MA
MA E A Study Materials
Copyright© Bierdz 2012 - 2019
The general USA culture has conditioned some to think of
success and failure as personal attributes. One hears, “Congratulations! You
succeeded!” or “You are a
failure!” The key word is “YOU.” Whether
your field is education, speech and language therapy, social work, counseling,
or another, such a personal attributes view of success and failure is not all
that informative or useful. For example, let’s say you succeed at something,
what helpful feedback can be provided other than “Wow, you are great! You’re really excellent! You’re the best! You
rock!” (How thought provoking.) And, what if you fail? What can be said? Well…
Nothing! Why? Because YOU are a failure,
YOU suck! In other words, just stop being YOU and everything will be alright.
(Isn’t that delightful?) Fortunately, there are alternatives to this personal
attributes view of success and failure.
What
if success and failure did not belong to the person, to what could each be
attributed? How about the method used,
the amount of focused time and effort invested in applying the method, the
materials utilized, the assistance deployed, the environment’s design, and
assessing the impact of each in obtaining the goal? Although this may seem like
a long list to remember, you can memorize
Method, Amount, Material, Assistance, Environment, and Assessment using the
mnemonic MA-MA-E-A. (Take a moment
to write these on a piece of paper several times and say them out loud as you
do so to further help you memorize them, as you are expected to have these
memorized for this course.)
Whether you are a
teacher, social worker, speech language pathologist, counselor, or school
psychologists, the MA MA E A
tool is arguably the most important tool you have at your command. The
achievement of any goal set for a learner/client depends on the accommodations
or alternative accommodations you deploy and how well each learner/client utilizes
them. The MA MA E A tool provides you with a logical
framework for diagnosing problems with goal obtainment and to identify where changes need to be made to
methods, amounts, materials, assistance, and the environment to create success.
If you are well versed in the MA MA E A tool and use
it with high metacognitive intent, you make yourself a powerful force for
change and success.
What is MA-MA-E-A?
The
first 5 letters of MA-MA-E-A stand for differing areas of accommodation. You
can think of accommodations as tools. Accommodations are used to obtain a goal.
The final A in MA-MA-E-A stands for assessment. You can think of assessments as
measurements of how effective the accommodations are in obtaining the goal.
Although accommodations are everywhere we do not notice them because we have
not been taught to do so. Let us consider this document and your reading it to
see the accommodations of Methods, Amounts, Material, Assistance, and
Environment, and how these are assessed.
METHOD: One goal of
this study unit is for you to memorize the terms: Methods, Amount, Material,
Assistance, Environment, and Assessment. Providing you with the MA MA E A mnemonic, your writing
them on a sheet of paper and saying them out loud as you do so are methods that were deployed
to help you reach this memorization goal.
AMOUNT: Another goal
is for you to be able to define MA-MA-E-A and understand how to use it in your
profession. The amount
of FOCUSED time and effort you invest in reading this document and
participating as requested will impact your obtaining the goal or not. If you
read passively or multitask, your chances of achieving the goal decrease, but
if you read with willful attention (mindful-intent) and take reflection breaks,
your odds increase. The amount
accommodation can also be seen in the number of examples I provide, the number
of times I recommend taking the study unit, the number of methods I utilize in
this study unit, and so on.
MATERIAL: This
document is a material
accommodation. So it the electronic device you are using to access it. If you
have a hard copy of this document, or wrote out Method, Amount, Material,
Assistance, Environment, and Assessment on a sheet of paper with a pen, pencil,
or crayon those are materials as well.
ASSISTANCE: if you
are reading this document with the support of a study buddy or study group, or
you contact me for additional explanation on this topic, you are using an assistance
accommodation.
ENVIRONMENT: The environment
accommodation manifests in two different ways. The first is how I designed
the document. Such things as font type, size, spacing, colors, shading,
highlighting and borders and so on comprise the document’s environment. Second
is your study
environment. If you are attempting to study in an environment that
disrupts or frustrates reading with mindful-intent (e.g., poor lighting, noisy,
interruption prone, stressful…), your chances of reaching the learning goals
decrease. However, your odds of reaching the learning goals increase if your
study environment supports you in achieving and maintaining mindful-intent
while reading.
ASSESSMENT: How do
you or I know if these accommodations- method, amount, materials, assistance,
or environment constructed for this lesson result in goal achievement? This is
where the assessment
accommodation is deployed. When you take the study unit quiz, it is not only
assessing if you have learned the materials, but it is also assessing how well
the MA MA E accommodations functioned.
How it Works
Regardless
of your field of study, we need begin by recognizing that Success or failure
starts with setting a goal. Think about it, it’s impossible to fail or succeed
without a goal. For example, anyone can be an expert archer with a bow and
arrow; all one need do is never pick a target. So step one, set a goal. When
setting a goal, you must ensure that the goal is appropriate. If the goal you
established is inappropriate failure is certain. For
example asking a new archer to hit the bullseye three times in a row is likely
to meet with failure. (What constitutes an appropriate goal is beyond the scope
of this lesson).
