Transition Unit: Making Adequate Decisions

1. Transition Unit:Making Adequate Decisions By Erika Kauffman Fall 2003

2. The Class • Northeastern Ohio School • 7th-8th Grade • Cross Categorical Program (Deaf, HH, Students with LD) • 12 Students (8 boys and 4 girls) • 3 Deaf, 1 HH, 8 students with LD • Communication- Total Communication, ASL, Speech-English (have Interpreter) • Level of Writing/Reading- 2nd grade – 5th grade level Transition Services Preparation & Training

3. Making Adequate Decisions Unit • From Life Centered Career Education Resources; Person/Social Skills Handbook. This handbook includes many lesson plans and examples of worksheet for the students to work on. • This unit focuses on improving or help students’ to develop their person/social skills (In the notebook- section 15.65 to find this specific lesson plans) • In this Unit, the students will recognize and identify the difference between positive and negative aspects of decision Transition Services Preparation & Training

4. Making Adequate Decision Unit: • This unit addresses the question of “What is the difference between Positive and Negative (aspects of decision) • Through discussion, role-playing, mock situation stories (the students will be put in groups and discuss on the stories, the positive and negative aspects of the situation and to make proper decision to make the situation better), and hand-on activities, the students will become familiar with positive and negative aspects of situation. • Students will explore/read the situation stories, to be able to identify the positive and negative aspects of the situation and analyze what they should do if they were in this person’s position in the situation then make a decision with the reasons (include positive and negative aspects). • Students will experience the similar situations in the future, they will use the positive and negative to help them to decide what is appropriate for the situation- what they should do, etc. They should be able to do this on their own, to make their own decision when they are in any kind of situation. Transition Services Preparation & Training

5. Purpose • Some students are not aware that they have right to express their opinions/views/perspectives in decision-making if they happen to be in a situation that they need to make decision. • Many students may have experienced in some situations in the past but they may did not know what to do, how to make right decision for themselves and need to assert their opinions for decision-making. • This unit is intended to facilitate open discussion with students as to how it is important for them to express their feelings/opinions about the situation with other students and them to view/understand others’ feelings/opinion in this kind of situation so that they will make a right appropriate decision for everyone and themselves too. • It is anticipated that students will be able to participate and better understand their feelings/opinions, even their strengths and weaknesses to help them to analyze what is best for them in a specific situation and to decide which is right decision for them. • It is only after one understands how to make good decision along with positive/negative aspects, they may develop self-efficacy/control and feel empowered to take control of his/her own future. Transition Services Preparation & Training

6. Unit Description • I picked and used 5 lesson plans from Life Centered Career Education Resources; Person/Social Skills Handbook (Section 15.65- Making Adequate Decisions) but I did some changes on each lesson plans to match the middle school level (more discussion activities, group activities instead of individual work). • The Lesson Plans are more student-centered, to help the students to take over the lesson- discussion/group activities (to work together instead of the teacher lecturing the class). • The lesson plans includes worksheet for the students, the worksheet will have situation stories for them to read, find the positive and negative aspects of the situation then decide what should be done in the situation. (We (teacher and the class) will work together first then the students work together in group without teacher) Transition Services Preparation & Training

7. Design Process: • Stage 1: Identifying Desired Results • The desired, overarching understandings of this unit include: • Identifying/recognizing what is the different between positive and negative aspects from the situation. • The overarching “essential” questions include: • How can I decide to make this situation better? • How will positive and negative help me to make good decision and how will it help me for my future? Transition Services Preparation & Training

8. Design Process continued… • Stage 2: Determine Acceptable Evidence • What evidence will show that students make decision for the situation that may relate to their lives? • Students will be able to express their feelings/opinions/ views of the situation, listing the positive and negative aspects of the situation to help them to make better decision for the situation. • Verbal expression (discussion). • Students will be able to explain/express their reasons for their decision of the situation (why did they decide what the situation should be done). Transition Services Preparation & Training

9. Stage 3: Plan Learning Experiences/Instruction 6 facets Transition Services Preparation & Training

10. My Transition Plan:Making Adequate Decision • I picked 5 lesson plans from Life Centered Career Education Resources; Person/Social Skills Handbook (Section 15.65 of Making Adequate Decision) and did some changes to match the students’ level of comprehension. • Click This Link to see my transition unit: • Transition Unit Transition Services Preparation & Training