what every teacher should know about diverse … · acopy of what every teacher should know about...

What EveryTeacher Should

Know AboutDiverse Learners

T oday’s learners are different in many ways, such as race, ethnicity,socioeconomic status, gender, learning modalities, cognitive development,social development, and the rate at which they take in and retrieve infor-

mation. In other words, today’s learners are diverse. The book What Every TeacherShould Know About Diverse Learners examines the characteristics of student diversity,bias, closing the achievement gap, and strategies to use with a diverse studentpopulation. Each student in the classroom is unique. The successful teacher recog-nizes how student diversity affects learning and creates a classroom in which diver-sity is celebrated and revered.

MATERIALS

You will need the following materials for this session:

A copy of What Every Teacher Should Know About Diverse Learners for each participant

Handouts for each participant

Transparencies of all reproducibles and an overhead projector (or other form ofdigital presentation)

Pens, pencils, markers, and highlighters

1

Training Session 1

01-Tileston.qxd 11/10/2004 6:00 PM

Chart paper

Tape, staples, pushpins, clips, or easels to display chart paper

Notepads or reusable notepaper

A CD player and music (recommended)

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Declarative Objectives

Participants will know the following:

• What diverse learners are and how they affect schools• The terminology related to diverse learners• Their personal beliefs concerning learning styles, socioeconomic status, and

culture• The author’s beliefs concerning learning styles, socioeconomic status, and culture• The six types of bias: Isolation, Selectivity, Unreality, Linguistic Bias,

Exclusion, and Stereotyping• The strategies that positively affect diverse learners

Procedural Objectives

Participants will be able to do the following:

• Create a Thought Wheel that details their knowledge of diverse learners• Define the terminology related to diverse learners• Assess their knowledge about diverse learners• List their personal beliefs concerning learning styles, socioeconomic status,

and culture• List the author’s beliefs concerning learning styles, socioeconomic status, and

culture• Construct conclusions concerning their beliefs regarding learning styles,

socioeconomic status, and culture• Classify the six types of bias: Isolation, Selectivity, Unreality, Linguistic Bias,

Exclusion, and Stereotyping• Describe the strategies that positively affect diverse learners• Implement two or three of the diverse strategies described• Reflect on their knowledge about diverse learners

2 TRAINING MANUAL FOR WHAT EVERY TEACHER SHOULD KNOW

01-Tileston.qxd 11/10/2004 6:00 PM

3DIVERSE LEARNERS

EstimatedTime on Task

20 minutes

45 minutes

Objectives

Declarative Objective—Participants will know

• What diverselearners are andhow they affectschools.

Procedural Objective—Participants will beable to

• Create a ThoughtWheel that detailstheir knowledge ofdiverse learners.


• The terminologyrelated to diverselearners.

Activities

Activity 1: Preparing for the Learning

Invite the participants to form cooperativelearning groups. Refer to Reproducible 0.1.

Tell the participants that they will engagein a brainstorming activity to access priorknowledge. Share the rules of brainstormingon Reproducible 0.2.

Display and model how to create a ThoughtWheel using Reproducible 1.1.

Give each group a sheet of chart paper andask the recorders to create a Thought Wheelon the paper. Instruct the recorders to writeDiverse Learners in the center circle. Promptthe groups to brainstorm all that they knowabout diverse learners and have the recordersjot down words and phrases in the second tierof the Thought Wheel. Finally, ask participantsto brainstorm the impacts of diverse learnerson schools and record the ideas on the outercircle of the Thought Wheel.

Invite the reporters to share their ThoughtWheels with the large group.

Introduce the topic of the workshop—WhatEvery Teacher Should Know About DiverseLearners.

Share the declarative and proceduralobjectives for the training.

Refer the participants to the book What EveryTeacher Should Know About Diverse Learners.Tell them that the activities in this workshopare designed to engage the participants inmeaningful dialogue concerning diverselearners.

