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Chapter 4

Profiles of Today’s Learners

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Varying Impressions of the Young

View One Drug use is rampant and has increased over

the years Disinterest in school and more interest in part-

time work Faith is TV based Role models are not parents and teachers, but

instead are musicians, athletes, etc.

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Varying Impressions of the Young

View Two Tobacco use is down and drug use is down Amount of time in part-time work is down

20 hours per week is key Faith is in organized religion and schools, not

necessarily in TV Role models are parents and teachers

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Varying Impressions of the Young

Searching for the Truth Which view is more correct? Which view is held by the general public? Statistics show view two is the most realistic

view in today’s society – Pendulum… Over 50 million students in schools across

nation Many different attitudes and perspectives Diversity adds “spice” to field of education

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Selected Characteristics ofToday’s Learners Learners’ Families

“Typical” American family as shown in media Less than ¼ of school aged children live in

homes with a live-in mom and dad Many live with a single parent Most single parents are mothers What affect does the absence of a male / female

role model have on children? Parents of higher income homes are more

involved in the school process

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Selected Characteristics ofToday’s Learners Learners and Violence

Characteristics of climate that are associated with school violence:

Overcrowding Poor design and use of space Poor disciplinary measures Alienation of students Multicultural insensitivity Rejection of at-risk learners from teachers and

peers Student resentment of school routines

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Selected Characteristics ofToday’s Learners Very Young Learners

Daycare centers on rise due to increase of females wanting (needing) to stay in workforce

Trends are pressuring public schools to serve 3 to 4 year old children

By 2000 39% of 3 year olds were in educational programs 65% of 4 year olds were in educational programs

Much debate over publicly funded Pre-K programs – Should it be the responsibility of the school system to teach developmental principles of Pre-K age children?

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Selected Characteristics ofToday’s Learners

Learners with Disabilities Prior to the mid-1970’s, students with

disabilities were kept away from “general education” students

Public Law 94-142 Education for All Handicapped Children Act (1975) Renamed: Individuals with Disabilities Education

Act (1990) Learners, regardless of handicapping condition,

would be educated in traditional classroom

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Selected Characteristics ofToday’s Learners Abused and Neglected Learners

Mandated reporters – Teachers have a legal obligation to report any injury to a learner that appears to be non-accidental

Approximately 3,000,000 reports each year Types of abuse and behaviors of victims

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Selected Characteristics ofToday’s Learners

At-Risk Learners Risk factors of students who do not perform

well in school: Living with only one parent Child of a single parent Having parents who failed to complete high school Living in a low income household Living in high growth states Having poorly developed academic skills Having low self esteem Speaking English as a second language

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Selected Characteristics ofToday’s Learners At-Risk Learners

Schools who serve at-risk learners well: Have good school leadership Have a positive school climate Have effective classroom instructional and

management practices

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Selected Characteristics ofToday’s Learners Learners’ School-to-School Mobility

Children are increasingly moving from one school to another during the school year

30-40% of moves are not caused by a change of residence

Overcrowding Legislation regarding class size reduction Expulsion or other disciplinary action Legislation allowing parents to choose schools

Research shows movement results in problems academically and behaviorally

LLES: 303 new students enrolled in 2005-2006; 175 students withdrawn to other schools

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Patterns of Learner Development

Pre-K and Kindergarten Learners Physically active Regular rest is needed Small muscle control is difficult

Fine motor tasks are difficult – shoestrings, buttons

Eye muscles not fully developed Teachers at this level must be patient and must

show a lot of love and affection

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Patterns of Learner Development

Learners in Grades 1 to 3 Still physically active More confident with physical abilities Conflict occurs due to children needing activity

and school requiring more in-seat work Nervous habits develop

Handwriting is a challenge Eye development is not complete making

textbooks difficult to read Teachers need to praise and recognize

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Patterns of Learner Development

Learners in Grades 4 to 6 Physical growth spurt – girls tend to be taller and

heavier & some girls reach puberty Friendships divide along gender lines Fine motor skills developed – take on tasks to apply

abilities with hands More independent – teachers need to motivate Students have high expectations and may deal with

failures Look to peers for guidance rather than adults

Behavior problems arise more often Teachers must be patient

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Patterns of Learner Development

Learners in Grades 7 to 9 Educators feel this is the most difficult to teach Variations in maturity levels Learners go back and forth between adult

behaviors and childish behaviors Girls complete their growth spurt Both genders attain puberty by the end of this

period Self conscious feelings Teachers need to be tolerant

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Patterns of Learner Development

Learners in Grades 10 to 12 Search for personal identity Experiment with behaviors to show the world their

independence Want to be accepted Thinking is more sophisticated Teachers need to balance focus on psychological

growth of students and academic growth of students

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Developing a Sense of Efficacy

Efficacy = a belief by a person that their existence matters Those preparing to enter the field of teaching

need to develop their own sense of efficacy, and they need to determine how they will promote development of learners

Writing Assignment Questions on page 103 Due 10-7-13