RUNNING HEAD: EQUITABLE TEACHING AND LEARNING: ACCOMMODATING THE

NEEDS OF DIVERSE LEARNERS

Equitable Teaching and Learning: Accommodating the Needs of Diverse Learners

MATC Synthesis Paper

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the

Master of Arts Degree in Curriculum and Teaching
Department of Teacher Education, Michigan State University

Nicole D. Colligan
PIC 878205
Summer 2021
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Introduction
Throughout my years as an educator I’ve encountered a wide range of learners, each with

their own individual needs. I’ve worked with students challenged by language barriers, learning

disabilities, poverty and homelessness, trauma from refugee camps, and difficult homelives.

Each student that has stepped foot in my classroom has possessed their own unique set of

interests, background knowledge, strengths and weaknesses, and learning styles that help to

define who they are as a learner. These student backgrounds and experiences work to shape the

communicative, linguistic, physical, sensory, behavioral, and cognitive differences in a child’s

learning. Despite their differences, all students are deserving of equitable opportunities to learn

and grow within their educational setting regardless of their cultural backgrounds, native

language, race, gender, social class, or ability.

When looking around my classroom at the smiling faces of these diverse learners, I

couldn’t help but dwell on the overwhelmingly daunting task of accommodating each and every

one of their needs. I continued to find myself wondering, “How can I best address and support all

of my students’ varying learning needs?”, “What more can I do to impact their learning in order

to make a difference in their lives?” As a graduate student within the MATC program I made it

my mission to search for these answers in meeting the needs of my students. I worked to develop

solutions to these challenges along the way through 1) ongoing reflection on learning and growth

as an educator, 2) designing and implementing differentiated curriculum and instruction, and 3)

utilizing individualized strategies for learning.

Ongoing Reflection on Learning and Growth as an Educator

In the early stages of the MATC program I enrolled in CEP800, Psychology of Learning

in School and Other Settings. This course was monumental in my development as a novice
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teacher because it influenced me to delve deeper into my conceptual understandings of learning

as it pertains to myself and my students (Artifact 1). Through my Personal Theory of Learning

Project, I was asked to define learning, which I described as an ongoing process that is unique to

each individual. I highlighted upon the complexity of learning and the many factors that

influence it, including background knowledge, social environment, as well as motivation to

learn. Reflecting upon what learning is and how it can be facilitated or hindered depending on

certain attribute’s a learner brings to the setting, helped me to begin examining the possible

implications these ideas have on teaching a diverse population of students. Drawing upon

research and scholarship in psychology supported me in considering what I can do to more

effectively facilitate learning within my classroom by imbedding these concepts into everyday

instruction. Activating student’s prior knowledge and interests, introducing relatable topics and

real-life experiences to make meaningful connections to students’ lives, and allowing for

engaging discussions and collaborative opportunities within the classroom are just a few ways I

can work to equitably accommodate the unique needs of my students.

Just over a year later in TE818, Curriculum in its Social Context, I was provided another

opportunity to reflect and build upon my constructed understanding of learning from both the

perspective of a learner and an educator. This was accomplished through a Living Educational

Theory that was written in the form of a letter to my students of the past, present, and future

(Artifact 7). In this letter I attempt to express my beliefs, values, and attitudes towards education

as they have been shaped through my teaching experiences and time within the MATC program.

Thinking critically about my journey in education also allowed me to draw comparisons to past

learning opportunities as well as consider future implications for what, how, and why I teach.

Through acceptance of my own successes and failures while growing alongside my students, I
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exemplify commitment to lifelong learning for myself and the children I encounter along the

way.

Within my Living Educational Theory (Artifact 7), I identify several equitable teaching

practices that promote student learning. These include establishing meaningful student-teacher

relationships, creating an inclusive and culturally responsive classroom community,

acknowledging and accepting student’s unique qualities that help to define who they are, and the

continued recognition of my unconscious biases to develop cultural awareness as an advocate for

student diversity. The importance of imbedding a combination of these practices into my

teaching aims at providing necessary accommodations that support diverse learners to be

successful and allows them to feel valued, respected, and cared for.

