Standard+3

**Standard 3 - Teachers Understand That Children Learn Differently ** The teacher understands how pupils differ in their approaches to learning and the barriers that impede learning and can adapt instruction to meet the diverse needs of pupils, including those with disabilities and exceptionalities. ** Evidence 1 ** Multimedia lesson that empahsizes visual learning styles.

This Multimedia Lesson was developed for a seventh grade language arts class. It specifically uses technology to increase student understanding of the four writing genres; narrative, descriptive, expository, and persuasive. After the teacher finishes a mini-lesson on each genre, students will be expected to choose one to teach to their classmates. By using Mixbook, an online scrapbooking site, students will be able to combine visual and textual features to create a page that represents their chosen genre. Upon completion, students will be expected to orally present their page to the class thereby increasing learning. Due to the timing of the development of this lesson, I did not include it in my curriculum this past school year.
 * Rationale **

Often, teaching follows a model wherein the instructor fills ‘empty’ minds with ‘important’ information. Students are never given an opportunity to work with the instructional material in a way that is individually significant. Adapting learning to meet the needs of all students can often be overwhelming. One of the benefits of using technology to enhance instruction is that it more readily adapts to the needs of the user while at the same time being nonjudgmental. Furthermore, it can integrate multiple learning approaches simultaneously. Using Mixbook to extend the instruction of the genres gives students the opportunity to work with information visually and textually. They are able to manipulate words and graphics to help create and illustrate meaning. In addition, by allowing students to teach the material themselves they are interacting with it orally.

Designing this lesson was significant to my development as a teacher. To begin, I had to consider my instruction and whether or not it reflected my learning style or those of my students. The lesson made me realize that students deserve multiple methods of instructional delivery and that one way is not inherently better than another. As I create future lessons, I will be sure to incorporate multiple learning styles in order to better reach all of my students. I expect that students will more readily grasp material that is presented and remixed in different ways.

Although I am disposed to a specific learning style, it is important that my instruction is not heavy in any particular area (especially my own). I am aware that students need to work with material in multiple ways in order to connect with it successfully. This particular lesson uses multimedia as a way of accessing different learning approaches and performances.
 * 3.K.1 The teacher understands and can identify differences in approaches to learning and performance, including different learning styles, multiple intelligences, and performance modes, and can design instruction that helps use students’ strengths as the basis for growth. **

The design of this multimedia lesson is middle-school-age appropriate and relies on visual, oral, and textual learning preferences in order to create meaning.
 * 3.S.1 The teacher identifies and designs instruction appropriate to students’ stages of development, learning styles, strengths, and needs. **

By allowing students to represent their learning and understanding of material in their own way, this lesson focuses on the individual. Mixbook readily allows for distinct creativity and perspective as students control and design the content of their own pages.
 * 3.D.2 The teacher appreciates and values human diversity, shows respect for students’ varied talents and perspectives, and is committed to the pursuit of “individually configured excellence.” **

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