Behavioral Principles & Teaching Applications Part 2&

Collaborating and training paraprofessionals

Updates

What makes a good prompt? Increases likelihood of correct responding Focuses attention on relevant features of task (Sd) Ease of delivery Ease of removal across trials Good prompts are determined by the demands of the

task AND the presenting skills of the learner. As weak as possible (least intrusive) Should be faded as rapidly as possible

1) Select the least intrusive, effective

prompt 2) Combine prompts if necessary 3) Select natural prompts and those related

to the behavior 4) Provide only after students are attending 5) Provide in a supportive, instructive

manner before response 6) Fade as soon as possible 7) Plan fading procedures beforehand

Guidelines for Selecting Prompts

Activity:Provide examples of these methods for teaching a skill in your classroom

Prompting Modeling Verbal prompt Visual Prompt

Shaping

Fading

Chaining

Generalization

Predictable/appropriate responding in noninstructional or nontraining conditions

Transfer of stimulus control from trained to nontrained antecedent stimuli

Example

Caesar learns to raise his hand to ask for teacher assistance in homeroom. In social studies & math periods of the day, he also uses hand raises to ask for assistance. He doesn’t use hand raises at home at dinner table. Generalized responding

Maintenance

Durability of performance over time

Durability of stimulus control over time

Continued performance when instructional conditions are removed

Examples

Having learned to use hand-raises to obtain teacher assistance during the first week of school, Caesar continued to use the appropriately strategy the rest of the school year.

After learning how to successfully use “look cool & walk away” during peer conflicts in 8th grade, Cleo continued to use the strategy in 9th & 10th grades.

Directing Paraprofessional Work Define the similarities & differences

between teachers & paraprofessionals Describe different ways in which

paraprofessionals can be effectively utilized in general education settings

Suggest specific strategies that paraprofessionals can be taught to improve the quality of education

Describe ways in which teachers can effectively monitor & provide feedback to paraprofessionals

Importance Your responsibility to provide leadership in

classroom Includes directing the work of

paraprofessionals What you do or don’t do will impact

student learning Parapros are play a significant role Parapro supports that are not well

designed can result in: Poor peer relationships, unhealthy

dependencies, limited access, Giangreco & Doyle, 2004

Welcoming & acknowledging paraprofessionals Be certain they have a place of their own

(e.g., desk or table) Put a coffee cup or plant on their desk at

beginning of the year Establish routines to students that the

teacher and paraprofessional are working together Ex: paraprofessional participate in

beginning/end class routine Create opportunities for their input

Share student’s goals for the unit. “Do you have any thoughts on her participation?”

Orienting Paraprofessionals Orient them to the school, classroom, &

students with whom they will be working Don’t “throw them into things”

Giangreco et al., 2001 Intro parapro to school community: office

staff, teachers, nurse, etc. Be sure they are familiar with school policies Show where supplies are kept Provide policies on student confidentiality Support for the classroom NOT the student

Students they will support Provide them information on the students

they will support (e.g., IEP at a Glance) Through a course or a series of staff

development work shops to learn essential skills about being a paraprofessional

Topics should include (CichoskiKelly et al., 2000): Collaborative teamwork Families & cultural sensitivity Characteristics of youth with various disabilities Roles & responsibilities of all team members Implementing teacher-planned instruction

Establish parameters Clarify their role Your responsibility to:

Prepare plans to guide paraprofessional in instruction, assessment, decision-making, instructional methods & communicate with families

Many teachers introduce new concepts and skills before asking parapro to provide ongoing teaching and practice

Allows teacher to model instructional approaches for the para and gain firsthand info to adjust future lessons

Planning for paraprofessionals One of the keys to good teaching is good

planning Daily & weekly schedule of activities

indicating what, when, who, where Parapros schedule should be linked to

classroom schedule Should be clear what they should be doing for

each activity in class Develop plans that provide the content

and level of info required for them to carry out the plan

Things to consider when planning for parapros: 1. How much info does the para need to

implement the teacher-planned lesson or activity?

2. What is the essential information?3. What makes the most sense?4. How can planned information be provided

in ways that do not create unnecessary paperwork?

Basic components they need to understand: Purpose of activity Objectives within the activity that may

differ by student Materials needed How to arrange the learning environment How to get & sustain student attention How to introduce the activity (e.g., demo,

explain) How to encourage student participation How to relate activity to previous learning

Basic components continued What desired responses look like How and what feedback to provide when

students give desired responses What to do when students are

nonresponsive OR give incorrect responses What data to collect and how it should be

recorded How to end the activity What to do if the plan does not seem to be

working

Communicating with Parapros Developing expectations

Create mechanisms for communication Make sure they know who to talk to when

problems arise Preparing ahead

Be sure they are aware of dates, times, locations of meetings

Be a good model of planning instruction Understanding Perspectives

Let them know that different perspectives are welcome

Ask them questions, Listen, & Speak clearly

Ten tips to collaborating effectively with paraprofessionals1. Start & end each day with them.2. Provide them with constructive feedback

ASAP.3. Say thank you frequently for specific acts4. Ask them how you can help5. Demonstrate what you mean6. Recognize the individual & unique

contributions of each parapro7. Occasionally meet together way from

school

8. Demonstrate what you mean9. Encourage them to keep a daily journal of

activities, thoughts, and feelings10. Advocate for their professional growth.

