Independent living and community participation are critical for success in adulthood and most of the skills needed for both can be taught in the classroom.
Components of Community Based-Instruction
There are four techniques that incorporate community-based instruction in most school systems in the United States. Each offers access to all students and an be incorporated in the general curriculum.
1. In-School Learning Opportunities: On-campus experiences provide the best first experiences to prepare students for future off-campus experiences. These experiences may include: working with the librarians, cooks and cafeteria workers, coaches, or school secretary to name a few. Sometimes as a teacher we may not have the resources or be able to take our students off-campus. In those cases, bring the community to your school or class.
2. Community-Based Opportunities: These are experiences in which students can apply academic content to real-life situations. For example, these experiences may include: comparison shopping, purchasing items for a recipe, visiting the voter registration office, and job shadowing to name a few.
3. Volunteerism: Volunteer experiences are a prelude to adolescents' first paid jobs and can either be group or individual oriented. Schools, churches, scouting groups, and other frequently provide group volunteer opportunities that in many situation lead to individual volunteer experiences.
4. Service Learning: Method by which young people learn and develop skills through active participation in thoughtfully organized service experiences, Students learn through hands-on experience in problem solving, conflict resolution, self-esteem, as well as academic and social skills that take place in inclusive settings. This method also gives students opportunities to think about his or her role in the community as a citizen.
Family Involvement in CBI
Family involvement is ciritical in CBI's for many reasons. One being that family is essential to the collaborative planning process along with the student, school-based personnel, agency representative, and community representatives. As a result of the planning process, families become active participants in the learning process for their sons or daughters through their follow through on goals at home.
There are four techniques that incorporate community-based instruction in most school systems in the United States. Each offers access to all students and an be incorporated in the general curriculum.
1. In-School Learning Opportunities: On-campus experiences provide the best first experiences to prepare students for future off-campus experiences. These experiences may include: working with the librarians, cooks and cafeteria workers, coaches, or school secretary to name a few. Sometimes as a teacher we may not have the resources or be able to take our students off-campus. In those cases, bring the community to your school or class.
2. Community-Based Opportunities: These are experiences in which students can apply academic content to real-life situations. For example, these experiences may include: comparison shopping, purchasing items for a recipe, visiting the voter registration office, and job shadowing to name a few.
3. Volunteerism: Volunteer experiences are a prelude to adolescents' first paid jobs and can either be group or individual oriented. Schools, churches, scouting groups, and other frequently provide group volunteer opportunities that in many situation lead to individual volunteer experiences.
4. Service Learning: Method by which young people learn and develop skills through active participation in thoughtfully organized service experiences, Students learn through hands-on experience in problem solving, conflict resolution, self-esteem, as well as academic and social skills that take place in inclusive settings. This method also gives students opportunities to think about his or her role in the community as a citizen.
Family Involvement in CBI
Family involvement is ciritical in CBI's for many reasons. One being that family is essential to the collaborative planning process along with the student, school-based personnel, agency representative, and community representatives. As a result of the planning process, families become active participants in the learning process for their sons or daughters through their follow through on goals at home.