43
Student Learning Partnership PARTICIPANT BOOKLET In this module, you’ll learn about, practice, and apply the Student Learning Partnership. This process will support you in using your knowledge of the neurodevelopmental constructs, knowledge of your curriculum, and your observations of a struggling student in your classroom to engage in a series of conversations with that student about his or her learning. This process emphasizes the value of engaging a student in his or her learning experience and helping a student develop self-advocacy skills. FACILITATOR REFERENCE ONLY

Student Learning Partnership...Student Learning Partnership PARTICIPANT BOOKLET In this module, you’ll learn about, practice, and apply the Student Learning Partnership. This process

  • Upload
    others

  • View
    4

  • Download
    0

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Page 1: Student Learning Partnership...Student Learning Partnership PARTICIPANT BOOKLET In this module, you’ll learn about, practice, and apply the Student Learning Partnership. This process

Student Learning Partnership

PARTICIPANT BOOKLET

In this module, you’ll learn about, practice, and apply the Student Learning Partnership. This process will support you in using your knowledge of the neurodevelopmental constructs, knowledge of your curriculum, and your observations of a struggling student in your classroom to engage in a series of conversations with that student about his or her learning. This process emphasizes the value of engaging a student in his or her learning experience and helping a student develop self-advocacy skills.

FACIL

ITATO

R REFE

RENCE ONLY

Page 2: Student Learning Partnership...Student Learning Partnership PARTICIPANT BOOKLET In this module, you’ll learn about, practice, and apply the Student Learning Partnership. This process

Copyright 2009 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

All rights reserved. No part of these materials may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any

form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from All Kinds of Minds.

All Kinds of Minds® and Schools Attuned® are registered marks of All Kinds of Minds.

www.allkindsofminds.org

FACIL

ITATO

R REFE

RENCE ONLY

Page 3: Student Learning Partnership...Student Learning Partnership PARTICIPANT BOOKLET In this module, you’ll learn about, practice, and apply the Student Learning Partnership. This process

Table of Contents

Participant Objectives and Agenda ..................................................................................... 1

Partnerships/Benefits ......................................................................................................... 2

Introduction to the Student Learning Partnership Process ................................................... 3

Student Learning Partnership Diagram ............................................................................... 5

Student Learning Partnership Core and Supporting Questions at a Glance ......................... 6

Phase 1 – Pre-Meeting Preparation ..................................................................................... 7

Phase 2 – Purpose ............................................................................................................. 9

Phase 3 – Strategy ........................................................................................................... 11

Phase 4 – Review ............................................................................................................. 15

Exploring the Student Learning Partnership – Activity Instructions .................................... 18

Exploring the Student Learning Partnership....................................................................... 19

Putting the Student Learning Partnership into Practice – Activity Instructions ................... 20

A Framework for Understanding All Kinds of Minds.......................................................... 21

Case Study #1: Adrianna, 3rd Grader ................................................................................ 22

Case Study #2: Brenna, 9th Grader ................................................................................... 23

Phase 1 – Pre-Meeting Preparation form .......................................................................... 24

Phase 2 – Purpose form ................................................................................................... 25

Phase 3 – Strategy form ................................................................................................... 26

Reflections on the Student Learning Partnership .............................................................. 27

Appendix

FACIL

ITATO

R REFE

RENCE ONLY

Page 4: Student Learning Partnership...Student Learning Partnership PARTICIPANT BOOKLET In this module, you’ll learn about, practice, and apply the Student Learning Partnership. This process

FACIL

ITATO

R REFE

RENCE ONLY

Page 5: Student Learning Partnership...Student Learning Partnership PARTICIPANT BOOKLET In this module, you’ll learn about, practice, and apply the Student Learning Partnership. This process

Student Learning Partnership | 1

© 2009 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

Participant Objectives

As a result of participating in this module, participants will: 1. Understand the four phases of the Student Learning Partnership process

2. Be able to decide when to implement the Student Learning Partnership process with

a student

3. Be able to engage a student in a series of effective conversations around his/her learning using the Student Learning Partnership process

4. Recognize the benefits and value of engaging a student in a learning partnership

Module Agenda • Welcome and Introduction to the Student Learning Partnership • Exploring the Student Learning Partnership • Putting the Student Learning Partnership into Practice • Reflecting on the Student Learning Partnership • Closing and Evaluations

FACIL

ITATO

R REFE

RENCE ONLY

Page 6: Student Learning Partnership...Student Learning Partnership PARTICIPANT BOOKLET In this module, you’ll learn about, practice, and apply the Student Learning Partnership. This process

Student Learning Partnership | 2

© 2009 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

PARTNERSHIPS

BENEFITS

FACIL

ITATO

R REFE

RENCE ONLY

Page 7: Student Learning Partnership...Student Learning Partnership PARTICIPANT BOOKLET In this module, you’ll learn about, practice, and apply the Student Learning Partnership. This process

Student Learning Partnership | 3

© 2009 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

Introduction to the Student Learning Partnership Process

The Student Learning Partnership (SLP) process is a carefully planned conversation between teacher and student that structures effective communication about learning and individual students’ strengths and weaknesses. The Student Learning Partnership supports teachers in using their knowledge of the neurodevelopmental constructs, their knowledge of the demands of their curriculum, and their observations of a student in their classroom to conduct a series of conversations with a struggling student about his or her learning. Teacher and student work together in an age-appropriate way to develop an idea about the neurodevelopmental issues that might be causing the difficulty. Through the use of teacher journals, student journals, reflection tools, work samples and conversations, evidence is gathered and recurring themes identified to support a plan of action. As a result, students receive the one-on-one attention they need to succeed in a targeted area of weakness and build the age-appropriate self-advocacy skills that prepare them for success in school and in life. In many generalist settings, teachers see students who do well in many areas, but struggle with one academic area or skill (e.g., learning new vocabulary words) or one type of behavior (e.g., turning homework in on time). In some cases, a teacher may choose to focus only on a particular academic area with a student, such as weaknesses in math or struggles with spelling. Using the Student Learning Partnership allows the teacher to focus on improvement within a focused scope (often a specific academic weakness or behavior) to gain greater academic success. In secondary settings, educators often teach large numbers of students in relatively short blocks of time. These conditions do not allow many opportunities for secondary educators to spend significant time getting to know individual students and their learning profiles deeply. The Student Learning Partnership offers an effective method of working with students in this secondary school environment.

