This unit has focused on barriers to learning that arise within the educational system and tend to obstruct successful learning. Some examples include:
- educational practices that fail to make accommodations for students with cognitive or physical disabilities
- negative stereotypes toward students
- curriculum expectations which do not provide the same opportunities for students of different socio-economic backgrounds
Barriers are often embedded within the policies of a school or within the long-held practices of the teacher’s methods.
In your reflection, think about your personal educational history. Did you experience any barriers to your education? If you did not personally experience a memorable encounter with any barriers, can you remember any classmates who did? What was the experience like?
In what way was your educational experience influenced by this barrier. Include details about whether or not accommodations were made or if there were efforts to redress the barrier. How might this experience better inform your empathy for different student experiences?
Rubic:
Self-improvement
Demonstrates clear
understanding that
self-reflection is a key
component of
improving both a)
her/his own teaching
practices and b) the
growth, development
and learning of one’s
students. Clear,
applicable details and
examples are
provided in the
reflection.
Connection to
outside
experiences
Engages in detailed
analysis of aspects
of her/his own
experiences and
those of others that
centrally relate to
the topic. Makes
substantive
connections
between these
experiences and
their application to
teaching practice,
and cites texts,
scholarly journals,
and other resources
to articulate their
meaning.
Submission
demonstrates
understanding of
the importance of
reflection on
experiences as a
critical tool for selfimprovement and
effectively employs it.
Connection to
course readings
(videos,
presentations, etc.)
and discipline
specific literature
Synthesizes those
aspects of the
readings that relate
to the topic. Makes
substantive
connections
between what is
learned from the
readings and the
topic. Includes
references to other
sources to
demonstrate the
ability to extend
one’s own learning
through
independent
discovery.
Reading Assignment
1. Classroom adaptations: Creating a climate of success. (n.d.). Kent Intermediate School District. https://www.trimesters.org/uploads/3/4/7/1/34719762/classroomadaptations.pdf
- As teachers come to understand the various barriers to student learning, this document provides examples of adaptations for teachers and suggestions of modifications that can accommodate different student needs. The document also includes considerations for students with learning challenges. Approximately 28 pages.
2. Empirically validated strategies to reduce stereotype threat. (n.d.). ed.stanford.edu. https://ed.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/interventionshandout.pdf
- Summarizing large bodies of research, this document provides quick teacher strategies that can help prevent stereotype threat in the classroom. Each strategy is supported by a peer-reviewed journal article. Approximately 1 page.
3. Light, D. (2012). Rebuilding for learning: Assessing barriers to learning and teaching, and re-engaging students. https://www.isbe.net/Documents/rebuilding-case-study.pdf
- This document is a case study that follows the challenges of a specific school district in Georgia, USA. The case study documents how one district coordinated efforts to address barriers to learning and teaching. The major factors addressed in the document include barriers such as dropout rates, disparities among different socio-economic backgrounds, racial and ethnic achievement gaps, and immigrant populations. Approximately 34 pages.
4. Steele, C. M. (1997, June). A threat in the air: How stereotypes shape intellectual identity and performance. American Psychological Association, Inc., 52 (6), 613-629. http://users.nber.org/~sewp/events/2005.01.14/Bios+Links/Krieger-rec5-Steele_Threat-in-the-Air.pdf
- Claude Steele is a leading expert on the effects of stereotype threat. In this article, Steele explains the dangerous effects of stereotype threat and explores the ways in which these judgments perpetuate barriers that unfairly disadvantage women and African-Americans. Steel’s research examines the decline in academic performance among different classroom settings. The reading is approximately 17 pages.
Optional Videos
1. Casper H. (2009, September 28). Stereotype threat: Social psychology in action [Video]. YouTube. (3:07)
- The video clip summarizes stereotype threat. In it, Steele explains one of his studies that explains how the threat can be addressed. https://youtu.be/nGEUVM6QuMg
2. Teachings in Education. (2017, July 30). Differentiated instruction: Why, how, and examples [Video]. YouTube.(5:30) https://youtu.be/8BVvImZcnkw
- This video provides justification and explanations of differentiated instructional approaches that can be used in the classroom to help students overcome potential barriers to learning. Teachers may think that including differentiated techniques will be too involved or demand significant changes to the curriculum, but in fact, there are numerous strategies that can be easily employed without much distraction.