1. From IEP Objective to Fun Activity! June 24-25, 2009

2. About me: Kate Ahern, M.S.Ed. Teacher of learners with multiple special needs for 12 years Educated at Simmons College in Boston Worked in for a short time in both private and public school, past 8 years in a collaborative setting Author of Teaching Learners with Multiple Special Needs Blog

3. Housekeeping Take care of your own needs (restroom, snacks, drinks) Please set your cell phones to a setting that will not be disruptive if you receive a call/txt/voicemail This is a “Paper Free Presentation” all handouts are online: http://intensivespedresources.wikispaces.com/IEP2Fun for web links citations Power Point will be hosted on www.slideshare.com search for “From IEP Objective to Fun Activity” You can e-mail me anytime with questions at teechkidz@gmail.com

4. Workshop Objectives Participants will: Understand the benefits of humor Gain knowledge of the developmental stages of humor and how to apply to their classroom Create a task analysis Understand embedded learning and apply to a lesson Develop ways to increase their creativity Understand new ways to use assistive technology Create an outline of a thematic unit and a lesson plan to use with it

5. Agenda Day One Introductions Benefits to Fun and Laughter Humor Development Task Analysis Embedded Skills Ticket to Leave Day Two Creativity for Teachers Fun with assistive technology Integrated Thematic Units Lunch Presentations

6. Best Lesson Ever Ice Breaker Choose a partner you don’t know. Interview your partner and find out: Name Their teaching assignment What the best lesson they ever taught was AND Why

7. “Common sense and a sense of humor are the same thing, moving at different speeds. A sense of humor is just common sense, dancing.” -William James

8. What is Humor? wit: a message whose ingenuity or verbal skill or incongruity has the power to evoke laughter the trait of appreciating (and being able to express) the humorous; "she didn't appreciate my humor"; "you can't survive in the army without a sense of humor" temper: a characteristic (habitual or relatively temporary) state of feeling; "whether he praised or cursed me depended on his temper at the time"; "he was in a bad humor" the quality of being funny; "I fail to see the humor in it" (Middle Ages) one of the four fluids in the body whose balance was believed to determine your emotional and physical state; "the humors are blood and phlegm and yellow and black bile" put into a good mood liquid body substance: the liquid parts of the body wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

9. Forms of Humor British Journal of Visual Impairment, Pagliano et al. 25 (3): 267. (2007)

10. General Benefits of Humor and Laughter Proven to reduce stress and blood pressure Enhances immune system A sense of humor can increase coping ability Contributes to a positive self-esteem Increases feelings of connection and belonging (builds social bonds) Defuses difficult situations and reduces conflict

11. “A sense of humor... is needed armor. Joy in one's heart and some laughter on one's lips is a sign that the person down deep has a pretty good grasp of life.” -Hugh Sidney

12. Benefits of Humor to Children Increases desire to participate and engage Increases resilience Increases coping skills Helps work through internal and developmental conflicts Furthers cognitive development Reduces anxiety Increased creativity Builds social skills Helps teach point-of-view shift Helps reinforce memories Can increase language skills (vocabulary, multiple meaning words, figurative language) Increases problem solving Increase sensory awareness British Journal of Visual Impairment, Pagliano et al. 25 (3): 267. (2007)

13. WhyLaughat School? From The Laughing Classroom

14. Humor in Our Classrooms A child’s ability to understand humor varies with: cognitive abilities sensory abilities prior experiences cultural influences stage of development Humor in children changes over the course of intellectual development and often reflects the current developmental conflicts British Journal of Visual Impairment, Pagliano et al. 25 (3): 267. (2007)

15. “The laughter of adults was always very different from the laughter of children. The former indicated a recognition of the familiar, but in children it came from the shock of the new. “ -Elizabeth Hardwick

16. What makes young children laugh? 6 to 12 or 15 months Laughter at the attachment figure engaged in unusual behavior (a sneeze, a funny walk) 12 or 15 months to 3, 4 or 5 years Treating an object as a different object 2 to 3 or 4 years Misnaming objects or actions 3 to 5 years Playing with word sounds (not meanings) 3 to 5 years Non-sense word combinations 3 to 5 years Distortion of features of objects, actions or people 3 to 5 years “pre-riddles” Children this age almost “get” jokes or riddles such as knock, knock jokes but then will attempt to make up there own or retell showing they do not really understand the concept of a riddle/joke All ages Physical comedy/slapstick P. McGhee, Understanding and Promoting the Development of Children’s Humor, Kendall/Hunt, 2002