FACIL

ITATO

R REFE

RENCE ONLY

Page 8: Student Learning Partnership...Student Learning Partnership PARTICIPANT BOOKLET In this module, you’ll learn about, practice, and apply the Student Learning Partnership. This process

Student Learning Partnership | 4

© 2009 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

The Student Learning Partnership process is initiated by the teacher and continues until the teacher and student agree that either: • the student has achieved “increased academic success” in the targeted areas according

to the definition they agreed upon, or • the student’s neurodevelopmental profile needs a more comprehensive, data-driven

focus How the Process Works The process is comprised of four key phases – Pre-Meeting, Purpose, Strategy, and Review. The first Student Learning Partnership conversation involves only the Purpose and Strategy phases; all subsequent conversations begin with Review, then move through Purpose and end with Strategy. In each phase, teachers are asked to consider 1-2 Core Questions and several Supporting Questions that structure the thinking involved throughout the conversation. Student Learning Partnership tools are available to support and document conversations and Information Gathering, which occurs throughout the SLP process. The SLP Tools are designed using a framework for breaking down observable phenomena and determining next steps with the help of others’ perspectives. Teachers may choose whether to continue to use the tools throughout their implementation of the process in their practice. • The teacher completes the Pre-Meeting Preparation form prior to the first meeting. • The Purpose, Strategy, and Review forms are completed jointly by teacher and

student in the course of each conversation. • The teacher completes the Teacher Journal and the student completes an

age-appropriate reflection on the strategies used, such as the Student Journal or the Reflection Cards, independently or with assistance between meetings.

• The notes following each of the Supporting Questions in the process are read and considered by the teacher in preparation for each meeting.

The specifics of how to use the process with students (i.e., how often meetings are scheduled, the particular language used to communicate the message, and the way evidence is collected and objectives are set) depend upon the teacher’s own professional judgment and the student’s developmental characteristics.

FACIL

ITATO

R REFE

RENCE ONLY

Page 9: Student Learning Partnership...Student Learning Partnership PARTICIPANT BOOKLET In this module, you’ll learn about, practice, and apply the Student Learning Partnership. This process

Student Learning Partnership | 5

© 2009 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

Student Learning Partnership Diagram

FACIL

ITATO

R REFE

RENCE ONLY

Page 10: Student Learning Partnership...Student Learning Partnership PARTICIPANT BOOKLET In this module, you’ll learn about, practice, and apply the Student Learning Partnership. This process

Student Learning Partnership | 6

© 2009 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

Student Learning Partnership Core and Supporting Questions at a Glance

PHASE 1: Pre-Meeting Preparation

What do I observe about this student’s work in the area of concern?

• What are the student’s strengths in this area? • What are the student’s strengths outside of this area? • What are my concerns about this student’s work? • How can I describe what I see without evaluating it?

What initial strategies can I suggest for the student?

• What are typical struggles of students with the neurodevelopmental demands of this academic area or behavior?

• What strategies do students often find helpful in this area of concern?

PHASE 2: Purpose

What do we hope to accomplish through our work together?

• What do we notice about your work in this area? • What do we think “academic success in this area” will mean for you? • What are the specific objectives of our work together? • How do we feel about this collaboration? What are our concerns, and how can we plan to

address them?

PHASE 3: Strategy

What can we do to support greater academic success for you in this area? • What strategies are you currently using to help you in this area? How are they working? • What neurodevelopmental demands does this area typically make of students? • Which of these neurodevelopmental demands seem challenging to you? • What strategies would help you meet those challenges? • Do we want to include anyone else in this conversation? • What strategies will we try before our next meeting? • How will we record the results? • When will our next meeting be? • Could any of the strategies you are planning to use be helpful in other subjects or outside of

school?

PHASE 4: Review

What have we learned, and how does what we have learned affect what we do next? • What happened when we implemented the strategies we planned to try? • What evidence do we have? • Why do we think these strategies worked the way they did? • What else do our results tell us about the neurodevelopmental demands of this academic area or

behavior? • What are we learning about your neurodevelopmental strengths and weaknesses? • Should we rewrite the objectives of our work together? How? • Is this partnership meeting our objectives? What do we want to change or keep the same about

the way we are working together?

FACIL

ITATO

R REFE

RENCE ONLY

Page 11: Student Learning Partnership...Student Learning Partnership PARTICIPANT BOOKLET In this module, you’ll learn about, practice, and apply the Student Learning Partnership. This process

Student Learning Partnership | 7

© 2009 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

PHASE 1: Pre-Meeting Preparation

The pre-meeting preparation is to be completed before the first Student Learning Partnership meeting. In this step, the teacher reflects upon what he or she observes in the performance of the student in the area of concern. The teacher notes the observations in specific, non-analytic language. The teacher brainstorms strategies that might be shared with the student. This preparation process has two phases: 1. Observation/Information Gathering 2. Strategy Brainstorming OBSERVATION/INFORMATION GATHERING Core Question: What do I observe about this student’s work in the area of concern? Supporting Questions: 1. What are my concerns about this student’s work?

• Be as specific as possible (e.g., “stares out the window when I’m giving instructions,” “accurately completes problem sets faster than other students”).

2. How can I describe what I see without evaluating it?

• Limit yourself to observation without generating a hypothesis. Record what you observe, rather than an analysis of your observations.

• Observations of learning behaviors should reflect what you (and anyone else) can see (e.g., “Kim looks back and forth between the board and his paper at five- second intervals when copying from the board,” rather than “Kim is stressed out when copying from the board”).

3. What are the student’s strengths in this area?

• Notice specific aspects of assignments or other expectations of this area that the student seems to do easily or very well.

4. What are the student’s strengths outside of this area of concern?

• Record the student’s strengths or interests outside of the area of concern and outside of school as you have been able to discern them.

• You may wish to consult with the student’s other teachers or parents to learn more about the student’s work and interests outside of your classroom.

