PART II – Differentiation and Accommodation
Lanusongla Lemtur (Special Educator)
Mark was always a restless boy growing up - restless to the point that it affected his performance in school. Teachers were always complaining that he never sat in one place or paid attention in class, never finished his class work in time, and was always disturbing his classmates. He was constantly getting scolded by adults for being a poor student who lacked any focus or dedication towards his studies. What they did not realise was that Mark tried his best to pay attention and remain still, but it didn’t seem to work. If only his teachers had realised that the persistent attention deficit and hyperactivity displayed by Mark were signs of a neurological condition he had no control over, maybe he might have had a chance at achieving his potential. Instead, Mark suffered low self-esteem all through his growing up years and now, as an adult, constantly struggles with the consequences. His job prospects are limited because he didn’t have the opportunity to really learn in school. His self-esteem is severely affected because of the constant belittling he was subjected to by people. Mark lacks the confidence to do anything, and believes himself to be useless. All students, especially those like Mark, should receive meaningful and impartial access to education through the curriculum they are taught.
A student’s right to education is being limited when the learning opportunities provided to them by the institutions, who have taken the responsibility for educating them, are insufficient. Parents should be concerned if the schools in which they trust their children to be educated are not actively fulfilling their duty. Parents should know that the commitment of every school is to educate every student, and not just the lucky ones who can easily memorise written notes. Learning opportunities are insufficient when we provide a learning environment where education is aimed only at that one type of student. The key question that needs to be addressed is - How can educational institutions and educators ensure that every learner, regardless of his/her unique capability, is engaged in the learning process, and is receiving ample stimulus that is conducive to learning? Implications of diversity in the classroom
The most successful teachers incorporate various methods to accommodate all types of learners – reading, listening and practical experience. Effective teachers especially include visual elements in their teaching strategies as visual references enable better comprehension and take root in the student’s long-term memory more easily. Looking at the statistical information provided below, we can see that the traditional methods of only lecturing and reading are the least effective methods of teaching. Imagine how many more students could have gotten that 1st or 2nd division achievement in Class 10 if only they had been taught with more care.
As mentioned earlier in ‘Part I – Diversity in the classroom’, every classroom has diverse learners. What are the implications of all this diversity in the classroom? Educators need to accommodate the differences (the diversity) that exist in the classroom by differentiating how we teach and educate.
This is called ‘differentiation’ in teaching – instead of a “one size fits all” approach, educators teach in ways that target the variety of learning styles and intelligences in the classroom population. Every single student would then be guaranteed actual learning. Granted, there will be both students who excel and those who are not in the top of the class. However, when we employ differentiated methods of teaching, the result is that every single student in the classroom will definitely learn some percentage of what is being taught. The ones who have been currently failing almost every subject or barely passing will be learning so much more when taught in a way that actually engages them as learners. The students who naturally do well in the classroom will continue to do so, regardless of the method of teaching. In fact, with differentiated teaching, they will enjoy the learning process even more.
Therefore, it is fair to say that the mark of an excellent teacher in a classroom of diverse students is when the high-achievers engage more deeply in what they are learning, while, at the same time, the weaker students have a better understanding of what is being taught. By developing and implementing teaching strategies that are aimed at diverse learners we can ensure that all students are getting equal opportunities to learn and excel. As educators, our core responsibility is – providing that equal opportunity to every student. The individual choices of students, beyond having received that equal opportunity for learning, is a different matter. We should be differentiating our teaching methods and accommodating all types of learners in order to make sure that no child is left behind. This means inclusion – when all children, irrespective of their family background, ethnicity, religion, or their varying abilities and interests, will receive what is due to them, i.e., an equal opportunity to learn.
