personnel professional case studies, along with question and answer periods, where the students can share thir life experiences. this allows students to get to know each other on a less imposing setting.
Finding out the typer of learner the student is. If a student is an audio learner it is easier for them to listen to the materiel. I hhave heard that allowing an audio learner to draw while listening helps them to retain more information.
by using visual tactile, and auditory things in class I am able to capture their learning styles. if someone has difficulty in listening I have used a recorder for them in class to listen to course content.
I work at a votech school and fortunately most of our training is done hands on which is usually not such a stumbling block to learning needs students like trying top learn more esoteric subjects like law or inorganic chemistry.
For students who do have problems I always try to relate the subject to this that they are familiar with in their life experiences.
I think this helps them learn and retain the information
Startegies I have used and have had some sucess is vocaabulary recognition then spelling tests to test competency. I also give homework that has the student find the defintion of each word then at the end of the week I have the student match the definition with the vocabulary term. The most important part of this for long term memory is repetion, repetion, repetion
More hands on training, giving them lecture notes or preforming and recording demos of lectures when applicable.
Michael,
this is a great idea & you are right that the hands on is very appropriate for many of the students in the various trades.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I teach at several universities online, and my strategies have been different based on the university and their requirements. For some, I have to allow the student additional time to submit their assignment because of the university policy. In other situations, I have provided the students information on resources that they have that will help them with their disabilities. I have also assisted them as much as possible by being their to answers questions and guide them in the correct direction.
Simone,
these are all great examples of meeting the student where they are & doing what is possible to help them be successful.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
The first thing I did when I had a student who identified herself as being learning disabled was to have her obtain a copy of her IEP from the high school she attended. This was a good document to review regarding identifying her specific learning disability, and what was done initially to help her learn.
Having this document in my possession made it easier to work with the college to provide her with extra time on her tests, as well as a scribe and reader.
Our program provided her with videos to watch that correlated with the written material. Extra help in the clinic and didactic portions of her degree awarding program and remediation were provided as well.
Today she has passed the first portion of her licensing exams and is studying for the next part. She has successfully graduated the program, despite initially stating she thought she was going to drop out.
I have used study guides to give them material to study and focus the particulars of the test versus intaking all the information for a short time
Keeping the student engaged in all activities and discussions at all times.
Making sure at all times that they are understanding the material by getting individualized feedback on any problems or concerns.
I provide at least one hour if not two hours per week of group academic coaching for anyone interested in coming. I amke it mandatory for students who are doing poorly. We also have an academic success center on campus where coaches can help with all types of learning and studying needs.
Jenny,
this is a great idea as it shows your willingness to help your students.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
There nearly always is a wide variety of background and ability for my students in Algebra or Statistics. I'm constantly breaking concepts into the smallest possible bits of information--whether the terminology being used or a formula or the steps needed to get the answer. there are a few authors/books that use a step-by-step approach
Patience! Often I've had students that language and learning issues in the same course. Remembering that this is a challenge for them and patiently taking them step by step has been key.
Angelica,
great reminder to have that patience & seek to help our students in any way possible.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Pneumonic devices for association have worked very well.
Also, explaining the meaning of certain vocabulary words when I can identify that a student is not familiar with such.
At my school we have a number of English language learners. Often they face many obstacles when reading literature in English. Most literature is culture bound. We expect students to have prior knowledge of literary genres such as fairy tales, myths, legends, and tall tales. If the teacher has not activated prior knowledge or built background information, knowing the vocabulary will not solve the problem. ELLs may be able to read the words but it doesn't mean they will understand the text. They are not aware of information that the author left unsaid; the information that "everyone knows."
