Assisting Career-Technical Education
Teachers Working in Mixed-Ability
Classrooms
www.cteproject.com
Connections to Education Conference,
Ohio ACTE Annual Conference
2014
Stacia Kaschak, M.Ed, Kent State University
Robert Baer, Ph.D, Kent State University
Davison Mupinga, Ph.D, Kent State University
CTE Teacher Needs

Focus Group Findings:
◦ Terminology - frustrated with all the terms, definitions, and
acronyms.
◦ Legality/Liability Issues - concerned about appropriateness and
liability.
◦ Student Placement - frustrated with process of placing students
and achieving industry standards.
◦ Program Standards - concerned with students' ability to
become gainfully employed and pass licensing exams.
◦ Performance Assessments - confused about assessing students
equitably.
◦ Support Awareness - confused about supports available and
their involvement in the IEP process.
◦ Effective Instructional Strategies - needed strategies to reach all
students in their classrooms and labs
Purpose of the CTE Project
The CTE Project was funded by the Office for Exceptional
Children and Office of Career- Technical Education to:
◦ Identify CTE instructor needs in conjunction with
university faculty and CTE teachers
◦ Develop and field test a module to improve the
preparation of CTE instructors in addressing the
needs of diverse students.
◦ Develop a web-based training and technical assistance
site for CTE teachers.
◦ Provide regional and local professional development
opportunities
Essential Elements of Universal
Design for Learning
The Higher Education Act of 2008 defined UDL
as:
1. Flexibility in ways that content is presented
2. Flexibility in ways that students are engaged
with content
3. Flexibility in ways that students respond to
content
4. Providing Opportunities & Eliminating
Barriers for Students with Disabilities
Module 1
Flexibility in Presentation of
Content Through Universal
Design
Graphic Organizer for CTE in Mixed-Ability Classrooms-Module 1
3. Last Section:
Introduction
1. Current Module:
Universal Design
4. Next Module:
Engaging Students
5. Big question: How do we make our presentations accessible
to as many students as possible?
2. Is about:
6. The Key Concepts
Graphic
Organizers
Unit and
Lesson
Organizers
Comics and
Graphic Novels
7. Self-test questions
1. How are graphic organizers delivered?
2. What is the purpose of the first three steps in the
Lesson Organizer
3. Why are key concepts often different than
competency descriptors?
4. How can comics and graphic organizers be used?
5. What is a “sound field” and why is it important for
learning?
Auditory
Enhancements
8. Unit Schedule
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Lecture
Demonstration of graphic organizers
Discussion of comics and graphic novels
Discussion of auditory enhancements
Group activity in developing a graphic organizer for
a lesson that is based on CTE competencies.
Why Use Graphic Organizers?

Research indicates that students
remember:
◦ 10% of what they hear
◦ 80% of what they see and do

The purpose of graphic organizers is to
create a mental picture of information
that makes retrieval easier.
Graphic Organizers – the Content
Enhancement (SIM) Approach
Content Enhancement is a graphic organizer
that was designed by the University of
Kansas Center for Research on Learning
(Deshler & Shumaker, 2005)
 This graphic organizer can be used to
introduce students to the: (a) course, (b)
the unit, (c) each lesson, or (d) specific
problem solving or categorizing activities
 The following graphic organizers are adapted
from this Content Enhancement approach

Module 2
Flexibility in Ways that Students
are Engaged with Content
Graphic Organizer for CTE in Mixed-Ability Classrooms-Module 2
3. Last Section:
Universal Design
1. Current Module:
Engaging Students
4. Next Module:
Differentiating Instruction
5. Big question: How do we motivate and guide students in
Their learning?
2. Is about:
6. The Key Concepts
Guided
Notes and
Outlines
Task Analyses
Mnemonics
Feedback and
Reinforcements
7. Self-test questions
1. How could a teacher use a graphic organizer from
Module 1 as guided notes?
2. What are the two common types of mnemonics?
3. Name one strategy for increasing the frequency of
feedback
4. What is grandma’s principle?
5. Name three ways to train students using a task
analysis
8. Unit Schedule
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Discussion about guided notes and feedback
Demonstration of a feedback strategy
Discussion of reinforcements
Discussion of task analyses
Group exercise on task analyses and mnemonics
Task Analyses

Task analyses
◦ Task is broken down into steps
 Smaller steps for students experiencing difficulty
with a task

Teaching using task analyses
◦ Backward chaining -teaches last step until
mastered, then last two steps, etc.
◦ Forward chaining -teaches first step until
mastered, then first two steps, etc.
◦ Whole task chaining teaches all steps
together
Recording Progress with Task Analysis
1.
2.
3.
Cross out steps completed independently
Circle total number of steps completed
Connect circles to create graph of progress
Table 2. Weekly task analysis and recording sheet
STEPS FOR HAND WASHING
8. Dry area around basin with towel
7. Dry hands
6. Turn off water
5. Rinse hands
4. Rub hands together vigorously
3. Apply soap
2. Wet hands
1. Turn on water
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Tues.
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Wed.
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Thurs. Fri.
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Module 3
Flexibility in Ways that Students
Respond to Content
Graphic Organizer for CTE in Mixed-Ability Classrooms-Module 3
3. Last Section:
Engaging Students
1. Current Module:
Differentiated Instruction
4. Next Module:
Opportunities for
Students with Disabilities
5. Big question: How do we provide choices and different
ways of learning core content
2. Is about:
6. The Key Concepts
Differentiated
Instruction
Cognitive
Approaches
Learning
Styles
7. Self-test questions
1. How is differentiated instruction different from
“watered-down” curricula
2. Name several ways that students can approach core
content using Tomlinson’s “Think-Tac-Toe
3. What are the two key criteria for developing
cooperative learning projects
4. Why is it important to work in mixed-ability groups?
5. Describe the steps in the “Jigsaw” approach to
cooperative learning
Cooperative
Learning
8. Unit Schedule
1. Discussion of the importance of differentiated
instruction for mixed-ability classrooms
2. Presentation of the “Think Tac Toe” model
3. Discussion of the importance of cooperative
learning
4. Presentation of the “Jigsaw” model
5. Group exercise in developing a cooperative learning
project
Differentiated Assignments

