1. edTPA Special Education, Communication, Academic Language & You
Student Teaching Professional Development Session
January 27, 2014
Dr. Sandra Cimbricz

2. Learning Goals
Identify key aspects of academic language particular and important to the edTPA Special Education (SE).
Know what resources are especially useful and/or information important to these particularities.
Relate academic language to specific tasks and the big picture of edTPA SE.

3. LG #1: What are key aspects of academic language particular and important to edTPA SE?
COMMUNICATION in the edTPA SE is a much broader concept. See edTPA SE Handbook, p. 51.
Ideas important to academic language and literacy fall “under” COMMUNICATION in the edTPA SE.

4. LG #1: What are key aspects of academic language particular and important to edTPA SE?
COMMUNICATION
Academic language or “curriculum-related communication” is a particular kind of communication
or “means by which learners develop and express content understandings.”
~edTPA SE Handbook, p. 51

5. LG #1: What are key aspects of academic language particular and important to edTPA SE?
Communication in the edTPA SE ultimately focuses on how you help students develop the ability and skills needed to 1) understand and 2) be understood using communication to do so.

6. Learning Goal 1: Check-in
What are the key aspects of academic language particular and important to the edTPA Special Education (SE)?

7. Learning Goal #2
What resources are especially useful and/or information important to “communication?” Two Tasks: Two Rubrics

8. LG #2: TASK 1: Planning for Instruction & Assessment
Rubric 4: SUPPORTING the Focus Learner’s Use of Expressive and/or Receptive Communication
(See edTPA SE Handbook, p. 20.)
Task 3: Assessment
Rubric 14: EXPLAINING the Focus Learner’s Use of Communication (See edTPA SE Handbook, p. 39.)
NOTE: All three overarching categories of Universal Design for Learning are important to all of the edTPA SE rubrics.

9. LG #2: What’s similar? What’s different?
COMMUNICATION
edTPA SE glossary
Demands
Skill/Function
Situational Expectations
Vocabulary
Concepts & Meanings*
Syntax
Supports*
Social Use*
For more information, see edTPA SE Handbook, pages )
ACADEMIC LANGUAGE
other edTPA glossaries
Demands
Function
Discourse
Vocabulary
Syntax

10. LG #2: Communication Demands (Handbook glossary, p. 51)
Answers question:
What are the specific ways that your focus learner USES COMMUNICATION to
understand what to do to participate in learning tasks? and/or
demonstrate/express learning or perform appropriately in the context?

11. LG #2: Communication Skill (Function) Demands of a Learning Task
1. RECEPTIVE listening, reading text, pictures, or signs
2. EXPRESSIVE speaking, writing, demonstrating
3. REPRESENTATIONAL symbols, notation, gestures, facial expressions
For more information, see Making Good Choices in Special Education Support Guide (pages 16-17) and Universal Design for Learning

12. LG #2: Communication Skill (Function) (Handbook glossary, p. 51)
Answers question:
What is the purpose of communication?
To understand?
To be understand?
FOCUS ON THE ACTION VERB!

13. LG #2: Communication Supports (Handbook glossary, p. 52)
What strategies and supports will you use to build the focus learner’s academic language (or curriculum-related communication) within a learning task (and why)?
Universal Design (Supports) for Learning
also includes assistive technology and other mediators.

14. LG #2: Task 1: Rubric 4 (Planning)
What COMMUNICATION DEMANDS do you identify and support
for participation in learning?
and/or
demonstrating learning for the primary learning target?

15. LG #2: Guidelines for Rubric 4: (edTPA SE Handbook page 20)
In your planning, 1. identify the PRIMARY LEARNING TARGET. (With SE, this target can be academic, functional, non-academic). ACADEMIC STANDARD: NYS Earth Science Standard 4: Minerals have physical properties determined by their chemical composition and crystal structure (Key Idea 3-3.1a). PRIMARY LEARNING TARGET: The learner will be able to describe what a mineral is and what it is made.

16. LG #2: Guidelines for Rubric 4: (edTPA SE Handbook page 20)
In your planning,
2. choose instructional strategies that
- clearly emphasize the purpose of expressive and/or receptive communication related to the primary learning target. Think about ALL THREE CATEGORIES of Universal Design for Learning.)
-relate and support the focus learner in achieving the PRIMARY LEARNING TARGET. Let the ACTION VERB be your guide.
-support the learner’s use of vocabulary demands and at least one other communication demand (syntax, social use of communication, situational expectations for communication).

17. LG#2: Task 3: Rubric 14 (edTPA SE Handbook p. 39)
In your assessment of learning,
how do YOU explain the focus learner’s use of the targeted expressive and/or receptive communication skill (function) and other communication demands to
access the learning task?
and/or
demonstrate learning for the primary learning target?

18. Learning Goal #2: Check in
What resources are especially useful and/or information important to these particularities?

19. Especially Helpful Resources
For Universal Design for Learning, see:
In addition to the edTPA Special Education Handbook, the resources listed below are available via Brockport’s Student Teaching Handbook. They have been cut and pasted below for ease in locating:

20. Learning Goal #3:
How do communication and academic language relate to specific tasks and the big picture of edTPA SE?

21. Your Turn:
Find the communication demands and supports in these video clips?
Are students being asked to understand and/or express that understanding? Explain. (CS DEMANDS)
In what ways specifically (receptive, expressive, or representational)?
What skill/function (action verb) is focal to this learning? CS FUNCTION)
How will you help students learn and convey their understanding/ learning using communication? (CS SUPPORTS) Consider all three categories or networks important to Universal Design for Learning.
Math:
ELA: