Exploring Methods of Teaching and Learning

        We are a nation of immigrants.  We have always been a nation of immigrants.  People from around the world will continue to come as long as the United States offers freedom, opportunity, and safety, especially compared to their native country.   As immigrants arrive, they bring their children and these children fill our classrooms.  As classrooms in the United States become more diverse, there are more challenges to meet the needs of an ever changing classroom population.  Our students are no longer of one race, one language, one type of living situation, one type of family unit, or from the same country of origin.  This diversity brings rich resource of experiences, history, languages, and cultures.

        The children who arrive in our classrooms, whether from another country or from the United States, come to us with a wide range of social, emotional and educational needs.  Richly & Graves state, 

        Evidence shows both that the American public education system is not meeting the needs of              diverse students currently (Schott Foundation, 2009), and that the numbers of diverse students          in American public schools is projected to continue rising (U.S. Bureau of Cen sus, 2008). If it          is true that diverse students are not achieving because of cultural differ- ences in the ways they          learn best and the ways they are taught, then it follows that higher and higher percentages of              students in the United States will continue to underachieve (Richly & Graves, 2012).

The best way to meet the needs of all students now and of the future is to diversify, personalize, and tailor learning based on the strengths, needs and interests of individual students.  

        When we effectively personalize learning, students can have “voice and choice” in determining what, how, when and where the learning occurs. Teachers provide the flexibility and supports to ensure mastery of the highest standards possible (Friend, Patrick, Schneider & VanderArk, 2017).

The LEAP framework (2017) has been developed as a methodology to provide personalized learning.  The four foundations of this framework are:  

• • learner connected - transcending location and making learning connected to families, the community, teachers and networks

  • learner focused - empowering learners to understand their own needs, strengths, interests, approaches to learning and learning styles

  • learner demonstrated - learners progress a their own pace based on proficiency and competency they have demonstrated in a variety of ways

  • learner led - entrusting learners to take ownership of their own learning by planning, setting goals, tracking progress, self-assessing, learning from mistakes with support from teachers and peers

 

Click the following link to view the LEAP learning framework and introductory video.

http://leaplearningframework.org/#framework-download-form

 

References

Friend, B., Patrick, S., Schneider, C., & Vander Ark, T. (2017, February). What's possible with        

        personalized learning? Vienna, VA: International Association for K-12 Online Learning          

        (iNACOL). Retrieved from https://www.inacol.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/iNA

        COL_Whats-Possible-with-Personalized-Learning.pdf

LEAP Innovations. (2017). LEAP learning framework. Retrieved from

        http://leaplearningframework.org/#framework-download-form

Rychly, L., & Graves, E. (2012, Jan.). Teacher characteristics for culturally responsive pedagogy.    

        Multicultural Perspectives, 14(1), 44-49.

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