Activity 2: Examining the Vocabulary

Review and post the objectives for the activity.

Remind the participants of the roles andguidelines of their cooperative learninggroups (see Reproducible 0.1).

Suggested Activities and Time Frame

Estimated Time: 6 hours

(Continued)

01-Tileston.qxd 11/10/2004 6:00 PM


(Continued)


15 minutes

30–45 minutes

Objectives


• Define theterminologyrelated to diverselearners.


• Assess theirknowledge aboutdiverse learners.

Declarative Objectives—Participants will know

• Their personalbeliefs concerninglearning styles,socioeconomicstatus, and culture.

Activities

Refer participants to the Vocabulary List forAssessment in What Every Teacher Should KnowAbout Diverse Learners (p. xiii).

Instruct participants to provide a definitionfor each vocabulary word based on what theyalready know. Have them write theirdefinitions in the column “Your Definition.”

Divide the vocabulary words equally amongthe groups. Ask the groups to discuss theirassigned words, check the VocabularySummary, and review the text of the book torefine their definitions. Have them write thenew definitions in the column “Your RevisedDefinition.”

Invite the reporters to share their reviseddefinitions with the large group.

Pre-Test

Review and post the objective for the activity.

Inform the group that it is important to assessthe knowledge they bring to the workshop. Atthe conclusion of the workshop, they will beable to measure their learning and progress.

Refer participants to the Vocabulary Pre-Testsection of the book What Every Teacher ShouldKnow About Diverse Learners (beginning onp. xv).

Have participants complete the test, and thendirect them to the Post-Test Answer Key in thebook What Every Teacher Should Know AboutDiverse Learners (p. 82). Ask participants tograde their tests and record the number ofcorrect answers for future reference.

Activity 3: Making Use of the InformationFrom the Book

Part I—Examining Differences


01-Tileston.qxd 11/10/2004 6:00 PM

5DIVERSE LEARNERS


30–45 minutes

Objectives

• The author’sbeliefs concerninglearning styles,socioeconomicstatus, and culture.

Procedural Objectives—Participants will beable to

• List their personalbeliefs concerninglearning styles,socioeconomicstatus, and culture.

• List the author’sbeliefs concerninglearning styles,socioeconomicstatus, and culture.

• Constructconclusionsconcerning theirbeliefs regardinglearning styles,socioeconomicstatus, and culture.


• The six types ofbias: Isolation,Selectivity,Unreality,Linguistic Bias,Exclusion, andStereotyping.


• Classify the sixtypes of bias:Isolation,Selectivity,Unreality,Linguistic Bias,Exclusion, andStereotyping.

Activities

Refer participants to Chapter 2 of the bookWhat Every Teacher Should Know About DiverseLearners. Before reading, have participantscomplete the first half of the activity.

Make a copy of the A Closer Look at Meworksheet (Reproducible 1.2) for eachparticipant. Before reading the chapter, directparticipants to write down their beliefs andattitudes about diverse learning in schools.

Once participants have read thechapter, tell them to complete Boxes 4–6on the reproducible.

Monitor the participants during the activity;provide assistance and answer questions asneeded. After everyone has completed theworksheet, invite volunteers to share theirthoughts and insights. Record new knowledgeon chart paper for everyone to see.

Activity 3: Making Use of the InformationFrom the Book

Part II—Recognizing Bias


Remind the participants of the roles andguidelines for cooperative learning groups(see Reproducible 0.1).

Remind participants about what they read inChapter 3 of the book What Every TeacherShould Know About Diverse Learners.

Review and model how to complete the BiasTree found on Reproducible 1.3.

Give each group a sheet of chart paper.Prompt the recorders to recreate the Bias Treeon the paper. Encourage the groups to discusswhat they learned about bias and record thedetails and examples on the tree.

(Continued)

01-Tileston.qxd 11/10/2004 6:00 PM


(Continued)


35 minutes

50 minutes

Objectives




• How to implementstrategies thatpositively affectdiverse learners.

