THE PERCEPTIVE & COGNITIVE TEACHER
Foundation Course in Specific Learning Disorder
To know more about individual Learning Circles, SCROLL DOWN
Maharashtra Dyslexia Association (MDA) is a not-for-profit organisation committed to building an integrated support system for individuals with Specific Learning Disorder (Dyslexia), and equipping teachers with the necessary skills and opportunities required to help such individuals lead successful and fulfilling lives. It provides consultation, assessment and remedial services for students and their families, as well as training opportunities for teachers, special educators and therapists who are interested in acquiring the skills needed to work with affected students.
In pursuit of this goal, we are happy to offer the Six Modules of our much vied for THE PERCEPTIVE & COGNITIVE TEACHER — A Foundation Course in Specific Learning Disorder as Independent Learning Circles to those who are unable to commit to the 5-month long Foundation Course, but would want to do it Module by Module as time permits.
LC 3 to 6 of The Perceptive & Cognitive Teacher are:
To know more about individual Learning Circles, SCROLL DOWN.
Topics:
- Screening Tools and Assessment Batteries: Are they the same?
- Basics of Evaluation/Testing
- An Overview of the Key Features and Functions of a Psycho-Educational Report
- Assessment Areas
- Analysis of Case Studies to identify the needs of the students for assessment
- Diagnostic Tests
- Scores & Percentile Ranks — What they mean
- Diagnosis of Specific Learning Disorder in the light of DSM 5
- Rationale for Accommodations
- Analysis of Case Studies for Diagnosis and Accommodations
Key Learning Outcomes:
After attending this Module, participants will be able to:
- State the differences between Screening Tools and Assessment Batteries
- List the features and functions of Screening Tools and Assessment Batteries
- Identify key areas to be assessed for the diagnosis of SLD according to the DSM 5
- Explain the rationale behind the diagnosis and the accommodations requested
Topics:
- Introduction to Study Skills. Why are Study Skills Techniques Required?
- S.M.A.R.T. Goals
- Techniques to Enhance Concentration
- Learning Effective Note Taking Skills
- Mnemonics
- Importance of Background Knowledge in Reading — Introduction to KWL
- SQ3R — Reading Strategy
- Mind Maps — Why and How
- Graphic Organizers
- Paraphrasing, Summarizing and Concluding
Key Learning Outcomes:
After attending this Module, participants will be able to:
- Plan and set goals for effective and efficient studying
- Apply concentration techniques for maintaining focus on the goals
- Demonstrate the effectiveness of strategies learnt
- Organize information from a given text using a Graphic Organizer, and use it to write descriptive answers
- Summarize and Conclude from a given text
Topics:
- Remedial Education and Curriculum-Based Intervention: Their Purpose & How They Differ
- Multisensory Structured Intervention: What Is Taught & How It Is Taught
- Importance of Reading and Reading Instruction
- Five Components of Reading
- Phonological and Phonemic Awareness
- The 44 Phonemes
- Phonics
- Lesson Planning
Key Learning Outcomes:
After attending this Module, participants will be able to:
- Compare and contrast evidence-based and curriculum-based programmes
- Gain an insight into the importance of multisensory structured intervention
- Explain the need to develop phonological, phonemic and phonics skills
- Demonstrate various activities through which these skills can be developed in all students including those with learning differences, from Nursery to Grade 4
Topics:
- Three-Cueing System or Phonics Instruction — Which path to take?
- Orton-Gillingham Methodology
- Six Syllable Types
- Decoding — making sense of the written words
- Rules and Patterns that aid reading
- The Importance of Spelling Instruction
- Encoding — using the right symbols for the sounds
- Spelling Rules and Patterns to the rescue
- Importance of Spelling Curriculum in Primary School
- Designing a Spelling Curriculum
Key Learning Outcomes:
After attending this Module, participants will be able to:
- List the Six Syllable Types
- Explain why words are spelt the way they are spelt
- Demonstrate why English is not a funny or unpredictable language as widely believed
- Analyse words on the basis of reading and spelling rules and patterns
CERTIFICATION
Participants will receive a participation certificate subject to full attendance for the Synchronous Sessions and completion of all assignments.
LEARNING CIRCLES
Keeping in mind the current challenges the world-over, MDA is proud to introduce the Learning Circles built on a one-of-a kind digital experience.
How does this work?
MDA has developed uniquely participatory digital learning experiences termed ‘Learning Circles’. These enable facilitation of teacher training through an innovative, collaborative and digitally-blended training medium that is gaining momentum the world over.
Synchronous Sessions (2 hours each) will see experts from MDA and participants logging in and interacting together. Unlike conventional trainers, experts from MDA will play the role of facilitators who take each participant down a path to help resolve their teaching challenges. Attendance is compulsory.
Asynchronous Sessions will entail participants logging in to the platform at their own convenience to access reading material, independently engage in discussions with peers, post queries for our experts to answer, share research on topics, analyse case studies, and complete quizzes, polls and surveys.
In this sense, the Learning Circle (LC) as a medium is a departure from the classic Webinar or online workshop format. It ensures effective two-way communication, peer learning and discussions, and resolving of specific problems with sustained guidance.
Who are the experts from MDA?
This one-of-a-kind Foundation Course is designed by the CEO of MDA, Ms Masarrat Khan, who is also one of the key facilitators.
Ms. Khan has an invaluable experience of more than three decades in the area of Learning Disabilities. She holds Master’s degrees in Clinical Psychology and English Literature from Mumbai University, and is a Structured Literacy/Dyslexia Specialist and Certified Academic Language Therapist.
Our other facilitators are
Ms. Diya Basu, Senior Psychologist at MDA, with more than a decade of experience. She conducts assessments, trains interns, and supervises junior psychologists. She also conducts workshops on various topics related to the field.
Ms. Manek Chitalwala, Special Educator, Dyslexia Therapist and Certified Academic Language Therapist. She has been teaching students with special educational needs at MDA since 2003 and is a teacher-trainer.
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