17. 6 to 12 or 15 Months Laughter at the attachment figure engaged in unusual behavior (a sneeze, a funny walk)

18. 12 or 15 months to 3, 4 or 5 years Treating an object as a different object

19. 2 to 3 or 4 years Misnaming objects or actions The cow goes quack “Look at the little car pushing that big motor home!” Calling Mom Dad

21. Distortion of features of objects, actions or people

22. “pre-riddles”

24. What makes young children laugh? 6 to 12 or 15 months Laughter at the attachment figure engaged in unusual behavior (a sneeze, a funny walk) 12 or 15 months to 3, 4 or 5 years Treating an object as a different object 2 to 3 or 4 years Misnaming objects or actions 3 to 5 years Playing with word sounds (not meanings) 3 to 5 years Non-sense word combinations 3 to 5 years Distortion of features of objects, actions or people 3 to 5 years “pre-riddles” Children this age almost “get” jokes or riddles such as knock, knock jokes but then will attempt to make up there own or retell showing they do not really understand the concept of a riddle/joke All ages Physical comedy/slapstick P. McGhee, Understanding and Promoting the Development of Children’s Humor, Kendall/Hunt, 2002

25. But I’m Not Funny! Start by finding joy Keep a joy list or diary of things, specific things, that make you smile Reflect on your list and find time to do the things you having been doing Try to find the positive in most things Play! Humor in, humor out! Chose a comedy over a drama Collect books, dvds, websites that make you laugh (an amusing children’s book might be a good way to start, try Clementine by Sarah Pennypacker) Save funny e-mail forwards in a “need a laugh” file Post funny sayings, signs or posters to make you smile Keep joke and riddle books around Humorobics – training for your funny bone Find your humor style and comfort level and move from there Make a point of spending time with funny people Starting with once a day and working up from there ask yourself, “How can I see this as funny?”

26. Things to Try in the Classroom Keep a classroom quote book, review funny things that have happened periodically Start the day with great, upbeat or silly music Share a joke of the day at circle or morning meeting Aim for “a laugh a day keeps behavior away” and attempt to increase the number of laughs weekly until you reach 15 or more – just for kicks keep data Give yourself and other permission to laugh – make a permission slip and post it Create a humor “center” (joke books, jokes on switches, funny videos embedded in PowerPoint or Switch It Maker, silly props, items which make funny noises, etc) Use humor as a reward, have a kid who thinks gravity is funny, drop something every time he answers correctly Keep an anecdotal log of what each student finds amusing to turn to when planning lessons What else?

27. A Sense of Fun From funny to fun everyday… how do we get there? We look for ways to bring humor, amusement and joy into every activity – if it isn’t fun, it probably isn’t engaging, if it isn’t engaging maladaptive behavior will increase and learning will decrease We work to be sure our staff and students are happy – if we aren’t happy to be there, they won’t be happy to be there Find out what makes staff and students happy and integrate into daily experiences We embed our IEP goals and objectives into engaging and fun activities as often as possible

28. Task Analysis The Process of Breaking Down a Job or Procedure into Smaller Steps How small the steps are depends on the needs of the learner Different Kinds Procedural Hierarchical Why do a task analysis? To determine discrete skills that need to be learned To determine “pre-requisite” skills to be taught OR To determine alternate methods of meeting a “pre-requisite” of a task (accommodations, assistive technology, etc.) To determine which steps of a task would be appropriate for learning through partial participation or other methods

29. From Task Analysis to Fun Analysis Gather paper towels and spray bottle Go to cabinet and open Choose correct spray bottle and paper towels and remove from cabinet Shut door cabinet door Go to table Spray table Wipe areas that have been sprayed Check work Throw used paper towels away Return supplies to cabinet Task – wiping a table Fun Ways to Practice Skills Play Simon Says type game i.e. Simon Says find the cabinet, the table, etc. Hide fun objects in the cabinet to find, use child’s humor level to decide what Have relay races matching picture symbols to objects in a cabinet Practice spraying bottles by doing craft projects, spray the teacher games, games that require aiming the bottle Watch clips of Karate Kid to learn about “Wax On, Wax Off” and then practice Play “basketball” type games to practice throwing away Make up rhymes or a rap about steps Make up a song about steps Check with OT, PT, Speech, Vision Specialist, etc for their ideas

