Teaching A Diversity of Students

CHAPTER 3: TEACHING DIVERSE

STUDENTS

Linel Lamberty Nieves

EDPE 4245

OBJECTIVES

Learn about the student diversity in our classrooms and schools.

Understand and learn about the differences that exist among our students.

Learn how to overcome these differences within the teaching environment.

STUDENT DIVERSITY

Student Diversity

Socioeconomic

Background

Cultural Backgrou

nd

Gender

InterestsSexual

Preference

Development

Difference

Personality

Learning Style

Learning Aptitude

SOCIOECONOMIC DIFFERENCES

The problem: In America over 17 percent of the children live below

the line of poverty. These students are more likely to:

have medical and dental problems engage in sexual activity at an early age be involved in crime, violence and drug abuse

The solution:Teaching Low SES (socioeconomic status) Youth-

Fundamentals to help the children that live in poverty. • Early intervention by community and school• Generate a sense of efficacy in the child• Promote the children’s achievement

CULTURAL DIFFERENCES

The problem:Being a minority student together with having a low

socioeconomic status.Minorities may encounter at American schools is that

school policies are more American standardized, an example can be that minorities may be more likely to work on groups and Americans may be more based on competitive learning.

The solution:Teaching Minority Students- Teachers should learn to

respect and encourage healthy diversity within the school and classroom environment.

Bilingual Education Act (federal law)- this law sponsors programs that, in the early grades, build upon a child’s native language and then gradually introduce English in second or third grade.

GENDER DIFFERENCES The problem:

How different or how similar boys and girls are within the teaching environment.

Males and females are most different in motor performance.

The solution:Teaching for Gender Equality- creating a classroom with

the same opportunities for girls as well as for boys. Things to think about when teaching in a classroom:

Will you ensure that boys and girls have equal chances to participate?

Will you call on and talk with both equally? Will you ask both the same kind and difficulty of questions? Will you give boys and girls the same amount of time to

answer questions? Will you reward and discipline both to the same degree?

GENDER DIFFERENCESGirls Boys

Better interpreting a teacher’s facial expressions Hearing is less sensitive to a female’s teacher voice

Less attuned to movement More attuned to movement

More aware of color and texture More aware of location, speed and direction

Find things by using visual landmarks Ex. It is near the coffee shop

Find things by using direction and distanceEx. It is north about one-half mile

More able to write and talk about emotion More likely to take risks and disobey

Underestimate their ability Overestimate their ability

Less aggressive, more friendly More attracted to violence and conflict and more aggressive

Their friendship are spent talking, sharing secrets, and going places

Friendship among boys revolve around a common interest

Likely would seek for help Less likely to seek help with schoolwork

Would study not mattering the subject Less likely to study when they find the subject uninteresting

They do not work well under these circumstances

More motivated to work when there is stress and time constraint

SEXUAL PREFERENCE DIFFERENCES

The problem:When teaching adolescents we as teachers should be

aware of their concerns about sexual orientation. Teachers should engage in the task of getting to know

the students and orient them and their preferences.Adolescent gays and lesbians suffer the rejection and

stigmatization from their close ones and even the physical abuse, as well as name calling from their class or school mates, this ending in a higher risk of failure and even suicide.

The solution: It is recommended that sexuality should be discussed

since elementary levels in order to be more tolerant with the differences and to ensure a safer school environment.

DEVELOPMENTAL DIFFERENCES

Each student differs from each other according to an age range and within that range from each other as well.

There are psychosocial, cognitive and moral differences. Each student must have effective instruction according

to their developmental stage. Psychosocial Development

We must facilitate more positive traits to our students so that they can develop a healthier personality.

Snowman and Biehler (2005)suggest that in order to help our students we should

not shame them not censure them for their questions and answers rewarding their accomplishments encouraging self-competition and cooperation helping them to accept their appearance who they are to reflect on their sex roles explore and confirm their occupational choice.