FACIL

ITATO

R REFE

RENCE ONLY

Page 12: Student Learning Partnership...Student Learning Partnership PARTICIPANT BOOKLET In this module, you’ll learn about, practice, and apply the Student Learning Partnership. This process

Student Learning Partnership | 8

© 2009 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

PHASE 1: Pre-Meeting Preparation (continued)

STRATEGY BRAINSTORMING Core Question: What initial strategies can I suggest for the student? Supporting Questions: 1. What are typical struggles of students with the neurodevelopmental demands

of this academic area or behavior? • Begin by considering the neurodevelopmental Constructs where many demands are

made upon students in this area. 2. What strategies do students often find helpful in this area of concern?

• Remember that the initial strategies you develop are only a starting place and may be subject to almost immediate revision based upon what you learn about the student through the Student Learning Partnership.

• Do not let an “initial hunch” about a student become a hypothesis until you have data to support it; otherwise, your hypothesis is little more than a label.

Resource you might use:

Phase 1 – Pre-Meeting Preparation form NOTE: See actual form in Appendix.

FACIL

ITATO

R REFE

RENCE ONLY

Page 13: Student Learning Partnership...Student Learning Partnership PARTICIPANT BOOKLET In this module, you’ll learn about, practice, and apply the Student Learning Partnership. This process

Student Learning Partnership | 9

© 2009 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

PHASE 2: Purpose

First Meeting The teacher and student agree upon (1) the purpose of their work together, and (2) what will constitute a successful outcome of their work together. Subsequent Meetings The teacher and the student discuss how the outcomes of their work since their prior meeting might change the purpose of their work together. Core Question: What do we hope to accomplish through our work together? Supporting Questions: 1. What do we notice about your work in this area?

• Try to get the student to note specifics about which tasks or content area he or she finds difficult or easy.

• Encourage the student to give specific examples whenever possible; this approach will begin to encourage the student (and you) to base all conclusions on observations.

2. What do we think “academic success in this area” will mean for you?

• It is important to establish that not everyone can succeed at everything, and that success in one area in school is in no way an indicator of success later in life.

• Be sensitive to what “academic success” means to other important people in the student’s life (e.g., parents, other teachers) in order to ensure that your work together is not counterproductive.

3. What are the specific objectives of our work together?

• Establish specific objectives wherever possible that focus on particular tasks, activities, or assignments.

• Be sure the objectives are clearly attainable and supported by data while not being high-stakes, “all-or-nothing” events (e.g., “Improve my recall of the multiplication facts so that I can complete my computation assignments and improve my grades” is specific, clear, and attainable; “finish and pass each multiplication Mad Minute” is a high-stakes event).

FACIL

ITATO

R REFE

RENCE ONLY

Page 14: Student Learning Partnership...Student Learning Partnership PARTICIPANT BOOKLET In this module, you’ll learn about, practice, and apply the Student Learning Partnership. This process

Student Learning Partnership | 10

© 2009 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

PHASE 2: Purpose (continued)

4. How do we feel about this collaboration? What are our concerns, and how can

we plan to address them? • Take this opportunity to reflect upon the “hopes” and “fears” that this work will

invoke. • Keep in mind that students may have had other experiences of working hard on

some part of school only to feel that they have failed. • Keys to making this collaboration positive include ensuring that the student does

not feel stigmatized, building appropriate alliances (e.g., between the student and parents, other teachers, and other significant adults), and fostering hope and optimism in the student.

Resource you might use:

Phase 2: Purpose form NOTE: See actual form in Appendix.

FACIL

ITATO

R REFE

RENCE ONLY

Page 15: Student Learning Partnership...Student Learning Partnership PARTICIPANT BOOKLET In this module, you’ll learn about, practice, and apply the Student Learning Partnership. This process

Student Learning Partnership | 11

© 2009 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

PHASE 3: Strategy

In this phase, the teacher and the student agree upon specific strategies that the student and/or teacher will try in their work with the area of concern. They plan how they will capture the results of their individual work in an age-appropriate manner so they can draw upon them at their next meeting. They schedule their next meeting. Core Question: What can we do to support greater academic success for you in this area? Supporting Questions: 1. What strategies are you currently using to help you in this area? How are they

working? • Elicit from students their own level of awareness of the areas of school that cause

them difficulty and the strategies that they have either devised for themselves or have learned from other teachers.

• It is important to emphasize that your work together will not replace the successful work that the student is already doing, but rather will be another resource for him or her to draw upon.

• Students who struggle with learning differences are often extremely resourceful in finding ways to meet the demands placed upon them, so pay close attention to what the student shares with you.

• Students often compensate for their weaknesses by leveraging one of their strengths, so the strategies the student uses may also give you insight into the neurodevelopmental strengths of a student.

2. What neurodevelopmental demands does this area typically make of students?

• Share with the student what you have learned about the neurodevelopmental Constructs and the specific neurodevelopmental demands made by your curriculum upon students.

• Ensure that the conversation at this point is about the academic area or behavior, not the student, thus giving the student a low-risk opportunity to begin to “see himself” in those demands.

FACIL

ITATO

R REFE

RENCE ONLY

Page 16: Student Learning Partnership...Student Learning Partnership PARTICIPANT BOOKLET In this module, you’ll learn about, practice, and apply the Student Learning Partnership. This process

Student Learning Partnership | 12

© 2009 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

PHASE 3: Strategy (continued)

3. Which of these neurodevelopmental demands seem challenging to you?

• Depending upon the student’s familiarity with neurodevelopmental language (or language weakness), the student may be intimidated by the new vocabulary.

• Encourage and accept whatever terms the student is comfortable using at this point.

4. What strategies would help you meet those challenges?

• This is an opportunity for you to draw upon the strategies that you have brainstormed in your pre-meeting preparation.

• Elicit ideas from the student before sharing your thoughts. • Negotiate strategies that incorporate both the student’s input and sound practice.

5. Do we want to include anyone else in this conversation?

• Begin to address the role that parents, other teachers, and other significant adults in the student’s life should play in this conversation.

• It may be important for these people to be apprised of the “definition of success” that you and the student have settled on so it can be coordinated with other expectations and efforts. Explicitly address this issue with the student, weighing it against the relationship of the student with those adults and the anxiety that might be raised by “a call home.”

• Pay close attention to the student’s perspective as you make a decision about whom to include in the process.

