Karla Matos' portfolio page
ETAP 623 Fall 2022 (Zhang) | Maximizing Student Achievement through Planning with Co-Teaching Models
About Me
My name is Karla Matos and I'm a graduate student at UAlbany studying Curriculum Design and Instructional Technology (CDIT)! I graduated from NYU with my B.S. in Childhood Education/Childhood Special Education in 2017 and have been teaching ever since. I taught in Brooklyn for a few years before moving up to the Capitol District.
My Topic and Purpose
In this course, my purpose will be to give practicing educators in co-taught classrooms the information to intentionally use co-teaching models to maximize instruction and student learning.
Scope of Learning Outcomes and Content
- Participants will be able to define and identify co-teaching models.
- Participants will be able to list the costs and benefits of co-teaching models.
- Participants will be able to thoughtfully choose co-teaching models depending on the kind of lesson being taught and population of students in the classroom.
- Participants will be able to apply their knowledge by planning a lesson with a co-teaching model intentionally chosen to maximize instruction.
- Participants will be able to thoughtfully reflect on the co-teaching model chosen for their lesson afterwards.
Needs Assessment
Co-teaching has been generally increasing in popularity since the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (more commonly referred to as IDEA) ensured all students access to a free and appropriate public education in the least restricted environment (National Center for Learning Disabilities, 2019). While inclusive, or co-taught, classrooms are generally regarded as a practice that positively impacts student learning, teachers don't generally get a lot of pre-service or in-service training on, which might lead to misconceptions about it (Austin, 2001). For example, there might be the idea that the general education teacher does more work than the special education teacher, or that in co-teaching, the special education teacher should work only with students with IEPs, and ignore the rest.
In my mini-course, I will provide instruction on the six co-teaching models to fill a gap in knowledge for co-teachers who are lacking adequate pre-service training, or in-service professional development. With the increasing popularity in inclusive classrooms, teachers should be properly prepared to use this practice as effectively as possible to positively impact student learning.
Analysis of the Learner and Context
The Learner: The learner for this course will be in-service general education and special education teachers in co-taught classrooms, looking to maximize their co-teaching dynamic to support student growth.
Learner Analysis: The learner in this course will come with prior classroom experience with co-teaching, will have the capacity and administrative support to go through co-planning cycles with their co-teacher, involving planning, practice and reflection. This capacity will include adequate prep time, and administrative support will look like appropriate observation and feedback. The learner will be familiar and comfortable with technology in navigating the course, experience with planning curriculum, and with classroom management of a range of behaviors.
Context for Learning: This will be an asynchronous, web-based course, and as such the participants will need reliable access to technology, as well as the capability and comfort to navigate that course. While this course is primarily web-based, it assumes the existence of a classroom and students that can be used to implement these strategies, and reflect on their effectiveness afterwards.
Performance-Based Objectives
- Given a variety of classroom scenarios, participants will accurately name, define, and identify the six co-teaching models.
- When defining the co-teaching models, participants will correctly identify a benefit and a cost to each model.
- When evaluating a lesson, participants will choose a co-teaching model with the intention of maximizing student achievement.
- After incorporating a co-teaching model into a lesson, participants will thoughtfully reflect on how the co-teaching model could affect student success.
Task Analysis
Pre-Requisite Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes
- Lesson planning knowledge.
- Willingness to collaborate with co-teacher.
- Capacity for critical reflection.
Outcome Knowledge
- Understand the differences in practice between co-teaching models.
- Understand the benefits and costs of each co-teaching model.
Outcome Skills
- Identify co-teaching model when observing classroom settings.
- Apply knowledge of co-teaching models when lesson planning.
- Reflect on the impact co-teaching could have on student achievement.
Outcome Attitudes
- Value each individual co-teaching model for their specific benefits.
- Increased confidence in applying a variety of co-teaching models.
Curriculum Map
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References and Resources
Austin, V. L. (2001). Teachers’ Beliefs About Co-Teaching. Remedial and Special Education, 22(4), 245–255. https://doi.org/10.1177/074193250102200408
Baeten, M., & Simons, M. (2014). Student teachers’ team teaching: Models, effects, and conditions for implementation. Teaching and Teacher Education, 41, 92–110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2014.03.010
Friend, M., Cook, L., Hurley-Chamberlain, D., & Shamberger, C. (2010). Co-Teaching: An Illustration of the Complexity of Collaboration in Special Education. Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation, 20(1), 9–27. https://doi.org/10.1080/10474410903535380
Gately, S. E., & Gately, F. J. (2001). Understanding Coteaching Components. TEACHING Exceptional Children, 33(4), 40–47. https://doi.org/10.1177/004005990103300406
National Center for Learning Disabilities. (2019). IDEA - NCLD. NCLD. https://www.ncld.org/get-involved/learn-the-law/idea/
