Prior MATLT Activity of Program Learning Outcome
Principles and Theory Chosen and Why
Challenges and How Were Overcome
Solving Problems
Conclusion
Original
Supporting
the Needs of All Learners
According
to Richard M. Felder and Rebecca Brent (2005), students have different levels
of motivation, different attitudes about teaching and learning, and different
responses to specific classroom environments and instructional practices. When
instructors thoroughly understand the differences, they will have a better
chance of meeting the diverse learning needs of all their students. Therefore,
three categories of diversity that have been shown to have important
implications for teaching and learning are differences in students’ learning styles
(characteristic ways of taking in and processing information); approaches to
learning (surface, deep, and strategic); and intellectual development levels
(attitude about the nature of knowledge and how it should be acquired and
evaluated).
First, personal
experiences and learning in prior courses have enhanced my knowledge in
understanding the importance of designing, in order to, to support the needs of
all students. As educators, it is important to understand that not all students
learn on the same level, nor do all students have the same learning styles.
They have different backgrounds, strengths, weaknesses, interests, levels of
motivation, and approaches to the learning environment. However, teaching methods vary. Some teachers
mainly lecture, while others model instruction or activities using a variety of
tools to meet the needs of all learners. Students may be auditory leaners,
visual leaners, and kinesthetic learners, therefore, learning styles are
definitely different since students are diverse learners in the learning
environment. As an educator I learned to
incorporate the use of differentiated instruction in the learning environment
to provide opportunities for all learners. For instance, in my place of employment, we review test scores, observations
and assessments to assess students’ progress on an academic task and we are
able to pin- point the student’s strength and weaknesses.
Second, we, as educators, have utilized a variety of teaching tools and
instructional strategies which can be used for delivering learning experiences.
Some of these include, the Internet, Computers, videos, Power Points, blogs,
and Smart Boards in the classroom environment. The results from those
observations, assessments and feedbacks, in the classroom, have aided in
improving our performances, skills, and behavioral issues. In addition, students
and teachers were both beneficial in the end results of data collected.
Likewise, there is a great appreciation for the feedback received in these
situations. As an educator, it helps to build on the classroom instructional
strategies, as well as, help students improve their academic process. This
method, not only, improves my way of bringing the lesson to my students, but it
helps me to be able to do interventions to make sure all of my students’ needs
are being met.
The main
challenge I faced with this assignment is the fear and uncertainty. As a student, I can truly understand how my
students feel when there is that burden of not knowing or do not get the
correct understanding of an assignment. Since my course of study, I have gained
a lot of knowledge and understanding of using educational technology for the
learning environment. I love working with my hands, and redesigning one of my
prior assignments.
This
sounds wonderful and would be absolutely grand if there were no doubts. However,
I chose to make a Power Point on a lesson at my place of employment, where I
work with Pre-K students. In this lesson, we are teaching them about the plant
life cycle, which happens to be pumpkins. It’s that time of the year when our
students get excited about Halloween. Based on this, I read back over my
principles and theories to see if they were in line with the activity that I
chose for this assignment. I could clearly see the connection with the
assignment and the redesigned Power Point of the Connect Dot Activity that I used
with the students. I, also, was able to
discover the need to keep students more engaged in the activity for learning
purposes rather than allowing them to think it was for pleasure or fun. The
lesson was all about the students understanding of how plants grow.
In
conclusion, the personal experiences and learning in prior courses have given
me more knowledge and understanding of the importance of designing instructional
strategies to support the needs of all students. I am coming away from this
course of study with an understanding that not all students learn the same way
nor do they share the same learning styles. I am leaving this course with an
understanding that instructional strategies must meet the needs of all learners
regardless of their ethnicity. As an educator I gained a broader knowledge of
incorporating different instructional strategies in the learning environment to
provide opportunities for all learners.
REFERENCE
REFERENCE
Richard
M. Felder & Rebecca Brent (2005). Understanding Student Differences. Journal of
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