Rationale
This unit is specially designed instruction for my Life Skills classroom. I teach social studies, English Language Arts and Reading, science and math. I am also the program manager for a work-based learning program, SOAR-EX Business Service Center, in partnership with Texas A&M Center for Disability and Development and the Texas Workforce Commission. The purpose of the program is to create authentic work experiences for high school students with disabilities to prepare for transition to independent living in Texas. In addition, I teach an 18+program to prepare students to reach their transition goals. Likewise, for good measure, it would be an asset for any lesson plan for cross-curricular teaching for Special Populations classrooms. Whether it’s general education inclusion, resource, CTE or Emergent Bilingual classrooms, the best practices for visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners is imminent. How reading works and how children learn, is a critical element in structured literacy instruction, an approach grounded in scientific research for acquiring all literacy skills emphasizing direct, explicit, sequenced, systematic, cumulative, and intensive lessons, while incorporating multisensory instructional strategies.
The objective of this unit is to change the trajectory of how students in Life Skills special education engage with information using project-based learning with maps to make connections between interdisciplinary courses. Project-based learning using maps is a great way to apply multisensory structured language to combine visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile pathways to enhance learning and memory for reading and writing. Students will be taking field trips touring the Hearne community and will participate in discussions regarding the past, current, and future changes in Hearne that have impacted their neighborhoods and personal lives. Maps will be hand drawn and digital. Maps are a great tool to explore the community and provide the students with new experiences to visualize data.
During my life-long quest to become a teacher, my first encounter 17 years ago was as a special education Life Skills paraprofessional in a middle school classroom. I was intrigued by the teacher who was orchestrating her magical teaching wand like a band conductor who guides an ensemble through performance and interpretation. Each practitioner imparting knowledge in their industry of choice, developing critical thinking skills, and preparing future leaders of the world.
I am excited about all of the different aspects of mapping. I am not from Hearne and many of the staff and students are not privy to the historical nature of the city. It’s a great opportunity to strengthen my teaching skills and enhance my students' academic capabilities. My desire to learn about the many different facets of teaching students with disabilities is the catalyst that piqued my interests in studying maps. These exceptional students have unique gifts and talents that flourish in the classroom when they feel valued and supported. Using maps in my classroom will enhance my students' skill for map reading.
I hope to use my research to strengthen my knowledge about using maps and the history of Hearne. I grew up in Akon, Ohio, lived in Southern and Northern California, and have traveled across the world to several countries. During March, 2022, a colleague invited me to assist her at Hearne High School to collaborate with the campus to support English Language Arts and Reading students prepare for the STAAR. Prior to that time, I had no idea Hearne existed on the map. Upon learning about the opening position in the Life Skills classroom, without hesitation, I eagerly applied and accepted the offer. Developing my research skills affords me the opportunity to expand my resources and synergize with experts who have invested in taking a deep dive into subjects I have not had experiential learning opportunities. There’s a scripture in the Bible from Proverbs 27:17 (NIV), “As iron sharpens, so one person sharpens another.”
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