21st Century classrooms are diverse in their range of ability cultures and attitudes toward academia, these classrooms however must also be inclusive aiming to achieve equal opportunity for success for all students. Culturally the outline class in a rural NSW setting is primarily focused on two central backgrounds; Indigenous students and Anglo-Saxon students (non-Indigenous). Ability and attitude are vastly different and often given resources all abilities and attitudes will be in one classroom. To achieve maximum potential for all students teaching must provide opportunity for all students to comprehend learning and to have clear role models to develop new attitudes and understandings of academic achievement. Direct Instruction formulates student learning with a focus on structuring learning in linear and cumulative ways, continually checking student understanding throughout learning to ensure maximum retention of information and to ensure equality of learning outcomes for all students. (McMullen & Madelaine, 2014, p. 140) Direct instruction structures learning with focus on demonstrating learning, guiding learning and individual application. While Direct Instruction is a teacher centred highly structured learning environment it …show more content…
Whilst the skill of looking up a definition of a word is a relatively simple activity for high level learners with positive learning attitude, this mixed ability classroom is primarily a low to average ability class, whose instinct would be to complete learning quickly rather than correctly. Using Direct Instruction the teacher is able to control outcomes to ensure the success of all students foreseeing problems and difficulties that may arise during the activity and explain in clear ways how students may overcome these difficulties so that nothing is left to interpretation. (Killen, 2013, p.
Critical issues facing educators today include; educational inequity, socio-economic status of students, cultural diversity, stereotyping, dominate cultural paradigms, and social disadvantage. Because of these issues, educators will be best prepared for classroom life if they find ways to adapt and modify the learning environment in order, to provide for inclusive regardless of the learners needs. All children in Australia are presented with the opportunity to attend schools which are designed to be inclusive for any and all abilities. Due to the diverse nature of the school age population in Australia classrooms are made up of an assortment of needs in relation to social, cognitive, and physical areas of learning.
There is a common, underlying perception that students from particular cultural and linguistic backgrounds – what is generally referred to as ethnicity - have a predisposition towards educational success in Australian schools (Watkins, 2013). Students from Anglo backgrounds, for example, are often seen as having a cultural advantage whilst others, such as Middle Eastern students, are perceived as culturally prone to underachievement. These claims confine ethnicity to fixed and bound stereotypes, and see educational achievement as a result of the inherent qualities of these groups (Watkins, 2013). However, ethnicity
When delivering school curriculum, educators must meet the needs and strengths of all students. The Australian Curriculum allows educators to personalize their teaching and learning programs by selecting content that is stimulating, challenging and meets the individual needs and strengths of all students in a classroom (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA], 2015). The Early Years Learning Framework (2010) explains how a student’s culture is central to who they are as a human being and gives them a sense of belonging (pp. 21-22). Using these two documents, educators can carry out learning programs that caters for all needs,
One interesting thing I discovered about the Australian Curriculum is how diverse it can be. I left school ten years ago and the curriculum which has developed since then appears to be more inclusive of student’s backgrounds, interests and personal needs. The curriculum acknowledges that students of diverse backgrounds will interpret the curriculum in different, yet still meaningful ways. I believe this is an important concept that will enable me to teach more effectively as I will be able to view my students as individuals and help them experience diversity and knowledge of other cultures through my interpretation of the intended curriculum and how I enact
It is imperative, in the classroom, to consider Aboriginal culture and identity to foster students formally recognise and acknowledge Aboriginal people as the first Australians and to promote awareness of the history, culture and ongoing connection of Aboriginal people to the Land. Considering the AITSL standards, 1.4, I will create practical ways to enhance the educational experiences of Aboriginal students. Using Aboriginal terms of reference, I will teach non-Indigenous students to respectfully acknowledge Aboriginal people and their connection between things, places and their language, and knowledge of the land (Yunkaporta, 2009). Building a bridge between Indigenous students and the western education system, I will involve significant
In a contemporary Australian school setting, inclusion is the ongoing collaboration of all members of the school community to effectively meet the diverse needs of all students, including those with additional needs (Blackmore, 2009; Lyons, 2014). All students regardless of their cultural background or ability level should experience an enriching education where they feel included and supported. Creating inclusive cultures, producing inclusive policies and evolving inclusive practices are the best ways to promote learning and participation in schools for all students (Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education, 2012; Dempsey, 2014).
This paper focuses on how Aboriginal Knowledge can be included in the Education system in Australia with staff, academics and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. I will be talking about the living and health standards of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people that plays a factor in why they are behind non-Aboriginal people in the education system. I will mention by incorporating education equity in the education system Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students will have a better chance for higher achievement in school. To achieve equity in schools the education department needs to include Aboriginal knowledge in the curriculum, use appropriate teaching strategies and involve the Aboriginal community in the classroom.
