Learning Diversity
At St Aloysius addressing the diverse learning needs of all students is crucial to ensure that all can thrive. Students possess varying abilities, learning styles, and challenges that require tailored approaches to education. Every teacher differentiates the instruction in their classes to cater for all students, sometime this can be extension work and other times supporting students to develop knowledge or skills previously missed.
The Learning Diversity Team assist both teachers and students to promote curriculum access to all. This may involves creating resources for teacher use, supervision of students to complete assessment tasks or providing one on one assistance in or out of the classroom.
Learning Support Officers often visit several different year levels and subject areas across the course of a day. Their presence in class assists in bridging gaps in understanding, boosts confidence, and prevents students from falling behind.
Some students with learning disabilities, ADHD, Autism or cognitive differences may require specialized support, such as extra time for assessments, quiet alternate areas to sit assessments, scaffolds or templates to assist with focus, or assistive technology such as speech to text or text to speech.
The Learning Diversity Team is proud to hold ACE (Academic Consolidation for Everyone) every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, 3.30-4.30pm in the DTIC. This initiative was set up to encourage all students to drop in and get a little assistance. Everyone is welcome to drop in to ask about a concept they did not understand in class, ask a question they forgot in class or just find a quiet supportive place to complete their homework. We have a regular group of students who attend each week, while other students choose to attend when major assignments or exams are approaching.
Through personalised assistance, diverse teaching methods, and collaborative efforts, secondary schools can create an environment that empowers every student to achieve their full potential.
Andrea Barr
Learning Diversity Leader