In addition, by expressing the necessity to prioritize student’s needs above all else I begin

to challenge the traditional educational system’s approach to a “one size fits all” model (Artifact

7). Too much emphasis being placed on student’s academic achievement and standardized

assessments acts as a prevalent issue in education as it fails to account for students varying

needs. Setting unrealistic expectations for students to perform above their means places

unnecessary pressure to acquire grade-level skills they are not yet ready for. While monitoring

student’s academic growth is valuable in many ways, I believe it is more beneficial to meet

students at their current level of understanding, giving them the opportunity to go at their own

pace and flourish in learning as their authentic selves.

Designing and Implementing Differentiated Curriculum and Instruction

Traditional educational settings that are teacher-centered and focused on a narrow set of

academic outcomes are problematic for a number of reasons as they fall short in acknowledging
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that students bring their own set of knowledge, skills, and experiences into the classroom. In

order to adequately accommodate for the needs of all students, these restrictive settings and rigid

expectations must be replaced with student-centered approaches to learning that offer a more

active and engaging environment that students can thrive in. Through the MATC program and

experiences within the field, I worked to adopt these methods through the differentiation of

curriculum and instruction.

In TE808, Inquiry into Classroom Teaching and Learning, I had my first opportunity to

design and implement differentiated instruction through center-based learning. This was

accomplished through an inquiry project utilizing action-research to support my student’s

individual literacy and math needs (Artifact 2). At the time this project was conducted my

classroom was made up of a wide range of learners. With the challenge of supporting my

student’s individual learning needs I realized that I must be receptive to change and demonstrate

a willingness to trying something new in my practice. I made the decision to adopt a student-

centered approach to differentiated instruction through active learning-centers that would “help

to meet the individual needs of students by providing them with opportunities to participate in

open-ended learning experiences specific to their own development” (Stone, 2012).

Backed by scholarly research, through this inquiry project I was able to design learning

centers by utilizing small group instructional strategies based on students’ similar needs and

levels of ability in literacy and math (Artifact 2). These learning centers offered students

engaging opportunities to participate in hands-on learning tasks that were specifically designed

to practice skills associated with grade-level content standards which fostered fine-motor

movements as well as higher-order thinking. Through center-based instruction students were also
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provided the chance to work collaboratively with peers which helped to build their social skills

and establish positive relationships within a strong classroom community.

While initially focusing on the effects that center-based learning had on student

achievement, upon data collection, I realized that is was imperative that I work to support

student’s capacity to learn and overall cognitive development rather than solely focusing on their

academic growth based on standardized assessments (Artifact 2). Because of this I was able to

provide more equitable opportunities for students to work towards mastery at their own pace by

identifying their needs of support, designing tasks to practice unmastered skills, and allow them

to learn from one another through collaboration. As I moved away from traditional educational

methods and became more confident in adopting a more active learning approach to teaching, I

felt compelled to share my newfound knowledge of center-based differentiated instruction with

others. I worked collaboratively with my grade-level partner to analyze collected data, identify

important themes within my findings, and support her in carrying out learning centers within her

own classroom. I also acted as a teacher leader by conducting a presentation within my

Professional Learning Community (PLC) to share with colleagues how the implementation of

learning centers had a positive impact on my students’ overall learning and development. By

utilizing my knowledge of useful teaching strategies, I worked to support other teachers in

addressing the diverse needs of their own students in a multitude of classrooms.

Through my experiences as a teacher working at an IB candidacy school I also had the

opportunity to differentiate curriculum through the development of six units of inquiry written

for kindergarten through the International Baccalaureate's Primary Years Programme (Artifact

3). This was accomplished through professional development workshops that influenced me to

begin examining my current teaching practices and consider how to utilize the PYP curriculum
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framework to offer a more student-centered inquiry-based approach to learning. With support

from my Professional Learning Community (PLC) I was able to construct these transdisciplinary

units to extend across content areas and be purposefully led by student inquiry and provocations.

This allowed me to make meaningful connections between the curriculum and students unique

characteristics to influence their overall learning. Through critical reflection and analysis, these

units have been continuously adapted to better fit the varying needs of learners and consistently

improve upon my teaching practice. This shift in curriculum ideologies has worked to create

more equitable opportunities for my students and their diverse capacities to learn.

