Nicholas Kron

Period 11-12
19 November 2019

Section 2.2 – Learner Exceptionalities

2.1.6 Compare theories of education and training impacting learners with exceptionalities

Knowing the different types of exceptionalities of students is one of the most important

factors in becoming an effective teacher. By understanding these exceptionalities with the help of

educational theorists, a teacher can know how to best help a student in the classroom regardless

of their exceptionalities, if they have an IEP or a 504 plan, or any other special accommodations

they may need.

To understand the theorists and their philosophies, we as teachers need to first understand

what the theories are. Two important developmental theories are from the theorists Benjamin

Bloom and Albert Bandura. Bloom’s theory on development is characterized by a series of steps

that begin with basic foundations and build upon a child’s knowledge. While doing this, the child

is eventually able to apply steps themselves than with assistance. Bandura’s developmental

theory says that, in a classroom for example, there are three steps: Teacher does it, everyone does

it, then students do it (“I do it, we do it, you do it”).

Between these two, both are focused on the development of skills in children that allow

them to do actions and activities on their own rather than with help of a parent or teacher.

However, both have one huge difference: Bloom’s theory focuses more on a long-term

development of skills through a set series of steps, while Bandura seems more concise. Bloom
says that children must have help in building a foundation, then building upon their knowledge

so they can apply steps themselves. Bloom’s theory holds plenty of room for the length at which

this happens. Bandura’s theory on the other hand tells us that it is possibly to be done within a

short amount of time. You show someone how to do something, you do it with them, then they

do it on their own.

Another educational theorist, Jean Piaget, goes further than the other two. He says that

the brain develops in a certain series of steps. In contrast to Bloom’s theory, he is not saying that

a child must be taught steps, it is already part of him/her. However, Piaget’s main point is not

how to properly develop a child, it is when to develop a child and when to teach them certain

things.

Now that we understand these theories and how they differ, our next step is to use them

as well as other resources to help us understand the relationships between a student’s health to

their academic success. First, if a student is not physically healthy, then they are less apt to learn.

If a student is tired or hurt, they are more focused on these than on the content that is being

taught and are less likely to hear or understand something being taught to them. Second, if a

student is suffering from anxiety then he/she can get overwhelmed easily and thus not be able to

focus on the task.

The next thing a teacher needs to know is how to help a student with any of these

disabilities or handicaps. A teacher can provide a “safe-zone” for students, place students in

groups that share strengths and weaknesses, and provide “lunch buddies” to help a student

achieve certain social goals. Emotionally, teachers can keep the classroom a healthy and positive

environment by praising students for accomplishments more often than ridiculing them for

failure. A teacher could also provide necessary materials and shortened assignments or one-on-
one discussions with students who have cognitive disabilities. Finally, teachers should know how

to create a classroom layout that is accessible to any students who are wheelchair-bound or have

enough space for students who have visual or oral impairments.

Lastly, a teacher must understand what the purpose, value and uses are of multiple plans

that many students with exceptionalities have. An Individualized Education Program, an IEP, is a

structured plan for students who fall below the average spectrum that contains personal goals for

that student to achieve to get them back on track with what is expected.