Assessing Students with Special Needs

Assessing students with learning disabilities can be challenging. Some students, such as those with ADHD and autism, struggle with testing situations and cannot remain at a task long enough to complete such assessments. But assessments are important; they provide the child with an opportunity to demonstrate knowledge, skill, and understanding. For most learners with exceptionalities, a paper-and-pencil task should be at the bottom of the list of assessment strategies. Below are some alternate suggestions that support and enhance the assessment of learning disabled students. Presentation A presentation is a verbal demonstration of skill, knowledge, and understanding. The child can narrate or answer questions about her task. Presentation can also take the form of discussion, debate or a purely interrogatory exchange. Some children may require a small group or one-on-one setting; many students with disabilities are intimidated by larger groups. But dont discount the presentation. With ongoing opportunities, students will begin to shine. Conference A conference is a one-on-one between the teacher and the student. The teacher will prompt and cue the student to determine the level of understanding and knowledge. Again, this takes the pressure away from written tasks. The conference should be somewhat informal to put the student at ease. The focus should be on the student sharing ideas, reasoning or explaining a concept. This is an extremely useful form of formative assessment. Interview An interview helps a teacher to clarify the level of understanding for a specific purpose, activity or learning concept. A teacher should have questions in mind to ask the student. A lot can be learned through an interview, but it can be time-consuming. Observation Observing a student in the learning environment is a very powerful assessment method. It can also be the vehicle for the teacher to change or enhance a specific teaching strategy. Observation can be done in a small group setting while the child is engaged in learning tasks. Things to look for include: Does the child persist? Give up easily? Have a plan in place? Look for assistance? Try alternate strategies? Become impatient? Look for patterns?   Performance Task A performance task is a learning task that the child can do while the teacher assesses his performance. For example, a teacher may ask a student to solve a math problem by presenting a word problem and asking the child questions about it. During the task, the teacher is looking for skill and ability as well as the childs attitude toward the task. Does he cling to past strategies or is there evidence of risk-taking in the approach? Self-Assessment Its always positive for students to be able to identify their own strengths and weaknesses. When possible, self-assessment can lead the student to a better sense of understanding of her own learning. The teacher should ask some guiding questions that can lead to this discovery.

Instruction And Positive Character Education Aurum...

Through rigorous instruction and positive character education, Aurum Preparatory Academy Charter School educates all of its students, grades 6 – 8, to succeed in college and life and to serve as the next generation of moral leaders. All students deserve a quality education regardless of race, gender, socio-economic status, or zip code. At Aurum Preparatory Academy Charter School (â€Å"Aurum Prep†), each of our students will receive a quality education that will prepare them for success in college and career. We know from numerous examples of high achieving schools in the communities of Oakland and around the country that all students can achieve at high levels when provided with the proper structure, strong instruction, and clear guidance. We will provide our students with a rigorous and seamless secondary education rooted in expanding their literacy and mathematics skills, and in full alignment with rigorous national standards as adopted by the State of California. At Aurum Prep, we foster character development through our FIRST values: Focus, Integrity, Respect, Self-Determination, and Team. For students to determine their own life’s trajectory, they must have a foundation that prepares them to (a) excel in college and life and (b) become responsible leaders in their communities and in our world. We must have high expectations and clear structures, all provided within a culture of joy for learning, working hard, and honoring our students’ fullest self-determined potential.

