Enhancing Classroom Approaches for Addressing Barriers to Learning

293 Pages·2008·2.16 MB·English

Improving Schools,
Engaging Students
Continuing Education Content Resource Modules
Enhancing Classroom Approaches for
Addressing Barriers to Learning:
Classroom-Focused Enabling
The center is co-directed by Howard Adelman and Linda Taylor and operates
under the auspices of the School Mental Health Project, Dept. of Psychology,
UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1563 Phone: [phone].

Permission to reproduce this document is granted. Please cite source as the Center for Mental Health in Schools at UCLA.
Please reference this document as follows: Center for Mental Health in Schools. (2008 revision).
Enhancing classroom approaches for addressing barriers to learning: Classroom-focused
enabling. Los Angeles, CA: Author.
Download at no cost from: http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu
If needed, hard copies may be ordered from:
Center for Mental Health in Schools
UCLA Dept. of Psychology
P.O.Box 951563
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1563
The Center encourages widespread sharing of all resources.
Preface
I have come to believe that a great teacher is a great artist . . . .
[Teaching may] even be the greatest of the arts since the
medium is the human mind and spirit.
John Steinbeck
Teaching is one of the most demanding professions. It is particularly difficult
in school settings where a large proportion of the student body are not
performing well. And, with efforts to raise standards and hold teachers
accountable, job stress is increasing.
The problem is exacerbated by the growing teacher shortage. More and more
schools must employ novices, including individuals with little or no pre-
service teacher preparation. And many of these newcomers are placed in
schools where a large proportion of students come to class each day not
particularly enthusiastic about what they are expected to do and often without
the background of knowledge and skills to connect with the day’s lesson
plans. Thus, the growing realities are that
• increasing numbers of teachers have not had the opportunity to
learn how to teach students who manifest commonplace
learning, behavior, and emotional problems
• most teachers must learn on-the-job how to teach such students.
This set of continuing education modules is designed as an aid for addressing
these realities.
(cid:19) Module I provides a big picture context for understanding the
problems schools face and why every school must develop a
component to address barriers to learning. Such a component is
referred to as an Enabling Component – a component designed
to enable learning by addressing barriers to learning. As
outlined in Module I, this component encompasses six
programmatic areas. One of these areas is designated as
Classroom-Focused Enabling – which is designed to enhance
classroom teachers’ capacity to address problems and foster
social, emotional, intellectual, and behavioral development.
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(cid:19) Module II focuses on the nuts and bolts of Classroom-Focused
Enabling – covering how teachers can transform the larger class
by developing small learning groups and independent learning
options in order to enhance student engagement, facilitate
positive learning, prevent problems, and provide special
assistance. The practices discussed engender well-managed
classrooms and accomplish this in ways that minimize the
overreliance on “social control” strategies that have come to
characterize too many teacher-student interactions. The aim, of
course, is to enhance student achievement and to do so in an
environment that engenders a sense of community and mutual
caring in classrooms and throughout a school.
(cid:19) Module III explores the role teachers can take in ensuring their
schools provide a context that supports and enhances classroom
learning.
The set of modules represents our attempt to delineate a preservice/inservice
preparation content covering how regular classrooms and schools should be
designed to ensure all students have appropriate opportunities to learn
effectively. This, of course, includes the many who manifest commonplace
behavior, learning, and emotional problems. Our Center has developed the set
of modules with the intent of placing this content in the hands of school
administrators, personnel preparation programs, teachers, school support staff,
those who train pupil service personnel, community members, and others. In
addition, we are making this content directly available to everyone as a form
of independent continuing education. Those who draw on these content
resources for personnel preparation will, of course, need to adapt and embed
them into personalized and attractive instructional materials and processes.
As is the case with the development of all our Center’s products, many staff
and graduate and undergraduate students have contributed to this work. Of
particular note is the many hours spent by Ashley Borders, Taraneh Roohi, and
Perry Nelson, but many others over many years have shaped the contents. The
material represents a timely and progressive approach to the topic. At the
same time, the content, like the field itself, is seen as in a state of continuous
evolution. Thus, we are extremely interested in receiving your feedback. In the
coming years, we expect to improve and refine the modules based on feedback
from the field. If you care to provide feedback at this stage, please do so by
sending us your comments.
Howard Adelman & Linda Taylor
Center Co-Directors
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To Self-Study Users of this Work:
The material in this continuing education document is designed as an evolving set
of modules and units. The material can be read and taught in a straight forward
sequence, or one or more parts can be combined into a personalized course. The
intent is to encourage learners to approach the material as they would use an
Internet website (i.e., exploring specific topics of immediate interest and then
going over the rest in any order that feels comfortable). The first module is meant
to start you off with a big picture framework for understanding barriers to learning
and how school reforms need to expand in order to effectively address such
barriers. This is essential if all youngsters are to have an equal opportunity to
succeed at school. Each of the units in the second module focus on classroom
practices. Finally. the third module explores the roles teachers need to play in
ensuring their school develops a comprehensive approach to addressing barriers
to learning.
To the Learner
Beginning each section are specific objectives meant to help guide reading and
review. Interspersed throughout each section are boxed exhibits designed to
help you think a bit more about specific ideas and practices. A good way to
start is simply to browse through the Table of Contents and scan anything you
think may be of use to you. We recommend reading Module I as soon as you
have the time. Then, do an in depth review of a unit that focuses on the matter
that is of greatest concern to you at this time.
We have included some suggested activities (labeled Stop, think, discuss).
Most of these can be done alone, but they will be more profitable learning
experiences if you create a study group with one or more interested learners.
Also, you will find references to some accompanying readings which are
intended to enrich your learning. These and various resource aids that you
might find useful are packaged separately.
To Curriculum Designers Adopting this Material
This material can be incorporated into various formats:
(1) self-study (individual or group)
(2) participation in workshops (a continuing education series;
a sequence of district -wide inservice sessions)
(3) media and computer courses (instructional television -- live, and if
feasible, interactive; video or audiotaped courses; computer-assisted
instruction; a website offering)

