Get Your Students Hired
The accommodations listed in module #4 can be beneficial to instructors with or without students with learning disabilities. They actually are terrific ways we can be helpful to all students in terms of facilitating higher learning. There were several great hints on keep the students focused on key themes.
I haven't really had a student that has a had learning disiability as of yet that I know of but I know that I would give them every chance and do what is needed to help them. Now we do have student with a physical disiability, I treat her the same as anyone else but when needed I do extend some extra help.
Powerpoint presentations used properly can have a positive impact on students with learning challenges. The use of bullets to emphasize important material, using only 2-3 points per slide and spacing between points help to focus attention and assist encoding information to memory. Giving students with difficulties more time to read each slide or giving them an outline can also help
They shift the modality of learning and utilize different ways for the student to access the curriculm. For me as an instructor, by changing up the manner in which the curriculm is presented I find myself more interested and engaged.
I do the same thing on my first day of class. I want all of my students to succeed and truly believe that students in need of assistance have a right to the proper resources.
I agree, I like the suggestions used in the module to help accomodate students with disabilites. I think they wil be hepful in my classroom. I always have students that have a dissability with Math problems.
Hi David!
Sounds like you are very much aware of your student's needs.
I will often use colored boxes or colored circles, etc. to keep students focused.
Good job!
Jane davis
ED106 Facilitator
I agree there are several ways to accommadate those with learning disabilties that take just a a few moment of an instructors time. Several accomadataions were listed in module #4 but there are several others on the web that work better. Having worked with the disabled I find that they are sometimes shy and will not talk to the instructor on what s/he may need.
I am glad to see that several higher education instutions have incorporated a Special Needs or Accommadations to assist the disabled. This way the student does not have to go to each teacher and explain his/her accommadation.
In form 4 I also liked the idea of putting boxes around the question to keep the student focused. I have had several students that needed accommodations such as more time and me reading the test questions to them. They all do well in my class with this help.
I find it is critical to create a open forum, where no student feel aquward asking for help or any questions that they are thinking about. I always say that there is a good chance someone is either thinking the same thing.. or it opens the door to additional conversation on the subject matter.
Hi James!
Sounds like a good approach. I am curious, however, how many students provide you with the information? Are there other ways that an instructor can have this info in advance of class start?
Thanks,
Jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
In my class i ask on the first day for students who have any learning diabilities not to be afraid to ask for help. I tel them thaat they are in school to learn and they should use any means to do this. I tell them not to be cocerned with what other people say or think and that they are the ones in controll fo their own education.I give them my personal notes and try to cover all learning bases.
I think I understand your point. Based on the information presented here would you recommend the use of PowerPoint presentations? I don't use them much but I am considering using them for certain parts of the class.
Exactly,, the visual aspect lends a lot to the comprehension of anything.. that's why graphic organizers and concept maps work so well.
I agree. I especially like using the additional white space between paragraphs and bordering separate sections. I find too much underlining can have a negative affect.