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Welcome to the Project!
Greetings, friends. This will be the hub for our discussion in EDU 740. I'd like to take this opportunity to say what an honor and a privilege is it to b... awww, who am I kidding? I got stuck running this little show, so now you've got to put up with my sardonic humor between classes! For each section, remember that we need symptoms, a diagnosis, and suggested treatments. The diagnosis should pretty much be the title of the thread, but feel free to create sub-categories or spin-off questions if the mood hits you. The symptoms and treatments will be the bulk of the project.
Now get out there and start blogging!
Now get out there and start blogging!
Symptom-Child is unattentive and unmotivated. Seems disconnected to learning activities...
ReplyDeleteTreatment-Student needs to complete a learning style survey and then teacher can plan instruction accordingly.
-Debbie, Hope, Mary
I have had students that are very fine arts driven. The ones that have been the most divergent are the art students who like to do nothing but draw during my class. I had tried to punish, ignore, bribe, etc, but what I found to be the most effective was allowing the student to draw, but they must draw me a picture that is related to what I'm discussing in class and they must be able to explain to me HOW it relates to class. This requres the student to listen to at least some of what I said while at the same time allowing to express themselves.
ReplyDeleteI have a child that is not allowed to say the "pledge of allegiance".
ReplyDeleteAnne with E....
ReplyDeleteI have had a child who was not allowed to say the pledge or celebrate anything because of her religious beliefs.
Solution: We allowed her to run errands to the office or go to the restroom during the pledge. As for the celebrations...we notified parents of upcoming events and gave them the choice whether to participate or not. Many times, the parents checked the child out of school during the party or simply asked that her child be sent to the library to read or play on the computer.
Divergent learners need teachers who recognize and understand their needs. These very bright students are often failing in class because they are not traditional learners. Like Rick said, many of them seem to have a need to draw during instruction, which might actually help them focus and attend to the lesson at hand. I think the key is to think out of the box.
ReplyDeleteThe pledge thing-
ReplyDeleteThey are supposed to stand, but don't have to speak. It shows respect for other cultures as well as their own. I always have a "winter party" or "end of the year" party. For birthdays we call it "snack" that way the kid can join if it wants to.
Technology incorporated into lessons tends to grab the students' attention. Humor and game-like formats to review facts makes learning fun and interesting. Involving students as peer tutors, breaking learning down into smaller chunks and giving students some choices about their assignments may also motivate their learning.
ReplyDeleteTo get kids' attention, I use weird voices. I have so many that just spurt out. It's hard to describe, but seeing it in action reinforces my nuttiness. If I don't like the action of the kid, the Mafia Yankee voice usually comes out. My little Jewish New Yorker is one that blurts for annoying things. Try teasing the kid nicely. When someone raises a hand for help I joke and ask them why they're asking me, I'm obviously not good at the 4th grade since I've been stuck here for so many years. I'm never going to pass! Then ask- what do I look like, a teacher? You think I know??? Oriental voices and Spanish accents are good for reading stories. None of them are authentic, I'd never pass in the real world, but it's so much better than those teachers who read with a monotone. If the character is a bit slow to learn, I use the kid/baby voice.
ReplyDeleteSo, change up on the kids a bunch and they have to pay attention- they don't want to miss the show!
Ditto, we use different voices to count to 100. Students take part when we do calendar as they get to choose to count in a certain voice. It adds some laughter to an activity that is very repetitive. It makes it more engaging.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Hope.
ReplyDeleteGrabbing a child's attention is like you being Wil E Coyote going after the Road Runner! Is it impossible? No, does he ever succeed, no. Why? He hasn't found the right catch yet. For me, I happen to agree with you Nan. Funky voices and other types of audio cues are the best for my 6th graders. I also do rhythm clapping. I'll make up some silly rhythm and they are supposed to mimic it. It became so effective that my Assistant Principal started using it during general assemblies to catch their attention. Even if one doesn't hear you clapping, they're sure to hear the entire class and realize, "Oh, hey...something potentially interesting is about to happen."
ReplyDeleteHope HB...
ReplyDeleteI would also say that it is extremely important for some students to be "hooked" into the lesson. If there is anyway that you can find out about the unmotivated students interests, you may be able to use the information in relating your lessons. For instance, I had a very unmotivated student in class a couple of semester ago, that could have cared less until I related some of our physics topics to muddin' and 4WD trucks. He became a different student!!
I think using divergency in a positive way within the classroom will benefit everyone. Knowing all your students learning styles and personalities is the key.
ReplyDeleteTo Anne- My son was in class with a child that did not stand for the pledge and believe it or not the kids got used to it and simply didn't make a big deal about him not standing during this time. Kids accept differences easier than us adults so in this type situation, I think we just have to learn from the kids.
ReplyDeleteChild cannot seem to sit still and constantly is out of his seat, even for tests. He constantly paces and though he is quiet, he can be a distraction to others. How do we accomodate his divergence while not interfering with the others in the class?
ReplyDeleteCurious? Did anyone have a teacher when you were younger who embraced the differences among the students? I had one....she was my first grade teacher. Kindergarten was rough for me, because I knew everything they were trying to teach me, and the teachers forced me to do the SAME activities as the rest of the class. When I got to first grade, the teacher realized that I needed a challenge, so she always provided extension activities for me. My love of learning returned!! Thank you, Mrs. Hollman!
ReplyDeleteKandace my fourth grade teacher did that for me and she was my favorite teacher! As I always try to remember her when I am teaching. It makes a difference.
ReplyDeleteThis is Nan, not Amy...
ReplyDeleteFor the kids who don't stay in a seat, let them move. A chair makes a great desk. You turn it toward the kid who sits on the floor. The seat of the chair is the writing area, it can go anywhere. Also if he/she likes to stand, let that child sit toward the back of the room. Then standing at the desk, moving around the desk or kneeling in the chair won't interfere with the rest of the class. A carpet square makes moving to see lessons easy if the kid's desk is in the back.
Bethany-
ReplyDeleteThere are many children who can not sit still. They may wiggle in their seat, get out of their seat, and/or play with things.They can't help it. They are not ADHD- just "high Strung" as my mom said.If they are learning- put them in the back of the room-so they can move around, do their thing and not disturb or distract anyone.If they are not learning- try using a timer to keep them in thier seat for a longer length of time, try turning their desk around so they can't get to anything to play with, or let the whole class act out what's happening and get comments on how to fix it.
Symptom: Child does not want to work with a group during group learning activities.
ReplyDelete