Differentiated Instruction
For Transition Students
Josh Barbour
Community Transitions
and Connections
Eugene 4J School
District
4J Connections Services
 18 to 21 year old students
 Graduated with Modified Diploma, GED or
Drop Out
 Wide Range of Disabilities (Learning
Disability, Cognitive Impairment, Autism
Spectrum Disorder, Emotional Disability,
Visual/Hearing Impairment).
 Serve as A bridge to adult agencies (OVRS,
LCDDS/Brokerage, Lane Community
College, City of Eugene Recreational
Services, etc).
Identifying and Addressing Individual
Student Needs

Students create their own
schedule. Students choose
seminars, activities, course
of study.

How can you help students
choose the activities that
are aligned with their goals?

Students have a wide
variety of needs.

How do you differentiate
instruction to address all
students needs?
What do Transition Students Need to Know?
Vocational Setting
Educational Setting
•Paid Job
•Volunteer Site
•College
•Trade School
•Job Corps
Independent Living Recreational
Setting
Setting
•Living in an
Apartment
•Living in a Dorm
•Living with Parents
•In the Community
•On Line
Identifying Skills For Each Setting
 Academic Skills:
Reading, Writing, Math
 Executive
Functioning Skills:
Time Management,
Organization, Disability
Awareness
 Social Skills
Social Communication,
Problem Solving,
Prudent Judgment
Our New Paradigm
Identifying Student’s Unique Needs
 Identifying 100, 200, 300 level skills for each
setting on the Connections Skills Rubric
 Lane Community College Placement Test to
assess academic present level
 Connections Executive Functioning and Social
Skill Rating Scales to determine executive
functioning and social skill present level
 Developing Transition Seminars to address needs
of the current students.
Students Are Not Restricted From Attending
Seminars
 Each Seminar/Work Experience targets a 100,
200 or 300 level skill. During registration, students
will be encouraged to attend seminars that
address their skill level.
 A student with 300 level skills is able to take a
seminar that targets 100 level skills (and vice
versa). The instructor must modify curriculum to fit
student needs.
 Each student attends a weekly advocate
session. The assessments give a blueprint of skills
needed to be addressed in advocate.
Be Smooth Seminar
•
Be Smooth Seminar, Fall 2012. Seminar
addressed recognizing hidden rules in various
settings.
•
Seminar targets students with 100 level
interpersonal and social communication skills.
Please refer to rubric.
 Lesson: Consequences of Offensive Speech in
Public.

Clint Boyer and Jeff Gordon NASCAR incident

Watch Crash: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1klV_WiM8w
(watch 0-:20)

Watch Post Crash Interviews:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QS03Ep6dQyo (watch :25-1:08
discuss Jeff’s non verbal signs. Then watch 1:08-1:55)

Reading and Comprehension Questions.
Differentiating Instruction within the
Be Smooth Lesson
•
Students worked in pairs to complete reading and
answer comprehension questions
•
Students with 200 or 300 level social skills were paired
with students with 100 level social skills
•
Writing was not required to complete activity.
Students were asked to have a discussion with their
partner. I individually checked in with each group to
assess.
•
Provide an answer bank for students who needed
assistance generating answers
•
Provide follow up discussion questions to encourage
critical thinking
Cooking For Cash
•
Cooking For Cash Seminar, Fall 2012. Seminar
addressed technical, social and executive
functioning skills needed to work in the restaurant
industry.
•
Seminar targets students have demonstrated 200
level social and executive functioning skills. Please
refer to rubric.
•
Lesson: Simulate a restaurant environment
•
•
•
Students separated as patrons, servers, prep cooks
and chefs
Students were required to follow specific directions in
order to complete job expectations
Students had to collaborate, communicate and
problem solve to complete activity
Cooking For Cash
Differentiating Instruction within the
Cooking For Cash Lesson
•
Students with 100 level executive functioning and
social skills were paired with students with 200 level
executive functioning and social skills
•
Students with 300 level executive functioning and
social skills were given the job of “Floater.” Those
students worked all 3 jobs and helped out when
necessary.
•
Students were provided with video modeling of tasks
before beginning activity
•
Staff identified students with 100 level academic and
executive functioning skills and assisted reading and
interpreting instructions.
College Success Seminar
•
College Success Seminar will be taught Spring 2013.
Seminar will focus on executive functioning and social
skills needed to be successful in the college
environment.
•
Seminar targets students that have demonstrated 300
level academic, social and executive functioning
skills. Please refer to rubric.
•
Seminar will feature a syllabus, homework
assignments, midterm and final to simulate a College
Credit Class.
•
Students will visit an LCC College Classroom, LCC
Disability Resources, Library, Math Resource Center,
Writing Center to become familiar and comfortable
with these resources.
300 Level College Success Lesson
Lesson: Identifying and Requesting Accommodations
•
Watch University Of Delaware Tips for College Success:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgg97kf327M
(watch 0-1:18)
•
Watch example of a College Classroom:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83t7HwPW2Jg&feat
ure=related (0-2:33) Students work in groups to
brainstorm what behaviors they need to show to be
successful in Professor White’s Classroom
•
Students are introduced to LCC Accommodations.
Students brainstorm Accommodations they will need to
be successful in the classroom
•
Students role play requesting accommodation from LCC
Instructor.
Differentiating Instruction within the
College Success Lesson
•
Students with100 and 200 academic and executive
functioning skills will be given modified classroom
assignments and reduced homework.
•
Students with100 and 200 academic and executive
functioning skills will be paired with students with 300
academic and executive functioning skills
•
Pre-teach expected behaviors before visiting college
campus
•
Use a wide variety of instructional methods (video,
role play, large group discussion, independent work)
to address multiple learning styles.
Weekly Advocate Sessions
Opportunity to work individually with students
•
Students and teacher discuss strengths and
needs
•
Students set a long term goal
•
Teachers assist students to set 4-5 enabling goals
toward their long term goal
•
•
Enabling goals should be in areas they scored 1 or
2 on the Social Skill and Executive Functioning
Rating scale
Teacher and Student record weekly progress on all
enabling goals
How would you serve these
students?
Please read the student profiles
•
What transition activities would you recommend
for these students?
•
What enabling goals would you help them set to
reach their long term goals?
Thank You For Coming!
Questions? Thoughts?
Please feel free to
contact me:
Josh Barbour
(541) 912-3618
barbour@4j.lane.edu
Connections Website: https://sites.google.com/site/transitiontimesnow/