6. What strategies will we try before our next meeting?

• Settle on no more than three strategies and describe them as specifically as possible in writing or use icons, checklists or other visual prompts help explain the strategies to the student and to help remind him or her what to do.

• Depending on the age of the student or his or her weaknesses, he or she may need prompts about when to use the strategy. The tool used for the explanation of the strategy can serve as a prompt, or a visual reminder to the student that it is time to use the strategy.

• Ensure that both the teacher and student have a copy of the strategies. • You may also wish to review what demands the student will be meeting in this

area before the next meeting and link the strategies to those demands (e.g., an assignment or assessment).

FACIL

ITATO

R REFE

RENCE ONLY

Page 17: Student Learning Partnership...Student Learning Partnership PARTICIPANT BOOKLET In this module, you’ll learn about, practice, and apply the Student Learning Partnership. This process

Student Learning Partnership | 13

© 2009 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

PHASE 3: Strategy (continued)

7. How will we record the results?

• Discuss what kind of evidence of the outcome of these strategies would be most helpful to review in your next meeting.

• Evidence may include the specific assignment during which the student tried the strategy, but it should also include some sort of reflection by the student about how he or she felt when using the strategy. (This reflection will strengthen both the student’s metacognition and self-advocacy skills.)

• The “Student Journal” page and the Student Reflection cards are designed to structure age-appropriate student reflection.

• You might also consider asking the student to e-mail you, to record his or her reflections into a recording device, or to use some other media depending on his or her level of comfort with writing.

• Be sure to ask the student to bring this reflection with him or her to the next scheduled meeting.

• Many younger students, or those struggling with Memory weaknesses, may need to reflect immediately on the success or failure of strategy use. The Student Reflection cards are designed to structure this quick and easy reflection. It is important to note that it may take several attempts before a strategy becomes useful for a student. Be sure to discuss and plan for this in your conversation.

• Note that the same reflective function is served for you by the “Teacher Journal” form, but that form is designed for your private use and reflection about the student (i.e., you may not wish to share all of your work on that form with the student).

FACIL

ITATO

R REFE

RENCE ONLY

Page 18: Student Learning Partnership...Student Learning Partnership PARTICIPANT BOOKLET In this module, you’ll learn about, practice, and apply the Student Learning Partnership. This process

Student Learning Partnership | 14

© 2009 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

PHASE 3: Strategy (continued)

8. When will our next meeting be?

• Commit to a specific date, time, place, and duration for your next meeting. • You may also want to build in brief ad-hoc “check-ins” before your next scheduled

meeting, but do not let those encounters take the place of designated, focused time to reflect on the outcomes of these plans, revisit the objectives of your work together, and decide on next steps.

9. Could any of the strategies you are planning to use be helpful in other areas or

outside of school? • This reflection question is designed to invite the student to relate what he or she

is learning in this area to demands made upon him or her in other academic or behavioral areas.

• Note that a similar question appears on the “Student Journal” page, where the student is invited to think about how strategies he or she uses in other areas might be brought into this area.

• Use this question to stimulate metacognitive thinking on the part of the student about the similarity of neurodevelopmental demands across all of his or her classes.

Resources you might use:

• Phase 3: Strategy form • Student Journal • Student Reflection Cards • Teacher Journal

NOTE: See actual forms/worksheets in Appendix.

FACIL

ITATO

R REFE

RENCE ONLY

Page 19: Student Learning Partnership...Student Learning Partnership PARTICIPANT BOOKLET In this module, you’ll learn about, practice, and apply the Student Learning Partnership. This process

Student Learning Partnership | 15

© 2009 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

PHASE 4: Review

In the time following the previous Student Learning Partnership meeting, the teacher and student both record the outcome of their individual work as planned. They reflect individually or together upon what the outcome means for the student’s increased academic success. When the teacher and student reconvene at the scheduled time for their next Student Learning Partnership meeting, they begin by discussing the results of their work since they last met. They reflect together on what those results indicate about how the student works in the area of concern and the neurodevelopmental demands of the work. The process begins anew as they refocus their purpose in light of their work together thus far. Core Question: What have we learned, and how does what we have learned affect what we do next? Supporting Questions: 1. What happened when we implemented the strategies we planned to try?

• Be careful not to simply ask whether the strategy “worked” or not. • The specifics of what happened – where the strategy seemed successful and where

it did not, and other effects of the strategy – are all valuable data for understanding how a student works when meeting the demands of school.

• Discuss how the student felt about using the strategy; if he or she is uncomfortable or embarrassed, he or she is unlikely to continue using it.

• Ask the student whether he or she had the opportunity to try the strategy in other areas.

2. What evidence do we have?

• Gather and share the specific evidence you agreed to bring to the last meeting. • If age-appropriate, students can be responsible for this task. Keeping this

expectation in place from meeting to meeting will help the student develop a sense of accountability and ownership of these meetings.

• Ask specific questions about when and how the student implemented the strategy in the evidence provided.

FACIL

ITATO

R REFE

RENCE ONLY

Page 20: Student Learning Partnership...Student Learning Partnership PARTICIPANT BOOKLET In this module, you’ll learn about, practice, and apply the Student Learning Partnership. This process

Student Learning Partnership | 16

© 2009 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

PHASE 4: Review (continued)

3. Why do we think these strategies worked the way they did?

• This is another opportunity for the student to develop metacognitive skills as he or she reflects on how he or she was thinking when it was used.

• Take care not to draw premature conclusions about what one strategy indicates about a student’s neurodevelopmental strengths and weaknesses; those conclusions can only be based on much more data than are currently available about this student.

• Keep the focus on the specific experience of using one strategy in one situation and the metacognitive possibilities of talking about it.

4. What else do our results tell us about the neurodevelopmental demands of this

academic area or behavior? • Demonstrate to the student that you are also engaged in learning about the

demands your curriculum makes upon students. • Express your desire to make success in your classroom attainable by all students

through whole class accommodations or changes in your instructional decisions. • Affirming your sincere interest in learning more about how to teach your curriculum

to all students will help reinforce alliance formation between the student and you by affirming your sincere interest in learning more about how to teach to all students.

