Transcript More the lip service: bringing about a real improvement in

A mixed bag: developing an
inclusive teaching style to account
for diversity in language classrooms
Judy Copage
Agenda
• Degrees
• Types
of diversity
of diversity
• Learning
differences
• Methodology
• Managing
• Setting
material
individual achievement targets
Degrees of diversity
Quiz – Are you tea or coffee?
1 What would you rather eat for breakfast?
A) A quick piece of toast and jam
B) A full breakfast with ham, eggs and bread
2 Without caffeine in the morning, you:
A) can't really get up and going
B) do just fine
3 You want to make a picture. What would you do?
A) Take a photo
B) Paint a watercolour
4 Do you have a demanding career?
A) Yes
B) No
5 You consider yourself to be:
A) Outgoing
B) Introspective
6 Are you a risk taker?
A) Yes
B) No
7 You tend to enjoy things that are:
A) Modern and new
B) Traditional and tested
8 Your mornings are:
A) Frantic
B) Relaxing
9 You’d rather travel to:
A) Asia
B) Europe
10 What would you find more relaxing?
A) Going for a jog or swim B) Reading a book
Are your students coffee or tea?
espresso
latte
instant
don’t
mind
tea with
lemon
black
tea
herbal
only
•Large classes
•Only a few hours a week
highly
gifted
good
achiever
OK
class
average
off and
on
poor
achiever
blocked
Types of diversity
Types of diversity
Personality
Academic
ability
Intelligence
Learning
style
Language
Aptitude
Language
level
Personal
background
Motivation
Attitude
Previous
learning
experience
Personal
background
Show diversity in society
Language level
Grammar
Functions
Vocabulary
Language
competence
Discourse
Strategies
Phonology
Skills
R
W L
S
G
V
R
20
20
18
18
16
16
14
14
12
12
10
10
8
8
6
6
4
4
2
2
0
0
Costas
W L
S
Elena
G
V
Intelligence
Accessing multiple intelligences
VISUAL
Describe and draw
VISUAL
£7.01
MATHEMATICAL
LOGICAL REASONING
Learning differences
Organisation
Spatial/Temporal
Writing
Memory
DYSLEXIA
Listening
Spelling
Motor control
Reading
Motor skills
Sequencing problems
• fine motor skills
reversing letters/numbers
• writing words backwards
• writing letters and words
out of order
•
• poor pen grip
• muscle tremor
• poor hand-eye
co- ordination
• may prefer right
to left writing
DYSGRAPHIA
Handwriting
Written expression
slow down or get stuck with
• slow, illegible, ‘sloppy’
the details of writing
• mixes upper and lower
• often lose the thoughts they
case
are trying to write about
• uneven letter size and
• have excellent expressive
spacing
skills in speaking
•
ADHD
Inattention
Hyperactivity
• careless mistakes • often fidgets
• difficulty
• excessive
sustaining
physical activity
attention
• noisy, talks a lot
• poor listening
• always ‘on the
skills
go’
• fails to finish
• poor organisation
• often loses things
• often distracted
• forgetful
Impulsivity
• often blurts
out answers
• often has
difficulty
waiting turn
• often
interrupts
On the positive side
•Very
creative
• Often gifted musically, artistically,
physically
•Good at lateral thinking
•Can see the big picture
• Good visual spatial skills – can think
easily in 3D
•Good problem-solving skills
•Good verbal skills
•Good social skills
“I do not believe there exists a lazy,
unmotivated child. Every child wants to
succeed. Those who appear to be ‘lazy’ or
‘unmotivated’ have difficulties which are
interfering with their performance.”
Copeland (1992)
“The arena where the child does poorly is
in a classroom, over an extended period of
time. In situations where the child is highly
motivated and receiving individualised
attention, they can do very well.”
Comings (1995)
It must be stressed that a learning
difference is NOT an inability to learn, but
instead:
“ an inability to learn through the usual
methods of instruction despite adequate
intelligence, a normal environment, and
intact physical and emotional capacities. ...
Put in its simplest terms, it is a breakdown
in learning through the traditional
methods which seem adequate for most
children.”
(Copeland 1995)
Methodology
EXCLUSIVE CLASSROOMS (work
against mixed ability):
•
Teacher–centred lessons, all students listening to the
teacher
•
The teacher asks all the questions to the class or
individuals
•
The pace of the lesson is dictated by the teacher, and
possibly, by the fastest student
•
All activities are to be done in the same amount of time
by the whole class
•
Individual, competitive working style
•
Tasks based around the idea of ‘one right answer’
•
All achievement goals are set by the teacher
•
All goals must be achieved by all learners
INCLUSIVE CLASSROOMS (helps
with mixed ability):
•
Teacher-centred delivery is minimal, to ensure learnercentred work
•
Students ask questions as well as the teacher
•
Students are given teacher-like roles in class
•
Open-ended activities allow for multiple, equally valid
answers
•
Project-like work, in co-operating groups, allow
individuals to show their talents and all contributions
are valuable
•
Co-operative learning builds confidence and selfesteem
•
Peer learning and teaching is equally valuable – the
teacher can step back
Managing materials
Differentiation
•
on the spot
•
assigning easier / more difficult exercises
•
using graded exercises
•
dealing with fast / slow finishers
on the spot
• See the whole text
and listen
• Use the red
bookmark and listen
• Cover the text and
listen
•Work alone
•Work in pairs
•Work in groups
Assigning easier/more difficult tasks
Which is more
difficult?
Assigning easier/more difficult tasks
Graded
exercises
Graded exercises
• All
students do all
the exercises in
order
• Ask
students to
choose the level of
challenge they
want
• Assign
exercises to
individuals
according to ability
• OR:
All students do
the one star
exercises for a
maximum pass grade
of C (scale A-E)
• Add
the two star to
get a maximum B
• Add
the Roundup to
get a maximum B+
• Add
Extra Challenge
to get an maximum A
Dealing with fast / slow finishers
Basic class
material
Student’s book
Coping with diversity is ...
• An
awareness of how individuals learn
differently and a willingness to respond
to individual differences
• An
openness to offering learners choice
• An
ability to communicate with learners in
a way that is accessible to a range of
learners i.e. teaching through multi-sensory
input
• Lessons
with a variety of activities which
cater for a variety of learning styles
• Enough
flexibility to notice learning blocks
and to respond to them
• Awareness
of the needs, interests and
experiences of the individual learners
• Allowing
• An
learning groups of mixed talents
ability to let go and trust individual
learners to learn independently sometimes
And most of all, ...
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