Thanks, Vickie!
It is a different type of learning. I've found that students with ESL challenges, of course, have also very different perceptions about content meaning. This goes far beyond the actual reading of material and brings in the factors of customs, mores and values.
From module 3:
"Children spend their early elementary years “learning to readâ€. Around the fourth grade they will have acquired the basics of reading so they then shift from “learning to read†to “reading to learnâ€. Even though they are adults they are still learning to read in many ways while trying to acquire the vocabulary and new information associated with their career field. This puts them into the position of still trying to learn to read plus having to read to learn. A stressful position to be in for anyone."
I can honestly say that I never thought about learning this way. For the past 15 years, I worked in a career school in a middle-class, small city that saw very little diversity. I can probably be safe in saying that 99% of our students were English-speaking, and therefore we never had to think about ELL. I just moved to a larger town and in this school, we see it much more frequently. Having to deal with ELL students is something new to me, so this was very helpful.
Vickie
Hi Steve! Outstanding! Observing and being sensitive to diverse learning styles, then adpating instructional delivery and assessments accordingly are crucial skills for the adult educator to possess.
I once gave a forced-choice test (true/false and multiple choice) where in certain questions more than one answer could apply. Students were to choose the best answer in each case. (This, of course, was a content assessment and not a lab activity or procedure). The next class period, without handing back the test, I divided the class into learning groups and handed each group the same blank test. Each group then discussed the answer options and members used their own responses (they had to remember them)to collaborate on a consensus. Each group then handed in the one completed test copy as a team result.
If a student scored higher on his/her individual test, that grade was assigned, but if the group score was higher, then the student's score was a combination of 60% group score and 40% individual score.
The activity was completely engaging because every student had a personal stake in the outcome. In all learning groups but one, the team score was higher.
I had several students say that they learned more about the information through discussing the answers, justifying their own responses, seeing other viewpoints and coming to a consensus than they did from actually taking the test. It took some time and I couldn't do it every time, but what a result! And it hopefully touched on visual, auditory and even hands-on (coming to a team decision)learning modes.
Trying to apply several learning styles to every lesson can help identify diverse learning needs. After that, personalization of the lesson or task further can help the learner learn as well as help me properly evaluate the performance of the learner.
In a particular course I taught there was a set of very difficult electrical essay questions accompanied by a schematic. I found that but just grading the questions I had a high rate of failure even from learners I felt had a good grasp of the lessons. So I changed my evaluation to include a personal private review of each question with the learners individually. This had 3 big benefits to me:
First by having them explain to me the answers I could find areas that they just could not verbalize properly in an essay type answer even though they fully understood.
Second, I could pin point areas to help the learner with at that moment. Using various methods based on their learning style I could explain it to the student in a way they could apply it. Then after correcting mistakes I could use questioning afterwards to verify understanding.
And third (maybe one of the most beneficial), I built an incredible trust between the student and myself that lasted for their entire training.
This would take 20 to 30 minutes per student and I know not everyone could afford this type of time but it can also be applied on a smaller scale. I still use this technique in other classes when a class seemed to have challenges in a particular area or with a particular concept; I just modify it to fit my needs and time constraints.
I have found that cultural sensitivity is crucial in working with diverse learners...how we approach students, the stories and illustrations we use, and the core values we appreciate.
Has a student ever approached you to help you better understand his/her diverse circumstances? What were the results?
Early on I noticed that different students appreciate different forms of praise...some thrive on it, some are embarrassed. What have you found?
