Learning Intention #4:
Diversity comes in many forms and every learner has a unique identity, background and set of experiences that they bring to a classroom. Our role as educators is to know our learners and to respond to their individual needs as best we can.
I chose my Who Are the Learners Assignment as a demonstration of having met the above learning intention. I feel that it reflects my understanding of the learners in my classroom and provides insight as to how to respond to their individual needs.
The experience leading up to and including the writing of this assignment allowed me to really step back and observe each student in my class in order to gain a sense of who my learners were and what each of their individual needs was. It also allowed me the opportunity to really think of how I would differentiate learning in my classroom in order to meet such diverse needs. I appreciated having to focus on the learners most like and unlike me as it really made me think/assess how I was and am as a learner in order to determine which learner was most similar and dissimilar to me. Since completing this assignment I have experienced firsthand just how important it is to know our learners. During my most recent practicum I was in a classroom where several students had IEP's. While each of these students required direct support for their learning, one in particular learned best when he wasn't required to work with his peers. Now this was of particular importance, as not only could I not place him with other students without behavioural problems arising, but also couldn't group him with the other students who needed direct support and help them all at the same time. What I found worked best was to provide him with direct independent support in the classroom while other students sometimes worked in groups; this was easy to implement especially when there was learning assistance in the room that could help the others who needed direct support, but could work in a group. |
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