Learning Episode 2

Learner Diversity: Developmental Characteristics, Needs and Interests

OBSERVE, ANALYZE, REFLECT

Activity 1.1 Exploring the School Campus

Resource Teacher: Mr. Jayson Ege Teacher’s signature:     School: DCHS

(Dumaguete City High School)

Grade/ Year Level: Grade 8 Subject Area: English Date:

To realize the Intended Learning Outcomes, I will work your way through these steps:

Step 1 Observe 3 groups of learners from different levels (preschool, elem., and high
school)

Step 2 Describe each of the learners based on my observations.

Step 3 Validate my observation by interviewing the learners.

Step 4 Compare them in terms of their interests and needs.

OBSERVE

Use the observation guide and matrices provided for you to document you
observations.

An Observation Guide for the Learners’ Characteristics

Read the following statements carefully. Then write your observation report on the
provided space. Your teacher may also recommend another observation checklist
if a more detailed observation is preferred

Physical

1. Observe their gross motor skills how they carry themselves, how they move,
walk, run, go up the stairs, etc.

2. Are gross movements clumsy or deliberate/smooth?

3. How about their fine motors skills? Writing, drawing, etc.

 Social

1. Describe how they interact with teachers and other adults.

2. Note how they also interact with peers. What do they talk about? What are
their concerns?

Emotional

1. Describe the emotional disposition or temperament of the learners.(happy,

sad, easily cries, mood-shifts).

2. How do they express their wants/needs? Can they wait?

3. How do they handle frustrations?

4. Describe their level of confidence as shown in their behavior. Are they self-
conscious?

Cognitive

1. Describe their ability to use words to communicate their ideas. Note their
language proficiency.

2. Describe how they figure out things. Do they comprehend easily? Look for
evidence of their thinking skills.

3. Were there opportunities for problem solving? Describe how they showed
problem solving abilities.

Learners’ Development Matrix

Record the data you gathered about the learner’ characteristics and needs in this
matrix. This will allow you to compare the characteristics and needs of learners at
different levels. The items under each domain are by no means exhaustive. These are
just sample indications. You may add other aspects which you may have observed.
 Development Preschooler Elementary High School
Domain
Indicate age range of Indicate age range Indicate age range
children of children of children
observed:_______ observed:_______ observed:_______
_ _

Physical  Preschooler  Grade 5  They can

move around students can move freely
Gross-motor skills
the most move and with
Fine-motor skills involving long hours
 They write or large movement
Self-help skill draw with muscles like walking
assistance
Others  They know  They are
 They know how how to write now
to clean their and hold conscious on
toys on their objects their
own correctly performance
like writing
 They know
how to work  They don’t
on their own need
without assistance
assistance on every
task

Social  Preschoolers  Grade 5  Grade 9

interact with students like students
Interaction with
teachers even if to talk to loves to
Teachers
out of the class teacher id interest with
Interaction with topic need to ask teachers if
Classmate/Friend something have any
 They like to talk concerns
s
a lot with their  They usually
Interests classmates talk to  They love to
through playing classmates talk with
Others they like or circle of
 Interest in they have in friends
playing common
 Interest on
 Interest to opposite sex
listen in
 class

Emotional  Preschoolers  Grade 5  Grade 9

have short students students can
Moods and
temper and express their handle their
Temperament,
easily changes feeling a lot own
expression of
mood anytime by having emotions,
feelings
circle of some can
 They rely on friends with hide them
Emotional
their parents them
independence
and cries if  Some
Others parents are not  They are cannot show
watching them now aware emotion
of their easily, they
action and are already
will no mature and
longer with so they can
parents are handle
not around things alone

Cognitive  Preschoolers  Grade 5  Grade 9

cannot talk student can students can
Communication
properly they do convene communicat
skills
talk through with e well with
Thinking skills action teachers and so many
classmates people
Problem solving  They cannot
talk on their  They can  They can
Others own, they need think on their think fast as
assistance own without adolescent
assistance
 They cannot  Hey can
solve problem  They can solve
on their own solve problem on
problems their own
slightly logically

ANALYZE

Write the most salient development characteristics of the learners you observed. Based
on these characteristics, think of implications for the teacher.
Example:

Level Salient Characteristics Implications to the

Observed Teaching-Learning Process

Preschool  Preschoolers like to move  Therefore, the teacher

around a lot. should remember ti use
Age range of learners
music and movement
observed 3-4
activities not just in PE but
in all subjects.

