The Diverse Learner
One strategy that worked for me in addressing students with special needs was to observe and listen to the student. The student was having behavior problems due to inadequate medication. I referred the student to medical for treatment. The end result was improvement in class participation.
Hi Bonnielee! Thanks for referencing some of the instructional delivery methods we can use to reach students, particularly those with learning challenges. There are so many different ways to teach than just the traditional lecture - though they may take more preparation time, they are crucial to the learning process.
Jay Hollowell
ED106 Facilitator
Describe a specific strategy that has worked for you when addressing students with diverse learning needs.
How do you effectively assess a student learning need?
I have students watch my demonstrations, write down the recipe, and then go make what I juat showed them. Then we have a quiz the next day to help them remember what we did the day before. We also have reviews, and I write on the board the information in their books so they see it in a different light, as I discuss it.
Sometimes you need to pull out all the stops. In billing and coding, we have many students where English is not their native language. It is always a challenge to help student understand a medical concept through the English that is taught. Games, Pictures, Slides, Projects are all ways that can help to bridge the gap. I have had a student do a project in Spainish and then present it to the class in English,this gives them a opportunity to have a comfort zone in their preparation. They then become the teacher and the rest us become the learners.
Another avenue that can be taken is to explain the concepts at the start of the lesson, and ask questions of the students BEFORE you begin. In this way, you get an understanding of who might have difficulty with the concepts during the lesson and you can work with them individually.
I too use email and think the students appreciate that fact.
Thanks for sharing.
There are several strategies I use. One, is "The Question Box" a brightly decorated box that sits in the front of the room. Students are required to depoait a piece of paper in the question box after each class. They may write a question on the paper which I will answer next class. If they do not have a question, they just put in a blank piece of paper, but rarely does that happen. In this way, questions and who asked them stay anonymous.
I find this to be very effective.
I encourage my students to email me. That way the "conversation" is private.
Allowing the student to clearly explane their issue on there own terms that they are confotable with is a start. Letting the student know what options are available for there sucsess and how the school and I can help them compleate their goals is introducing a comfort level and reduses unessisary stress
Communication and observation of the students is a good way to figure out that they may have a problem they are reluctant to tell you. Floating the room asking qusetions and pre testing are all solid ways to identify learning disabilites
I have alot of students in my class that only have a 8-9 grade reading level. I take the time to go over everything with them until they are comfortable with all the information. I also use other things to help them as well. Pictures, charts, etc..
I agree that that need to all be treated the same but in todays society I feel that alot of my students have fell through the cracks, I teach at a career college and I have had students that could not read or write. In one of the classes I teach I make the students write a paper and some of my students have never done this. Its sad but it gives me a chance to reach out and tutor them so they understand how to do it and so that they dont feel as if no one cares.
1st assess student's needs
I first get to the root of the students need, is it that they're not able to read or dyslexic then work with the challenge one step at a time.
One needs to work on each individual person and see what area you can suggest for each person. This is why i always ask questions before we start each exercise. We tell our student to review their recipes the day before and then i ask if they have done their homework and open up the discussion for all. I find that the student who does not do this are the ones who suffers the most because they are not prepared. Now its up to us to give suggestions for improvement.
Glenn
I have many different types of students in my classes. I have people from other countries and English is their second language. I have students that have families, students with money troubles, students with transportation issues, and more. All want to learn but their additional stress affects their study habits and performance. I make sure I am available as much as possible so they have an "out". If they need more help with a subject I will be there for them. I also make sure that I am not in a rush so I am open to any types of questions.
There is always going to be different types of learners in each classroom. One of the ways I try to overcome this is to use a variety of manipulatives that enable students to be successful no matter which learning style they are. This includes handouts for the "readers". Hands-on projects and many times I use just verbal questions to assess their knowledge. It also helps to identify who is better at which learning style.
Using caution in exam questions so as not to use words that have double meanings or using phrases that have meanings other than may seen apparent, such as "don't let the cat out of the bag."
I find that combining that lecturing at the same time that I am conducting a demo helps when addressing students with diverse learning needs. I think the best way to assess student learning needs is through frequent checks on knowledge understanding and retention, whether it be through informal questionig or more formal testing.
"That person was able to hide his or her academic deficiencies and create coping strategies that enabled him or her to keep secret the fact they could not read or write."
Even for reasonably successful high school students this can be problem. One of the biggest challenges in post-secondary education is dealing with students that have under-performed but been rewarded with good grades anyway. Helping students develop a realistic sense of the their abilities is a key requirement in helping inculcate strategies to maximize their potential. I know that this is easier said then done but as dedicated professionals we need to make a strong effort. Most students really know where they are academically but have trouble acknowledging it to others.
As always were must continually strive to drive fear out of the clasroom and make it a safe environment for honestly and growth.
