Saturday, October 23, 2010

Diversity of Learners

         
        Diversity of learners includes different areas that teachers must be aware of and be sensitive of if they wants to cater each learner's needs and interests. As teachers, it is important to consider how diverse learners are especially in planning for effective instruction.

Learning and Thinking Styles
  • refer to the preferred way an individual processes information
I.                    Sensory Preferences- individuals tend to gravitate toward one or two types of sensory inputs and maintain a dominance in one of the following types:
1.       Visual Learners
·         may think in pictures and learn best from visual aids like diagrams, illustrated textbooks, overhead transparencies, videos, flip charts and hand-outs
a.       Visual Iconic- prefer visual imagery like film, graphic display or pictures
b.      Visual Symbolic- prefer abstract symbolisms like written words or mathematical formula
2.       Auditory Learners
·         learn best through verbal lectures, discussions, talking things through and listening to what others have to say
a.       Listeners- remember things said to them and make the information their own
b.      Talkers- prefer to talk and discuss
3.       Tactile/Kinesthetic Learners
·         prefer “learning by doing”, benefit much from hands-on approach, actively exploring the physical world around them
II.                  Global-Analytic Continuum
1.       Analytic Learners- tend toward the linear, step-by-step processes of learning and see finite elements of patterns rather than the whole
2.       Global Learners- lean towards non-linear and tend to see the whole pattern rather than particle elements
Multiple Intelligences (Howard Gardner)
1.       Visual/ Spatial (Picture Smart)
2.       Verbal/Linguistic (Word Smart)
3.       Mathematical/Logical (Number/Logic Smart)
4.       Bodily/Kinesthetic (Body Smart)
5.       Musical/Rhythmic (Music Smart)
6.       Intrapersonal (Self Smart)
7.       Interpersonal (People Smart)
8.       Naturalist (Nature Smart)
Exceptionalities
       These refer to learners who are different in some way from the normal or average. Most of these learners require a lot of understanding and patience as well as special education and related services if they are to reach their full potential and development.
  1. Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities
  2. Learning Disabilities
  3. Intellectual Differences (Gifted and Talented)
  4. Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
  5. Visual Impairment
  6. Hearing Impairment
  7. Oral Communication Problems
  8. Orthopedic Impairments
Other Factors
  1. Gender
  2. Racial, ethnic or cultural background
  3. Socioeconomic status

Applications in Teaching and Learning Process
  1. Encourage learners to share their personal history and experiences.
  2.  Integrate learning experiences and activities which promote students’ multicultural and cross-cultural awareness.
  3. Aside from highlighting diversity, identify patterns of unity than transcend group differences.
  4. Communicate high expectations to students from all sub-groups.
  5. Use varied instructional methods to accommodate student diversity in learning styles and multiple intelligences.
  6. Vary the examples you use to illustrate concepts in order to provide multiple contexts that are relevant to students from diverse backgrounds.
  7. Adapt to the students’ diverse backgrounds and learning styles by allowing them personal choice and decision-making opportunities concerning what they learn and how will they learn from it.
  8. Diversify your methods of assessing and evaluating student learning
  9. Purposely, form small-discussion groups of students from diverse backgrounds: different learning styles, multiple intelligences, different cultural background, etc.
 (This was actually my report in one of my graduate school classes but I wasn't able to give it due to time constraints...hehehe)

About Me: My Aeta Community Experience

          It has been awhile since I posted something. I have been "busy" these days...hehehe...Anyway, I would like to go away from my usual posts about education topics. Let me share to you more about me, my personal experiences and glimpses of my life (As if someone's interested...who cares?...lol). This is my first "personal experience" post, and I hope that you will learn a bit from this....
This is me???

My classmates...

  My experience with an Aeta community for at least half a day has given me a lot of insights not only as a SPED student or as an educator but as a person as well.
                I personally admired how simple their lives are, how they easily find joy on the things that we usually take for granted. I really felt how happy they were, most especially the children, on the things we had brought to them. This made me realize that they may have less in life, but this doesn’t mean that they are pitiful.
                As an educator, I was a bit alarmed by the fact that most of children, if not all, are lagged in terms of getting the right education. One of them for instance is already 14 years old yet is still in Grade 1. Compared to regular school children, they may be considered delayed, educationally and mentally. I also thought that maybe this was due to various factors, poverty as one of the major reasons.
I just grabbed this photo from one of my classmates...hehehe...maam che and sir richard guest appearance in my famous blog...wahahahahaha....

Also, I reflected that to be a SPED educator, I learned that I can come across with families with diverse backgrounds, including difference in socioeconomic status, ethnicity, culture etc. Therefore, I must be more sensitive, prepared, aware, and all the attributes needed in order for me to develop a healthy and collaborative relationship with these families and in order to employ the best instruction possible to my students with special needs.
(Honestly, this was my short reflection paper in one of my courses in SPED. Maam Lizz, you know who you are. I sent my reflection to your email but I haven't received any reply from you. I hope that you have received it. And if not, please contact me through fb...ok????)

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Alternative Blog

i HAVE AN ALTERNATE BLOG...THIS TIME...MORE PERSONAL...I hope you will also visit it...it is more appealing and cool,...
The address is http://jlosabia.blogspot.com/
Please visit it...ok....

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Special Education

Hello...
To share a little bit of me, I am currently taking my masters in special education. I decided to take this major because I personally believe that learning is most needed for those children with special needs. I hate the stigma being given to them by the public that they are useless and worthless because of their disability.

I strongly uphold that there is a hundred percent hope in every child. Every child can be successful and productive given ample guidance and instruction.

But wait...why am I dramatically discussing this?Hehehe...Actually this is just my introduction for a new series of posts that I will be discussing coming these days. I will be talking about special education, most especially about the different exceptionalities. I will also discuss educational adaptation that can be given among these individuals. Remember that as teachers, aware or unaware, we can never avoid encountering these students, so I hope my posts will be of good use to you.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

World Teachers Day!!! Happy Teachers Day!!!

        This day is for one of the greatest people on earth------Teachers!!! To all my teachers, who molded me and even to those who have given me heartaches...I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I know I can never surpass you...you know why? Because I will always be your student...no matter what...
       Today is the World Teachers Day. Just to make this post "informative", let me share to you a little bit of history of this occasion. The idea of celebrating "Teachers Day" started in India, in reverence to its great teacher, Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. On the other hand, World Teachers Day celebrated every October 5, started since1994, signifying the important role of teachers especially in molding and developing humankind. This is supported by UNESCO and Education International, and has been recognized and celebrated by over 100 countires worldwide.
          Let us not forget our teachers. They are just there, in our old classrooms waiting for us to visit them. They may not be perfect, but let us always remember how they have painstakingly and patiently taught us, saving us from ignorance and learnlessness.

Friday, October 1, 2010

New Blog Feature

I added a new widget in my blog. If ever you will find an unfamiliar word in my posts, you can actually double click it and a defintion from AnswerIt.com will appear. Nice one right? hehehe...
Since the next LET will be on April the next year, I will still continue posting especially about education perhaps more on lesson plan templates, tips for teachers, teaher empowerment. Maybe I will also include my interest in Special Education, Abnormal Psychology and Psychopathology. Just enjoy reading and continue visiting this blog. Thanks and God Bless us All!!!