Using the framework with the whole class
The framework is ideal for creating a detailed profile for a single student, however, it is difficult to find the time to complete it for each and every child in your class.
The advantages
The advantages of doing a framework as a whole class activity are many:
1. You are not focusing on any one pupil and students may be more honest if everyone is doing it.
2. You get your students’ points of view, they will often come up with really good ideas!
3. You may discover issues you had not realized were there.
Embedding within the curriculum
You can complete the framework WITH your students. It is easy to embed this activity within different subject areas. Depending upon the ages of the pupils, the subjects could include:
- Numeracy: Tally charts, bar charts
- Literacy and thinking skills: Reading and asking questions
- Design and technology: Design, develop and test solutions
- IT: Database design, development and analysis
What do you want to improve?
What would you like to help the students with? For example:
- Pupils are not paying attention in certain lessons
- Many pupils are not taking down notes as quickly as you expect them to
- The pupils seem to be distracted at certain times of the day
- The students are slow at transitioning from one task to another
Once you have identified the task, create a series of questions based on physical, developmental, behavioural/emotional and sensory factors.
For example:
How to do it:
- The questions: – Create a questionnaire for the pupils – your questions will explore their abilities to complete a task. You might want to hold a group discussion on discussing accessibility and get the students to develop the questions
- Displaying the questions:– The questions can be in the form of image, text or another medium that is suitable for your pupils to understand.
- Recording the responses:– You can record the responses in different ways including tally charts, bar charts or text depending on the pupil’s ability and the subject you are embedding this in. You could record this in a survey tool such as Survey Monkey or Google Forms.
- Analysing the results:– You could analyse the results in different ways, a tally chart, table or in a spreadsheet depending upon your curriculum requirements
- Developing a solution: – Once you have obtained your results you can then identify areas that need develop and support your students, the results might show you need to purchase new pencils as the pupils fine it hard to write with them, the font size you are using on the board is too small or that you are speaking to quickly.
- Example: – One example is shown below.
| Disability | Potential Questions | Answers. |
| Physical | ||
| Impacting: Mobility Dexterity Stamina Fatigue | Do you take notes quickly or slowly? Do you prefer using pencils or pens? Does your hand get tired when you take notes? Can you read your own handwriting? | Prefer pencils – 10 Prefer pens – 16 My hand gets tired – 2 I can’t read my writing – 2 |
| Developmental | ||
| Impacting: Understanding Learning Memory Social interactions | The pupil might understand the words on the board The pupil might not be able to read the font that is being used | Support the words with symbols or provide alternative words Change the font size, colour and background colour that the words are on |
| Behavioural/emotional | ||
| Impacting: Mental health Social interactions Behaviour Stress and anxiety levels | The pupil might be anxious about the time that is allotted to read the information | Give the pupil more time or give them a hard copy. |
| Sensory impaired | ||
| Impacting: Vision Hearing Touch Taste Smell | The pupil might have a visual impairment and the position they are sitting in the class means that can’t see the text due to the size and lighting | Move the child closer to the board in a position they can see |