Big Ideas:

In most every class there are students who struggle with one aspect of the curriculum or another. These students fall in the margins, outside of standard learning structure. Understanding the root of their struggle and the toll it takes on these student is essential to creating an inclusive curriculum. 

Entry Event: Introduction to Students in the Margins

Think about the students in your class who are disengaged, who act out to avoid work, who withdraw from conversation, who never turn in homework, who ask to use the bathroom frequently or who avoid reading out loud. How do you view these behavioral disruptions? Could they be related to learning struggles?

Exploration:  What it feels like to experience barrier to learning.

When you are finished reading the instructions, click on the banner above to get to the Misunderstood Minds site.

Step 1: Read the introduction section of the website, including the quote in the website banner by Dr. Mel Levine.

Step 2: Explore the learning categories listed below. While viewing these sections, keep in mind these guiding questions.

How do learning disabilities affect student learning?
Can I change the way I teach or the materials I use when teaching to minimize or remove learning barriers?

Step 3: Respond to the prompts on the Blog: Choose 2

Describe the barriers you encountered. Were there any surprises?

Describe how felt when you experienced these barriers.

How are these barriers relevant to designing good instruction?

Check for Understanding/Formative Assessment:

Click here to access the blogroll to respond to the prompts above. Be sure to read responses from other participants and respond to one or two of their posts.