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Individual
Barriers Analyses
Model One: Jamal & Fifth Grade US History
This model reveals hidden barriers for a student named Jamal in a Fifth Grade
US History unit. Click on the links to read a description of the student and
of the curriculum.
Student: Jamal
Jamal, a young man with cerebral palsy, is an enthusiastic student, well on
his way to becoming an expert on military tanks and submarines. From his home
computer he has found and collected hundreds of photos, stories, and Web sites
devoted to these mobile weapons. Jamal uses a wheelchair for mobility and a
variety of assistive technologies to write and operate his computer. Jamal speaks
quite slowly, but intelligibly.With great difficulty, he can write amd draw
with pen and paper. He is much more facile and successful using his computer
with an expanded keyboard and voice recognition system.
Jamal is barely keeping up in the mainstrream classroom, in part because of
increasing amounts of required reading and writing. Science and social studies
particularly engage him, and he uses his strong strategic skills (such as his
ability to seek, locate, and save information) to good effect in these classes.
However, because of his motor difficulties, Jamal must invest tremendous effort
just to keep pace, and at times he becomes discouraged.
Curriculum: US HISTORY: The Significance of the Emancipation Proclamation
This curriculum unit addresses the McREL United States History
Standard #14: "Understands the course and character of the Civil war and
its effects on the American people." The benchmark for the class is that
students will "understand the provisions and significance of the Emancipation
Proclamation (e.g., reasons Abraham Lincoln issued it, public reactions to it
in the North and the South)."
The materials for student use include a textbook, reference books, videos shown
in class, workbook exercises, and paper and pencil. Word processing is allowed
rarely, on certain written homework assignments, but never on tests.
Teaching methods include whole class lecture and discussion; small group discussion
and short projects; seat work, homework assignments that are handed in and corrected.
Assessment includes grading of homework assignments, class discussion participation,
end of chapter tests, and a test at the end of the unit requiring multiple choice,
fill in the blanks, and essay questions. The tests are all done with paper and
pencil, and writing mechanics are graded.
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Curriculum
Element
|
Student
Characteristic
|
Barrier
in Learner Environment for This Student
|
| Subject Matter | Love of history & social studies | Jamal’a special knowledge and expertise are not tapped by the materials and methods |
| Lecture | Difficulty writting quickly | Jamal can understand well but difficulty taking notes makes it hard for him to retrieve information later |
| Discussion | Slow speech | Jamal understands the discussion but he cannot form words quickly. In small group it is easier to ask others to be patient. |
| Seat work in workbook | Difficulty with fine motor control | Jamal cannot use a workbook because he cannot use a pen and paper. |
| Text/reference books | Jamal reads printed text slowly; awkward to handle book | Book is usable only with extreme effort |
| Video | Jamal enjoys and learns well from video. | None |
| Written homework assignments | Can use computer well but writing on paper, slow pace and difficulties forming letters lea d to errors | The required medium of expression-pencil and paper- impedes Jamal's ability to be successful at homework. |
| End of unit test | Difficulty writing | Jamal can succeed with multiple choice but when asked to generate essays with a pen or pencil he cannot express his thoughts effectively. Difficulty with writing itself causes errors with spelling and punctuation. |