5. What are we learning about your neurodevelopmental strengths and

weaknesses? • Speculate on what your data may or may not suggest about the

neurodevelopmental strengths and weaknesses of the student. • Take great care not to come to any conclusions; this speculation should only lead to

asking more focused questions and developing more specific strategies to try. • Keep the emphasis on continuing to learn together about the student’s specific

neurodevelopmental variation, not the creation of a neurodevelopmental profile of the student (which would require much more data).

(continued)

FACIL

ITATO

R REFE

RENCE ONLY

Page 21: Student Learning Partnership...Student Learning Partnership PARTICIPANT BOOKLET In this module, you’ll learn about, practice, and apply the Student Learning Partnership. This process

Student Learning Partnership | 17

© 2009 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

PHASE 4: Review (continued)

6. Should we rewrite the objectives of our work together? How?

• Consider the student’s progress toward “increased academic success” in this area of concern.

• Consider the definition of “academic success in this area” that you established in the last meeting and determine whether or not it is still adequate (the data you have gathered since the last meeting may point toward redefining success).

• After several Student Learning Partnership meetings, you may conclude that the student would benefit from a more comprehensive, data-driven approach to understanding his or her neurodevelopmental strengths and weaknesses. In this case, consider initiating the Attuning a Student process with the student.

7. Is this partnership meeting our objectives? What do we want to change or keep the same about the way we are working together? • Reflect on how this process is going and make adjustments as necessary. • Issues to address may include when and for how long you are meeting, adjustment

of the reflection techniques you are using between meetings, or general feelings of anxiety or optimism that this work is generating.

Resource you might use:

Phase 4: Review form NOTE: See actual form in Appendix.

FACIL

ITATO

R REFE

RENCE ONLY

Page 22: Student Learning Partnership...Student Learning Partnership PARTICIPANT BOOKLET In this module, you’ll learn about, practice, and apply the Student Learning Partnership. This process

Student Learning Partnership | 18

© 2009 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

Exploring the Student Learning Partnership – Activity Instructions

1. Read pages 3-6 for an overview of the Student Learning Partnership.

2. Read the phase of the Student Learning Partnership process that you’ve been assigned:

> Phase 1 – Pre-Meeting Preparation (pages 7-8)

> Phase 2 – Purpose (pages 9-10)

> Phase 3 – Strategy (pages 11-14)

> Phase 4 – Review (pages 15-17)

3. On the worksheet on the next page, note the key objectives and features of your assigned SLP phase.

4. When prompted by the facilitator, share your findings with the other members of your group.

5. Use the remaining sections of the chart to take notes as other group members share information about their assigned phases.

FACIL

ITATO

R REFE

RENCE ONLY

Page 23: Student Learning Partnership...Student Learning Partnership PARTICIPANT BOOKLET In this module, you’ll learn about, practice, and apply the Student Learning Partnership. This process

Student Learning Partnership | 19

© 2009 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

Exploring the Student Learning Partnership

OBJECTIVES OF THIS PHASE

INFORMATION GATHERED ABOUT THE

STUDENT AS A LEARNER

INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED

RESOURCES AVAILABLE AS SUPPORT

PHA

SE 1

– P

RE-

MEE

TIN

G

PHA

SE 2

– P

UR

POSE

PHA

SE 3

– S

TRA

TEG

Y

PHA

SE 4

– R

EVIE

W

FACIL

ITATO

R REFE

RENCE ONLY

Page 24: Student Learning Partnership...Student Learning Partnership PARTICIPANT BOOKLET In this module, you’ll learn about, practice, and apply the Student Learning Partnership. This process

Student Learning Partnership | 20

© 2009 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

Putting the Student Learning Partnership into Practice – Activity Instructions

Now, you will have an opportunity to begin planning a Student Learning Partnership (SLP), with either an authentic student or a case study student. Instructions:

> You may work individually or with a partner.

> Your focus will be on Phases 1, 2, and 3 of the SLP process. Corresponding forms are provided as follows:

• Phase 1 – Pre-meeting Preparation (page 24)

• Phase 2 – Purpose (page 25)

• Phase 3 – Strategy (page 26)

NOTE: Focus on the process over the forms; use the forms only to the extent that they support your learning of this process.

> You may find the following resources helpful:

• A Framework for Understanding All Kinds of Minds (page 21)

• If available, your Management Strategies or Management Resources book Authentic Student vs. Case Study:

> Authentic student: Choose a current struggling student whom you think might benefit from the SLP process.

> Case study student: Two case studies are provided. Select the student closest to the grade level(s) in which you work.

• Adriana (3rd grade) – page 22

• Brenna (9th grade) – page 23

FACIL

ITATO

R REFE

RENCE ONLY

Page 25: Student Learning Partnership...Student Learning Partnership PARTICIPANT BOOKLET In this module, you’ll learn about, practice, and apply the Student Learning Partnership. This process

Student Learning Partnership | 21

© 2009 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

FACIL

ITATO

R REFE

RENCE ONLY

Page 26: Student Learning Partnership...Student Learning Partnership PARTICIPANT BOOKLET In this module, you’ll learn about, practice, and apply the Student Learning Partnership. This process

Student Learning Partnership | 22

© 2009 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

Case Study #1 – Adriana, 3rd Grader Adriana is a third grader. Up to this point in school, her mother has had few concerns about her academic performance. Her report cards have been solid, and she always seemed to enjoy school. She learned to read with no difficulty, picking up the connections between sounds and letters. Also, she readily learned her basic arithmetic skills, such as addition and subtraction. Adriana is a big-time collector of all sorts of things. She has numerous shoeboxes in her room that she uses to store stickers, colored pencils, trading cards, comic books, etc. Lately, she has really gotten into postcards, and her mother and relatives pass on any they receive to her. Adriana also enjoys drawing and coloring, and she has become quite an artist. She keeps her creations in several folders that she labels. Lately, however, both Adriana and her mother have become a bit anxious about school. Adriana has complained about being bored with much of what happens in the classroom. For the first time, she earned a “needs improvement,” on her report card, for reading. This came as quite a shock to Adriana’s mother, who has seen Adriana sound out long words with no trouble whatsoever. Adriana has also started having trouble with math. Adriana’s third grade teacher has observed that she daydreams a lot during story time, although she focuses more when the book has pictures to go with the text. He also sees Adriana as being an excellent decoder, but she has great difficulty answering questions about what she has read, and her comments about reading passages are often way off the mark. In terms of math, she performs well with basic calculations, but she is quite confused by some of the word problems she is now asked to solve, such as figuring out how much a meal will cost by looking at menu prices. Strengths:

