Diverse+Learners+Journal

toc **6/22 Journal Entry Session 1** Today we took a brief look at the history of teaching and treating those who do not conform to the norm or the typical. What changes have you seen in your 'career' in education (be it your career as a K-12 student)? Two educators (in the quotes that follow) give their views about what can still be. Do you agree with them? What changes do you think are needed? 1. “I and you and people everywhere can change a perspective, alter an outlook, see the circumstances in which we find ourselves from a new angle. I am saying that I, you, and humans everywhere have the capacity enacted daily to make and remake, to work and rework whatever is there to work with” //Patricia Carini Starting Strong (pg 145)// 2. Inclusion is not a favor school systems do for students whom they perceive as “disabled”, but a gift to our common humanity – a way of reconceptualizing our schools and our society. //Mara Sapon-Shevin __Widening the Circle__ page xiii//

(This response was generated by Miriam and Laura) Miriam: In response to the first quote, it is definitely possible to change our perspective as teachers, especially when we are just starting out in the field. Although we may have misconceptions about learning differences, our perceptions are very malleable and can be shaped by our instructors, the readings, etc.

Laura: For me it's more of a question of how to implement this perspective of thinking that inclusion is necessary and beneficial for all. For me and the teachers in training in this field of thought (inclusive classrooms), the point is moot. We are already converted! I'm not so much concerned about changing my perspective as creative an atmosphere of inclusion in practice in my classroom. However, I can see how there may be teachers who have been teaching for years and years in another school of thought, or who haven't been trained in the spirit of inclusion, or who have had a bad experience trying to create an inclusive classroom.

Miriam: (on the second quote) It sounds idealistic at this point. Again, it's not so much about changing our (teachers trained in the inclusion field of thought) ideals, but implementing it and reaching teachers and others in education who have their own fixed ideas about education.

Laura: When it comes to implementing this system of inclusion in school systems, it seems like a lot of work restructuring and rethinking the current system. This is good work, but might feel like a heavy task for schools, so I can understand why this might appear like or be confused as a favor to students with disabilities. It may not be a favor, but it is a large task, and may be slow, expensive, and difficult in manifesting.

6/29 Journal Entry Session 2
What is a 'typical' child? Is there such a thing as an 'average child'? Should schools treat each learner as unique and give them an individualized education plan?

When I think of a "typical" child, I think of a child who has the skills that are typical of a child at that age. We have to remember that childhood is preparing people to become surviving and thriving adults. Our goal as teachers and educators (the whole team) is NOT to make them feel good about themselves (well this is one goal), but to equip them with the skills they need. I do not think that schools should develop an IEP for each student! I think this for several reasons: That being said, from the case studies we have looked at, I think there is a real need for IEPs for some students. However, at a certain point, the students should come off the IEP and operate in the regular classroom (sink or swim?)
 * Students should learn how to operate in a social setting of their peers (which can be derailed by constant pulling out of the classroom)
 * I think IEPs give students the impression that they don't have to get the work done. This is not an accurate reflection of "the real world."
 * Teachers are not tutors! They teach a classroom of students, not one-on-one.

6/28 Journal Entry Session 3
(Compiled by Miriam and Laura) In response to Winebrenner reading, Chapter 3, pp 23-24, on "How It Feels to Have LD" Winebrenner describes teachers who don't really understand about learning disabilities. She says that even well-meaning teachers will tell students to try harder because they don't understand the experience. It's not a matter of trying harder! If a student's brain does not distinguish between b's and d's, it's no use telling a student to try harder! It's a matter of the teacher understanding how students with learning disabilities think and learn, and finding intervention strategies that work. There are limitations in a student's ability, and then there are the emotional/confidence limitations that come along with years and years of being misunderstood, as iluustrated by the anecdote about Christopher on pages 23-24. These types of anecdotes should inform teachers about what's going on their students, and help them to think through all the options before they say "try harder." Effort can be very subjective, however there are students who do need a push in effort. Therefore, it's especially important for teachers to learn about learning disabilities so they can distinguish between a learning obstacle and when a student should be pushed re: effort.

7/1 Journal Entry Session 4
What are the benefits to teaching students about their learning styles? What are potential problems with teaching students about their learning style? (You may want to look at Chapter 4 in Weinbrenner again, as well as thinking about our class discussions and activities around this topic).

(This list was generated by Laliv, Laura and Miriam) The benefits of teaching students about their learning styles:
 * It can help them realize their strengths
 * It can help them tap into their potential if they can learn in a way that's conducive to their learning style
 * If they are able to learn in a way that appeals to them, it can make the content more approachable and fun
 * It can increase their confidence in their learning
 * It can decrease their frustration with their weaker learning styles when they are shown that there are different ways of learning
 * Once aware of their learning style, they might take the initiative (without teacher prompting) to become self-starters
 * This knowledge could help them self advocate for what they need in the classroom
 * It can be empowering

The potential problems with teaching students about their learning style?
 * Even if they have one strong learning style, they still should be learning in other ways.
 * Having a learning style or preference does not mean they can't learn in other ways or improve other learning styles
 * It could lead to self labeling, which could limit them, they might resign to the fact that they only learn one way and not push themselves
 * they might not engage in other learning styles

7/6 Journal Reflection - Autism guest speaker
Today's guest lecturer, Marion Green, covered a lot of information in a short space of time. A whole graduate class - or even a degree - could be devoted to the teaching of students with autism! In the spirit of abbreviation (out of necessity) here is something to think about: If you had to make a "To Do" list of the most important things a classroom teacher should do when teaching a student with autism in the regular education class, what would be on your list? What struck me about last week's presentation on autism is that the speaker was speaking from a place of understanding + empathy. It was really empowering to hear stories about students with Asperger's or autism that had great support systems. If I had a child with autism in my class, I would certainly be nervous and want to be prepared.
 * sit down and talk with an expert on education and autism
 * revisit the curriculum overview with a new lens
 * get familiar with the resources available for working with the child
 * read over the child's IEP
 * get to know the parents and their goals for their child
 * get to know the child and their goals for themselves