30. Try Another One 1.Place a martini glass in the freezer for a minimum of 15 minutes. 2. Place ice cubes into cocktail shaker. 3. Pour four ounces of Beefeater gin in the cocktail shaker. 4. Pour a quarter teaspoon of the vermouth into the cocktail shaker. 5. Stir with stainless steel spoon or stirrer. 6. Remove martini glass from the freezer. 7. Impale one Spanish olive on a toothpick. 8. Place the Spanish olive into the glass 9. Pour the contents of the cocktail shaker through strainer to catch the ice 10. Pour into glass 11. Drink and enjoy Task: Perfect Martini Fun Ways to Practice

31. Try it on your own! Task Fun

32. Embedded Skills What IEP objectives do you think are being addressed here?

33. Embedded Instruction Instruction of basic, life or access skills within another lesson or contextual activity Insertion of (short) systematic instruction into the existing routines and activities Use of incidental teaching methods (“teachable moment”) to maximum development of basic, life or access skills Student-specific interventions are planned and embedded within the daily routine and the Instructional materials used are accessible Beneficial to students with low motivation or poor generalization Also Embedded Functional Skills, Embedded Learning Opportunities (ELO), Activity Based Education

34. Embedded Learning Opportunity

35. Embedded Skills Models Model 1 – Fully Integrated: Basic skills are integrated fully into the learning, and in the activity, or subject matter, being interwoven with the subject, delivered through the whole activity and, being integral to it. Here, the person/s delivering the subject or main activity will also take on the basic skills work. Model 2 – Sandwich Model: Here, the basic skills are delivered in a calculated and discrete part of the time allowed for the whole activity or course, but are contextualized to the main subject area. Often, the basic skills inputs are delivered by staff other than those teaching the rest of the course. Model 3 – Overlapping Circles Model: In this model, except where it is designed to overlap, the basic skills work is neither integrated nor contextualized to the activity or subject area. From John Hamer (Director AlphaPlus Consultancy Ltd) http://www.eife-l.org/publications/proceedings/kc07/John%20Hamer.ppt.pdf

36. Embedded Skills Chart I Unit/Lesson Title:_____________________________________________________ Teacher: ____________________________________________________________

37. Embedded Skills Chart II Lesson: ___________________________________________________________ Domain: Self-Management & Home Living Recreation & Leisure Community Living Pre-Vocational/Vocational Teacher: __________________________________________________________

38. Embedded Skills Chart II Lesson: ___________________________________________________________ Domain: Self-Management & Home Living Recreation & Leisure Community Living Pre-Vocational/Vocational Teacher: __________________________________________________________

39. Embedded Skills Chart II Lesson: Germs – Green Glitter Activity Part 1 Domain: Self-Management & Home Living Recreation & Leisure Community Living Pre-Vocational/Vocational Teacher: Kate Ahern

40. Tickets To Leave Learned Use diaper filling for planting seeds (3) Put a voice output switch at the bottom of a container to activate a sound reward when filled Callier-Azuza Scale (2) How to use humor teechkidz@gmail.com We are always doing embedded teaching Learned to make boring tasks fun Embedded skills chart (2) To find the funny/fun (6) Learning can be fun (2) Task to Fun Analysis (2) Using humor is a great way to teach You can have fun at a training (thank you!) Laugh More/Use humor more (4) To create a humor center in the classroom Humor is important (3) Humor is a stress reliever TV taste can reflect humor stage (2) “down the mall” Use humor appropriate to age/development (2) Ways to address IEP goals that are fun and interesting Communication development Use an empty picture frame to reframe negative thoughts/speech (2) Similar instructional strategies can work with diverse learners

41. Tickets To Leave To be organized Be more positive Laugh more (3) Help the TEAM find the funny Keep track of “the funny” in a journal Drink a Guinness in Dublin Fly on a plane calmly To find the fun/funny (7) Green Glitter (2) To do more to help me relax (2) Laugh 15 times a day/laugh more (2) Embedded skills chart (2) Bathmat with sensory “fingers” A switch in the bottom of a container Will try in the future To have more fun (2) Be happy/smile more Do more things I like Use humor in the classroom (2) Be happier Create a quote book Worm measuring Task analysis (2) Classroom “fun” picture Picture frame to reframe negativity (3) Make my joy/happy list longer/use joy/happy list (3)

