Student in the Margins

Objectives
By the end of this conversation you will be able to describe some of the possible reasons students may be struggling, identify the range of learners in your classroom and begin to identify the potential barriers to learning found in traditional curriculum.

Opener: Children of the Code

Misunderstood Minds

While engaged in this exploration exercise, please keep in mind these guiding questions.

• How does a learning disability affect student learning?

• How can I change the way I teach or the materials I use while teaching to minimize or remove learning barriers?

Click the box above to link to the Misunderstood Minds Site.

While there:

1. Read the introduction section of the website, including the quote in the website banner by Dr. Mel Levine.
2. Use the navigational buttons on the left side of the website to explore the learning categories. Try out the following:

          Attention:
               Watch the video
               Try the Auditory Activity
         Reading:
              Watch the video
              Try the Decoding Activity
        Writing:
           Watch the video
           Try the Composition activity
 

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Reflection

Please respond to one or both of the following discussion prompts:


How did you feel about the barriers you experienced while completing the simulations?

How will having a better understanding of learning barriers affect your approach to instruction?

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