Growing up and still today, I find it very easy to take notes in classes or read notes that are provided and completely understand the material. On the other hand, my younger sister needed illustrations to accompany her notes. For example, Anna always struggled in physical science and her teacher had a one-track way to do things (her way or the highway). Anna did not do as well as she could have because she wasn't allowed to do her notes and schoolwork in a way that she understood. She struggled because her needs were not being met. She was NOT allowed to use those illustrations that helped her the most. Her teacher failed her!
Yet, the next year Anna had a much better experience in science. Although the teacher was the same, she had tweaked her way of thinking and if Anna's way worked and gave her the same answers, she could do WHATEVER she needed to understand her schoolwork. Even though I didn't understand her way of thinking at times (I thought it was easy for everyone), I knew she was doing what was best for her. The teacher also taught her class in different ways (differentiation) to accommodate all of the levels of learning in her classroom.
By looking at the activities in this article, you can easily see how different students have been able to interpret tasks based on their needs and preferences. Examples of assignments are provided and connections can be seen although each students attacked the task in a different way. Their learning experiences were personalized!
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