Utilizing Individualized Learning Strategies

In CEP802, Developing Positive Attitudes Towards Learning, I employed the use of

individualized learning strategies to support a student facing challenges associated with

motivation to learn. This was accomplished through a design project that addressed my student’s

ability to remain engaged during independent phonics activities (Artifact 4). I reflected upon

information about my student’s background as well as observational data that had been collected

in order to pinpoint specific areas of motivation that this student struggled with. I applied my

knowledge of course concepts and scholarly sources to develop an intrinsic motivational

strategy that aimed to support my student’s need for autonomy, competence, and relatedness to

promote task-value and an appreciation for what is being learned. I helped meet my student’s

need for autonomy by providing clear rationale, exploring future applications, offering a variety

of choices, and utilizing meaningful learning activities that connected to my student’s interests.

In addition, my student’s needs of competence were met through the implementation of

differentiated tasks appropriately designed at my student’s current skill level as well as

corrective feedback that was frequently provided during independent work time. Through
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opportunities for collaboration among peers, I also supported my students need for relatedness. A

combination of these strategies influenced my student’s overall motivation to learn and

encouraged him to continue showing effort and persistence in pursuit of lifelong learning.

In CEP832, Educating Students with Challenging Behavior, I created an individualized

learning plan to accommodate for a student’s behavioral needs (Artifact 5). This plan was

developed through an ABC project that allowed me to identify and address hyperactive,

impulsive, and distractible behaviors that were negatively impacting my student ability to learn.

By collecting and analyzing data, I was able to design behavioral interventions to support my

student’s overall attention during whole group instruction and independent work time. This was

accomplished through self-monitoring techniques that helped my student become more aware of

behaviors exemplified as well as through student accountability checks imbedded within my

instruction. Through this ABC project I was able to engage in consistent self-reflection from a

professional stance to critically consider how to effectively manage difficult behaviors present

within the classroom. Through acknowledgement and acceptance of negative feelings that can

sometimes emerge when faced with behavioral challenges, I was able to recognize several

relaxation strategies that can help me to stay calm and focused in meeting the needs of any

student who could benefit from behavioral support.

In TE846, Accommodating Differences in Literacy Learners, I had the opportunity to

design individualized lessons that addressed the academic needs of a student through a literacy

case study (Artifact 6). This case study was focused on supporting my student in acquiring

important foundational literacy skills linked to phonological awareness and letter identification.

Through analysis of my student’s background information and assessment results I was able to
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develop two lessons to provide explicit instruction in rhyme identification, phoneme

identification, and letter identification. These meaningful instructional opportunities were built

upon my student’s background knowledge and utilized hands-on tasks, think-alouds, modeling,

and corrective feedback to increase my student’s confidence in practicing literacy skills and

promote an overall deeper understanding of letters and their sounds in spoken words.

Through deep consideration of the potential factors that can influence a student’s

learning, I was able to design various individualized plans and utilize personalized strategies to

support students’ motivational, behavioral, and academic learning needs. This combination of

MATC program artifacts demonstrates my commitment to addressing challenges present within

the classroom and working to accommodate for the individual needs of diverse learners. I was

able to provide equitable opportunities to learn by getting to know my students on a deeper level,

taking a closer look at their background knowledge and experiences, and working with them

one-on-one to assess and address their needs. I exemplify determination in recognizing the

uniqueness of each student by utilizing their strengths and conveying respect and appreciation

for their differences. Through practice and reflection I have continued to work alongside my

students in order to make a positive impact on their overall learning development.

Conclusion
Through the MATC program and experiences within the field I have developed a deeper

understanding of what equitable teaching and learning looks like through reflecting and building

upon my own beliefs, values, and attitudes about education as they have continued to change

shape overtime. These learning opportunities have contributed to my overall growth as an

educator in addressing and supporting the individual needs of learners through differentiated

curriculum and instruction and the utilization of individualized learning strategies. Through these
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developed solutions to my questions, I have gained a considerable amount of confidence in my

ability to provide necessary accommodations to all diverse learners. Although my time within the

MATC program has come to an end, I will continuously strive to address these challenges

present within the classroom in order to positively contribute to students’ learning and make a

difference in their lives.

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References

Stone, S. (1994). Teaching Strategies: Strategies for teaching children in multi-age classrooms.

Childhood Education, 102-105. Retrieved October 8, 2018.