42. Tickets To Leave Bring my own/more coffee/drinks/snacks (5) Get sound in SMART Board Eat a better lunch/breakfast (4) Homework Don’t worry about work and have fun Drink wine Look for theme ideas Take time to do something that makes me smile/I like/something for me (4) Stay on task Wear socks Fun something fun to do with students Dress warmer/layer/cooler (2) Talk to new/different people Try new things Relax in class Visibly respond to questions Commitment for today More sleep (4) Use music/listen to favorite music (change the station) (2) Scrapbook for 30 mins Make that appointment Go to the playground Laugh more (2) Find the fun/funny (3) Be on time Have a positive/humorous outlook (2) Finish project Take a walk with my son Use the skills I learned Listen better Grocery shop

43. What I Learned from Tickets To Leave Many people learned/will try/commit to various versions of being positive/finding the funny Many people found practical ideas useful (switch in a jar, Callier-Azuza, picture frame, seeds in diaper filling, worm racing) Some people found task analysis and embedded skills charting to be useful and will try again Many people will try/commit to doing more for themselves which will impact teaching Listening and paying attention might have been difficult for some Some people felt shy or had trouble getting to know different people There were some comfort issues (temperature, hunger, thirst, tiredness) that may have interfered with learning and impact experience in training Therefore I learned what people found most useful, that many people would like to do more to find their own joy and I commit to trying to keep the energy level up

44. Bring it back How can you use a strategy like Ticket to Leave in your job? With peers? With the TEAM? With staff? With students? With parents or caregivers? ticket

45. Reframe this! Warm up Pick a partner you do not know. I mean it. You can not know this person. Take turns reframing situations that I put on the screen. Avoid sarcasm, because while it is finding the funny it has no place in the classroom – it can be destructive and our students don’t understand it, but often times do understand the tone of voice that goes with it.

46. “For crying out press your switch before I hit my retirement!”

47. “Are you serious? You want me to clean up this mess?”

48. “All the adults need to stop talking! The students are trying to work!”

49. “What were they thinking? This is never going to work!”

50. “Did you see that? Some jerk took my parking place!”

51. “Oh, no! She got her lunch all over my shirt!”

52. “How rude! He just asked me if I had garlic for lunch!”

53. “Creativity is a lot like looking at the world through a kaleidoscope. You look at a set of elements, the same ones everyone else sees, but then reassemble those floating bits and pieces into an enticing new possibility.” -Rosabeth Moss Canter

54. Enhance your creativity Instead of “If only…” ask “What if…” Immerse yourself in a topic that inspires you Turn questions into quests Network with creative people and avoid of the uninspired Give yourself time to be creative Be proactive “It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark.” Build up and out – add other ideas and use lateral thinking Change the question Consider a reverse mentor Get enough sleep! Play every day! Adapted from http://www.problogger.net/archives/2006/10/04/how-to-be-curious/ http://www.oprah.com/article/spirit/knowyourself/200809_omag_mind_map

55. Creativity Challenge 1 All of the other students and staff in your classroom (or the classroom you spend the most time in) are late. It is just you and ____________. Your classroom has a very bizarre and terrible odor, so you are spending the morning an empty office. There is no where else to go and nothing else to do. You must create an engaging, appropriate and educational activity for your student using only the materials you have on the table in front of you right now. You may not pick up anything off the floor, take anything out of your purse, bag or pocket. You may not talk or chat. You have three-five minutes to list everything you can think of to engage your student. Tip: Find the funny!

56. 7 Qualities of a creative team Innovation emerges over time Successful collaborative teams practice deep listening Team members build on their collaborators’ ideas Only afterwards does the meaning of each idea become clear Surprising questions emerge Innovation is inefficient (and that’s ok) Innovation emerges from the bottom up (those who need a solution find a solution) Adapted from Sawyer, R. K. (2007) Group genius: the creative power of collaboration. Basic Books: New York.