Impact of British Rule on India During 1857-1867 Free Essays

In Politics as in physical science, when one body impinges upon another the effect of the impact is determined not only by its force but also by its duration. The improbability becomes greater when we have regard to the highly developed and complex civilization with which the British came into contact. That civilization is an amalgam of two elements, one Hindu and one Muslim and at first sight the Islamic element might seem to offer the greater resistance to outside influence. We will write a custom essay sample on Impact of British Rule on India During 1857-1867 or any similar topic only for you Order Now The uncompromising character of Islam is obvious, and in consonance with it the Muslims in India for a considerable time resisted the impact of Western education, took but little to science or industry, and hardly allowed their beliefs or their way of life to be influenced by the newcomers. Hinduism, on the other hand, has protected itself throughout the centuries by its flexibility and its absorptive capacity. In the British period European thought has profoundly affected the Hindus, with their great sensitivity to new ideas and spiritual influences. They have become steeped in the Western scientific spirit; they have so absorbed European political ideals as to forget their foreign origin; and they have allowed even their conception and understanding of their own history and philosophy to be transformed by Western learning. Nevertheless, modern India is essentially a Hindu country and during the latter half of the British period Hinduism itself, after centuries of stagnation, has experienced a mighty resurgence. Thus it is that independent India is today governed in the main, not by Westernized intellectuals, but by men who regard themselves first and foremost as Hindus. Both the main elements in Indian life and thought are in fact highly self-protective and it might therefore have been thought that the relatively brief impact of British rule would leave little permanent mark. Nevertheless, some of the evident effects of that rule have at least the appearance of permanence. In the first place, a strong and ubiquitous Central Government, administering a uniform system of law with a high degree of efficiency, relentlessly imposed homogeneity unknown in Indian history. The Tamil, the Bengali, and the Gujarati for the first time obeyed the same law and observed the same forms in their dealings with authority; and in the process they were insensibly drawn closer together. Secondly, the introduction of English education brought the upper middle classes under the influence of Western thought at a time when nationalism was the most vital factor in the life of Europe, whilst at the same time the English language provided them with a common medium of communication. In the third place, the Press, which was called into being by British example and influence, furnished Indians with a means of voicing their political aspirations, and so developing a common consciousness and knowledge of their growing strength. In all these ways, British rule fostered the growth of national feeling and built up a political unity not wholly dependent on the cohesive force provided by a strong foreign rule. The process was clearly not complete by 1947 or partition would not have been necessary and it is an interesting speculation as to whether, if the steps to self-government had been slower, a unitary government would have been possible. The process of unification has not been wholly advantageous, for the development of a strong Central Government has undermined those village institutions in which the political genius of India was most truly displayed. The villages of ancient and mediaeval India were to a great extent self-governing and the forms of democracy which operated in them were perhaps more vital than those which have been so laboriously imposed on India in modern times. The community settled its affairs by common consent and looked for no interference from outside as long as the revenue due to the ruler was paid. Civic consciousness was strong, and the way of life in rural India was gracious. Despite the protests of the wisest administrators, the East India Company steadily destroyed the political importance of the villages, and few things in British rule are more pathetic than the attempts, during the last seventy years, to re-create village institutions. It is only necessary to study the working of a modern District or Union Board, for example in Bengal, to realize how much India has lost by the over-centralization of authority. This loss must in fairness be set against the gain, which has resulted from political unity. Although it is in the political sphere that the influence of British thought has been most spectacular, equally important has been the impact of Western science. India at an early stage made great contributions to scientific knowledge, but in the Middle Ages her intellectual life became stagnant and few signs of a true spirit of enquiry appeared. Nor did she experience anything even remotely comparable to that great revolution in ideas, which was brought about in Europe by such men as Galileo, Newton and Descartes. Except to a limited extent in the field of astronomy, scientific learning was rare and the scientific spirit non-existent. Thanks partly to Macaulay’s own vehemence, English became the medium of instruction, and through that medium, by the end of the century, the scientific spirit had been rekindled. The change has not been wholly for the better, for it has given a materialistic twist to Indian thought and has introduced a worship of wealth, which was not present in the India of the Vedas or the Epics. On the other hand, intellectual India has received a new dynamic impulse and has become once again creative. For good or for ill, Western scientific thought has conditioned the Indian approach to all the problems of life, whether practical or speculative. The degree of conditioning, however, has not been uniform in all directions, and one of our most difficult problems is to determine how far Western influence has affected religious sentiment and philosophy. It may be said at once that Islam has been singularly unaffected and our question thus need only be considered in relation to Hinduism. British influence has reacted on Hinduism by leading a small but important section of highly educated Indians to abandon their traditional Hindu thought and feeling and to adopt a Western outlook on life and philosophy. A second effect of British influence was the growth of re-formed sects such as the Brahmo Samaj, which aimed at a synthesis of the best in Hinduism and Christianity. They were of considerable importance in the nineteenth century, but, like the thoroughgoing occidentalists, they faded into the background in the twentieth century. Thus, without in the least intending to do so, the British revivified Hinduism after its long period of stagnation and uncertainty. In the villages and smaller towns Hinduism remains strongly entrenched, but in the north of India there are, nevertheless, some signs of change. Here and there are groups of men who reject the old taboos on intercaste dining; while the respect paid to men of higher caste is not so profound or so universal as of old. Villagers no longer gather so frequently round the feet of the village pundits to hear the recitation of the great epics in which their traditions are enshrined. These signs must be neither exaggerated nor ignored. They do not indicate rapid or revolutionary change, but they do mean that life and thought in the villages is no longer static. Outside events and trends of thought press more closely upon the Indian villager today than ever before and they are unlikely to leave his beliefs and customs unchanged. Until the direction of the change becomes clear, no real assessment of British influence on Hinduism will be possible, but in the meantime it must be recognized that the intrusion of the outside world into the villages is the direct result of British rule. References Ainslie Thomas Embree , 1962. â€Å"Charles Grant and British Rule in India† George Allen Unwin: London. Anindyo Roy, 2005. â€Å"Civility and Empire: Literature and Culture in British India, 1822-1922† Routledge. New York. Jeffrey M. Diamond, 2004. â€Å" Imperial Fault Lines: Christianity and Colonial Power in India, 1818-1940. † The Journal of the American Oriental Society. Volume: 124. Issue: 2. Page Number: 383+. Martin Deming Lewis (Ed. ), 1962. â€Å"British in India: Imperialism or Trusteeship? † D. C. Heath. : Boston. Reginald Coupland, 1945. â€Å": India: A Re-Statement† Oxford University Press: London; New York. Robert Carr, 2005. â€Å"Concession Repression: British Rule in India 1857-1919 Robert Carr Assesses the Nature of British Rule in India during a Key, Transitional Phase. † History Review. Issue: 52. Page Number: 28+ How to cite Impact of British Rule on India During 1857-1867, Papers