Once you have established an
appropriate and specific goal for your learner to reach, the success or
failure of that goal being met results from the method used, the amount of
focused time and effort invested, the materials utilized, the assistance
deployed, the environment’s design, and assessing the impact of each in
obtaining the goal. You can memorize
Method, Amount, Material, Assistance, Environment, and Assessment using the
mnemonic MA-MA-E-A. (Read this paragraph
again out loud).
Fill in the blanks using the previous
paragraph (You do not need to submit this to Bierdz it is for your own
benefit)
Once
I have established an ___________ and ________ goal for my learner to reach, the
success or failure of that goal being met results from the ______ used, the
______ of focused time and effort invested, the _________ utilized, the
__________ deployed, the ____________ design, and _________ the impact of each
in obtaining the goal. I can memorize Method, Amount, Material, Assistance, Environment,
and Assessment using the mnemonic _________.
Each
element of MA-MA-E-A is briefly defined below:
Method
A scheme for reaching
a specific goal. (e.g., teaching by: 1. Hand over hand instruction; 2.
Direct instruction; 3. Modeling; 4. Constructivism, and so on- If you don’t
know these terms, search them on the web- make yourself knowledgeable and
powerful). NOTE Methods utilize amounts, materials, assistance, environments,
and assessments in a particular way. For
example, think of the many methods for learning to ride a bike: 1) pick up a
bike and keep trying; 2) someone holds you as you ride, 3) training wheels. 4)
Coasting down small hills to first work on balance and after balance is
mastered learning to peddle… Each of these methods uses different levels of
assistance, and different materials and environments.
Amount
Time allotted or
amount of material covered to reach a goal (e.g., Reduce or increase time to
complete a task; Frequency and duration of breaks. Reduce or increase number of
tasks; Break
tasks into smaller or larger chunks). Repeating tasks.
Material
Physical
items/supports used to reach a goal
(e.g., Manipulative, print, audio, braille, use of technology).
NOTE: Materials are
used in methods, but do not constitute a method in and of themselves.
For example: When learning to cook a person might whip eggs using a whisk, or a
fork, or hand beaters, or a food processer with a ceramic, glass, or mettle
bowl (all materials), but the method is to “whip” the eggs.
Assistance
Human supports used
to reach a goal ((i.e., peer
tutor, individual aide).
Environment
The physical place,
or arrangement of materials, used to reach a goal (e.g., Change learner seating, grouping, room’s physical
arrangement, classroom management and instructional policies, different
settings and procedures for work and assessments. How materials appear
(Formatting, font size, spacing…)
Assessment
How one evaluates the effectiveness of
the Method, Amount, Material, Assistance, and Environment accommodations being
deployed in reaching the goal. It is also, how a goal is determined as being
met.
NOTE: Providing
alternative goals constitutes a “modification.”
By recognizing, manipulating, and
assessing the areas of MA-MA-E your odds of success or failure change. As the
author I have the power to increase or decrease the odds of success and
failure. As the reader you too have power over increasing or decreasing your
odds of success or failure. This power comes from changing our MA-MA-E. Hence,
if you or I want to change the outcome, all we need do is change the methods,
amounts, materials, levels of assistance, or environmental variables and then
reassess the impact of those changes.
There are two models you can use when thinking about
assessment. The Elitist Model in which you think you are assessing the learner-
as if success or failure is an attribute of the learner OR an Interaction Model
in which you recognize that what you are assessing is how well the MA MA E you created
worked for each learner. Seeing that the models you use
dictate how you perceive and relate with others, and that not knowing what
model you are using makes you a model’s slave, carefully and mindfully consider
which model youwant to use:
Elitist model = The learner succeeds or fails
(as if the learner is separate from the lesson)
Interaction model= The MA MA E deployed and how each learner utilizes them results in
success or failure
If you decided to use the Elitist
Model, you have made yourself superfluous, as you have placed all
responsibility for success or failure on your learner. In short you are holding
that the MA MA E A you deployed has no impact on if
the learner does or does not meet the goal. (I point this out because there
are- so called- professionals who
take this Elitist view and by doing so wash their hands of any responsibility
towards their learners).
However, if you selected the
Interaction model, you recognize the MA MA E A you plan/deploy- individually or collectively- are the
items that you have the power to change so as to match each learner’s
neuro/physical abilities. In using the Interaction model, you make yourself a
vital part of the learning process, as making changes to MA-MA-E and how
assessments are presented can allow each learner to reach the goal.
By using the Interaction model
when considering assessment results allows you to create success for all of
your learners. For example if you have a group of learners and the assessment
results show that they reached the goal using the accommodations you provided,
but there are a few learners for whom these accommodations don’t work, you know
what to do. You know to consider the MA MA E you
deployed to find which one or one’s are not working, and then individualize the
method, amount, materials, levels of assistance, or environment to match the
learner’s abilities so they too can reach the same goal as the others. When you individualize an accommodation it is
known as an alternative accommodation.