Adapted from Lee, 1999

Resources Minnesota Paraprofessional Consortium

http://ici.umn.edu/para/ National Resource Center for

Paraprofessionals in Education & Related Services http://www.nrcpara.org/

National Clearinghouse of Paraeducator Resources: http://www.usc.edu/dept/education/CMMR/Clea

ringhouse.html

Work as collaborative teams

• Decisions are made at numerous points, but only after team members share their different perspectives on the student, engage in relevant discussion, problem solving, and then reach consensus as a team (Friend & Cook, 2010)

• Nonconsensual decisions tend to reflect a narrower range of information and risk being of poorer quality (Snell & Janney, 2005)

““Holding a student responsible for assigned material is not teaching, even though it is a large part of modern school and university practice.”

B.F. Skinner, 1968

Effective Instruction

Understanding the Stages of Learning Acquisition

(build initial stimulus control) Fluency

(develop speed, accuracy) Maintenance

(durability of skill across time) Generalization

(performance of behavior under appropriate, non-trained conditions)

Stages of Learning Acquisition: new at task, instruction

crucial, student not accurate

Fluency: accurate and increase in speed

Maintenance: skills retained over time

Generalization: skill in new contexts (discriminate)

Adaptation: modify skill for new situation

Acquisition Teaching discriminations

Positive examples Maximally different negative example Minimally different negative example Positive examples

Teach what to do, and when to do it. The behavior The signal (discriminative stimulus)

Prompting, fading, shaping, rewarding

Learner characteristics at acquisition stage Student performs none or up to about half

of the task May need to cue or prompt initiation May need a low-error prompt system Possibly break skill down into smaller

components Give frequent positive feedback

Fluency Improved rate of responding But fluency is more than just rate

Fluid motions Absence of pausing Speed in decision-making Rhythmic

Build fluency through practice Math facts, chromatic scale, second language Fluency is an index of the power of stimulus

control that has been established.

Fluent learner characteristics Student performs more than half of the task Add realistic speed and quality criteria Add to skill to make it more functional (e.g.,

monitors speed & quality) Enrich skill with communication choice, or social

behaviors Drop all intrusive requests Fade intrusive prompt Shift attention to natural cues and prompts Thin out reinforcement Shift to natural reinforcement

Maintenance Stability of responding over time Variables that affect maintenance

Building fluency with initial instruction (level of stimulus control

Regular opportunity to perform On-going access to contingent rewards

(reinforcement) Access to competing alternative behaviors that are

contingently reinforced.

Learners at the maintenance stage Student performs more than half of the task “Schedule it” and expect student to perform Add to the skill to make it more functional (e.g.,

initiates, prepares) Enrich skill with communication, choice, social

behaviors Drop all intrusive requests Fade intrusive prompts Shift attention to natural cues Thin out reinforcement Shift to natural reinforcement

Generalization

Defined: Target behavior is performed under

conditions beyond those used during instruction.

Generalization can be desired (e.g. “greeting skills”) or undesired (saying /b/ in the presence of “d”).

Build generalized skills through selection and sequencing of teaching examples

Characteristics of learners at the generalization stage Student performs more than half of the task Vary settings Vary instructors, supervisors, others Vary materials Vary conditions and teach problem solving Enrich skill with communication, choice Drop all intrusive requests Fade intrusive prompt, reinforcement Shift attention to natural cues & natural

reinforcement

Stages of Learning

0102030405060708090

100

0 10 20 30

Trials

Per

cen

t C

orr

ect

Acquisition

Fluency

MaintenanceGeneralization

Adaptation

Review 4 basic elements of behavior

Response, Antecedent stimulus, Consequence, Setting Event

9 principles of behavior Stimulus control, Positive reinforcement, Negative

reinforcement, Positive punishment, Negative punishment, Transfer, Generalization, Maintenance

Applications to teaching Prompting, Fading, Shaping, Task Analysis, Design

of Instruction, Instructional objectives, Behavioral objectives.

Examples Teaching reading in second grade

Objective: Hailey will read at 100 words correct per min with the Open Court text.

Acquisition: Fluency: Maintenance: Generalization:

Example

Decrease problem behavior Objective: Mikai will not hit, kick or bite

others on the playground. Mikai will play cooperatively with others on

the playground without hitting, kicking, or biting for 5 consecutive days.