> Good phonological processing and decoding of words > Strong memory for math facts and procedures (such as subtraction) > Good at drawing

Affinities: > Collecting things, especially postcards > Drawing and coloring

Areas in Need of Improvement: > Language comprehension; she can decode words, yet she does not understand

what she is reading or what she is hearing during story time (which is likely why she looks to be daydreaming)

> Understanding the concepts in math; she has her math facts and procedures down, but in order to apply them in real-life situations she needs to have a stronger conceptual grasp on arithmetic

FACIL

ITATO

R REFE

RENCE ONLY

Page 27: Student Learning Partnership...Student Learning Partnership PARTICIPANT BOOKLET In this module, you’ll learn about, practice, and apply the Student Learning Partnership. This process

Student Learning Partnership | 23

© 2009 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

Case Study #2 – Brenna, 9th Grader Brenna is a ninth grader who seems to be motivated to succeed in school and in her social life. She participates in the drama club with tremendous enthusiasm and impressive skill. Her teachers enjoy working with Brenna, although at times the experience becomes rather frustrating. Brenna works painfully slowly. She has difficulty finishing tests on time, and her parents observe that it takes her forever to complete her homework each night. She is a genuine “plugger,” so she perseveres and finishes what she starts, but the effort required is often inordinate. Brenna is currently failing Algebra II despite the fact that she seems to have a good command of mathematics concepts and can think on an abstract/symbolic level. She is able to process the explanations of her teachers, but subsequently performs poorly on examinations. While Brenna is a great reader, she struggles with spelling. She makes multiple types of spelling errors in one paper and although she understands the various mechanical rules and regularities required in formal written work, she seems to have trouble implementing punctuation and capitalization while she writes. There is a gaping discrepancy between the quality of her ideas when she speaks (which are original and insightful) and the lack of sophistication of her thoughts on paper, unless it is a creative writing piece where she excels. Brenna’s teachers have been confused by the fact that she is able to sound so eloquent during a class discussion when it is she who volunteers information, while she is markedly hesitant, confused, and visibly anxious when she gets called on. She appears to have trouble coming up with the precise answers on demand and also manifests some difficulty finding the right words to express her ideas, despite the fact that she is fluent in everyday social conversation. For the last two years, Brenna has tended to decline in her academic performance as the year proceeds. In particular, this has been the finding in mathematics, but the same pattern has surfaced in Spanish. Strengths:

> Reading > Oral language abilities > Motivated

Affinities: > Drama > Creative writing

Areas in need of improvement: > Recalling specific information when writing and during discussions > Elaborating when writing

FACIL

ITATO

R REFE

RENCE ONLY

Page 28: Student Learning Partnership...Student Learning Partnership PARTICIPANT BOOKLET In this module, you’ll learn about, practice, and apply the Student Learning Partnership. This process

Student Learning Partnership | 24

© 2009 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

FACIL

ITATO

R REFE

RENCE ONLY

Page 29: Student Learning Partnership...Student Learning Partnership PARTICIPANT BOOKLET In this module, you’ll learn about, practice, and apply the Student Learning Partnership. This process

Student Learning Partnership | 25

© 2009 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

FACIL

ITATO

R REFE

RENCE ONLY

Page 30: Student Learning Partnership...Student Learning Partnership PARTICIPANT BOOKLET In this module, you’ll learn about, practice, and apply the Student Learning Partnership. This process

Student Learning Partnership | 26

© 2009 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

FACIL

ITATO

R REFE

RENCE ONLY

Page 31: Student Learning Partnership...Student Learning Partnership PARTICIPANT BOOKLET In this module, you’ll learn about, practice, and apply the Student Learning Partnership. This process

Student Learning Partnership | 27

© 2009 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

Reflections on the Student Learning Partnership

Working in school groups, pairs, or individuals, consider and respond to the following questions: What excites you about the possibilities of using the SLP process with students? What questions do you still have about using the SLP process with students? What are some ways you might adapt the SLP process and/or forms to better suit your needs? Consider:

> Grade level or subject you teach > Your own neurodevelopmental strengths and weaknesses > Other priorities and demands on your time

FACIL

ITATO

R REFE

RENCE ONLY

Page 32: Student Learning Partnership...Student Learning Partnership PARTICIPANT BOOKLET In this module, you’ll learn about, practice, and apply the Student Learning Partnership. This process

FACIL

ITATO

R REFE

RENCE ONLY

Page 33: Student Learning Partnership...Student Learning Partnership PARTICIPANT BOOKLET In this module, you’ll learn about, practice, and apply the Student Learning Partnership. This process

Appendix Table of Contents

• Blank Phase 1 – Pre-meeting Preparation form

• Blank Phase 2 – Purpose form

• Blank Phase 3 – Strategy form

• Student Reflection Cards (3 different formats)

• Student Journal

• Teacher Journal

• Blank Phase 4 – Review form

FACIL

ITATO

R REFE

RENCE ONLY

Page 34: Student Learning Partnership...Student Learning Partnership PARTICIPANT BOOKLET In this module, you’ll learn about, practice, and apply the Student Learning Partnership. This process

FACIL

ITATO

R REFE

RENCE ONLY

Page 35: Student Learning Partnership...Student Learning Partnership PARTICIPANT BOOKLET In this module, you’ll learn about, practice, and apply the Student Learning Partnership. This process

© 2009 ALL KINDS OF MINDS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. SCHOOLS ATTUNED® AND ALL KINDS OF MINDS® ARE REGISTERED MARKS OF ALL KINDS OF MINDS.

STUDENT LEARNING PARTNERSHIPPHASE 1: PRE-MEETING PREPARATION FORM

STRENGTHS SUPPORTING EVIDENCE1. 1.

2. 2.

3. 3.

4. 4.

5. 5.

CONCERNS SUPPORTING EVIDENCE1. 1.

2. 2.

3. 3.

4. 4.

5. 5.

