August 17, 2013

! Gender ! Race ! Ethnic or cultural Background ! Socioeconomic status ! Thinking/Learning Style ! Exceptionalities

! Students self-awareness is enhanced by diversity.

! Exposing students to diverse experiences and backgrounds sharpen assessment of their values, attitudes, and behaviors.

! Student diversity contributes to cognitive development.

! William Brennan: The classroom is a marketplace of ideas.

! Student diversity prepares learners for their role as members of the society.
! The classroom can become a public place where community can be practiced.

! Student diversity can promote harmony.

! Through student-centered strategies, diverse students can be encouraged to interact and collaborate with one another, on learning tasks that emphasize unity of effort while capitalizing on their diversity of backgrounds.

! Encourage learners to share their personal history and experiences. ! Integrate learning experiences and activities that promote students multicultural awareness. ! Identify patterns that transcend group differences ! Communicate high students to students from all subgroups ! Use varied instructional methods to accommodate student diversity in learning styles. ! Vary the examples you illustrate ! Diversify your methods of assessment and evaluation of student learning.

! COGNITIVE or ACDEMIC DIFFICULTIES

! ADHD- is manifested either or both of these: (1) difficulty in focusing and maintaining attention and (2) recurrent hyperactive and impulsive behavior. ! Speech & Communication Disorders- difficulty in spoken language or to produce sounds correctly, stuttering, etc. ! Emotional/Conduct Disorders involve the presence of emotional states like depression ! Autism is a condition manifested by different levels of impaired social interaction and communication, repetitive behaviors, and limited interests.

! COGNITIVE or ACADEMIC DIFFICULTIES

!MENTAL RETARDATION refers to a significant subaverage intelligence and deficits in adaptive behavior.

! PHYSICAL DISABILITIES & HEALTH IMPAIREMENTS

!Severe and Multiple Disabilities !Visual Impairments !Hearing Impairments !Giftedness

! DYSLEXIA difficulty with language processing and its impact on reading, writing, and spelling. ! DYSGRAPHIA difficulty with writing, spelling and formulation of written composition ! DYSCALCULIA difficulty with math skills and impacts math computation. ! DYSPRAXIA difficulty with motor planning, and impacts upon a persons ability to coordinate body movements.

! SENSING-THINKING or MASTERY LEARNER prefers to learn by seeing tangible results, practicing what he has learned, following directions one step a time, being active rather than passive. This type of learner learns best from drill, demonstration, practice, and hands-on experience. ! INTUITIVE-THINKING or UNDERSTANDING LEARNER prefers to learn by studying about ideas and how things are related, planning and carrying out a project of his own making and interest, arguing or debating a point, etc. He learns best from lectures, reading, and logical discussions and debate.

! SENSING-FEELING or INTERPERSONAL LEARNER prefers to learn by studying about things that directly affect peoples lives rather than impersonal facts or theories, receiving personal attention and encouragement from his teachers, being part of a team-collaborating with other students. He learns best from experiences and projects, personal expression, and roleplaying. ! INTUITIVE-FEELING or SELF-EXPRESSIVE LEARNER prefers to learn by being creative and using his imagination, planning and organizing, working his own creative ways. He learns best from creative and artistic activities, open-ended discussions, of personal and social values.

! Condition #1: Similarity between two learning situations ! Principle: The more similar the situations are, the greater the chances that learning from one situation will be transferred to other situation. ! Implication: Involve students in learning situations and tasks that are similar as possible to the situations where they apply the tasks.

! Condition 2: Degree of Meaningfulness/Relevance of Learning ! Principle: Meaningful learning leads to greater than rote learning ! Implication: Remember to provide opportunities for learners to link new materials to what they have learned in the past.

! Condition #3: Length of Instructional Time ! Principle: The longer the time spent for instruction, the greater the probability of transfer ! Implication: To ensure transfer, teach a few topics in depth rather tackled in a shallow manner.

! Condition #4: Variety of Learning Experiences ! Principle: Exposure to many and varied examples and opportunities for practice to encourage transfer. ! Implication: Illustrate new concepts and principles with a variety of examples.

! Condition #5: Context for Learners Experiences ! Principle: Transfer of Learning is most likely to happen when learners discover that what they learned is applicable to various contexts. ! Implication: Relate topic in one subject to topics in other subjects or disciplines. Relate it also to real life situations.

! Condition #6: Focus on Principles rather than Tasks ! Principle: Principles transfer easier than facts ! Implication: Zero in on principles related to each topic together with strategies based on those principles.

! Condition #7: Emphasis on metacognition ! Principle: Student reflection improves transfer of learning ! Implication: Encourage students to take responsibility for their own learning, and to reflect on what they have learned.

Torrance has been known as the FATHER OF CREATIVITY

! FLUENCY refers to the production of a great number

of ideas or alternate solutions to a problem. It implies understanding, not just remembering information that is learned.
! KEY WORDS: compare, convert, define, explain, identify, label, list, etc. ! Application Activities: ! Trace a picture and label the parts. ! List 15 things that are commonly red or contain red.

! FLEXIBILITY refers to the production of ideas that

show a variety of possibilities or realms of thought. It involves the ability to see things from different points of view or to use many approaches or strategies.
! KEY WORDS: change, demonstrate, interpret, etc. ! Application Activities: ! How would you feel if you were invisible for a day? ! What would happen if there were no automobiles?

! ELABORATION is the process of enhancing

ideas by providing more details. Additional details improve interest in, and understanding of the topic.
!KEY WORDS: appraise, critique, determine, evaluate, judge !Application Activity: ! Tell your neighbor about your last family trip using as many details as possible.

! ORIGINALITY involves the production of ideas

that are unique or unusual. It involves synthesis or putting information about a topic back together.
!KEY WORDS: compose, create, design, reorganize, etc. !Application Activity: ! What would be the strangest way to get out of the bed?

! Dont be afraid to fall in love with something

and pursue it with intensity.

! Know, understand, take pride in, practice, develop, or enjoy your greatest strengths. ! Learn to free yourself from the expectations of others and to walk away from the games they impose on you. ! Find a great teacher or a mentor who will help you. ! Dont waste your energy trying to be well-rounded. ! Do what you love and can do well.

! Teachers should be not be like the DEAD SEA that receives only water but never gives away. Teachers should be like the SEA OF GALILEE. Its full of life. It receives water from the Jordan River and readily gives away. Teachers receive but give away and share what they receive with others.