Acquisition: Fluency: Maintenance: Generalization:

Instructional Activities (acquisition) Direct instruction

Systematic teaching of target skills: reading, math, social-behavioral skills

MODEL LEAD TEST

direct instruction (“little di”): Steps

Gain attention … ”Everyone eyes on me.” Review previous material to:

Check for understanding to ensure students rememberHow previous material is relevant to new material

State goal State Expectations Positively

New content in small steps Explicit Instruction, range of examples, logical sequence)

ModelDemonstration of the skill

Lead Prompted (guided) practiceUnprompted practice

Test Independent practice

Instructional Concepts State expectations positively Explicit instruction Range of examples Logical sequencing

Instructional Concept #1

State Expectations Positively

Teach them what you do want them to do

Ineffective Instruction

• Sets the occasion for student failure

Teaching Behaviors

No elbowing others

No kicking No hitting No pinching No biting No scratching Etc. . .

2+2 is not 1 2+2 is not 2 2+2 is not 3 2+2 is not 5 2+2 is not 6 2+2 is not 7 Etc. . .

Behavior: Peer Relations

Academic Skill:Addition

Teaching Behaviors

Hands and feet to self or

Respect others

2+2 = 4

Behavior: Peer Relations

Academic Skill: Addition

Instructional Concept #2

Explicit Instruction

Be Direct

What is the Best Way to Facilitate Academic Success?

? Teaching - teacher structures a lesson, models skills, and leads students through practice or key skills.

? Facilitate - teachers sets up activities wherein students discover key skills.

? Support - teachers simply oversee students and offer support for whatever they do.

Should we teach, facilitate, or just support?

Explicit Instruction

• Direct Comparison Meta-AnalysisFavor explicit instruction 87.3 %Tie 0.6 %Favor other methods 12.1 %

• Students of all ages and abilities• Academic and social behaviors• Especially effective with low performers• Very successful with disadvantaged students

Large-Scale Research and Meta Analyses

Instructional Concept #3

Range of Examples

Show all the possibilities

Effective Instruction

• Effective example selection and sequencing

• Task analysis• Facilitate success• Delivered at the level of the student

Effective instruction is:

INEFFECTIVE INSTRUCTION• INEFFECTIVE MODELS

•

• INEFFECTIVE PRACTICE• - •

•• TESTING OUTCOMES• -

Walk on green Walk on green Don’t walk on red

Walk on green Don’t walk on red

Green light =WalkYES

NO LIGHT =?

= ?

FAILURE

Instructional Concept #4

Logical Sequencing

Juxtapose positive and negative examples

INEFFECTIVE INSTRUCTIONINEFFECTIVE MODELS

INEFFECTIVE PRACTICE

-

TESTING OUTCOMES

-

FAILURE

= osh = osh= osh

= osh = osh

Osh = ?

EFFECTIVE MODELS

EFFECTIVE PRACTICE-

TESTING OUTCOMES

-

EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTION

= osh = osh= osh

Osh =

= not osh

= not osh = osh

RED SIDED RECTANGLESUCCESS

= osh

Instructional Sequence

• Presentation - tell and model• Recitation - student Q & A• Individual Work - with teacher feedback

-make sure students get it• Group work

-activities, experiments, etc.-chance to discover application to real world

• Test - Make sure they have skill fluency

Instructional Sequence

• Model: Structured, Clear Be direct with multiple examples & non-examples

• Lead: High levels of opportunities to respond (OTR), success– Individual Work - with clear teacher feedback

-make sure students get it– Group work

-activities, experiments, etc.-chance to discover application to real world

• Test - Make sure they have skill fluency

Instructional Methods

• Students with intellectual disabilities learn best when instructional methods are explicit, systematic, and derived from empirical research such as the following practices (Heward, 2003)

Heward, 2003

• Assess each student’s present levels of performance to help identify and prioritize most important instructional targets.

• Define and task-analyze the new knowledge or skills to be learned

• Design instructional methods and activities so the student has frequent opportunities for active student response in the form of guided and independent practice

• Use mediated scaffolding (provide and then fade prompts so student can respond to natural occurring stimuli)

Heward, 2003 continued

• Provide systematic consequences for student performance in the form of contingent reinforcement, instructional feedback, and error correction.

• Incorporate fluency-building activities into lessons• Incorporate strategies for promoting generalization

and maintenance of newly learned skills• Conduct direct and frequent measurements of

student performance, and use those data to instructional decisions.

Specialized Teaching Strategies

• Visual modality strategies– Visual supports, visual schedules, activity boards,

rule scripts, video modeling,• Task analysis & chaining

– Forward, backward, interrupted• Discrete teaching trials• Prompting systems, time-delay, • Antecedent & Consequence strategies