A River Runs Through It by Norman Mclean Essay Example For Students

A River Runs Through It by Norman Mclean Essay Norman Mcleans A River Runs Through It explores many feelings and experiences of one turn of the century family in Missoula, Montana. In both the movie, directed by Robert Redford, and the original work of fiction we follow the Mcleans through their joys and sorrows. However, the names of the characters and places are not purely coincidental. These are the same people and places known by Norman Mclean as he was growing up. In a sense, A River Runs Through It is Mcleans autobiography. Although these autobiographical influences are quite evident throughout the course of the story they have deeper roots in the later life of the author as he copes with his lifes hardships. The characters in the movie and book are taken straight from Mcleans life. From the hard working, soft centered, minister father, to the drunken, down on his luck, brother-in-law, Neil. The character of Paul appears the be the most true to life member of Normans family. The audience quickly becomes familiar with Paul and his quick-tempered, always ready for anything attitude. This is evident in the beginning of the story with Pauls frequent phrase with a bet on the to make things interesting Mclean 6. It was almost funny and sometimes not so funny to see a boy always wanting to bet on himself and almost sure to win Mclean 5. Unlike Norman who was rigorously home schooled every morning, while Paul seemed to escape this torment. The boys would spend their afternoons frolicking in the woods and fishing the Big Blackfoot River. The differences that developed between Pauls and Normans fishing styles become evident in the published versions of Mcleans life as well as his real life. Norman followed the traditional style taught by their preacher-father, ten and two in a four -count rhythm, like a metronome. The four-count rhythm, of course, is functional. The one count takes the line, leader, and fly off the water; the two count tosses them seemingly straight into the sky; the three count was my fathers way of saying that at the top the leader and fly have to be given a little beat of time to get behind the line as it is starting forward; the four count means put on the power and throw the line into the rod until you reach ten oclock-then check-cast, let the fly and leader get ahead of the line, and coast to a soft and perfect landing Mclean 4. Paul, on the other hand, was less controlled by their father. Therefore he was able to develop his own style of casting. This new technique in which he dubbed shadow casting was able to draw the fish to the surface using only the shadow of the fly. That the fish are alerted by the shadows of flies passing over the water by the first casts, so hit the fly the moment it touches the water Mclean 21. Among other things, Paul was also grew up with a bit of gambling and drinking streak in him. Pauls habits did not just exist in the book, these characteristics of Paul were carried over from Normans real life experiences with his brother. Paul lived mostly by instinct and bravado, learning early on to gamble, drink and fight Eastman 54. Pauls tendancies of to get into the high stakes poker games without a clear head and then try to fight his way out of debt was what eventually leads to his demise; both in real life and in A River Runs Through it. Although the documentation of Norman Mcleans life is very similar to his real life, there are some subtle differences that exist. In the wide screen version of A River Runs Through It, directed by Robert Redford, the middle part of the movie is taken up with Normans courting of Jessie, his real life wife. .uab11698d5036676c72eb6aa5b06442ff , .uab11698d5036676c72eb6aa5b06442ff .postImageUrl , .uab11698d5036676c72eb6aa5b06442ff .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uab11698d5036676c72eb6aa5b06442ff , .uab11698d5036676c72eb6aa5b06442ff:hover , .uab11698d5036676c72eb6aa5b06442ff:visited , .uab11698d5036676c72eb6aa5b06442ff:active { border:0!important; } .uab11698d5036676c72eb6aa5b06442ff .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uab11698d5036676c72eb6aa5b06442ff { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uab11698d5036676c72eb6aa5b06442ff:active , .uab11698d5036676c72eb6aa5b06442ff:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uab11698d5036676c72eb6aa5b06442ff .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uab11698d5036676c72eb6aa5b06442ff .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uab11698d5036676c72eb6aa5b06442ff .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uab11698d5036676c72eb6aa5b06442ff .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uab11698d5036676c72eb6aa5b06442ff:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uab11698d5036676c72eb6aa5b06442ff .