STRATEGY BRAINSTORMING

Student

Teacher

Grade Level/Subject Area

Date

FACIL

ITATO

R REFE

RENCE ONLY

Page 36: Student Learning Partnership...Student Learning Partnership PARTICIPANT BOOKLET In this module, you’ll learn about, practice, and apply the Student Learning Partnership. This process

© 2009 ALL KINDS OF MINDS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. SCHOOLS ATTUNED® AND ALL KINDS OF MINDS® ARE REGISTERED MARKS OF ALL KINDS OF MINDS.

STU

DE

NT

LEA

RN

ING

PA

RTN

ER

SHIP

PH

ASE

2:

PU

RP

OSE

W

HA

T D

O W

E H

OP

E T

O A

CC

OM

PLI

SH

TH

RO

UG

H O

UR

W

OR

K T

OG

ETH

ER

?

Wha

t do

we

notic

e ab

out

your

wor

k in

thi

s ar

ea o

f co

ncer

n?W

hat

do w

e th

ink

“aca

dem

ic s

ucce

ss in

thi

s ar

ea”

will

mea

n fo

r yo

u?W

hat

are

the

spec

ific

obje

ctiv

es o

f ou

r w

ork

toge

ther

?

RE

FLE

CTI

ON

How

do

we

feel

abo

ut t

his

colla

bora

tion?

Wha

t ar

e ou

r co

ncer

ns, a

nd h

ow c

an w

e pl

an t

o ad

dres

s th

em?

Stud

ent

Teac

her

Gra

de L

evel

/Sub

ject

Are

a

Dat

e

FACIL

ITATO

R REFE

RENCE ONLY

Page 37: Student Learning Partnership...Student Learning Partnership PARTICIPANT BOOKLET In this module, you’ll learn about, practice, and apply the Student Learning Partnership. This process

© 2009 ALL KINDS OF MINDS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. SCHOOLS ATTUNED® AND ALL KINDS OF MINDS® ARE REGISTERED MARKS OF ALL KINDS OF MINDS.

STU

DE

NT

LEA

RN

ING

PA

RTN

ER

SHIP

PH

ASE

3:

STR

ATE

GY

W

HA

T C

AN

WE

DO

TO

SU

PP

OR

T G

RE

ATE

R

AC

AD

EM

IC S

UC

CE

SS F

OR

YO

U I

N T

HIS

AR

EA

?

Wha

t st

rate

gies

are

you

cur

rent

ly u

sing

to

help

yo

u in

thi

s ar

ea?

How

are

the

y w

orki

ng?

Wha

t ne

urod

evel

opm

enta

l dem

ands

doe

s th

is

acad

emic

are

a or

beh

avio

r ty

pica

lly m

ake

of

stud

ents

?

Whi

ch o

f th

ese

neur

odev

elop

men

tal d

eman

ds

seem

cha

lleng

ing

to y

ou?

Wha

t st

rate

gies

w

ould

hel

p yo

u m

eet

thos

e ch

alle

nges

?

Do

we

wan

t to

incl

ude

anyo

ne e

lse

in t

his

conv

ersa

tion?

Wha

t st

rate

gies

will

we

try

befo

re o

ur n

ext

mee

ting?

How

will

we

reco

rd t

he r

esul

ts?

Whe

n w

ill o

ur n

ext

mee

ting

be?

RE

FLE

CTI

ON

& I

MPA

CT

Cou

ld a

ny o

f th

e st

rate

gies

you

are

pla

nnin

g to

use

be

help

ful i

n ot

her

area

s or

out

side

of

scho

ol?

Stud

ent

Teac

her

Gra

de L

evel

/Sub

ject

Are

a

Dat

e

FACIL

ITATO

R REFE

RENCE ONLY

Page 38: Student Learning Partnership...Student Learning Partnership PARTICIPANT BOOKLET In this module, you’ll learn about, practice, and apply the Student Learning Partnership. This process

© 2009 ALL KINDS OF MINDS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. SCHOOLS ATTUNED® AND ALL KINDS OF MINDS® ARE REGISTERED MARKS OF ALL KINDS OF MINDS.

STUDENT LEARNING PARTNERSHIPSTUDENT REFLECTION CARD

When I ,

I tried .

Did it help?

It really works!

It’s helping some.

I’m not sure yet.

It’s not helping much.

It doesn’t work! It’s still hard.

How do I know?

Name

Date

FACIL

ITATO

R REFE

RENCE ONLY

Page 39: Student Learning Partnership...Student Learning Partnership PARTICIPANT BOOKLET In this module, you’ll learn about, practice, and apply the Student Learning Partnership. This process

© 2009 ALL KINDS OF MINDS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. SCHOOLS ATTUNED® AND ALL KINDS OF MINDS® ARE REGISTERED MARKS OF ALL KINDS OF MINDS.

When I ,I tried .

Did it help?

Name Date

It really works!

It’s helping some.

It’s not helping much.

It doesn’t work! It’s still hard.

© 2006 – 2007 ALL KINDS OF MINDS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. SCHOOLS ATTUNED® AND ALL KINDS OF MINDS® ARE REGISTERED MARKS OF ALL KINDS OF MINDS.

How do I know?

When I ,I tried .

Did it help?

It really works!

It’s helping some.

It’s not helping much.

It doesn’t work! It’s still hard.

How do I know?

Name Date

STUDENT LEARNING PARTNERSHIPSTUDENT REFLECTION CARD

STUDENT LEARNING PARTNERSHIPSTUDENT REFLECTION CARD

FACIL

ITATO

R REFE

RENCE ONLY

Page 40: Student Learning Partnership...Student Learning Partnership PARTICIPANT BOOKLET In this module, you’ll learn about, practice, and apply the Student Learning Partnership. This process

© 2009 ALL KINDS OF MINDS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. SCHOOLS ATTUNED® AND ALL KINDS OF MINDS® ARE REGISTERED MARKS OF ALL KINDS OF MINDS.

When I , I tried .

Did it help?

© 2006 – 2007 ALL KINDS OF MINDS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. SCHOOLS ATTUNED® AND ALL KINDS OF MINDS® ARE REGISTERED MARKS OF ALL KINDS OF MINDS.

How do I know?

When I , I tried .

Did it help?

