How All Students Learn: Supporting Diverse Learners

Description

This class lays a foundation for the entire M.Ed. or endorsement sequence that will help participants deepen their understanding of the needs of their students. Throughout the M.Ed. program, we will build on this understanding in order to increase our positive impact on all students. In this class, we will engage in a core coordinated studies curriculum encompassing the needs of diverse learners in multicultural settings. We will consider the latest research on how the function and role of the brain, culture, and language development influence learners. Included in the core will be topics such as culturally responsive teaching, teaching for diversity and social justice and anti-bias education. Other foci of the class will be the effects of culture and language development on academic achievement and effective, research-based classroom practices for all students, further focusing our attention on those students who have been traditionally underserved by our educational system.  Essential questions guiding the class are: 1) What is learning? 2) How do we learn a language? 3) What is culture and how does it relate to community, schooling, learning and academic achievement?

Learning Goals: Participants will deepen their understanding of the interdependence of the brain, culture and language development on the academic achievement of all learners and will increase their ability to assess and address the learning needs of all students.