Sunday, May 19, 2013

Special Education and Differentiated Learners


                I have not had a lot of time in a special education classroom. I have taken a couple of special education classes that I felt were very beneficial to me. I learned about what takes place in special education classroom and strategies that are used to reach all types of learners. Although I have not had a lot of time in a special education classroom, the place I work hires people from Mainstream Living, which is a place that enhances the opportunities for people with disabilities. These people are the friendliest, most hard-working people I work with. They also always work with a smile and their happiness in contagious.
               
                Every student we teach is going to be unique. They are all going to have different learning paces, styles, and abilities. It is the teacher’s job to be able to identify and meet the needs of all learners. It is the students’ right to receive equal education opportunities. While a concept might click right away for some students, it might take extra time to reach other students. Teaching concepts in different styles and providing learning materials can help meet the needs of differentiated learners. Another way is to do both large-group and small-group learning. Students can learn a lot from each other. Finally, teachers should continuously be assessing the students on what they know. This is so the teacher can identify what the students know and what the teacher needs to review with the class and approach it in a different way.

1 comment:

  1. You mentioned re-teaching and instructing in a variety of ways. I think this is key for students who may not be identified for services also. Varied instruction, practice, and learning can benefit all students. Students seem to be more apt at communicating with each other, especially with abstract comments, so having them interact and collaborate is great for differentiated learning also. Great points!

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