Late Night Postings with Bekah Wadkins on Diverse learners...

Good evening and welcome to another late night posting with Bekah Wadkins.  The question to ponder tonight is what are we doing with our diverse learners?  There are several things we will be going over, so sit tight and enjoy the reading. J

                When I look at my classroom I know that each and every one of my students is a diverse learner.  Now this does not necessarily mean that they all have different learning styles, just that each of them is bringing their own personal experiences and knowledge to the table.  My classroom is one that is mostly Caucasian, with a dabbling of African Americans and Hispanics.  The major difference in my room is not that of race but of social economic status.  Who are the rich kids and who are the ones that are on welfare? This is what I deal with in my classroom.  So instead of only teaching about the different cultures I also teach about economic statuses.  I teach my students about a local eye doctor that grew up with a huge family and very little money to go around.  He is now very wealthy and lives in our town.  It is all about teaching my students perseverance.  Anyone can achieve anything that they put their mind too. 

                Now I shouldn't say that there are not diversities with each learning style, because there are.  I have students that read more than two levels below grade level. With these students when they are given a reading assignment, I often let them listen to the audio version online.  This way I can measure what they are learning and not just that they cannot read the science text book.  With book projects students are able to choose how they want to present their book.  These projects include digital story books, traditional book reports, creating a game based on their story, and creating a movie poster.  Whenever possible, I try to reach as many of the different learning styles as possible. 

I absolutely love this quote from Teacher Vision.com  "Teaching learning disabled youngsters will present you with some unique and distinctive challenges. Not only will these students demand more of your time and patience; so, too, will they require specialized instructional strategies in a structured environment that supports and enhances their learning potential. It is important to remember that learning disabled students are not students who are incapacitated or unable to learn; rather, they need differentiated instruction tailored to their distinctive learning abilities."
(Read more on TeacherVision: http://www.teachervision.fen.com/special-education/new-teacher/48460.html#ixzz1OR0SkhfH )

                As an educator I have to remember to have patience and understanding so that ALL of my students have a chance to learn.  It is common practice in my room for my students to stand.  If a student is a wiggler, I put a bungee cord on their chair so that they can bounce their feet without disrupting others.  If they feel like they need to stand, they stand.  I am not a teacher that forces my students to sit in their seat all day.  At least every 45 minutes, often sooner, I have my students stand and do movement activities.  This could be as simple as clapping their multiplication facts with a partner, or instead of raising their hand to answer they have to do jumping jacks. 

                 Other than physical duration, students often have other issues to battle with.  The speech pathologist at our school used school funds to buy an iPod touch for one of the autistic students.  With the app on the iPod he is able to create sentences that are then read out loud to whomever he is talking to.  He clicks on the different categories and puts in the words that he needs.  With the iPod he was able to order exactly what he wanted from McDonalds without any help from anyone.  It was truly inspirational to see him be self sufficient and able to communicate.   The really awesome part of using an iPod is that it is a normal everyday tool.  It isn't some funny machine that is carried around that no one recognizes.  He feels normal with it. 

                When I was student teaching I had to wear a microphone so that one of the hearing impaired students would be able to hear me from across the room.  I felt like Brittney Spears wearing a head microphone and giving my presentations to the class.  By talking with my students about how I felt awesome to help out, it was never an issue with the other students that this one particular student was slightly different.

                For my students that have such huge spelling issues that they can't even understand what they have just written, I incorporate more typing skills.  If I can teach them to get close to the correct spelling of a word, than they can usually right click and find the correct word on the list in Microsoft Word.  Though this takes time because of the lack of typing skills at fourth grade, by the end of the year they are more proficient than they were, and by high school they are great.

                Though I generally like to summarize different quotes this one is truly inspirational, so bare with me while you read it.

In addition to openness, teachers must know the learning patterns of the students in their class. Teachers must understand the learning patterns of the students who grew up in a culture other than their own. Israeli children, for example, are taught to readily criticize an instructor who they feel is saying something that is incorrect while Vietnamese children will not say a word during class unless called upon to regurgitate memorized material (Jones 10). Students from Israel differ greatly from students from Vietnam, which may create a culture clash in the classroom. Vietnamese students will think the Israeli students are rude, brash, unnerving, and extremely obnoxious. In fact, the teacher may find that they feel the same way about the overly critical Israeli students. However, if the teacher knows that Israeli students tend to criticize their professors and is open to the fact that they do this because it is socially encouraged and acceptable in the Israeli school system, than the teacher can calmly explain to the students that while critical thinking is wonderful it is not okay to openly criticize the teacher in front of the entire class on a consistent basis. Therefore, readjusting the participation structure of the classroom in a calm and professional manner. (Building Blocks: The First Steps of Creating a Multicultural Classroom, Larri Fish. www.edchange.org)

                This brings to point that we need to consider where each child comes from in their own life.  The culture at home often spills over into the classroom.  Teaching students an appropriate way to discuss disagreements is very important.  This quote just reiterates that. 

                Technology for my building has very limited budgets.  If I were to get a few iPod touches to use in my classroom it would cost around $200 per iPod touch. Ideally I would like to have iPads for my classroom.  These run around $500 for the first generation that came out.  I already have clickers, a smartboard, and an airliner within my classroom.