DEVELOPMENTAL DIFFERENCESCOGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT

Sensorimotor

(birth – 2 years)

Preoperational

(2 – 7 years)

Concrete Operational(7 – 11 years)

Formal Operational

(11 years –

up)

DEVELOPMENTAL DIFFERENCES

Moral Development

According to Piaget children are capable of two types of moral reasoning.

Morality of Constraint- that they regard rules as sacred and unchangeable, meaning that everyone should obey rules in the same way with no exceptions.

Morality of Cooperation- (this by 12-year-olds) they believe that rules are flexible and that there can be exceptions to them.

PERSONALITY DIFFERENCES

Temperamental Differences Temperament – the different ways a person has of thinking,

behaving and reacting. This is shaped by other people and events in students’ lives.

This combine into 3 types of temperament types:

Easy or flexible childrenDifficult, active or feisty childrenSlow to warm up or cautious children

Self-Discipline Differences Self-discipline and self-denial vary widely among

students. These traits are more notable among students that

are willing to continue the learning process; this by paying attention, completing assignments and generally applying themselves.

PERSONALITY DIFFERENCES

Temperament

Activity Rythm

icity

Approach/Withdraw

al

Adaptability

IntensityMood

Persistence

Distractibility

Sensory Threshol

d

LEARNING STYLE DIFFERENCES

Learning style preferences are differences in the way students prefer to learn.

Every student has a different rhythm and different styles of learning. What might be good to many might not be good to others.

Students differ in what they prefer to learn as well as on how they prefer to learn it.

Four of the ways students differ in learning styles are:Conceptual TempoField-Dependent versus Field-independent LearnersConvergent/Divergent ThinkingPerceptual Modality Preferences/Strengths

8 MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES BY GARDNER

1. Linguistic Intelligence-capacity to use language to express yourself and understand other people. (poets, writers, orator, speaker)

2. Logical-Mathematical Intelligence- a person that understands the underlying principals of some kind of a casual system. (scientist, mathematician, logician)

3. Spatial Intelligence- ability to represent the spatial world in your mind. (sailor, airplane pilot, anatomy, topology, sculptor, painter, architect)

4. Bodily Kinesthetic Intelligence- ability to use your hold body or parts of your body to solve a problem, make something, or put on some kind of a production. (athletes, performers, actors, dancers)

5. Musical Intelligence- capacity to think in music, to be able to hear patterns, recognize them, remember them, and manipulate them. (musicians, singers)

6. Interpersonal Intelligence- emotional, understanding other people. (teacher, clinician, salesperson, politician)

7. Intrapersonal Intelligence- having an understanding of yourself, of knowing who you are, what you can do, what you want to do, how you react to things, which things to avoid, and which things to gravitate towards.

8. Naturalist Intelligence- human ability to discriminate among living things (plants, animals) as well as sensitivity to other features of the natural world (clouds, rock configuration). (hunters, gatherers, farmers, botanist, chef)

LEARNING APTITUDE DIFFERENCES

Children with Exceptional Abilities or Special Needs

Gifted and Talented Learners and Underachievers Handicapped or Challenged Children AD/HD

Inattentive typeHyperactive-impulsive typeCombined type

Communication Disorders: Speech, Language and HearingLearning Disabilities

Mainstreaming Children with Special Needs

INTEREST DIFFERENCES

Try to meet the interest of learners.

Support children working within academic or vocational areas that they enjoy.

Learners perform differently according to their interests, motivations and cultural background.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TEACHERS

Our schools need teachers who will… Care about economically disadvantaged youth and be

willing to work with them. Accept, appreciate, and promote culturally specific

characteristics. Assist LEP learners. Improve minority student learning. Promote the best attributes of both genders in all children. Provide students with experiences that may help them

develop positive personalities. Take into account students’ levels of cognitive development

when teaching. Encourage growth in moral development. Show concern for and work with exceptional students. Allow for students’ learning, thinking and using their

multiple intelligences. Help students gain a feeling of efficacy or control over their

destinies.

QUESTIONS???

THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION