Diversity of Learners in Education

Diversity of Learners

• Importance of knowing students: To promote effective instruction, it is crucial to understand students' unique needs, strengths, interests, and experiences.
• Gender-sensitive classrooms: DepEd Order 32, series of 2017 promotes gender-responsive environments, ensuring respect for all, and zero tolerance for discrimination, violence, and abuse.
• Learner-centered education: RA 10533 emphasizes a learner-centered, inclusive, and developmentally appropriate curriculum that is responsive to diverse learners, schools, and communities.
• Creating a student-centered classroom: Barnes (2013) outlines five steps:
  • Create ongoing projects.
  • Integrate technology.
  • Replace homework with engaging in-class activities.
  • Eliminate rules and consequences.
  • Involve students in evaluation.
• Importance of knowing learner backgrounds: Understanding a learner's linguistic, cultural, socio-economic, and religious backgrounds is essential for differentiated instruction.
• Differentiated instruction: This approach tailors instruction to meet individual needs by varying content, process, products, or the learning environment.

Learners with Disabilities, Giftedness, and Talents

• Inclusive education: No learner should be left behind. Exceptional learners need to be integrated into regular classrooms.
• Categories of exceptional learners: Sadker et al. (2008) categorize exceptional learners into the following:
  • Students with mental retardation.
  • Students with learning disabilities.
  • Students with emotional disturbance or behavior disorders.
  • Students with hearing and language impairments.
  • Students with visual impairments.
  • Students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorders.
  • Students with other health and physical impairments.
  • Students with severe and multiple disabilities.
  • Gifted and talented students.
• Teaching exceptional learners: Teaching exceptional learners requires imagination, creativity, and sensitivity. The term "students with disabilities" is preferred over "handicapped students", emphasizing the person, not the disability. "Gifted and talented" refers to students with exceptional learning abilities and talents in various areas like arts, music, sports, or leadership.

Learners in Difficult Circumstances

• Learning should not be hindered: Teachers need to design special educational lessons and strategies to address difficult circumstances students may face.
• Teachers as change agents: Teachers shape the lives of students and play a vital role in creating good citizens
• Examples of difficult circumstances:
  • Geographic isolation
  • Chronic illness
  • Displacement due to armed conflict
  • Urban resettlement
  • Abuse (physical, psychological, emotional)

Learners from Indigenous Groups

• Cross-cultural understanding: In the 21st century classroom, understanding the backgrounds of students from indigenous groups is essential.
• Diversity in the Philippines: The Philippines has a culturally diverse population with about 14-17 million indigenous people (IPs) belonging to 110 ethno-linguistic groups.
• Indigenous Peoples Rights Act: Republic Act 8371 (1997) recognizes and promotes the rights of indigenous cultural communities/indigenous people (ICCs and IPs).
• Challenges faced by IPs: IPs often lack access to basic services, economic opportunities, and face social, economic, and political exclusion.
• IPED Curriculum Framework: DepEd Order 32, series of 2015 adopts the Indigenous Peoples Education (IPED) Curriculum Framework.
• IPED program examples: Examples of IPED programs include:
  • Service learning
  • Project-based learning
  • Literacy Program
  • Robotics and ICT Programs
  • Performing Arts Programs

Enriching Teaching Practices through Professional Collaboration

• Reflection and continuous improvement: Teachers need continuous improvement and professional collaboration with colleagues.
• Collaborative curriculum implementation: Curriculum implementation is a collaborative task for the whole school. Sharing experiences and expertise enhances the process.
• K to 12 Curriculum Instructional Approaches: The following instructional approaches are emphasized in the K to 12 curriculum:
  • Learner-centered, inclusive, and developmentally appropriate
  • Relevant, responsive, and research-based
  • Culture sensitive
  • Contextualized and Global
  • Constructivist, inquiry-based, reflective, collaborative, and integrative pedagogical approaches.

Utilizing and Learning Resources and ICT

• Teaching and learning resources: These resources can significantly improve student learning and enhance the teaching-learning process. They include print, audio-visual materials, databases, online resources, visual aids, real-objects, ICT tools, and other educational materials.
• Importance of technology: Millennial students are tech-savvy and have access to technology like the internet, which they use to gather information. Therefore, education needs to embrace ICT tools for meaningful learning experiences.
• Features of excellent teaching and learning resources:
  • Learner-centered: They address the needs, interests, and learning styles of the learners.
• Monitoring student learning: Teachers monitor student learning through:
  • Questioning students during discussions.
  • Observing during seatwork.
  • Assigning, collecting, and correcting homework.
  • Conducting periodic reviews.
  • Administering and correcting tests.
  • Reviewing performance data.
• Goal-oriented instructional model (GOIM): This model acts as a reference for monitoring student learning.
• Importance of feedback: Constructive feedback, whether in the form of marks, comments, or both, is important for student improvement. Specific and thoughtful feedback is more valuable than generic praise.

Feedback to Improve Learning

• Encouraging students: Feedback can be given as a mark or grade, comments, or a mixture of both.
• Importance of specific feedback: "Good work" is positive but not very helpful as it lacks specificity.