Section 2.

2: Learner Exceptionalities
2.1.6 Compare theories and philosophers of education and training
impacting learners with exceptionalities.

Educational theories are important considerations that a teacher needs to plan for any

student. Students differ from being gifted to having IEPs or 504 plans. Others may

require special accommodations -meaning changes to testing environments or adding

or taking away things to help them learn- and modifications - which are actually

changing the lesson plan or changing the test to fit their learning processes. Examples

of different theorists such as Benjamin Bloom, Albert Bandura and John Dewey can

help prepare teachers to be the best they can be for their students.

We studied the different types of theorists and put together a project so we could see all

of the theories similarities and differences when it comes to learning (2.2.1). There are

two main theories we focussed on, behaviorist and cognitive theorists. Behaviorist

theories focus on observing something and then actually performing it, while cognitive

theories focus more on the thought process of things you learn and how you apply

them.

John Dewey was a behaviorist that we learned about and he was known more for

observing moments and hands on learning. He thought that students can’t be

successful in their learning if they don't do it themselves and get the chance to interact

with things being taught. Jean Piget was more of a cognitive theorist, he thought that
the brain develops in specific steps. For example, a kindergartner shouldnt be learning

how to multiply because their brain isn't at that step in development yet.

(3.8.2) Comparing relationships between learners' academic achievements and their

physical and mental health could be something as in the cognitive theory for a student

that is behind in their steps. They will need to work extra hard to get to where they need

to be but when they get there it will definitely be a great achievement with how much

work they have put in, but this could also hinder their mental health if they are putting

school first and not themselves. It is possible for some students that don't get subjects

right away to have lower confidence than a student that does.

(3.8.3) Types of accommodations and modifications could be used as a behaviorist

theory because when students are observing you as a teacher need to get the

information across in a way that all of your students will understand it, so for some you

might have to make the accommodation of having visuals to look at while explaining it

and for modifications you might have for the advanced students a couple of extra steps

in a project you are doing to get them to go above and beyond.

(3.8.6) Purposes for things such as IEPs and 504 plans are so that students with a

different type of learning style or brain can get all the help they need in order to

succeed. These are more of a modification than an accommodation because you are
adding something or taking something away from their curriculum in order to understand

the information they need to know.

(5.4.15) Appropriate instructional activities that affect different types of learning can lean

towards both cognitive and behaviorist theories because there can be physical

impairments such as blind or deaf but there can also be mental impairments such as

autism or dyslexia. Behaviorists could add into their lesson plan for a blind people

things such as more out loud activities and listening, for a deaf person they could add a

translator that does sign language who could also come in and teach some to the rest of

the class. For cognitive such as dyslexia they could have someone come in and

practice reading more than the others do and for autism they could adjust how their

room is set up based on their needs and focusses such as textures and furniture.