ED106; an eye opener
I especially appreciate the information regarding the five learning disabilities & strategies to address the problem(s).
I am intrigued by the reported incidence of learning disabilities and will have an increased awareness of how to make
the classroom better for all students with the suggestions outlined in this module.
I have a high schooler (international student) from Finland living with me for the school year. She came with very few English speaking and understanding skills - she is getting better every day but currently has a "D" in Language Arts so far this term. Hope to find ways to turn that around. Any ideas?
Try making her flash cards. Cut pictures out of magazines and teach her the English word for it.
@Faith Womack I assume your exchange student is taking a number of courses. As a science teacher, I can help a little in that area. I tell my students to go to websites geared toward children. Just use a search engine and type in the subject area and the term "kids" or "children". Some sites I have directed students to include Chem4kids and Biology4kids. This particular site actually has several different areas for different subjects. The language used is simpler, so students can get the gist of more complex concepts. Then the student can read the textbook and hopefully pick up more information. Encourage the student to look at the pictures, diagrams and charts in the textbook. These suggestions are also great for any student who struggles with reading.
I also encouraged my ESL students to look up the subject area on the internet in their native language. I know they are supposed to be learning English, but they cannot progress in other subjects if they don't understand the concepts being presented. They just fall further and further behind. They have to take the tests in English, so they must figure out how to translate it and at least learn some keywords.
I recommend talking to her instructor and familiarizing yourself with the material so you can help her. If you learn what she is being taught and supposed to be learning then maybe that will give you more ideas on how to facilitate her learning.
Hi, thanks everyone, yesterday after my post I went to her school and spoke with her chemistry teacher and her ESL teacher - they are going to get someone to help translate in the chemistry class a couple of times a week. The chemistry teacher has never had anyone from Finland before so was not sure how best to communicate with her in class - additionally my student is shy and does not ask a lot of questions.
Good ideas above - you all have wonderful ideas. Never had a student who was not fluent in English before so did not expect the additional things to do. Cheers!
ED106 had plenty of very useful information. The portion on delivering a clear presentation was very helpful to learn. The entire course was presented very well. Al four modules contain useful information that can be implemented very easily. Much of my teaching is hands-on and verbal, and as a result I don't have much contact with those students that have learning disabilities (at least I am not aware of them).
I have only been teaching for a year now, newbie on board! I teach at a career college and do get students with English as their second language. The levels are all over the place, fortunately all of my students so far have excellent language skills. But, this could change at any semester break. I will keep you posted as to my successes and failures in this area.
I am very appreciateive for the posts and discussions. I have had several students that I thought were just not applying themselves in classes-- not completing homework, leaving test questions blank, missing simple true/false questions. I recognize that reading comprehension and lack of writing skills/confidence plays a huge factor. I need to evaluate and address barriers from day one-- and try to help students so they can be ultimately sucessful.
I have been teaching for about 3 years now, and I have to say I have had many students with learning disabilities. Thanks to course 106, I now have an understanding of how each disability differs, and a lot of new information on how I can help such students. At my employment site we have to wait for the student to come to us "asking for help" if they have a disability. A lot of times I may think one of my students may have a disability they need help with and I am unable to bring it up. Anyone have any suggestions?
This course re-inforced the sense I had that structuring the class in terms of "Organize,emphasize application, highlight, repeat, review, repeat, review" can really help all learners, but is especially appropriate with challenging, complex subject matter and students with challenges. This includes those with disabilities but also those who may just be having a lag in there motivation.