Significant learning can only occur in a setting based upon mutual trust and understanding within a culture of inclusiveness or to put it simply “Seek first to understand, then to be understood (Rita Pierson: Every kid needs a champion | TED Talk | TED.com, 2013) The Australian Curriculum has been designed with the specific goal of addressing the needs of all students and their individual learning needs (ACARA, 2010) while the Early Years Learning Framework lays out ‘cultural competence’ however the specifics are left to the classroom teacher and their school to decide. Australia claims that it is a multicultural society, tolerant of differing views and cultures, however the reality is quite different with the Index of Social Cohesion report by Scanlon Monash finding that attitudes toward different cultures has worsened in the last four years( Ewing, R p 75) . With forty four percent of citizens either immigrants or the first generation of immigrants without consideration and integration of different cultural norms into the classroom room learning experience these children may be left behind (Lawrence, Brooker & Goodnow, 2012 p 75), . Children of low socio-economic backgrounds fare worst of all in all measurable outcomes including lower literacy and numeracy skills, reduced higher education enrolment and graduation rates (Gorski, 2013 p). The Australian Curriculum has been designed with the specific goal of addressing the needs of all students and their individual learning
Australia is a diverse, multicultural nation with about 44% of Australians being born overseas or are the children of one parent born from other countries, Lawrence, Brooker, & Goodnow, (2012, p.75). This has led to an increase in students from diverse backgrounds to populate schools making classrooms hotspots for issues of diversity and difference. Teaching diversity requires a holistic approach to schooling that needs to permeate all aspects of the curriculum and all school practices. The Australian Curriculum recognises that all students are entitled to inclusive education from Foundation to Year 12, Australian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (ACARA), (2012). It is critical for teachers and educators to identify and apply pedagogy that
The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (2013, p. 4) is committed to providing a high-quality curriculum for all Australian students. However, in today’s classrooms there is a diverse range of student abilities (including students with learning difficulties and students with exceptional potential) and students from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. The following is a case study of a Year 9 class in the lower middle class suburban Hill Top School whose students reflect the cultural and linguistic diversity of the surrounding community. The student body includes of a high proportion of children from refugee families and a large transient student population comprising children of doctors undergoing a two year training
The school considers inclusion to be an important part of its ethos. As a larger institution there are a variety of pupils’ from many different backgrounds, the school as a whole is diverse. It is vital the school provides a ‘secure learning environment in which they feel safe, secure, confident and able to learn.’ (Behaviour for Learning Policy, 1) As a trainee teacher it is important I am aware of who I will be teaching and their requirements. I will support students in the best way I can and seek support from the inclusion team when necessary. I will plan my lessons adhering to the policy guidelines and academic levels for that particular class. I will use differentiation to ensure all pupils are able to achieve their full potential.
There are various instructional approaches but one that is widely employed by many teachers is the direct instruction approach. This is the classic teaching style that many people remember during K-12 grade school. The teacher would stand in front of the class lecturing while writing on the black board. That is why direct instruction is also known as “Chalk and Talk” (Evans, 2006). Direct instruction is not out of date and is still appropriate in many situations today. The following will discuss direct instruction and a few scenarios in which this teaching approach is appropriate.
Effective differentiated instruction reflects where the students currently are in their educational stage and not where a teacher wishes them to be. This step is important; placing students either too high or too low in the instruction can be adverse to the teacher’s goal of helping all students. Developing lesson strategies for students that are too demanding may have a negative effect on performance and reinforce negative emotions concerning learning. Likewise, developing lesson strategies that do not challenge students to perform at their best can also have a negative effect. Some students that are not engaged by a teacher's instruction are left adrift waiting for new or more stimulating material. Engaging students in the learning strategy is the key ingredient in producing active learners.
As teachers we should focus on the importance of creating supportive learning environments which instil the notion of inclusivity of all students, with or without disabilities. As students enter the classroom they bring a mixture of cultural, academic and behavioural diversity with them (Watkins, 2005). As teachers we need to embrace the unique qualities that each student holds and make the most of this diversity to enhance the learning outcomes of all students. This critical reflection aims to identify how teachers can set up the learning environment to specifically maximise teaching and learning for all. In correspondence to each idea mentioned, I will also reflect on some potential advantages and challenges that beginning teachers may
The motivation behind this study is to decide the impact of instructional method on a students ' performance on their formal assessment toward the end of a unit. Direct Instruction is incorporated to offer knowledge in extraordinary detail of this technique. In this study classes were taught a similar topic for a unit by direct instruction. Outcomes demonstrated that students can be effective in taking in the content regardless of which strategy was utilized to pass on the content. In any case, there were still some differentiating results found inside various groups of the students.