IT IS IMPORTANT TO LEARN THE BACKGROUND OF YOUR STUDENTS SO THAT YOU CAN TAILOR YOUR CLASS TO FIT THEM AND MAKE IT RELEVANT TO THEM. ALTHOUGH THERE IS REQUIRED MATERIAL TO TEACH, IT MUST BE PRESENTED IN A RELEVANT MANOR TO REACH THE STUDENT AND MAKE THEM FEEL THAT IT WILL BE USEFUL TO THEM AND RELATE TO THEIR LIVES AND THE CAREERS THAT THEY ARE PURSUING.
It helps you tailor your teaching style towards your audience. You may have a diverse audience so its important to try your best to give everyone what they need in order to be successful in passing your course.
Eric,
What are some ways that you do your identification to help students with special needs?
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Jerry,
Today we have so many resources available to helps students be successful if they are willing to put forth the needed effort. When working with students with learning disabilities there are accommodations and modifications that are simple and quick to do that make a major difference in their learning progress. I wish you much success as you work with this population and help them to achieve personal and career success.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I remember way back when I was a student, and we had to adjust to meet the demands and style of the instructor. Period. It was extremely autocratic. Today, it has reversed: now the educator adjusts to meet the learning styles of their diverse students.
As an educator that specializes in helping students with learning disabilities, I wouldn't have it any other way. I see my job responsibility as reaching out, understanding, and adapting the core lesson in such a manner as to get to each student's unique learning style and ability. It is extra work but I find that student success is worth the effort.
It help you to be able to group students to be able to help one another.
It helps the instructor identify another special needs a student may have.
Cynthia,
This is a great resource and it sounds like it is working well for you.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Jacqueline,
By taking a "read" of your students you are able to more accurately support them as they study. The outlines, discussions and Q&A sessions all help them to acquire the knowledge and skills needed for career growth.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Understanding learner characteristics help with the instructional planning process by providing a jumping off point for the Instrctor. It is the equivalent to learning what your student already knows. This will then help you as the Instructor understand how and what to teach them. It also provides insight as to where and how a studnet can share their life and job experience to enhance lessons in the classroom.
We have a discussion session and an assessment for each student to fill out. It makes it very easy
to prepare lesson plans using these methods.
I suggest different types of learning styles such as cards, outlines or group sessions. But from past students, they prefer not to study in groups.I try to encourage them to read a few pages each night so they can take their own notes. This helps them with the outlines that I give them. It is great when they participate and talk about their own experiences.
If you are aware of the various characteristics of your learners, you are able to develop strategies to help the students (learners) succeed in the class.
Billy,
Right you are because this is how you customize your instructional delivery. The more you know about your students the more accurate you can be with your teaching.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
It helps the student have more understanding of themselves
It helps the instructor prepare for classes
Ryan,
Having this information is so valuable because of the reasons you list. The more you know about your student population the more accurately you can select the instructional content and deliveries you want to use.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
This is key contributor to retention as it allows the teacher to facilitate methodologies that are contemporary, and tailored, to the class.
Knowing what you are going to face when you walk in front of a class of a diverse population can assist an instructor in planning for success. Understanding different social, cultural or regional differences will allow an instructor to prepare for curve balls that may get thrown their way. While you can never anticipate every curve ball, anticipating them will allow you to be able to work with them instead of getting hit with them and knocked over.
Paula,
This is the human factor in teaching so the more we know about our students the easier it will be to build that connection.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
As an instructor, it is important to understand the various learning characteristics of your students. Everybody learns and retains information in different ways, so in the development of instructional materials, it is important to create material that addresses several learning characteristics. Not everybody learns at the same level when sitting in on a lecture, or watching a video. Providing variety in the development of instructional materials ensures that students with various learning characteristics are afforded a better opportunity to learn.