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uab11698d5036676c72eb6aa5b06442ff .uab11698d5036676c72eb6aa5b06442ff-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uab11698d5036676c72eb6aa5b06442ff:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Wonderful Fool EssayThis is different from the book because as the book progresses, Norman is already married to Jessie. One other difference between the movie and the authors real life is a small scene in which the Mclean boys borrow a rowboat and run the rapids of a nearby river. Although untold in the story these parts are part of the creative license taken by Redford in order to make for a better movie. These two segments appeal to both the adventurous and caring in the audience. Another difference between the documented versions of A River Runs Through It and Mcleans life is concerning where he lived. In the book and movie versions, Norman and Paul spend all their lives in Montana except for when Norman and Paul both attend Dartmouth. In reality, Paul had followed Norman to Chicago, where Norman was teaching at the University of Chicago. It was Norman who got a job for Paul in the universitys press relations department. Perhaps what happens next in the deviations from the story is one of the most disturbing. Instead of dying while fighting in his own home territory, Paul died in the unfamiliar streets of Chicago, a victim of several severe blows to the head. It is disturbing to hear of the real life death of Paul Mclean, however it soothes his brother Norman to write that Paul died fighting with all of the bones in his right hand broken. Like many Scottish ministers before him, he had to derive what comfort he could from the faith that his son had died fighting Mclean 103. This line near the end of the story not only tells how Preacher Mclean must have felt in the book, but it symbolises the fantasy that Norman has that his brother did die fighting and not in a simple robbery. This gives him the piece of mind knowing that Pauls soul will rest peacefully. There are other issues that writing of a different death for his brother helps Norman over come. Norman Mclean was by no means a settled man. He was known to drink particularly stiff drinks at parties and after his retirement spoke of his neglect as a parent. Norman, like his father before him, was notorious for deflecting personal discussions, although after he had retired from teaching he was surprisingly open about his parental shortcomings. Its a real sorrow of mine. I feel that I never picked up my children at the age when I should have. Eastman 100. The illness of his wife was severely disheartening because her death took almost ten years. She suffered from emphysema but continued to smoke up until shortly before her death. This time was extremely hard for the Mcleans, Jessies illness seemed to have stretched on forever, spreading a pall over the family for years Eastman 101. When he finally did receive news of his beloved wifes death, Norman was in the hospital battling one of his bouts of depression and alcoholism. The times to follow were not any better. His daughter Jean explains, The five to seven years after my mother died were incredibly tumultuous , Jean admits, when he was down as far as a person can get down Eastman 101. With encouragement from his family, friends, and especially his son-in-law Joel, Norman Mclean was finally able to overcome his tough times and begin his writings. After all the joys of the first half of his life, Norman Mclean was overcome with severe sorrow. In his writing of A River Runs Through It, these joys are evident as are a hint of the sorrow. But in order to see the important autobiographical influences in his work, one must look not at the feelings of the time being described, but at the feelings of the time the story/biography is being written. It was written at a time when Norman Mclean was feeling deep sorrow for the loss of his loved ones and in order to help him cope without returning to drinking and depression, Norman wrote stories. .uf4ecc988a6ff48969ac668abf8921342 , .uf4ecc988a6ff48969ac668abf8921342 .postImageUrl , .uf4ecc988a6ff48969ac668abf8921342 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uf4ecc988a6ff48969ac668abf8921342 , .uf4ecc988a6ff48969ac668abf8921342:hover , .uf4ecc988a6ff48969ac668abf8921342:visited , .uf4ecc988a6ff48969ac668abf8921342:active { border:0!important; } .uf4ecc988a6ff48969ac668abf8921342 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uf4ecc988a6ff48969ac668abf8921342 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uf4ecc988a6ff48969ac668abf8921342:active , .uf4ecc988a6ff48969ac668abf8921342:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uf4ecc988a6ff48969ac668abf8921342 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uf4ecc988a6ff48969ac668abf8921342 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uf4ecc988a6ff48969ac668abf8921342 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uf4ecc988a6ff48969ac668abf8921342 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uf4ecc988a6ff48969ac668abf8921342:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uf4ecc988a6ff48969ac668abf8921342 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uf4ecc988a6ff48969ac668abf8921342 .uf4ecc988a6ff48969ac668abf8921342-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uf4ecc988a6ff48969ac668abf8921342:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Symbolism in the Stranger EssayIn these stories he was able to remember the people he loved the most in their glory days. Paul in the Big Blackfoot shadow casting for trout and Jessie at home in Montana where everyone felt at ease with her warm hearted love and sense of humor. In addition, Norman was able to use his own creative influence in order to adjust events to a manner that made him feel a little more at ease about the passing of his and others lives. So as it turns out, it appears that Norman Mclean wrote his stories not for the reader, but for himself.