Procedural Objectives—Participants will beable to

• Describe thestrategies thatpositively affectdiverse learners.

• Implement two orthree of the diversestrategies theydescribed.

Activities

When all groups are finished, ask thereporters to post the Bias Trees aroundthe room. Invite participants to review thework of all groups.

Activity 4: Knowledge and Confidence


Tell the participants that they have reviewedthe vocabulary, read the book, and activelydiscussed the topic of diverse learners.Ask them to assess their knowledge andconfidence in applying the information theyhave learned.

Make a copy of the Diverse Learners Survey(Reproducible 1.4) for each participant.Have them complete the survey individually.Then, in their learning groups, encourageparticipants to discuss the results and create achart of new knowledge and insights. Invitethe reporters to share the lists with the largegroup.

Activity 5: Practical Application in theClassroom


Refer participants to Chapters 4–6 of the bookWhat Every Teacher Should Know About DiverseLearners. Explain to them that they willinvestigate various strategies to use in theirown classrooms to help meet the needs ofdiverse learners.

Give each participant a copy of the Closingthe Gap handout (Reproducible 1.5). Havethem describe five strategies they learnedabout that they are willing to implementtomorrow in their own classrooms.

After they have completed the form, directparticipants to use two or three of thestrategies when they return to theirclassrooms.

01-Tileston.qxd 11/10/2004 6:00 PM

7DIVERSE LEARNERS


45 minutes

15 minutes

Objectives




• Reflect on theirknowledge aboutdiverse learners.

Activities

Encourage participants to record theirprogress by keeping a journal, collectingevidence, or videotaping their classrooms.During subsequent sessions, inviteparticipants to share their successes andrequest more guidance.

Activity 6: Self-Evaluation


Ask participants to join their cooperativegroups. Direct them to talk about theirsuccesses with implementing the newstrategies (as described in the previousactivity) in their classrooms. Have thereporters share one or two anecdotesfrom the discussion with the large group.

Prompt participants to complete theVocabulary Post-Test beginning on page 77of the book What Every Teacher Should KnowAbout Diverse Learners. Have participantsgrade their Post-Tests and record the numberof correct responses. Then, ask them tocompare results to the Pre-Test.

Activity 7: Reflection


Refer to the Boy and the Bubble worksheet(Reproducible 1.6). Ask each participant towrite in the thought bubble the mostimportant thing they learned about diverselearners during this workshop.

When participants are finished, invitevolunteers to share their thoughts abouttheir learning.

If appropriate, have the participantscomplete the Facilitator Evaluation Survey(Reproducible 0.3) for the training.

01-Tileston.qxd 11/10/2004 6:00 PM

Reproducible 1.1. Thought WheelBrainstorming Activity

Directions: In the center circle, write Diverse Learners. In the second tier, brainstormwords and phrases about diverse learners. In the outside circle, write about theimpact diverse learners have on schools.


Copyright © 2005 by Corwin Press. All rights reserved. Reprinted from Training Manual for What EveryTeacher Should Know by Donna Walker Tileston, Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, 2005. www.corwinpress.com. Reproduction authorized only for the local school site that has purchased this book.

01-Tileston.qxd 11/10/2004 6:00 PM

Reproducible 1.2. A Closer Look at Me:A Tool for Identifying Personal Bias

9DIVERSE LEARNERS


In Boxes 1–3, list your beliefs and attitudes prior toreading Chapter 2, “How Are We Diverse”

After reading Chapter 2, explain the author’sbeliefs about each topic in boxes 4–6.

Box 1: Learning Styles of Students Box 4: Learning Styles of Students

Box 5: Socioeconomic Status Box 2: Socioeconomic Status

Box 3: Culture

How have your beliefs and attitudes changed?

