The New Modifications, Part 2

 I hope you enjoyed the first part of my blog post series on "new" modifications. As mentioned before, modifying the content, process, product, and environment is a natural occurrence for teachers in the classroom. Our new virtual and hybrid learning environments pose new obstacles to work around in order to provide students with what they need and require in order to learn successfully. 

I've thought a lot about which two modifications to write about next, given there are so many I could choose from. In my previous blog I focused on extended time and repeat/re-reading of directions. The following choices are great follow-ups to those: 

Shortening/chunking assignments: Whenever I preview work for my students, I'm always on the lookout for what I can do to make assignments more approachable for my students. Very often I use the modification of re-explaining and re-reading to help with this as well, however many assignments need more detailed work in addition to this. One way we typically shorten assignments is to eliminate questions or tasks. This can be done both in person and in the virtual environment. Using Kami, I've crossed out questions, additional steps in directions etc., but using the drawing feature. You can also open many assignments as a Google Doc and completely erase items as needed before providing the assignment in Kami. Another way to help shorten assignments is to have students complete it in sections or "chunks." Teachers can have students start an assignment synchronously, and then complete other sections after school asynchronously. Families should observe how you read the directions. questions, etc. and ask for assistance to break the assignment down. Having a guide sheet handy for families how to lead their child through an assignment, completing it in parts is useful as well. Families can also use paper to cover up questions or parts to help their child focus. For teachers, using the zoom-in feature allows less information to be shown at once, which helps students to focus on one question, section, or task at a time. 

Answering questions/writing: I cannot say it enough- writing is the most difficult subject to teach so far this year in the virtual environment! This is where I've had personal discussions with families how crucial it is that they assist in monitoring their child's writing progress. Although my students often hold up their notebooks to show work, it's not an accurate measure since there are so many variables such as not seeing the work clearly. Families can step in and have their child fill out the work on scrap paper, in their workbook etc. and have students fill out their work through Kami, Google Docs, etc. It might be tempting for families to fill out the information in place of their child, so have conversations early about fidelity. You can also meet with families and discuss student progress with completing work. If a child is still experiencing difficulties, families can fill out the virtual worksheet/questions/ task for their child, as long as they communicate/indicate that they were the scribe. Many students eventually learn how to balance handwriting with typing work, so special attention needs to be paid to where the students having the most difficulty. To tie in with the first modification discussed today, teachers can also preview an assignment and work to ensure that it's not overwhelming for a student to complete. Students can also make use of speech-to-text technology to assist with the task of writing/typing. Using these applications allows students to focus on the content and quality of their answer. 

Despite the challenges that these two types of modifications have, both are essential to creating a path of success for students. Likewise, when we shorten assignments, and work directly with families early on to know what is acceptable to do for their child, and what is not. Expectations have to be set and modeled early so families can learn right away what the teacher expects, and how he/she reacts to new materials. The key is to know the student first, then adjust the content to him or her. 

Final thoughts: Keep previewing work before assigning it, keep communication with families open about how to help their child write, keep discovering ways to shorten assignments for students to complete work in manageable sections or "chunks." Finally, keep sharing with others different ways to approach modifying work to share with one another and families. Communication is key to understanding the new learning environment and the possible ways to apply modifications. 

Remember, the modifications do not change, just the way we actively apply them does!