Improves students response to instruction by:
◦ Making it more relevant to student learning goals
◦ Allowing students to approach learning in their
own way

Assignments may be differentiated to
promote:
◦ Different ways of thinking about a concept
◦ Different ways of approaching or implementing a
concept
Think Tac Toe
Developed by Carol Tomlinson (2001) who
is a recognized expert in differentiated
instruction
 Is designed to be aligned with key concepts
and standards
 Has been applied in a number of ways
including cognitive and learning styles
approaches

Think Tac Toe Method Differentiating Learning Expression
Kinesthetic
Knowledge
Auditory
Whole body games, movement
activities, making models,
following instructions to make
something, setting up
experiments
list, define, tell, describe,
identify, show, label, collect,
examine, quote, name, who,
when, where
interviewing, debating
participating on a panel giving
oral reports participating in oral
discussions of written material
Comprehension
Core Content
Synthesis
Summarize, describe,
interpret, contrast, predict,
associate, distinguish, estimate,
discuss, extend
information is presented in
sequential steps, lessons are
structured and teacher-directed
goals are clear requirements are
spelled out
combine, integrate, modify,
rearrange, substitute, plan,
create, design, invent, what if?,
compose, formulate, prepare,
generalize, rewrite
Visual
Evaluation
Tactile
computer graphics maps,
graphs, charts, cartoons,
posters, diagrams, graphic
organizers, text with a lot of
pictures
assess, decide, rank, grade, test,
measure, recommend, convince,
select, judge, explain,
discriminate, support, conclude,
compare
Drawing, playing board games,
making dioramas, making
models, following instructions
to make something
Module 4
Providing Opportunities &
Eliminating Barriers for Students
with Disabilities
Graphic Organizer for CTE in Mixed-Ability Classrooms-Module 4
3. Last Section:
Differentiating Instruction
1. Current Module:
Providing Opportunities for
Students with Disabilities
4. Next Module:
Next steps and evaluation
5. Big question: How do we make career technical education
accessible and appropriate for students with disabilities?
2. Is about:
6. The Key Concepts
Legislation
Tech-Prep
Implications for
SWD
7. Self-test questions
1. Describe the implications of legislation for CTE
2. What types of outcomes are required for Tech-Prep
students?
3. Describe the process for modifying Tech-Prep
standards for students with disabilities?
4. What are the essential requirements of a program and
how are they determined?
5. Where is information about accom-modations and
technology for persons with disabilities?
Ensuring
Success for
Students with
Disabilities
Accommodations,
Technology, and
Supports
8. Unit Schedule
1. Discussion about federal legislation
2. Discussion about the Tech-Prep vision and how it
applies to students with disabilities
3. Discussion about the questions that need to be
asked in IEP meetings of students for CTE
4. Description of the Job Accommodation Network
(JAN) , CTEproject.com, and other resources for
identifying disability specific accommodations and
technology
Participants’ Comments

“Very useful, very informative”

“Need more time”

“Please come back”

“User-friendly”

“Wasn’t interested”

“Share and use with my students”

“Be more proactive in contacting VOSE”

“Helps me teach teachers”

“Add more graphics to teaching”

“Would like to have regular education involved”

“Help keep students organized”

“Continue to be proactive despite co-workers’ objectives”

“It was a great inservice”

“I want a board”

“I will try and break things down. I hadn’t thought of that.”
Other Training Modules

Classroom Strategies (Module 5)
◦
◦
◦
◦

Challenges of a mixed ability classroom
Creating a learning environment
Managing learning activities
Quality assignments
Individual Problem Solving (Module 6)
◦ Unmotivated student
◦ Students with learning, behavioral, sensory or
mobility needs
Next Steps
Questions & Comments?
Thank you!
Sources for Presentation Module
UNIVERSAL DESIGN
http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content
_storage_01/0000019b/80/16/e9/bd.pdf
 Deshler, D.D., Shumaker, J.B. (2005). Teaching
adolescents with disabilities: Accessing the general
education curriculum. Sage Publications: Thousand
Oaks, CA
CONTENT ENHANCEMENT GIST
 http://courses.stratepedia.org/course/view.php?id=19

Sources for Engagement Module
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES ON LINE
http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/DE/PD/instr/index.html
 FACULTY GUIDEBOOK
http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCo
m/guidebk/teachtip/teachtip.htm
 SERVICE LEARNING
http://www.civicenterprises.net/pdfs/service-learning.pdf

Sources for Differentiation &
Cooperative Learning
Bennett B., Rolheiser, C., Stevahn, L.
(1991) Cooperative Learning: Where Heart
Meets Mind, Educational Connections,
Ontario.
 Tomlinson, Carol A. (2005). How to
differentiate instruction in mixed-ability
classrooms, 2nd ed. Pearson: New Jersey:

Contact Information
www.cteproject.com
Robert Baer, rbaer@kent.edu
 Stacia Kaschak, smather@kent.edu
 Davison Mupinga, dmupinga@kent.edu
