Meeting Diverse Needs of Learners Through Learner-Centered Strategies and Equitable Access

Meeting the diverse needs of learners through learner-centered strategies and equitable access...Oh goodness, that's a mouthful. Typically when something sounds confusing, I break it into chunks. 

So......

Diverse needs:

It makes sense if you think about it; the United States thrives on the idea of diversity. In an excerpt from her book (found here), Marietta Saravia-Shore referenced Harold Hodgkinson by stating the diversity of students in classrooms will vary; some students will speak different languages at home, others will live in poverty. Regardless of the circumstances, each student deserves to get an education in the way he or she needs.

Learner-centered strategies:

Learner-centered strategies are just that--teaching strategies that keep students at the center of the learning process. Greg Kaminski states in his article that learner-centered strategies create an environment in which students share the responsibility of learning by making connections while the expert in the room facilitates.

Equitable access:

Equitable access refers to fair opportunities to technology and education. This does not mean that each student will get to use technology for the same amount of time every day, rather students will have fair access to what they need.

All together now: 

"Technology is a tool that gives everyone an equal chance to learn" (Jones, Valdez, Nowakowski, and Rasmussen). While many websites and technological applications are not learner-centered many sites do provide support for exploration and promote deeper student-thinking. It is then the teacher's job to act as a facilitator of knowledge while students are able to explore with technology. Due to the diversity of needs in classrooms, some students may require extra online help or assistance while gathering information and knowledge in the way that suits them best.