Workshop on catering for learner diversity in the primary classroom

Date :

19 December 2014

Time :

2:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Place :

Room W134, 1/F, West Block, EDB Kowloon Tong Education Services Centre, 19 Suffolk Road, Kowloon Tong

Aims of Activity :

• To introduce strategies for varying material design and teaching process

• To show school-based learning and teaching materials to cater for learner diversity

• To illustrate how various strategies can be realised in unit planning and classroom practice to cater for the needs of different students

2:10 pm - 3:15 pm

• What is learner diversity?

• Why do we need to cater for learner diversity?

• How do we cater for diversity?

    - Varying material design

3:25 pm - 4:15 pm

How do we cater for diversity?

• Varying teaching process

    - Grouping

    - Questionging

    - Scaffolding

    - Active learning

4:15 pm - 4:40 pm

School case sharing

• This part enables teachers to have a better understanding of how to incorporate different strategies for catering for learner diversity into unit planning and daily teaching:

    - Use scaffolding in unit planning

    - Use 'Active learning' strategies (e.g. colour coding, multiple intelligences, such as interpersonal intelligence) in material design

    - Use flexible grouping

4:45 pm - 5:00 pm

Conclusion

• Key messages on how to cater for learner diversity:

    - Set realistic expectations for all students and provide adequate time and support

    - Aim at helping all the students move on the continuum of progress, advancing from the current stage to the next stage of students' language development

    - Give each student, notwithstanding their proficiency levels, the opportunity to reach their full potential

    - Use different strategies to broaden students' interests and stretch their learning styles so that they will become flexible and versatile learners