Dr. Mason, the Executive Director of CEI, is researching integrating technology and co-teaching as another way of helping students attain the education they deserve. Please read her article below to learn more about this innovative teaching style.
Co-Teaching with Technology: The Power of ‘3’
One of the most effective techniques for improving student achievement, if it is implemented with fidelity is co-teaching (Scruggs, Mastropieri, & McDuffy, 2007). Consider, for example, the benefits of two teachers in a classroom. Under the best of circumstances, two teachers can reduce the teacher pupil ratio in half. When both teachers are fully utilized, then both teachers are more available to assist individual students.
Unfortunately several factors may interfere with the effectiveness of co-teaching. One common problem is that one or both teachers may not be adequately prepared for the paradigm shifts that occur when co-teaching is fully implemented. These include changes in views of who is a lead teacher, who ‘owns’ a classroom, who is responsible for grading, and who makes decisions about what is taught or how it is taught. However, in the most advanced co-taught classrooms, an observer may not be able to tell who is the special educator and who is the regular educator.
In the past, co-teaching has been referred to as the ‘Power of 2’ (Friend, 2004). Co-teaching, minus technology, typically follows one of five models: (1) one leads, one supports; (2) parallel teaching ‘“ teaching the same content to two groups, each taught by one of the co-teachers; (3) alternative teaching where one co-teacher teaches alternative content or using an alternative approach; (4) learning centers; and (5) true team teaching that involves co-planning and shared responsibility for all aspects of instruction.
Please click on the image below to read more about integrating co-teaching with technology.