Box 6: Culture

01-Tileston.qxd 11/10/2004 6:00 PM

Reproducible 1.3. The Bias Tree:A Tool for Classifying the Types of Bias

Directions: Read the chapter “Recognizing the Signs of Bias” in the book What EveryTeacher Should Know About Diverse Learners. On the tree, list details and examples foreach type of bias.



Stereotyping

Isolation

Selectivity

Unreality

ExclusionLinguistic Bias

01-Tileston.qxd 11/10/2004 6:00 PM

How confident are you?Rate your level of confidence.

321

Reproducible 1.4. Diverse Learners Survey:A Tool to Help Educators Determine TheirLevel of Understanding

Directions: For each topic, place an X in the Knowledge column that demonstrates yourlevel of understanding. Next, rate your Confidence Level regarding each statement.

11DIVERSE LEARNERS

Examining Diversity Knowledge

A. I understand the impact and importance of diversity Yes Noon student achievement.

1. I understand the importance of theimpact of the classroom teacher onclimate.

2. I have examined my attitudes relatedto diversity.

3. I understand how to analyzeinstructional materials to ensureproper reflection of studentpopulations.

4. I implement strategies that meet thelearning styles and needs of thestudents in my classroom.

5. I implement effective instructionaltechniques that meet the needs ofstudents from poverty.

6. I understand the type of learningstyle to utilize when reteachingstudents in the classroom.

7. I implement strategies to identify thepreferred learning styles of mystudents.

8. I understand the importance ofvarying activities to meet the needsof a diverse student population.

9. I understand the characteristics andneeds of the differing socioeconomicgroups in my classroom.

10. I understand the research-basedstrategies that have the greatestimpact on learning for my diversestudent population.

Rating Scale(Place a check mark in

the appropriate column)Not Confident Very Confident

4

(Continued)

01-Tileston.qxd 11/10/2004 6:00 PM

11. I understand the impact of linguisticbias on the teaching/learningprocess and how to avoid it.

12. I understand the impact ofstereotyping on the teaching/learning process and how toavoid it.

13. I understand the impact of exclusionon the teaching/learning processand how to avoid it.

14. I understand the impact of unrealityon the teaching/learning processand how to avoid it.

15. I understand the impact ofselectivity on the teaching/learningprocess and how to avoid it.

16. I understand the impact of isolationon the teaching/learning process.

4321



Recognizing Bias Knowledge

B. I understand the impact of bias on the teaching/ Yes Nolearning process.



(Continued)

01-Tileston.qxd 11/10/2004 6:00 PM


4321

13DIVERSE LEARNERS

Closing the Achievement Gap Knowledge

C. I understand how to implement strategies that have Yes Noa positive impact on achievement for all students.

17. I incorporate strategies that promoterelationship building.

18. I implement strategies to buildresiliency in my students.

19. I provide accurate informationabout cultural groups throughstraightforward discussions ofrace, ethnicity, and other culturaldifferences.

20. I implement strategies to access theself-system of the brain.

21. I understand how to implementstrategies to access prior knowledge.

22. I implement strategies to meet theneeds of second-language learners.

23. I implement strategies that will helpstudents to be successful at schooland away from school.

24. I implement strategies that assiststudents in setting learning goals.

25. I implement strategies thatdemonstrate my understanding ofthe power of the brain in learning.




01-Tileston.qxd 11/10/2004 6:00 PM


Reproducible 1.5. Closing the Gap:A Guide for Developing Personal Strategies

Directions: Describe five strategies that you can implement immediately to meet theneeds of diverse learners in your classroom.


01-Tileston.qxd 11/10/2004 6:00 PM

Reproducible 1.6. The Boy and the Bubble:Reflecting on the Learning

Directions: In the thought bubble, describe the most important thing you learnedduring this workshop.

15DIVERSE LEARNERS


01-Tileston.qxd 11/10/2004 6:00 PM

what every teacher should know about diverse … · acopy of what every teacher should know about...

Documents