Special Needs, Different Abilities: The Interactive Method for Teaching and Learning

This book describes the Interactive Method (IM) for teaching different abilities, special needs, and all learners. It involves hand’s-on techniques for retention of curriculum and the teaching of thinking; from the elementary through college years. Types of comprehension are defined along with how memory works. Chapters address types of special needs and defines the term and different abilities, in conjunction with creating lessons that result in memory acquisition and transference to personal success on tests or exams, as well as daily situations regarding experiential learning. Also offered are entry level means of instruction for developing a sense of self-confidence, efficacy, reliance and skills necessary for future learning challenges. In conjunction with this is the Reciprocal Thinking Skills Cognition to Metacognition Chart for identification and application of what one is thinking when engaged in the aforementioned IM. A few examples of this are provided through a listing and explanation of the values of this method, lesson objectives and application of these. Personal narratives are provided by teachers and/or parents of children with different abilities before the author’s closing comments respective of one’s being enough and practice of providing lift-up statements to encourage student learners in the academic and social cognition environments.

Table of Contents:
Prelude Foreword: Patricia Eckardt and Madeline Craig Preface Acknowledgments Introduction Part one: information gathering and distribution concerning special needs and different ability learners Chapter One: Reaching/Teaching Varied Learners Chapter Two: Response to Intervention, Individual Education Plan and Classroom Organization Chapter Three: Individual Processing Style and Social Cognition Chapter Four: The Interactive Method, Student Engagement and Self-Efficacy Chapter Five: Memories and Interactive Learning Techniques Chapter Six:Interactive Learning Technique Pluses, Leadership Building, and Alternative Means of Assessment Chapter Seven: The Reciprocity of Thinking Chapter Eight: The Cognitive Collective: Thinking and Feeling Chapter Nine: Definition and Examples of Reciprocal Thinking Phases’ Skills Part two: different ways of teaching, personal commentaries, and author’s closing thoughts Chapter Ten:The IM’s Self-Reliance and the “How To” of Teaching Thinking Chapter Eleven: Objectives of the Interactive Method and its Components Chapter Twelve: Two Personal Perspectives Addressing Special Education Disabilities, Differences and Diversity: Maggie Blair Autism Awareness: Author Interview of a Different Abilities Child’s Parent: Kevin Cooney Chapter Thirteen: Commentary and Personal Experience: Teaching and Being Special Needs Commentaries and Personal Experiences: Special Needs and Different Abilities Commentary: Engaging Students with Exceptionalities: Patricia Mason A Teacher with Epilepsy: From Childhood through Retirement: Marc Hoberman Chapter Fourteen: Author’s Summative Sharing: Classroom Comfort Zone References About the Author

About the Author :
Marjorie S. Schieringhas devoted her career as an educator to developing teacher’s and learner’s comprehension of self- efficacy through experiential learning, which focuses on the Interactive Method (IM) and its components. She continually addresses sharing the Cognitive Collective (Reciprocal Thinking and Feelings) to establish and maintain a viable, safe, positive and congenial classroom community where there is teaching of thinking.

Review :
With the current explosion of children being born with various special needs, especially on the autism spectrum, it becomes imperative that educators seek ways in which they can best meet the educational needs of these children, and all those they educate, so they can reach their potential. Educators, over the past decade, differentiated the curricula by adapting and adopting new ways of teaching the students they serve. However, there have not necessarily been real workbooks for educators to reference and use. Dr. Schiering’s interactive new book acknowledges neurodiversity as a form of human diversity to be embraced! The acceptance of every learners’ unique set of strengths and needs propels the educator to developing instruction that is creative and caters to each person’s learning process. This book advocates for acceptance and evoking in each learner the idea, 'I am enough'. A wonderful contribution to the field. Dr. Marjorie Schiering examines a most interesting, important, challenging issue in her latest book: The need to see students as individuals, with diverse talents and struggles. In her carefully-researched work, she pinpoints practical approaches the educator should consider to achieve the best learning, offers colleagues personal narratives and commentaries of how some have experienced different abilities and the books interactive approaches, and invites us to do likewise. A truly rewarding work! As both an educator and parent of special needs children, I am well aware of how the world of special education can seem overwhelming. Different Abilities: Special Needs: Different Ways...An Interactive Workbook, is a vital tool for both educators and parents at all levels. It provides practical researched information, as well as that of veteran teachers. There are time-tested strategies and useful anecdotes to help teachers and parents navigate the often-confounding waters of special education, as well as different abilities students. For teachers, it offers first-rate techniques for making their classrooms most inclusive and welcoming for students of varied abilities. For parents, the anecdotes validate the struggles they go through to do what is best for their children and leaves them with this reminder: You are not alone. Truly, this book is an invaluable addition to any teacher or parent’s library. This workbook demonstrates how and why alternative thinking is necessary when experiencing different abilities of students. It viably addresses a wide variety of circumstances encountered in teaching students with different abilities. It reminds us of how traditional methodologies oftentimes do not apply in special needs situations. Subsequently, applying differentiated instruction to meet the multi-variate needs of students must be explored until one is found. That is the essence of this author’s messages for teaching thinking and addressing students’ aptitudes.