Colerain Mack

EDU 6201
Standard 2: Learning Differences. The teacher understands individual learner differences
and cultural and linguistic diversity.
My Beginning Mandarin course is available for students in grades 9-11. High
school students in Utah public schools are required to enroll in two years of a foreign
language for graduation, and since it is a beginning level class there is a fairly good mix
of ages, and an almost equal split of male and female students. I promote an inclusive
classroom model, so there are students in my Beginning Mandarin course with
behavioral, mental, and physical disorders.
My students have a wide range of learning needs. I have students whose parents
are native Chinese speakers and have taught their children some Chinese, students with
no previous Chinese language background and whose native language is English, and
students who are English language learners whose native languages include Spanish,
Portuguese, and Karen.
The strategies I implement in planning, teaching, and assessment are essential to
provide the optimal learning environment for students of all abilities. In order to execute
effective strategies while teaching, I must take student needs into consideration during
my planning phase. I will use differentiation to address a number of my students needs
and attempt to meet them where they are academically. I will plan alternate activities for
those students who work at a faster pace so they will not be easily bored or distracted. I
also think it is important to plan meaningful activities around topics of interest to students
so that they have motivation to participate. One strategy I plan to use while teaching is
pairing students of the same ability level to work together on tasks which will allow
students of all levels to work at a pace appropriate to their level. I will also pair students
of different ability levels together on occasion so that higher-level students have a chance
to mentor lower-level students. This technique can be very useful for review activities so
that higher-level students have the opportunity to teach principles they feel comfortable
with and lower-level students can solidify their understanding with the help of a peer. In
terms of assessment, I plan to incorporate a variety of formal and informal assessments,
including some nonverbal measures of assessment which will be especially helpful for
English language learners.
I hope that my plans for meeting students where they are academically will
increase their motivation to work hard in class. If students feel that they are capable of
successfully completing the tasks at hand, their confidence will grow. Assessments will
serve to offer students constructive feedback to encourage them to continue working
hard, as well as to focus on where they can improve.
Technology is a key component of learning a foreign language. Creating activities
that involve technology (such as Skyping with native Chinese speakers, viewing video
clips in class, and recording student performances) will provide variety in instructive
tasks and capture student interest. Activities that incorporate technology provide students
additional opportunities to explore and create with a new language.
 If my outlined strategies proved to be ineffective, I would seek student input and
work collaboratively with students to incorporate activities and themes that are relevant
to their backgrounds and interests. I would also collaborate with other foreign language
teachers to plan interdisciplinary activities to engage students in meaningful activities
with their peers.