How do I know?

YES NO

YES NO

Name Date

Name Date

STUDENT LEARNING PARTNERSHIPSTUDENT REFLECTION CARD

STUDENT LEARNING PARTNERSHIPSTUDENT REFLECTION CARD

FACIL

ITATO

R REFE

RENCE ONLY

Page 41: Student Learning Partnership...Student Learning Partnership PARTICIPANT BOOKLET In this module, you’ll learn about, practice, and apply the Student Learning Partnership. This process

© 2009 ALL KINDS OF MINDS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. SCHOOLS ATTUNED® AND ALL KINDS OF MINDS® ARE REGISTERED MARKS OF ALL KINDS OF MINDS.

STU

DE

NT

LEA

RN

ING

PA

RTN

ER

SHIP

STU

DE

NT

JOU

RN

AL

Wha

t ha

ppen

ed w

hen

I trie

d th

e st

rate

gies

?D

id t

hese

str

ateg

ies

help

me

have

“gr

eate

r ac

adem

ic s

ucce

ss in

thi

s ar

ea”?

If s

o, h

ow?

If

not,

why

not

?

Wha

t do

I w

ant

to s

hare

abo

ut t

hese

str

ateg

ies

in o

ur n

ext

mee

ting?

Wha

t ev

iden

ce w

ill I

brin

g to

dis

cuss

?

RE

FLE

CTI

ON

& I

MPA

CT

Wha

t ot

her

acad

emic

are

as, o

r ac

tiviti

es o

utsi

de o

f sc

hool

, do

I rea

lly e

njoy

doi

ng?

Wha

t st

rate

gies

do

I use

in t

hose

act

iviti

es t

hat

mig

ht h

elp

me

in s

choo

l? D

o I h

ave

any

othe

r th

ough

ts I

wan

t to

sha

re in

our

nex

t m

eetin

g?

Stud

ent

Teac

her

Gra

de L

evel

/Sub

ject

Are

a

Dat

e

FACIL

ITATO

R REFE

RENCE ONLY

Page 42: Student Learning Partnership...Student Learning Partnership PARTICIPANT BOOKLET In this module, you’ll learn about, practice, and apply the Student Learning Partnership. This process

© 2009 ALL KINDS OF MINDS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. SCHOOLS ATTUNED® AND ALL KINDS OF MINDS® ARE REGISTERED MARKS OF ALL KINDS OF MINDS.

STU

DE

NT

LEA

RN

ING

PA

RTN

ER

SHIP

TEA

CH

ER

JO

UR

NA

L

Wha

t se

em t

o be

the

out

com

es o

f th

e

stra

tegi

es t

he s

tude

nt is

usi

ng in

thi

s ar

ea?

Base

d up

on w

hat

I see

, wha

t do

I th

ink

mig

ht

be s

ome

of t

his

stud

ent’s

neu

rode

velo

pmen

tal

stre

ngth

s an

d w

eakn

esse

s?

Wha

t el

se d

o I n

eed

to k

now

to

stre

ngth

en m

y hy

poth

esis

?

Who

els

e m

ight

I ta

lk t

o ab

out

the

wor

k I a

m

doin

g w

ith t

his

stud

ent?

Base

d on

my

evol

ving

hyp

othe

sis,

wha

t ad

ditio

nal s

trat

egie

s m

ight

I su

gges

t to

the

st

uden

t in

our

nex

t m

eetin

g?

Wha

t ev

iden

ce o

f w

hat

I am

see

ing

and

thin

king

do

I wan

t to

sha

re w

ith t

he s

tude

nt in

ou

r ne

xt m

eetin

g?

RE

FLE

CTI

ON

& I

MPA

CT

Wha

t el

se a

m I

lear

ning

abo

ut t

he n

euro

deve

lopm

enta

l dem

ands

tha

t th

is a

cade

mic

are

a or

beh

avio

r ty

pica

lly m

akes

upo

n st

uden

ts?

Wha

t id

eas

has

my

wor

k w

ith t

his

stud

ent

give

n m

e ab

out

chan

ging

my

inst

ruct

iona

l dec

isio

ns w

ith o

ther

stu

dent

s?

Stud

ent

Teac

her

Gra

de L

evel

/Sub

ject

Are

a

Dat

e

FACIL

ITATO

R REFE

RENCE ONLY

Page 43: Student Learning Partnership...Student Learning Partnership PARTICIPANT BOOKLET In this module, you’ll learn about, practice, and apply the Student Learning Partnership. This process

© 2009 ALL KINDS OF MINDS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. SCHOOLS ATTUNED® AND ALL KINDS OF MINDS® ARE REGISTERED MARKS OF ALL KINDS OF MINDS.

STU

DE

NT

LEA

RN

ING

PA

RTN

ER

SHIP

PH

ASE

4:

RE

VIE

W

WH

AT

HA

VE

WE

LE

AR

NE

D,

AN

D H

OW

DO

ES

WH

AT

WE

HA

VE

LE

AR

NE

D A

FFE

CT

WH

AT

WE

DO

NE

xT?

Wha

t ha

ppen

ed w

hen

we

impl

emen

ted

the

stra

tegi

es w

e pl

anne

d to

try

? W

hat

evid

ence

do

we

have

?

Why

do

we

thin

k th

ese

stra

tegi

es w

orke

d th

e w

ay t

hey

did?

Wha

t el

se d

o ou

r re

sults

tel

l us

abou

t th

e ne

urod

evel

opm

enta

l dem

ands

of

this

are

a?

Wha

t ar

e w

e le

arni

ng a

bout

you

r ne

urod

evel

opm

enta

l str

engt

hs a

nd

wea

knes

ses?

Shou

ld w

e re

writ

e th

e ob

ject

ives

of

our

wor

k to

geth

er?

How

?

RE

FLE

CTI

ON

& I

MPA

CT

Is t

his

part

ners

hip

mee

ting

our

obje

ctiv

es?

Wha

t do

we

wan

t to

cha

nge

or k

eep

the

sam

e ab

out

the

way

we

are

wor

king

tog

ethe

r?

Stud

ent

Teac

her

Gra

de L

evel

/Sub

ject

Are

a

Dat

e

FACIL

ITATO

R REFE

RENCE ONLY