Factors that bring about student diversity
1. Socioeconomic Status – The millionaires' lifestyle differs from that of the middle
income or lower income group.
2. Thinking/ learning style – some of you learn better by seeing something ; others by
just listening and others by manipulating.
3. Exceptionalities – learning disabilities , mental retardation , sensory impairments ,
physical disabilities and health impairments , autism , emotional and behavioral
disorders.
Learning thinking styles – refers to the preferred way an individual processes
information.
- Learning style is usually described as a personality
dimension which influences one’s attitudes, values and
social interaction.
Sensory preferences
Visual learners
-these learners must see their teacher’s actions and facial expressions to fully understand the
content of the lesson.
Visual-iconic
-Those who prefer this form of input and are more interested in visual imagery such as film ,
graphic display or pictures . they learn best from visual aids , diagrams ,illustrated textbooks,
overhead transparencies ,videos , flipcharts , and handouts.
- Those who prefer this form of input have good “picture memory”
-they prefer to read a map than to read a book.
Visual-symbolic
-They tend to be good abstract thinkers who do not require practical means for learning.
Auditory learners
-They learn best through verba lectures ,discussions , talking things through and listening to
what others have to say.
-they interpret the underlying meanings or speech through listening to tone of voice ,pitch ,
speed and other nuances.
-written information have little meaning until it is heard.
Two categories of AUDITORY LEARNERS
1. LISTERNERS – They remember the things said to them and make the information their
own .
2. TALKERS – Prefer to talk and discuss . They often find themselves talking to those
around them .
The tactile or kinesthetic learners
-Those preferring this form of input move toward active sensorimotor learning
Global-Analytic continuum
-according to Mckinney (2011) , The Dunn and Dunn learning styles model were developed
in 1960 by professors Rita and Kenneth Dunn . Under the psychological domain, the brain
process information based on the right and left hemisphere dominance and that derived into
two learning styles which are the global and analytic styles.
- analytic thinkers tend toward the linear , step by step processes of learning . They are more
comfortable in a world of details and hierarchies of information .
-analytic learners are traditional learners . they focus on the facts and details before they can
understand the whole concept. They need to be seated in a quiet place with a bright light on.
They tend not to take their brakes.
- analytic thinkers prefer to study alone for numerous hours without being interrupted .They
develop successfully in a traditional classroom setting .
-global learners are bored memorizing facts and they would rather read experiences ,stories ,
and anecdotes .They prefer to work on multiple tasks all at the same time.
-global learners need to comprehend the concepts before they begin focusing on the
details .They appreciate short stories ,humor and anecdotes . They actively participate when
the information is related to their lives.
Learners with exceptionalities
-person who are different in some way from the “normal” or “average”
-those with special needs related to cognitive abilities ,behavior ,social functioning , physical
and sensory impairments , emotional disturbances and giftedness.
CATEGORIES OF EXCEPTIONALITIES
Learning disabilities – involve difficulties in specific cognitive processes like
perception ,language , memory or metacognition that are due to other disabilities,like mental
retardation ,emotional or behavioral disorders or sensory impairments .
Ex. of learning disabilities:
Dyslexia (reading)
Dyscalculia (number operations)
Dysgraphia (writing)
ATTENTION-DEFECIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER (ADHD)
(1) Difficulty in focusing and maintaining attention
(2) Recurrent hyperactive and impulsive behavior
SPEECH AND COMMUNICATION DISORDER- difficulty in spoken language including
voice disorders , inability to produce the sounds ,correctly ,stuttering , difficulty in spoken
language comprehension that significantly hamper classroom performance.
SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL DIFFICULTIES
Autism-condition manifested by different levels of impaired social interaction and
communication ,repetitive behaviors and limited interest .
-usually have an intense need for routine and a predictable environment
Mental Retardation- significant sub-average intelligence and deficits in adaptive
behavior .There is difficulty in managing activities of daily living and conducting themselves
appropriately in social situations.
Emotional/conduct disorders-involves the presence of emotional states like depression and
aggression over considerable amount of time that they notably disturb learning performance.
Physical disabilities and health impairments - involves physical or medical condition
(usually long-term) including the more of these :
(1) Limited energy and strength
(2) Reduced mental alertness and /or
(3) Little muscle control
Severe and multiple disabilities – presence of two or more different types of disability ,at
times at a profound level . the combination of disabilities makes it necessary to make specific
adaptations and have more specialized educational programs.
Sensory impairments
Visual impairments – when there is malfunction of the eyes or optic nerves that prevent
normal vision even with corrective lens.
Hearing impairments -malfunction of the ear or auditory nerves that hinders perception of
sounds within the frequency range of normal speech.
Giftedness- Significantly high level of cognitive development .
-there is unusually high ability or aptitude in one or more of these aspects ;
intellectual ability , aptitude in academic subject ,creativity ,visual or performing arts or
leadership.
People-first language- this language trend ivolves putting the person first , not the disability
Example; a person with a disability not a disabled person)
People first language tells us what conditions people have ,not what they are .
*avoid generic labels (people with mental retardation is preferable to the mentally retarded )
*Emphasizing abilities ,not limitations (for instance uses a wheel chair is preferable to
confined to a wheelchair
*avoiding Euphemisms (such as physically challenged ) wich are regarded as
condescending and avoid the real issues that result from a disability and
*avoiding implying illness or suffering (had polio is preferable to is a polio victim )
Howard Gardner’s Multiple intelligence Theory
-was first publish in Howard Gardner’s Book “Frames of mind” (1983) and quickly became
established as a classical model by wich to understand and teach many aspects of human
intelligence ,learning style ,personality and behavior in education industry
- He developed his ideas and theory on multiple times as a contribution to
psychology ,however ,Gardner’s theory was soon embraced by education, teaching and
training communities ,for whom the appeal was immediate and irresistible – a sure sign that
Gardner had created a classic reference work and learning model .
People posses a set of intelligence – not just one type and level of intelligence . this was a
primary driver of Gardner’s thinking ; the fact ,or assertion ,that intelligence is not a single
scalable aspect of a person,s style and capability .
Intelligence is a mixture of several abilities (gardner explain eight intelligences, and allude to
others
The multiple intelligence (MI)
Verbal / liguistic intelligence
- Using the language to present your ideas ,to express
your feelings or to pursuade others
Logical /mathematical intelligence
-Reasoning,logical thinking :handling mathematical problems.
Visual / spatial intelligence
-creating / interpreting visual images ;thinking in three dimensions
Bodily/kinesthetic intelligence
-feeling and expressing things physically ;doing hands-on work
Musical/rhythmetic intellegence
-creating and feeling a rhythm to express a mood; dectecting and
analyzing musical themes
Intrapersonal intelligence
-(within the self) understanding your own interior thoughts and
feelings in a very clear way.
Interpersonal Intelligence
-(between people)understanding the feelings ,needs and purposes of
others
Naturalist intelligence
-understanding nature ,seeing patterns in the way nature works ;classifying
things
Teaching strategies guided by thinking /learning styles and multiple intelligence