(4) a professional journal offering a continuing education series.
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CONTENTS
Module I Objectives 1
Module I: Why isn’t instructional reform leading to success for all students? 2

A. Current School Reforms and Addressing Barriers to Student Learning 5

B. Moving to a 3 Component Framework for School Improvement Policy & Practice 9

C. Toward Developing a Comprehensive System of Learning Supports to 13
Address Barriers to Learning and Teaching
D. Enhancing Regular Classroom Strategies to Enable Learning for All 23

Step 1. Personalized Instruction: 28
The Foundation of Classroom-Focused Enabling
Step 2. Special Classroom Assistance to Engage, Guide, and Support 31
Those Students Who Need More

E. Keeping Mutual Support, Caring, and a Sense of Community in Mind 34
F. Caring Schools Promote Student Social-Emotional Learning and Well-Being 39
Concluding Comments 42
A Few Related References 44
Self-study to Enhance Classroom-Focused Enabling 45
Appendix: Guidelines for an Enabling or Learning Supports Component 49
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Module II: Enabling All Students to Succeed: What’s a Teacher to Do? 51
Unit A Objectives 55
Unit A: What is Good Teaching? 56
1) Principles, Guidelines, and Characteristics of Good Schools 59
and Good Teaching
2) Underlying Assumptions and Major Program Elements of a 62
Personalized Program
3) A Collaborative and Caring Classroom: Opening the Classroom Door 63
a) Opening the Door to Enhance Teacher Learning 65
b) Opening the Door to Assistance and Partnerships 66
c) Creating a Caring Context for Learning 68
A Few Related References 72
Unit B Objectives 74
Unit B: Engaging Students (and their Families) in Learning: Real and 74
Valued Options and Decision Making
1) About Motivation 78
a) Motivation and Learning 79
b) Don’t Lose Sight of Intrinsic Motivation 79
c) Two Key Components of Motivation: Valuing and Expectations 81
d) Overreliance on Extrinsics: A Bad Match 84
2) Engagement and Re-engagement in School Learning 88
a) General Strategies 91
a) Options and Learner Decision Making as Key Facets 92
3) Disengaged Students and Social Control 96
A Few Related References 102
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Unit C Objectives 104
Unit C: General Strategies for Facilitating Motivated Performance 106
and Practice
1) Creating a Stimulating and Manageable Learning Environment 107
a) Designing the Classroom for Active Learning 108
b) Grouping Students and Turning Big Classes into Smaller Units 123

2) The Concept of Personalized Instruction 129
a) Defining Personalization 129
b) Enhancing Motivation is a Core Concern 131
c) Personalization First; Add Special Assistance If Necessary 133
d) Some Key Features of a Personalized Classroom 135
3) Providing Personalized Structure for Learning 136
a) Options and Learner Decision Making 139
b) Turning Homework into Motivated Practice 140
c) Conferencing as a Key Process 143
d) Assessment to Plan; Feedback to Nurture 147
e) About Instructional Techniques to Enhance Learning 154
4) Volunteers as an Invaluable Resource 158
A Few Related References 163
Appendix: A Few Excerpts from Relevant Research 166
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Unit D Objectives 169
Unit D: Special Classroom Assistance to Engage, Guide, and Support 171
Those Students Who Need More
1) Special Assistance in and out of the Classroom 173
a) Prereferral Intervention 173
b) Sequence and Hierarchy 178
c) Remediation 180
d) Learning Supports Outside the Classroom 185
2) Developing Prerequisites 187
3) Addressing Factors Interfering with Learning 189
4)Addressing Behavior Problems 192
a) Discipline in the Classroom 195
b) Logical Consequences 197
c) Being Just and Fair 198
d) Is the Answer Social Skills Training? 199

e) Addressing Underlying Motivation 199
Some References Related to ProvidingSpecial Assistance in the Classroom 204
A Few Related References 209
Unit E Objectives 211
Unit E: Capitalizing on Technology 212
1) Technology in the Classroom – A Big Picture Overview 215
2) Applications and Benefits of Technology in the Classroom 217
a) Uses and Benefits 217
b) Caveats and Cautions 223
3) Supporting Special Assistance 224
4) Access to and By the Home 225
5) Some Websites for Classroom Resources 228
A Few Related References 233

Module 3 Objectives 239
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Module III: Beyond the Classroom: Roles Teachers Must Play in Enhancing
a Comprehensive Approach for Addressing Barriers to Learning 240
A. Needed: A School-Wide Enabling Component 241
1) Policy and Standards 242
2) Planning and Decision Making Tables 245
3) Infrastructure 246
4) Establishing School-Wide Program Priorities 247
5) Expanded Framework for School Accountability 250
B. Needed: School-Community Partnerships 254
C. Needed: Better Attention from the Board of Education on
Addressing Barriers to Learning 256
Concluding Comments 260
Center Resource List 262
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