57. Creativity challenge 2 Your classroom is in charge is washing all of the empty individual sized soda bottles in the entire building so another class can bring them to the recycling center. June 1st you discover 5 enormous garbage bags of clean, empty soda bottles and you mention this to your boss (your pretend boss who is, of course, nothing like your wonderful, real boss). Your boss tells you that you must use every single soda bottle in the bag for an educational activity by the last day of school. After finding the funny in that you and your team get down to business. You and your team have 3-5 minutes to list every possible educational activity that can be done with an empty, clean individual sized soda bottle.

58. Creativity Challenge Analysis Benefits/drawbacks of working alone Benefits/drawbacks of working as a team

59. “Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that creativity.” -Charles Mingus

60. Creative Fun with Assistive Technology If it takes longer than 30 seconds to set it, it will not be used Re-think how you use everyday AT Scattergories Single message switches (BigMack) Dual message switches (iTalk2) Sequential message switches (Step-by-Step) Multiple message devices Battery Interrupters AC Interrupters (Powerlink)

61. Theme Units Thematic Units are a means to bring integrated instruction into the self-contained special education classroom. Age Appropriate Topics Functional and Meaningful Partial Participation Embedded Skills Strategies and Assistive Technology to Increase Participation, Learning and Fun Enhances Dignity and Self-Worth Fun!

62. Steps to Unit Design Choose a topic Let student passions guide you Match to grade levels standards/topics Gather resources Search the web Go to special education sharing web sites (Adapted Learning, Intelliools Exchange) The library (and book store if you are wealthy!) See if there are any topic specialists (electrician? Film maker?) who might like to visit Consult paraprofessionals and therapy team to see how they would like to contribute Determine activities for curriculum areas and domains Create fun and exciting lesson plans that embed skills and address objective Consider a culminating activity to make a big finish Adapted from http://www.lindaslearninglinks.com/theunit.html

64. What functional skills can be embedded into the unit?

65. What instructional strategies will be needed?

66. What activities should be presented?

67. How can the lessons be taught in a multisensory manner?

68. What assistive technology will be needed to access lessons and or functional outcomes?

70. How will the unit address: Curriculum Areas (and Standards) in: Reading/Literacy Phonics Sight words Symbol recognition and use Listening comprehension Math/Numeracy Quantitative concepts Counting, 1:1 correspondence Patterns Sequencing Time Money Science/Health Basic concepts Application of science principles Social Studies/History Self awareness Interpersonal awareness Personal Information Knowledge of family Knowledge of school Knowledge of community Knowledge of state/country Art Music

71. How will the unit address: Functional Domains Communication Choice making Communicate wants/needs Commenting Pragmatics AAC (low-tech/high-tech) Vocalizations or speech Co-active movement Gross Motor Postural control Mobility Throwing/kicking ROM Fine Motor Reach Grasp Other hand skills ROM Self-Management /Self-Help/ADLs Hygiene Dressing Feeding Directing own care Self-advocacy

72. How will the unit address: Domestic Skills/ADLs Cleaning Cooking Safety Accessing home technology (microwave, etc) Social Skills/Behavior Eye contact Self-control Ability to wait Self-advocacy Self-regulation of sensory system Self-monitoring Community Living Transportation Shopping Money handling Following community rules Safety skills Leisure and Recreation Choosing activities based on preference Turn taking Ball skills Game skills Accessing leisure technology (TV, DVD, stereo)

73. My FormatPick a topic and brainstorm activities for: Reading/Literature Math/Numeracy Science/Health Social Studies Cooking and other Life Skills Communication Fine Motor Community Based Instruction Sensory Activities Arts and crafts Music Adapted Physical Education/Fitness Online Activities Multi-media

74. Assignment Choose a theme unit and answer the questions in unit planning Brainstorm at least five possible lessons in different curriculum areas or domains Design one lesson for the unit Be creative Break down tasks and find the fun Embed skills Use Assistive Technology You and your team will present: Your theme idea and answers to the unit planning questions Your five (or more) lesson ideas An overview of the one lesson you have planned including IEP objectives being addressed and embedded and how you will use AT

75. Final Ticket To Leave What one thing from this workshop do you want to still be using/doing in October: For your students? For your TEAM? For your self? Find the funny – what is the funniest thing that happened in the past two days (preferable at this workshop… but if you were bored to tears you can use something outside of the workshop)?