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Are you teaching children who think “outside the box”?
Submitted by E­merging forum 5 on 15 March, 2014 ­ 10:02
Day 3 at E­merging forum 4 and more inspiration from a webinar by David Crabtree “How knowing about special education needs
(SEN) helps all teachers learn about learning”

2. Wait a minute! How do we know that children need special educational needs? It’s difficult because we don’t know anything about
them at all. What we do know, though, that there are quite a few students in our class that find learning difficult. We are actually
talking about classroom learning here. These are the students that we tend to categorize into those having autism or dyslexia, etc.
The main point here is to understand that they learn differently and need different informational knowledge.
A common feature that they share is in the nature of their brain. They have less working memory (the bit of the memory that holds
things in our head) than the majority of other children. But it doesn’t stay in their brain for a long time. They lose important information
during the lesson. It becomes catastrophic to them because they cannot bring it back. They might forget the instruction, get easily
distracted and forget where they are. We tend to think they are doing it on purpose. But it’s not true! They just have less working
memory.
Let’s look at some famous faces in our history. I am sure you would agree with me that Albert Einstein was a genius. Well, what do
you say to that! During his school years he had difficulties learning and was often described as retarded yet turned out to be great and
famous! The list could go on: Bill Gates, Lewis Carroll, etc. These people have one thing in common: they learnt differently.

3. It’s interesting to know how our brain works and how we can use it in teaching. In one part of our brain we store knowledge (the left)
and in the other (right) we store images. If we work with such kids, we must remember that they easily lose information. Therefore, we
need to use the right side of the brain which stores pictures, colour, music because that’s the way their remember information and
that’s how we can make their learning a success.
If you do not have SEN students, please read my blog to the end. You might be surprised to find out that not only these kids think and
learn differently. ALL students learn in a different way.
Learning differences is a natural part of human diversity; classroom learning only amplifies these differences. By identifying them we
start learning about learning itself.
How can we support the learners in the classroom?
Use the right side of the brain. Use pictures, music and colours to help things linger in their minds.
Multi­sensory learning is beneficial. Every student is to be supported in every way (auditory, visual, kinesthetic). It strengthens
their working capacity of memory.

4. Teach what interests them.
Learning must be fun.
I hope you are convinced by now that many learners process information in a different way. By looking at how they do it we can
develop our own teaching strategy.
Now here is a thing I’d like you to do after the forum: go back to your classrooms and take a close look at your students. Can you see
another Einstein? No?! Take a closer look!
Posted by Natalia Alatyreva
Special events:
E­merging forum 4 blog
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