Learners and Learning I

Course Description

Examines psychological, socio-cultural, linguistic, and other factors influencing development, learning, and the full range of learners, including English Learners, standard-English learners, students with exceptionalities, and students with other needs. Considers a variety of data to identify appropriate strategies and community-based resources to support all learners and their families.

Learning Outcomes

• Critique the effects of social, cultural and physical factors (e.g. race, religion, socio-economic status, language, health, trauma, homelessness, drugs, immigrant status, incarceration, foster care, gender and sexual identity, funds of knowledge, prior experiences, medically fragile, etc.) on students’ development.
• Summarize a variety of developmentally and ability appropriate instructional strategies, resources and technology (including principles of universal design, multi-tiered systems of support, and assistive technology) to support access to the curriculum for all learners.
• Analyze various methods of communicating in a timely manner with students and families/guardians, regarding achievement expectations and student progress.
• Analyze strategies for all K12 pupils to self-advocate, self-monitor, self-assess and self-regulate in all settings, to meet their individual learning needs.
• Examine the 13 federal categories of exceptionality and other special needs; assessments used in the process of early screening and/or identification; legal mandates regarding services for students with exceptionalities and other learning needs; issues related to common medications administered to children and adolescents.
• Summarize the process and techniques of assessing proficiency levels of English Language Learners in order to identify appropriate research based strategies to teach and support learning and language development of these students.
• Create a bank of experts and resources to support community-family-school relationships and their impacts on a learner’s success in school.

Requirements

1. The course’s students are expected to attend all class sessions, participate in all class activities, and complete assessment measures/assignments as scheduled.
2. The course’s students are expected to complete an assignment requiring four-hours in a K12 school/classroom and/or with one or more educators representing a variety of roles and responsibilities.
3. The course’s students are expected to integrate textbooks, internet resources, educational research and literature, and lecture concepts into all appropriate assignment requirements.

Prerequisites

• ITL602