What Every Teacher Should Know About Today’s Diverse Learners
EDUC 600
3 CREDITS
$349
Online
Instructor: Joan Sousae, MAED
Grading: Graded
Spring, Summer & Fall (Ongoing)
Instruction Mode: Internet-Asynchronous (Online Class)
Academic Level: K-12 Professional Development
NDSU Credit Fee: $150 + Partner Course Fee: $199
Partner Class Offered Through NaMaYaPD
Course Description:
Success in the classroom is not just a matter of knowing your subject; it is a matter of knowing your students. Having a working knowledge of the human development of students in regard to mental, physical, social, and emotional development can be critical to the success of the teaching and learning experience. Early practitioners believed that students came to the classroom as a blank slate ready to be filled by the all-knowing teacher. Today’s educators know that students come to the classroom with a variety of experiences and prerequisite skills for learning, and that the teacher is more coach and mentor than imparter of all knowledge. This course will provide teachers of any grade level and discipline with realistic information, strategies, and practices related to teaching students today. Participants will look at the factors that make students diverse and the instructional implications for teaching to diverse populations. Information on building resiliency, fostering a sense of community within the classroom, the importance of teaching to student modalities and the effects of poverty on student learning are included. Emphasis is placed on working with: English Language Learners, Students from poverty, Urban learners from poverty, Students whose cultural differences affect classroom learning
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
• Identify areas of bias in the classroom, in the curriculum, and within themselves.
• Choose appropriate tactics for removing bias.
• Gain an understanding of the special needs of students from diverse backgrounds and with language deficits.
• Understand that all students come to the classroom with a set of beliefs based, in part, on their past experiences or culture.
• Incorporate ideas for reaching all students in the classroom.
• Create lessons in which students’ differences are acknowledged.
Texts/Readings:
What Every Teacher Should Know About Diverse Learners - 2nd Edition
**Registration Instructions:
Pre-registration with NaMaYa PD is required.
Please register at http://school.namaya.com/pd/ before registering for NDSU Credit.
NOTE: Upon registration, you have 4 months for course completion.