Introduction
Why Make Learning
Walking the Talk:
Making Adaptations |
All Students Learning: Making It Happen In Your SchoolIntroduction
Mr. Jones, a second-year teacher of fourth-graders, sits in his classroom in August and sighs as he glances at his student information sheet for the coming year. In a class of 27, he learns he will have one autistic child, one with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), three language-minority students, one gifted child, one emotionally troubled student, one hearing-impaired child, and four others identified as learning disabled. Roughly one-third of his students will come from impoverished homes, and several from single-parent homes. More than one-fourth of his students will be minority students.
Part of what attracted him to the teaching profession was the challenge it promised. He had always been aware of the responsibilities, but had not shied away from them. Throughout college and his first year of teaching, he had been regarded as a very good and skillful teacher—a natural. However, this year he is overwhelmed at the thought of taking on this group of diverse learners; so many children with such different backgrounds and unique needs. He wonders how he can possibly offer every one of them a successful learning experience.
Though the above scenario is hypothetical, it is a reality for many teachers across the country. Schools are increasingly faced with classrooms full of students who have more differences than similarities, and teachers are being asked to respond to this diversity in productive ways. The challenge of educating such diverse groups of students will only become greater in the next century (Larke, 1992). It is the foundation of American education to serve all students, yet doing so can be a daunting task for even the most skilled teacher. Knowing what actions to take and options to investigate can become overwhelming in the face of the many demands put on educators on a daily basis.
Discussions of "learning for all" can take many directions. It is the intent of this booklet to explore the concept and what it means for education today. This booklet will not focus upon any one issue related to student differences, such as inclusion, multiculturalism, talented and gifted learners, or learning styles. Rather, the focus is broad, building on the premises that (1) student differences exist and these differences can influence the way they learn, and (2) there are certain measures schools and teachers can take to improve the likelihood that all students will succeed in school. The aim is not to offer foolproof solutions, but to investigate ideas that will help educators examine their own practices and offer strategies for implementation. Examples of eight schools that have targeted a learning-for-all mission are also included.
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