my students are 60% spanish 40% english in florida so having them relate to each other first through background heps put the english student more at ease. also it builds a better relationship between the two
Actually humor works well when addressing students with diverse learning needs. Humor, not in the sense of making fun of the individual, but using humor to ease the embarrassment that they are having a hard time comprehending, etc. Sometimes I will explain difficult content matter for them by sketching or drawing what the answer may be.
That is a great idea of breaking down the topics at the beginning of the week and certainly shows them how it all comes together.
It is important to have different ways to teach students, especially when teaching in an online environment. I ensure that I offer my students the different ways if video, text, spoken, etc. to ensure all will have the same ability to learn.
I enjoy meeting people & learning where they are from. This helps me to identify their skills & knowledge. It also shows me where they want to go with their learning. I like using examples of real life applications with the material I am teaching. This helps the student to relate to the suject content.
Hello,
I can relate to students who are bilingual. English is not my first language either. So I can understand how frustrating sometimes it gets when you know what you want to say but you cannot find words right way. The best strategy here is: patience and encouragement coming from a teacher.
Irina
That is a great idea to have prepared copies of lectures for the student. In one of my classes I had a student who could not type and was signed up for my Word class. After assessing the situation I typed all the in class projects so that she could type what she could and when the rest of the class was finished I gave her a copy of the in class projects so she could move on with the rest of us. She had to complete the assignments on her own but this gave her the chance to continue learning with the rest of the class.
One strategy that has worked for me in addressing students with diverse learning needs is to go over the words and definitions along with an example. I also think repetition is the key to learning any new concept. I try to write them on the board, have them repeat the concepts in class, do an assignment with the definitions, and repeat the concepts in class again.
One way to assess a student learning needs is by monitoring their progress. Are they comprehending the assignments, are they able to complete the assignment with little or no assistance. If I see the student is struggling to understand, I feel it is my job to find a way to aid that student. Sometimes this may be meeting with the student one on one or other times having them work with a fellow peer.
Marilu,
thank you for bringing up this important point-monitoring class understanding. It is not so easy to do in online environment though, but it a must! So I try to provide prompt feedback to give them a chance to revise the work and post practice problems for them to go over before they take tests.
Tatiana
Robert,
what a great point you made.
I also emphasize the importance of learning labs during my first orientation chat, I share my computer screen with them to show how to get to labs and what help they can get there.
Tatiana
I encourage the use of learning tutorials within our learning labs. It is usually readily apparent from the onset of a students first submission of written material that there is a problem. All of my teaching is done online, so that is really the only method for assessment.
Willie,
I also had a similar situation in my classroom. One of my students could not help laughing during my lecture and first I took it personally. So I talked to him after class and learned that he is in the process of changing medication because he could not control this behavior. I felt relieved that I did not make any comments during class meeting. Yes, sometimes you have to remember that not everything is the way it seems.
Tatiana
Hello.
We had a wonderful office in my school for students with learning disabilities. Students were tested there to determine their strengths and weaknesses and the special plan was developed for them in order to succeed academically. We received those AEPs and they helped us to address specific student’s needs while teaching in class. For example, I had students who had difficulties taking notes, so I usually prepared copies of lectures for them and that approach was effective.
Tatiana
I think one of the key ways to assess student learning is monitoring your class for understanding, this is easier done in a traditional brick and mortar situation than online. When you see that there are students who looked perplexed or are daydreaming, I ask questions. Based on the responses to questions I get a better feel for progress and comprehension. I teach Management, many times the terms used are new, I use a lot of examples of their day to day experiences. For example shopping in a store, buying a car, buying school supplies, taking out a college loan, all of these lend themselves well for business examples, they already have the experience but now I tie into business knowledge. Someone suggested getting a writing sample right off the bat, I like that idea, I think I am going to try it because it will help me monitor/gauge who is writing challenged.
I did not learn English until I was 10 years old, I was an ELL student and I know that reading is extremely important to acquiring new vocabulary. I know that through the encouragement of my instructors (at the time) I was motivated to excell and learn. I know first hand how significant a role we play, as instructors, in our students' desire to learn.
Over time I have learned a few tricks:
STEP 1: Identify classroom environmental, curricular, and instructional demands.
STEP 2: Note student strengths and needs.
STEP 3: Check for potential areas of student success.
STEP 4: Look for potential problem areas.
STEP 5: Use information gathered to brainstorm instructional adaptations.
STEP 6: Decide which adaptations to implement.
STEP 7: Evaluate student progress.
Brandy
I teach two very different courses; one is a lecture based course and one is a lecture/studio course. With the studio class, I have students that come from all walks of life, with varying levels of familiarity with design techniques. The first project is assigned the 2nd class. In the third class I meet with each student individually to assess their progress on the project. This will give me a good idea about their learning needs. During this time, I like to have a discussion about their learning styles and what their expectations for this class and for me as an instructor. I find that students are more successful if the lines of communication are open, and expectations are clear.
I will tell my students to watch more TVs, movies, and listen to video with diverse learning needs.
I set a tone in my classroom that is student-centered, supportive, and understanding. I communicate using a variety of media to demonstrate my active participation. When students feel comfortable in an environment, they tend to communicate more. As a university, we work together to ensure that all learning needs are recognized. I invite students to introduce themselves and add a forum for networking with one another. This provides a glimpse into their abilities, experiences, and motivation. I offer individualized feedback to assist in student progression and challenge each student to continually grow/improve. It is amazing how students can increase his/her motivation by having a coach, facilitator, and someone that believes in them. My goal is to help my students reach his/her full potential.
Hi Carlos, thank you, these are very practical methods for helping students with special challenges.
You mentioned before that an effective way to help students with learning disabilities is to find out what has worked for them in the past and then proceed accordingly. This is a good point since a special needs student may have already been down a similar path and knows what works best. Such students are often comfortable
in telling an instructor what works for them as long as it's in confidence and no undue attention is brought to the situation.
I think as well, though in general, that we have to take students a little out of their learning comfort zones and have them practice other methods to help prepare them for the workplace.
Thanks again for your comments!
Jay Hollowell
ED106 Facilitator
Hello,
A couple of opportunities where students can go beyond the classroom time to get help with the topics they're having trouble with. I will recommend them to a series of instructors whose responsibility will be to work with students. Most of the time it's one on one.
When speaking with them I watch for eye contact, inflection of their voice and quiz results.