 Therefore, teachers should

not expect preschoolers to
stay seated for a long
period of time.

Level Salient Characteristics Implications to the

Observed Teaching-Learning Process

Preschool  Preschoolers like to talk a  Therefore, the teacher

lot even though it is out of should give an activity
Age range of learners
the class topic. allowing the clan to
observed __5-6
interact with something
years old__
to work on.

Elementary  They usually talk or  Therefore, the teacher

convene with classmates should give an
Age range of learners
they like or they have in interactive group
observed __9-10
common. activity which made the
years old__
class know each other.

 Therefore, the teacher

must give think-pair-
share group activity

High School  Highschool students love  Therefore, the teacher

to interact with teacher if must have oral
Age range of learners
have any concerns. participation allowing
observed _14-15
each student to talk
years old__
their ideas concerns or
additional inputs in
 class.

REFLECT

1. While you were observing the learners, did you recall your own experiences when
you were their age? What similarities or differences do you have with the learners
you observed?

While I observe the learners, I recall my own experiences when I was their age,
some similarities I have recall are when I was in preschooler, I usually move a lot
and play a lot, when I was in my elementary and high school day. I usually talk to my
classmate sharing our common interest. Mean while the differences I have observed
are I was a fast learner when I was in preschool days. I easily learn things a lot.

2. Think of a teacher you cannot forget for positive or negative reasons. How did
she/he help or not help you with your need (physical, emotional, social, and
cognitive)? How did it affect you?

Ms. Acabal, my teacher in high school is one of the teachers that I cannot forget
because she is my closest teacher, and she is helped me in my high school life by
giving me some ideas for my projects and also giving me advices when I have a
problem. I can also see her that she is a good teacher and that motivates me to be a
good teacher in the future.

3. Share your other insights here.

In teaching your lesson, there are students who are not interested in the lesson.
Hence, as a teacher, you need to be energetic to catch the attention of your
students.

LINK Theory to Practice

Directions: Read the items given below and encircle the correct answer.
1. A 14-year old felt ignored by her crush whom she believes is her one true love. She is crying
incessantly and refuses to listen and accept sound advice that the teacher is offering. Her refusal
to accept is because _____________.

A. she thinks what she feels is too special and unique, that no one has felt like this before

B. the teenager’s favorite word is “no,” and she will simply reject everything the teacher says

C. 14-year-olds are not yet capable of perspective taking and cannot take the teacher’s
perspective

D. Teenagers never listen to adult advice

2. A preschool teacher is thinking about how best to develop the fine motor skills of the
4-year-olds. Which of the following should he best consider?

A. Provide daily coloring book activities.

B. Ask the children to do repeated writing drills.

C. Encourage children to eat independently.

D. Conduct a variety of fun and challenging activities involving hand muscles daily.

3. Science Teacher Rita showed her class a glass of water with an egg in it, She asked
the class: “What happens to the egg if I add three-tablespoon salt to the glass of water?”
This is hypothesis formulation. What can you infer about the cognitive developmental
stage of Teacher Rita’s class?

A. Formal operational stage

B. Concrete operational stage

C. Pre-operational stage

D. Between concrete and formal operational stage

SHOW Your Learning Artifacts

Which is your favorite theory of development? How can this guide you as a future
teacher? Clip some readings about this theory and paste them here.

- Erik Erickson’s Theory said that personality is determined by experiences during

childhood and adulthood. Development has a series of stage where it is
determined by crisis. As a person grow, he/she will acquire and construct
knowledge and different characteristics that fits on his/her age depending on the
stage he/she belongs.