops: familiarize w/NOLA environment & build community
NOLA resource brochure More on-site staff provided (e.g.,
PACE instructor’s mom; 1 additional non-PACE roommate)
Orientation: no direct changes; did not want to single out team members with disabilities.
Cannot force: friends shared rooms; two PACE students & 1 non-PACE per room
PACE students self advocated for higher skilled jobs, w/scaffolding
Pre-orientation Activities / blended and
segregated Orientation Activities Building Team Culture On-site blended accommodations (if possible) Shared work experiences Scaffolding the work on site Use of alternative technology and social media
for reflective activities Post experience team celebrations
Strategies for Inclusion
Cover by a former PACE student and team participant.
Pre-Orientation: NOLA Resource Book
Everyone participates – no one singled out!
Introducing selfIdentifying skill sets and challengesSharing previous service experiencesDistributing and discussing Resource
Booklet Arranging sleeping accommodations
Orientation Activities
Developing a team “culture” 24/7:
Respecting each others talents, skills and knowledge;
Valuing common S-L goals;
Listening attentively to each team member;
Building a community of engaged learners.
Building Relationships
Sharing space – on site and/or at hotel:
Needing space – on site and/or at hotel:
Controlling anxieties – self and/or group imposed:
Making choices – on site and/after work down time:
Blending in or creating “silos”:
Unexpected “Complications”
Electronic portfolios
BLOGs
Social Media
Creative Arts (paintings, music, poetry, 3-D works)
Alternative reflective methods
Experienced (1st year) PACE Participants
C - I met a new girl who I never met before at orientation or on a trip. First I was scared to ask her to go to Karaoke and going to dinner, but I find out that she was kind and happy to let us join her to dinner. It was great to get to know somebody other than PACE people.
J - I liked having the most wonderful talks with non-PACE people. I had really deep talks with the non-PACE team members – we talked about my experiences growing up and how it was to lose parents, my future.
New (2nd year) PACE Participants
A - Well I got to get to know people from the trip, by communicating with them about certain things like teaching and stuff like that. Because we shared similar interests.
K – The importance of teamwork. we had to compromise every day we had to figure out where to eat so we had to come to a certain conclusion
L - That when working with someone we can get the job done. Computer work was fun and different than what I normally do to find books – looked up the title of the book and found the age group.
M – I think I matured a little bit. That I worked harder
Post trip interview Responses - What did I learn?
Increase concern for fellow humans
Develops the ability to problem solve
Motivates learning and improves self-concept
Increases competence and awareness of new settings
Develops a sense of usefulness
Enhances moral development
Heightens responsibility to community
Improves attitudes towards others
Increases academic achievement
Improves communication with others
Develops tolerance for diversity
Broadens knowledge of one’s abilities
Learning how to collaborate and work in teams Source: Kaye (2010); Gelmon, et. all (2001 – Campus Compact)
Characteristics of Growth through S-Lgreen = non-PACE member growth
pink = PACE member growth
Pilot Project Team
2nd Year Team
3rd Year Team
TeamTravel
Shared Work Experiences
Shared Work Experience
Defined Work Space
Café DuMond Breakfast
Team Lunch break
Team night out
Last Night Team Meal
Learning Together - Day 4
Post trip responses - advice for new PACE participants
Experienced PACE participants
C - I would suggest to try to be independent by going to different places and restaurants with mixed up groups and not just PACE people. Try to find your one job that works. Tell the team you are flexible and that you can do many different things.
J - Brainstorm on strategies to deal with stress and anxiety and how to interact with both PACE team members and non-PACE team members. (the first time) because we weren’t prepared to go outside into the world and interact with non-PACE people.
2013 PACE participants
A - I would tell them that one of the things we did was to meet up with people on the trip ahead of time.
K – it is a different area so watch out for more people on the street asking for money or weather conditions. I wouldn’t call it a dangerous community.
J – They are going to be working as a team with other people and getting to know new people.
M - are you interested in helping the service team of New Orleans?
How does/will the introduction of students with differing abilities impact your work as service-learning providers?
What more do you need to know/do to develop more inclusive service teams?
Reflective Question
Resources:
Kaye, C.B., (2010), The Complete Guide to Service Learning: proven, practical ways to engage students in civic responsibility, academic curriculum, & social action, Free Spirit Publication, Inc., Minneapolis, MN.
Gelmon, S.G., Holland, B.A., Driscoll, A., Spring, A., Kerrigan, S., (2001), Assessing Service-Learning and Civic Engagement: principles and techniques, Campus Compact, Boston, MA.
Jacoby, B. and Associates, (1996), Service-Learning in Higher Education: concepts and practices, Jossely-Bass, San Francisco, CA.
Carol Burns –Consultant, Bethesda College
Adjunct Professor Special Education Concordia University [email protected]
Karen Roth - President, Partnerships in Education & Service, Northfield, IL.
Thank you!