Hi Loree,
Thank you for your suggestions on how to work with diverse learning groups. Anytime you can create a mix of students that will enable them to balance each other while sharing equal responsibility for learning you have created a quality learning environment.
The think, pair, share model helps students play to their strengths while drawing out some of those that aren't as verbal. It also helps to hold accountable those students that have a tendency to be less accountable in terms of assignments or projects.
Gary
Although this is a challenge, I believe it should also be one that is embraced with enthusiasm and vitality.
One way is to arrange study groups according to interests, whether they are slow or active. This can be a positive approach to interaction of like minds. I believe the active students will involve the carless or slow ones with questions about their "like interests" or just ask "what do you think" to prompt feedback.
I will hand out cards with topics listed for discussion. Sharing brings about a multiplicity of ideas. I am aiming at the shy becoming verbal,the introvert, becoming extroverts. Being shy does not mean you are slow, but it sometimes requires a nudge from another class-mate.
I can also play a game similiar to a football team-offensive and defensive. One team will purposefully stray from the questions presented and the other will continuously work on getting the questions answered. This can be achieved by giving everyone a piece of the puzzle with ideas to discuss-some positive and others will have totally nothing on the subject.
I will also have an exchange of papers to read with a prize offered to the ones who finds the errors and is able to provide feedback.
Hi Keith,
One of the methods that works well with diverse student learners is to create small groups or two person study groups that can work on projects. This way each student can contribute his/her strengths and experience to the group project. Peer groups encourage each other as well as hold each other accountable for getting the work done. In creating the groups you need to have a clear understanding of the abilities of each student and the ways they will be able to work with other students.
Gary
Challenge the smart and active with problems to peek their interests and show the the others better work habits to make them faster and careful which usually make the job more enjoyable
Hi Brenda,
Glad the fact was of help to you. Adults, are constantly challenged to focus their attention on a single item, when they are being pulled so many different ways in their personal and professional lives. By understanding their attention span and looking for alternative ways of delivering course content we can do a better job of providing for our students.
With your dedication to your profession and your caring attitude I know your students enjoy your classes. Keep up the good work!
Gary
Dear Gary, I am fortunate to have small class enrollments and make it very clear that I am avialable for one-on-one help. All students work to their individual levels. I consistently learn from my students and from time-to-time, I ask for input from the "smart and active" students as to their thought processes re. difficult problem solutions. Every student is busy in the classroom, but not all are working on the same page. (This eliminates "idle" time and boredom). I had never seen the average adult attention span (in minutes) listed before. Thank you for this fact!!!
I think this is one of the hardest challenges that a instructor faces. You don't to lose the one group as they get bored while waiting for teh second group, nor do you want the second group to feel like they are slowing the class down and add additional pressures to their learning style.I usually will put on the board for the night extra work to do while they wait. it keeps their minds busy and no one is aware if they are working on the orginal subject or something extra.
Hi Joseph,
Thank you for your information about how to handle diverse learners in the classroom. This is always the challenge of teachers. How to get everyone to the end goal of the same information and expertise when the learning patterns are so different. By individualizing your approach and keeping a constant check on student progress you will help the students to keeping moving along.
You can also look at presenting the information in different learning modes, to enable the student to grasp concepts and principles in different ways. This way they can reinforce their learning by seeing how the information can be gained in different ways. This will help them with application as well.
Gary
The way I handle this is,In my class now I get beginner to shop owners, and I have had this. Before going over information I tell the class a little story about my learning. That is in the tool trade you always listen to people with more experience than you because there is always more to learn. And that I am open to questions at anytime because I believe there are no dumb questions.That seems to work so far. The slower one is the hard one and I do this with one on one help.
Hi Amer,
There are many ways an instructor can approach this very common situation. By the vary nature of human beings there will be diversity of learning within an given classroom. The challenge is how to create a learning community that will include everyone.
The use of peer groups, study groups, or case study groups will help in the sharing of the learning process. Also, the use of learning style assessments, or one that I use constantly is the multiple intelligence assessment called “Talent Keyâ€. It is available at MI.Got.DNS,com. You can take your students through this assessment and then use the results to develop learning groups or adapt the course assignments to their respective MI strengths. There are 7 MIs as identified by the research of Howard Gardner. You might want to look at his work and how it can be used in the classroom.
An instructor has to be creative in order to reach all students no matter where they find themselves on the learning continuum. Also, as a model you can challenge them to strive for excellence in their work and assignments. This is the only way they will succeed in their field.
Gary
