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Supporting Diverse Learners

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    “ It would be nice if you would leave, Albert. Your behaviour at school, so distracted and absent minded, and your poor interest in all I teach set a bad example for the  whole class. ”  Teacher’s comment to young Albert Einstein, from  Albert Einstein  by Ibi Lepscky. What are your thoughts when reading that comment? Have you ever wondered why students do not pay attention and engage in classroom? Do they have intellectual issues because they cannot remember what you taught?   Barriers for diverse learners to engagement, attention, memory Every classroom setting includes a range of diverse learners. When you enter a class, students show visible axes of differences, such as language, physical abilities, appearance, or gender. There are also other diversities in previous knowledge, cultural and social background, health including mental health issues, or learning skills and abilities. All the differences contribute to the varied level of engagement, attention, and memory of students
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Attention in learning and how to optimize attention in the classroom

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What is attention? Attention in general is understood as the ability of the brain function that influences the behavioural performance, which involve maintaining performance across a task for a long period of time (Fortenbaugh et al., 2017). It also involves switching the engagement from one stimulus to another within a very short time (a fraction of a second) (Kröse & Julesz, 1989). Besides, attention contributes to the process of encoding information from sensory memory into working memory. Therefore, attention is essential for learning and successful cognitive functions.    (Walker, 2021) There are two major forms of attention:   passive   and   active .   Passive   attention refers to the involuntary process directed by external events that stand out from their environment, such as a bright flash, a strong odour, or a sudden loud noise.   Active   attention is voluntary and is guided by alertness, concentration, interest and needs such as curiosity and hunger and it involves ef
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How to optimise memory in the classroom

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Apply cognitive load theory   As mentioned on previous post, working memory is only able to hold a certain amount of information, therefore, it is important for teacher to consider the cognitive load of children.       It is said that reducing cognitive load enhance students’ motivation and engagement in classroom. Creating a positive learning environment with positive emotions also helps reduce extraneous cognitive load which benefits their learning (Hawthorne et al., 2019). (Walker, 2021) Load reduction framework Walker (2021). Adapted from: Martin, A.J., & Evans, P. (2019). Load reduction instruction: Sequencing explicit instruction and guided discovery  to enhance students’ motivation, engagement, learning, and  achievement.   Build on previous knowledge  The process of transferring information to long-term memory be facilitated or improved by mental repetition of the information or, even more effectively, by giving it a meaning and associating it with other previously acquired
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Memory and Learning

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(Kisacik, n.d.) What is memory? Memory in general is what we can remember and give us the capability to learn new knowledge, adapt and transfer knowledge and information from the previous experiences. It is the ability to remember, store, and recall things from learning facts, collected information, impressions, skills, experiences, and habits (The Human Memory, 2020).   In term of physiology or neurology, memory is a process involving encoding, storing, and retrieving experiences, knowledge, and information input (Queensland Brain Institute, n.d.)   Types of memory There are several types of memories, some of which can last a lifetime while others might last for some seconds. Usually, what we think of memory in the most common sense, it is  long-term   memory . When we talked about remembering things, it is normally referred to explicit memory, which is consciously recalled. Another kind of long-term memory is implicit which is unconscious (Queensland Brain Institute, n.d.). Long-term
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Equity Considerations When Collecting Data

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  There is a huge impact of directly collecting data from parents and children to inform learning and teaching in early childhood education. It is one of the best ways to embed cultural and multiple perspective in practices. However, collecting data from parents and children can be challenging and requires some considerations.  Collect ing data from families: are we being sensitive? Family is considered the first teacher of a child, playing a crucial role in healthy development of children, their learning and sense of belonging. They also have rights to be involved in and make decisions for their children’s learning. Therefore, it is important to collect as much data as possible to inform planning and learning.   Some parents are easier to approach and talk to than others, unfortunately; and sadly sometimes, complaints around the issue can be heard. It can be a cultural assumption such as “the child might be spoiled at home because he is from…”; it might be the comments about seeing pa
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