Rachael Twiner

From the readings and the course we saw that most students with learning difficulties usually have average or above intelligence. It is not that they cannot learn, its that the standard approach is not a good fit for "how" the student learns. A good instructor must be able to adapt to different learning styles to make the material fit the class. This happens regularly in some of my classes, and can often change week to week and subject to subject. We must adapt to teach to the abilities of the student and not necessarily the disabilities.

Language skills can be a little hurdle to the successful learning experience within a classroom. But there are many ways to teach that might put less emphasis on distinct language skills but more cognitive understanding methods. Sometimes it is a good philosophy to teak using example than trying to lecture your way out of it. What are your thoughts?

I believe group discussions and the randomness that bringing individuals that would otherwise not work together is an effective way of expanding the knowledge and way students can grow. It shows the students that there are many ways to work and solve a problem if they work together and use the combined skills of the group.

I think we have all seen the challenging student, one who does not want to learn or feels the class is boring. However, this behavior is a reflection on the student inattentiveness usually and their lack of passion in the subject matter. How do you light that passion? Find out what makes them tick? Customize the class to meet that one person? What are some other strategies?

At my college we seem to have more students than the perceived 10% not handing homework in on time. We do reiterate work deadlines and ensure the syllabus reflects the requirements but seem to continually hit a "wall". Does anyone have suggestions on how to work smarter on this?