Access
Students and their families have been exposed to people, programs, resources, and connections that can open doors for them, and they are able to navigate and access those opportunities.
Farm Excursion
A "teacher's job is to provide pathways to opportunity, both inside and outside of the classroom" and as a special education teacher, one of my most important roles is to also advocate for my students’ unique needs and their rights, by bringing a world of opportunity into the classroom (Laureate Education, 2012d). It is my responsibility to provide access to activities and experiences that are inclusive, yet individualized to meet those needs, and appeal to their interests and background. One experience that fit this criteria was a farm excursion, specifically geared towards students with exceptionalities.
Prior to our excursion, my class had immersed themselves in our farm thematic unit, which is a part of our large “geography” series (farm, pond life, ocean, etc.). As children growing up in a rural parish, my students took a real interest in the aspects of farming, from crop cultivation and production, to livestock management. They engaged in direct instruction, in addition to writing reflections, as well as themed learning centers. For me, it was important to build a real connection between my students’ content learning, to a real-world application, particularly to one so closely related to their community.
In order to orchestrate this experience for my students, I researched local options for inclusive experiences. My students have cognitive, developmental, and/or physical exceptionalities, so inclusive for all can be a difficult request for certain locales. I reached out to Robert Farms, which is a family operated large-scale agricultural company in our city. The Robert family has several students in the school system, including a child with special needs, and are active advocates in the community. In response to our request for an outside experience, Robert Farms hosted a “farm day” for all students with exceptionalities in Ascension Parish schools, and specifically made all activities inclusive, regardless of student need.
Planning and Logistics
In order to orchestrate a smooth, meaningful experience for my students, I undertook much planning and preparation prior to our excursion, especially to ensure that all my students' physical and sensory needs were taken into account. This included notifying parents, as well as school administrators in order to coordinate transportation and other logistics. When taking my students off-campus, I find that it comforts parents when communications are clear, detailed, and frequent. I want my students' families to also feel that they also share in their student's experience, while also being assured of their safety and schedule. I accomplish this through phone calls to notify parents of the event, permission slip letters, and pictures taken during the excursion.
(Above left): Permission slip letter sent to parents prior to the farm excursion; letter of approval of Robert Farm outing from the Director of Special Education, to all relevant personnel.
Classwork and Building Background
In order to build students' background knowledge of some of the concepts they would be exploring on our excursion, I created a cross-curricular literacy unit that pushed students to engage concepts relevant to their community. For instance, since large portions of the parish are used to cultivate sugar cane, students used artificial crop samples and vegetables to engage in dramatic play during center time, learning the importance of cleaning produce before consumption, and the taxing workload of a farmer's schedule. Students began to build an understanding of agriculture while applying their other foundational skill sets. In addition, I aimed to prepare students for the experience of visiting the farm and interacting with live animals, by introducing and researching the creatures they would possibly encounter. Exposing students to the sounds and qualities that these animals retain helped me anticipate any difficulties we might encounter, particularly in the area of behavioral responses, and appropriate manners to approach unfamiliar animals. Arming my students with practical background knowledge and providing them opportunities to practice these social skills is critical, so that they can explore and take advantage of future pathways that engage them in the same way.
(Above left): Vocabulary reference guide explored prior to, during, and after literacy instruction, using the text Click Clack Moo, Cows that Type. (Above right): weekly thematic lesson plan for Farm unit, week 1.
(Above left): Student works to sort and classify various farm animals by the type of coat they have (hair, feather, or wool). (Above right): student reads a related text, Sheep in Jeep, during library center.
(Above):Two students sample crop staples, such as corn and cauliflower, during a mock"farm lunch" for snack time.
Student Engagement
During the excursion, students had the opportunity to engage with livestock, practice looking for and picking strawberry crops, and apply the content knowledge they gained from our instructional research. Additionally, one major objective of the excursion was the interaction between community members and our students, most of whom have cognitive/intellectual, developmental, physical, or emotional exceptionalities. Students exercised their social and oral language skills in order to demonstrate appropriate conversation exchanges (particularly with adults), all while exploring a new experience. Providing my students this opportunity was especially important to me because I wanted my students to meet other children with exceptionalities, and develop an understanding their commonalities and their differences. I wanted to make sure my students were provided models that are reflection of themselves and their experience, and this farm excursion provided a chance for my children to bond with their true peers.
(Above): Students enjoy various activities during their excursion to Robert Farm, including guided horseback riding, strawberry picking, and interacting with live animals.
Student Reflection
Following our farm excursion, I wanted to gauge students' perception of their experience, in contrast to my own determinations. Student engagement during the instructional unit was high, and interactions during our trip to the farm were overall positive. However, after giving students a chance to process, I informally assessed their experience via conversation, in addition to using their language and writing samples for TSG (obj. 9a-10b; 19b).
(Above left): Student writes "I liked horses" in response to the writing prompt about his trip to the farm, using early invented spelling. (Above right): Student wrote "I rode a horse" and drew an accompanying illustration.
(Above): In response to the writing prompt about his experience on the farm trip, student used linear forms to write "Cow".
Reflection
After reflecting on my students' work and their experience visiting Robert Farm, my major take away is the need to continue to provide ample experiences for my students to interact with their peers in informal ways, outside of school, as often as possible. These experiences not only open doors for my students, and expose them to new, novel ideas and concepts, but they form the basis for their view and understanding of the world, and not just the world around them. Even though our school is nestled in a relatively small community, in a small state, the awe and wonderment that was apparent on my students' faces made it clear how big the world can seem to little learners. For my kids, making friends with peers who perhaps looked or spoke (or perhaps didn't speak) just like them was a formative experience.I think they were a little shocked at first to meet other students with exceptionalities. However, it showed them just how alike we can all be, which is particularly powerful, for as they grow, it will be essential that they find a community to which they feel they belong, a community that advocates for their needs, and access to opportunities and resources they deserve.
References
Laureate Education (Producer). (2012d). Entrepreneurship: Stories from the field [Video file]. (approximate length: 10 minutes)