09-22-2008 Chapter 5: Individual Learning Differences

What?

Learning differences. We all learn differently so it's important for us as educators to be aware of the many different styles and methods to teach concepts. If we know a student in our class has a disability of some type, or that a student learns best in a specific way, we should do our best to prepare our materials in a way that will be beneficial to them as well as the other students. I know that it would be impossible to cater to the learning needs of every single student, but in an ideal situation we will have many aids and teachers in our class who can help us to teach concepts in many ways.

So What?

This is so important because there are endless possiblities for students and their learning needs. The more aware we are of these abilities and learning styles, the more equipped we will be to educate these students in the most effective way for them.

Now What?

Now I will do all I can to familiarize myself with different disabilities I will most likely be faced with in my classroom. In one of the classes I am an aid for now, we have several disabilities that I am able to be exposed to. I really feel it has been beneficial because I have learned so much about students and their abilities that I would not have otherwise known. The more time I spend with these kids and learning about them, the more I love them.