Who are your Diverse Learners?
Students with learning disabilities; students who have higher ability; students who have lower ability; students who have hearing impairments, students who have visual impairments, students who have physical impairments,students who have emotional problems, students who have ADHD, students who have ABI (acquired brain injury); students who are visual learners; students who are auditory learners; students whose primary language is not English; students of different religions; students of different ethnicity; students from different geographical regions; students from single parent homes; the list of diverse learners could go on and on. Each of us comes to the table with such a complex background that we are all, in one way or another diverse learners.
Think about the students you teach in your classroom. What do you do or can you do to meet the needs of diverse learners.
I think the profession of Occupational Therapy is a great foundation for teaching. Our basic educational process is founded in psychology, diverse learning, learning to work with individuals with varied diagnosis, critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills. There is no set “cookbook” for treatment and we are required to look at all of the possibilities for our clients. I feel that I am repeating myself, but we are a new program. Developing and implementing the curriculum has required that we meet all of the needs of our students. An example would be ensuring the summer courses are online so that the students from the rural communities can continue with their livelihood if they are ranchers or farmers. Developing a curriculum that can be completed on a full-time or part-time basis. Some individuals may be single working parents and can not allow for a full-time school schedule. All of our courses are web assisted to allow for additional and expansive learning opportunities. The curriculum includes lecture, laboratory, fieldtrips, Clinical Fieldwork, not exclusive of the aforementioned. According to “Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education” (ACOTE) the following must be met to ensure that programs are accredited.
| B.1.5. | Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of human development throughout the life span (infants, children, adolescents, adults, and elderly persons). Course content must include, but is not limited to, developmental psychology. |
| B.1.6. | Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the concepts of human behavior to include the behavioral and social sciences (e.g., principles of psychology, sociology, abnormal psychology). |
| B.1.7. | Demonstrate knowledge and appreciation of the role of sociocultural, socioeconomic, and diversity factors and lifestyle choices in contemporary society (e.g., principles of psychology, sociology, and abnormal psychology). |
| B.1.8. | Articulate the influence of social conditions and the ethical context in which humans choose and engage in occupations. |
| B.1.9. | Demonstrate knowledge of global social issues and prevailing health and welfare needs. |
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Are you creating Multicultural lessons, Multiple Intelligence Projects, and/or specific assistive technologies for students with special needs?
Our accreditation requires that we provide education in regard to cultural systems. Spring 2011 Semester there was a section that provided education and resources for diverse cultures. This provided i.e. culture, religious components that may be pertinent to a specific culture, behaviors/customs, thoughts/attitudes pertinent to healthcare, mannerisms, food preferences, holidays, dress, physical/personal contact (i.e. such as looking or not looking someone directly in the eye, shaking hands, speaking to one member of the family first etc), changes that have occurred within cultures over the past 50-100 years, dress/clothing, attitudes in regard to beginning of life/end of life issues, roles of the members of said societies/cultures, work ethics, attitudes/behaviors in regard to leisure, attitudes/customs of medicine/healers/herbs etc. and other as indicated.
The interesting component of developing this lecture and resource file for the students, that the students were able to add to the resource. We have some many different “cultures” within our geographic area. Rural vs. Suburban vs. Urban, think about all of the differences there are within this part of our state, country.
Our world has become so much “smaller” and another trend that was present with this research was that so many cultures are becoming much more westernized. An example of this would be, Asian cultures that have always revered their elderly. Asians that have moved to the United States are beginning to change this tradition to the more Western custom of elderly are not as respected and/or revered. In the Italian Culture, the younger generation took care of the elderly, but due to the decrease in birth rate and economic factors, the older Italians now need to hire caretakers. These caretakers generally are from other countries.
Again, there are so many changes that are occurring, the cultures/traditions seem to be more generic versus their uniqueness that has been present for generations.
Multiple Intelligence is incorporated to all aspects of the curriculum. This is accomplished through the LMS System and the delivery methods. This allows the students to be able to utilize the LMS System during lecture and lab. The LMS System has all of the power points, videos, resources, references, assignments, rubrics, competency checkout etc. This information is also available throughout the curriculum. If someone needs to go beack and reference a certain subject or technique it is available to them. How does all of this address Multiple Intelligence, all students can access this prior to the class, during class/lab, after class and ongoing. Someone maybe a faster learner than others and therefore, they can work ahead or not require as much time to learn a specific area. Those that require repetitive learning techniques, it is all available to them. Those that are visual, auditory learners also have their options.
The assistive technologies that are available include but are not exclusive of LMS system, iPod Touch, smartphones, laptops, and PC’s. This fall semester we have purchased technology for decreased vision, decreased coordination, EZEE mouse systems and voice activated software. I think that it will be a great challenge to learn these systems and then to put them into practice. This will assist the students not only in the classroom, but when they are in their fieldwork settings and clinicians in the future.
Reflective Journal
The reading materials that were provided identified seven separate human capacities: musical, verbal, physical, interpersonal, visual, logical, intrapersonal. And not all of them, including the category he added years later -- naturalistic -- could be easily evaluated by the standard measuring stick of the time: the IQ test. http://www.edutopia.org/multiple-intelligences-introduction?gclid=CPLwhP7h2poCFRo8kgodH2Dh2Q I believe that these are very important aspects of education and learning. I know that for myself, I am a very visual learner. Due to that I have to challenge myself in teaching that I provide not only visual components but all of the other areas. I also impart student active participation at all levels of the educational process. I think that spoon feeding is such a disservice to all in this process. Yes, there initially may need to be some spoon feeding but the ultimate goal is critical thinking and clinical reasoning.
The decision making process is not always a conscience decision, but it may be an innate process. Have you or someone you know come up with an answer to a solution, but may not be able to explain how they came to that decision? The is that innate process that occurs. Some individuals are natural communicators and others have to work at it.
Due to all of the differences, I really try hard to bring out the students most natural abilities. Though, also increase their awareness of those abilities that are not as natural and nurture those.
If the aforementioned is implemented then we are meeting, nurturing all of those diverse needs. Our awareness has be paramount in the educational environment to address and meet all of these needs.
Identify how providing technologies or resources for your students could enhance your lessons. (Think about all students, the ones you have right now and the students you might have in the future. Consider the dilemmas in applying what is known from research to the needs of your students. Research the cost of the technology (if any) and ideas for future implementation in the classroom and add a reflection on this to your blog.)
I realize this is redundant, this new program has been very fortunate to have had the financial support to obtain 90% of the equipment and technology for a state of the art program. The cost of equipment and supplies has been close to $70,000.00. Remodeling of space with all of the current educational technology will be close to $250,000. I could provide you with the details, but it is an extensive document that has each item, specifications, cost etc. There is little that will not be provided for the program. This will allow the student to be well prepared to enter their profession as generalist – occupational therapy assistants.
This is a very supportive, creative environment that will not only serve the current needs of the students, but also future generations of students and clinicians.
