Page 34 - The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: Mathematics, 2007

THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 11 AND 12 | Mathematics
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Collaborative learning enhances students’ understanding of mathematics. Working co- operatively in groups reduces isolation and provides students with opportunities to share ideas and communicate their thinking in a supportive environment as they work together towards a common goal. Communication and the connections among ideas that emerge as students interact with one another enhance the quality of student learning.9
PLANNING MATHEMATICS PROGRAMS FOR STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL EDUCATION NEEDS
Classroom teachers are the key educators of students who have special education needs. They have a responsibility to help all students learn, and they work collaboratively with special education teachers, where appropriate, to achieve this goal. Special Education Transformation: The Report of the Co-Chairs with the Recommendations of the Working Table on Special Education, 2006 endorses a set of beliefs that should guide program planning for students with special education needs in all disciplines. Those beliefs are as follows:
All students can succeed.
Universal design and differentiated instruction are effective and interconnected means of meeting the learning or productivity needs of any group of students.
Successful instructional practices are founded on evidence-based research, tempered by experience.
Classroom teachers are key educators for a student’s literacy and numeracy development.
Each student has his or her own unique patterns of learning.
Classroom teachers need the support of the larger community to create a learning environment that supports students with special education needs.
Fairness is not sameness.
In any given classroom, students may demonstrate a wide range of learning styles and needs. Teachers plan programs that recognize this diversity and give students perform- ance tasks that respect their particular abilities so that all students can derive the greatest possible benefit from the teaching and learning process. The use of flexible groupings for instruction and the provision of ongoing assessment are important elements of programs that accommodate a diversity of learning needs.
In planning mathematics courses for students with special education needs, teachers should begin by examining the current achievement level of the individual student, the strengths and learning needs of the student, and the knowledge and skills that all stu- dents are expected to demonstrate at the end of the course in order to determine which of the following options is appropriate for the student:
no accommodations10 or modifications; or
accommodations only; or
modified expectations, with the possibility of accommodations; or
alternative expectations, which are not derived from the curriculum expectations for a course and which constitute alternative programs and/or courses.
9. Leading Math Success, p. 42
10. “Accommodations” refers to individualized teaching and assessment strategies, human supports, and/or individualized equipment.