Accommodations The MA MA E A you provide to
the norm group.
Alternative Accommodations: MA MA E A you individualize when the accommodations you
provided fail to serve any outside of the norm group.
Modifications
There are times in which the goal
set for a group is not a good fit for a particular individual, in which case an
alternative goal must be set. Setting an alternative goal is known as a
modification. There is a rule for using modifications. The rule is that modifications
are used when alternative accommodations do not exist. Hence, you always seek to individualize MA MA E A before you decide to make a modification. Also,
modifications to a learner’s goal should be listed in the learner’s IEP along
with an explanation of why the learner cannot reach the same goal as all other
learners.
MA-MA-E-A is
used in both regular and specialized education systems. To help make more sense
of the MA MA E A tool it helps to BREIFLYconsider
the structure of Regular Education VS. Specialized Education
Regular education (AKA
General Education): Regular/General education is an
education system that is primarily designed to accommodate learners classified
as neuro/physically-typical. Access to achieving the state’s functional and
academic standards is provided through a homogeneous set of MA-MA-E-A. Regular
education is a good fit for providing educational access to the norm, but may
impede or block access to those outside of the norm. (e.g., those classified as
disabled, English Language Learners, Low income, Minorities, Homeless or
migrant populations).
Special education Special education is a set of services
designed for learners legally classified as “disabled” under IDEA, or Section
504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act. (The
Handicap and Interaction models recognize that such learners are disabled by
the MA-MA-E-A deployed in regular education.) The MA-MA-E-A used in special
education are heterogeneous. Such an individualized
design allows learners classified as disabled to achieve the same state functional and
academic standards as the norm, or, in some cases, achieve alternative functional and academic
goals.
NOTE
:The ESSA law mandates that learners
classified as disabled are expected to perform at the same level as their
non-disabled peers. This means they are to reach the same goals as those
receiving regular education services.
In the study unit
you will soon take you will encounter the use of MA-MA-E-A in both regular and
specialized education. You will gain additional insights into MA-MA-E-A by
taking the MA-MA-E-A study unit. But, once again, the MA MA
E A tool is arguably the most important tool you have at your command. The
achievement of any goal set for a learner depends on the accommodations or
alternative accommodations you deploy and how well each learner utilizes them.
The MA MA E A tool provides you with a logical
framework for diagnosing problems with goal obtainment and to identify where changes need to be made to
methods, amounts, materials, assistance, and the environment to create success.
If you are well versed in the MA MA E A tool and use
it with high metacognitive intent, you make yourself a powerful force for
change and success. Of course, if you are unaware of the Interaction model and
the MA MA E A tool, well then you limit your
effectiveness, work from a basis of ignorance, and reduce your learner’s rates
of success. Which do you want to do?
STUDY UNIT TIPS
Part of the study unit you
shall take provides various situations along with how each was resolved by
changing MA – MA – E – A). Consult this document to correctly identify each as Method,
Amount, Material, Assistance, Environment, or Assessment. Although several answers may seem like
they fit each situation, you are to find the best fit. Mindfully consider the
alternative accommodations being made for each student and consider them as a
whole. If you only consider parts of the alternative accommodations you will
likely select the incorrect answer. In addition, while taking the study unit
focus on the Interaction model, and pay mindful
attention to how each situation moved from failure to success via alternative
accommodations using MA MA E A.
QUICK REFLECTION
Remember the
achievement of any goal set for a learner depends on the
accommodations you deploy and how well each
learner utilizes them. But now consider that a student’s origin of
motivation influences how she or he utilizes the accommodations you provide.
This is to say a student who is externally motivated by such things as points will
seek to gain the points associated with the assignment, where a student who is
internally motivated by a desire to learn and use knowledge to serve others will seek to
gain the knowledge in the assignment. Gaining points is not the same as gaining knowledge and
each utilizes a different MA-MA-E. Although students
who are motivated to gain knowledge will gain the points, those who seek to
gain the points will not gain much knowledge. So stop now and ask yourself,
“Which will make me a useful professional, gaining points or knowledge?”
Here is one way to assess what motivates you; When a
question on the study unit is missed, you likely do one of two things:
1. You use your
willful attention to take note of the question, review the entire study unit
materials paying mindful-attention to the materials related to that question.
Once you understand the error that took place, you retake the assessment using
what you learned to answer the question differently than you did the first
time. (This is called the Professional Development Technique and I trust you
will use it) OR,
2. Without reviewing
the study materials, you mindlessly retake the study unit quiz picking a
different answer each time while hoping for a better outcome (This is called
the apathetic ignoramus technique and
I trust you shan’t use it).
Take The MA-MA-E-A Study Unit