Robyn
Title of article: “The Key to Classroom Management” Journal: Robert Marzano, Educational Leadership Key points – or – ‘what can I take from this?’ Teachers' action in the classroom... quote Strategies for Diverse learners – new ideas
 * Balance between reward for good behavior and consequences for bad behavior
 * Dominance – teacher has clear purpose and strong guidance
 * clear rules and procedure
 * consequence for student behavior
 * rules created by students and teacher together
 * examples: verbal and physical reactions, pre-arranged cues
 * clear learning goals
 * assertive behavior
 * Cooperation – concern for the needs and opinions of others
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">student/teacher team
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">strategies for cooperation: flexible learning goals, knowing your students
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">personal interest in your students – greeting them, asking about their lives
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">positive classroom behaviors – eye contact, move around the room, think time, encourage all students to participate
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">High-needs students – have a repetoire of techniques
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">passive, aggressive, attention problems, perfectionist, socially inept
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">do not treat all students the same
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">use research-based strategies
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">build strong relationships
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">support student learning

Rainie
<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Dr. Mel Levine “<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Celebrating Diverse Minds” Educational Leadership October 2003 Dr. Levine has focused on children who don't fit in a typical school, struggle with: <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">These non-recognized disabilities can lead to :: <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Three things can affect student success: <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Assessment – different minds show what they know in different ways. <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; text-decoration: none;">Curriculum examination – get away from standardized <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; text-decoration: none;">Professional development <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; text-decoration: none;">Where do we go from here? <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">organizing time, prioritizing
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">communicating effectively
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">grasping verbal and nonverbal concepts
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">memory
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">recognizing patterns
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">fine detail
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">undereducation,
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">misunderstanding of these students
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Assessment,
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">curriculum
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">professional development
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; text-decoration: none;">Assessment should not be about rote memory or regurgitation of information
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; text-decoration: none;">Limit space, but not time
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; text-decoration: none;">opportunities for showing understanding
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; text-decoration: none;">diverse minds should be allowed diverse assessment
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; text-decoration: none;">teachers can learn about students at home
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; text-decoration: none;">Neuro-developmental learning – looking at learning as it happens in the brain
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; text-decoration: none;">understanding students' individual needs, not labels

Anne
"Problems in the Digital Brain" What's the problem? What does it look like? What can we do to help?
 * hyper-connectedness that doesn't always lead to connections
 * the digital brain does not lend to interpersonal skills (text-to-text communication doesn't require these skills)
 * students 8-18 spend 6 hours a day on media (all at the same time)
 * valuable social behavior in teens is being connected/available instantly by media
 * multi-tasking doesn't work when you need to do two activities that require the same part of the brain (continuous partial attention) that will lead to decreased cognitive function
 * provide balance between digital connections and non-digital connections
 * time to reflect (journaling)
 * active listening (without the 'toys')
 * encourage students to teach digital skill
 * use a digital tool (such as a smart board)
 * build emotional literacy
 * teach mindfulness (yoga/meditation)
 * encourage storytelling (both teller and listener have to be engaged)

Brie
Classroom management for kids with challenging behavior During the incident: Continued intervention
 * Story about student who throws a chocolate milk at the teacher. What would you do? The teacher goes on with the lesson, making eye contact with the problem student.
 * Relationship-building approach to behavior management
 * at-risk students who turn around almost always have a good relationship with an adult
 * only do what is necessary to maintain safety of students, teacher, class materials
 * no punishment (anything done or said to humiliate or reprimand the student)
 * redirect the student to a positive behavior, and make it easy for the student to go along
 * step 1: bonding (extra time with the student, share, raise the student's social status in the class)
 * step 2: ensuring success (academic - do a mini-child study to help the student feel successful)
 * step 3: encourage positive behavior

Miriam
"Recognizing Neglected Strengths" by Robert Sternberg, Educational Leadership, September 2006 Key Points: Take-away:
 * Cultural Knowledge - Students who come from a non-mainstream culture don't do as well on standardized tests.
 * Students who are native Alaskan had a different kind of knowledge (that they need to know and that is valued).
 * These students were able to do well on a test in the same format as a standardized test that contained information valued in their culture
 * These results were confirmed in Kenya when tested on medicinal plants.
 * The researchers also found that they could teach math content using relevant cultural information.
 * Students do better when they are taught to their cultural strengths
 * Be aware of the cultures in your classroom

Jessica
"Orchestrating Multiple Intelligences" Strategies for Diverse Learners
 * Multiple Intelligences
 * Misunderstanding: Education policy makers think they should group students based on their mult. intelligence results & teachers should design a lesson plan for each one.
 * Reality: MI is an explanation of how the mind works
 * Teachers should plan lessons speaking to a combination of intelligences
 * Laser profile: differences between intelligences is vast--one strong and several weak
 * Searchlight profile: difference between areas not apparent
 * MI can interact by interference, compensation, or enhancement
 * Students can work in like skills or varied skills to either work with the same intelligences or different ones
 * Project Spectrum: interactive assessment process
 * Rich experiences let students engage actively in their learning.

7/21 Presentation - Shannon "The Change Agents" Educational Leadership September 2009 Using technology in the classroom:
 * Democratized knowledge
 * Participation
 * Authenticity - product
 * Multimodal - learning through text, visuals, sounds, videos, etc. Combination can increase learning by attacking our memory from different sides
 * At MIT, they changed a physics lecture to a hi-tech class where they worked on teams on real-world problems (inquiry v. note-taking)