Below is my assignment submission for the “Who’s in my pocket” narrative and the Learner Profile submission that goes along with the narrative. These submissions allowed me to gain a better understanding of the adaptive dimensions (learning environment, instruction, assessment, and resources). The name for the child has been changed due to privacy and safety considerations.
“Who’s In my Pocket” Narrative
When I have to think about someone who has a learning ability, I think about a little boy, specifically a boy who is 8 years of age. The boy’s name is ‘A’ and he loves to learn. ‘A’ could spend hours watching shows that dive deep into science, loves the concept of particle physics, and is so creative. ‘A’ also struggles in class with staying on task and focused and often lets his emotions and frustration get the best of him from time to time. He is often seen in class fidgeting or using a ‘chewy” instead of paying attention in class, he would destroy his writing utensils and chew on a variety of things if he did not use his ‘chewy. I’ve known ‘A’ for many years now and his mother often contemplates getting him tested for learning disabilities like ADHD or ADD. When I have to consider someone that comes to mind when talking about their learning abilities, ‘A’ comes to my mind immediately because he can be such an in-depth learner and loves to spend his free time learning about the wonders of science. I suppose I want to learn more about ‘A’ because there could be a possibility, he has a learning disability and I would want to learn more about how to teach someone like him. I want to be able to find things he likes and enjoys as well as keep him focused and driven towards his learning.
I have seen ‘A’ when he is given a task or homework he does not care to do. He seems to lose focus and gives up even if he knows how to do it. His one true passion is learning on his own and researching information related to topics he finds enjoyable at the time, currently it is particle physics. He is able to create contraptions and conduct experiments to learn as much as he can within his means but only if it is something he does on his own and not when he is told. Perhaps this could just be his age but his teachers and his mother both are concerned it could be more than that.
As I learn and observe more about ‘A’, I wonder to myself how I as a future educator might engage him and keep him interested in his learning. I could provide topics of discussion and activities he may like but I feel as though I cannot specify every lesson directly for him when I have other students in my classroom as well. I want to learn more about how ‘A’ ticks and why he might enjoy topics so in depth, such as particle physics, at such a young age.
Learner Profile
Having a strong learning environment that is limited in distractions but is functional, adaptable, and aesthetically pleasing is important for ‘A’s learning. Obviously, I would need to develop an environment that respects all students and their diversity. For ‘A’, I know he has announced his pronouns as he/him/his and is a young white boy who comes from a Catholic household and has not yet specified his sexual preferences. For an environment specific to him, I believe it needs to be organized, consistent, and structured. ‘A’ does well when he is surrounded by a structured environment especially one with minimal distractions as he gets off task when there are other things going on around him. To achieve minimal distractions, ‘A’s learning environment could involve reduced amounts of physical clutter and noises as those things cause him to get distracted. I think involving ‘A’ in the decisions within his learning environment would help him create a place he feels he would work well in. Another great idea to help ‘A’ is to include a variety of seating arrangements. He moves around a lot when he learns and is unable to sit for long periods of time without getting antsy. To help him in this situation, a standing desk or rocking chair may be in his best interest. In regards to ‘A’s relationships with educators, he needs to have effective conversation that surrounds mutual respect. ‘A’ has had educators who do not fully listen to him when he talks because he stutters and sometimes struggles to explain how he feels which causes him to act out of frustration.
‘A’ is a very bright and knowledgeable student. He is able to understand concepts very quickly but when stuck on a concept he becomes frustrated and gives up. By providing ‘A’ with demonstrations on how to self-regulate could improve his focus. He loves in depth science content such as particle physics, something that is not taught in depth at the grade 3 level. For ‘A’, I believe having instruction that tailors to his interests, such as science or video games, he would be more engaged in the content. ‘A’ loves to think more deeply about abstract concepts but examples also help him stay engaged so blending both together would benefit this student. To fully incorporate an adaptive dimension for ‘A’, it would be beneficial for his educators to create collegial relationships and work together to determine what works best for him. When planning a lesson meant for a whole class, providing adaptations for ‘A’ may allow him to stay on task and engaged. This may include a teaching assistant in the room if possible to remind and help ‘A’ with his learning. Another good idea includes planning for small group arrangements so students can work with each other on instructional aspects, especially if they work and learn in similar ways.
When selecting appropriate resources for ‘A’ to learn, I believe it would be beneficial for his educators to work collaboratively to ensure the resources work well together and work well for ‘A’ and his learning. When the educators work to select the resources, they should work with the student to ensure that there are resources that he finds engaging and reflect his interests. For ‘A’, his interests vary between science, video games, and many more. To determine what these interests are and to incorporate resources that mirror these interests may help ‘A’ stay focused and engaged in the content and its relative learning. If ‘A’ is involved in an exploration or inquiry driven approach, allowing him to pick a topic with resources he finds engaging would benefit him. I think for ‘A’, resources that are print, visual, and multimedia/audio would help him since he enjoys those forms for learning. When he does independent learning at home, he tends to use video/audio resources since he is unable to read larger, more complicated texts/words. If the content being explored is more difficult in terms of definitions and reading in general, an audio/visual resource would be ideal for ‘A’.
After knowing ‘A’ for many years, he is most able to present his learnings in the form of discussion or explanation. He loves explaining to other people and teaching them about the things he learns. He is able to show his learnings through worksheets and written documentation, but he strives the best at orally explaining. Providing assessments that can be fair for ‘A’ and other students will provide him with the opportunity to demonstrate what he/they have learned. Changing the format of the assessment to an orally based assessment would work well for ‘A’. In relation to the time used to assess, it might benefit ‘A’ more if he is able to have a longer time to complete the assessment. Another good way to incorporate a longer time frame is to include parents and at home reflections so that ‘A’ has an ample time frame to complete assessments. When he explains orally about a concept, he can sometimes wander in conversation, he stutters and back tracks, and sometimes needs assistance finding the right words to use. When writing, ‘A’ gets distracted by his surroundings, spends too much time fidgeting and doodling, and gives up all together. Regardless of the assessment style used, the educator should allocate enough time to allow ‘A’ to complete the assessment on time. Adapting an assessment to match ‘A’s strengths would provide him with the opportunities for success.
Reference
Education, M. o. (2017). The adaption dimension: For Saskatchewan K-12 students doi:file:///C:/Users/Kenne/Downloads/100225-The_Adaptive_Dimension.pdf