"...each individual learner occupies a unique place in time and space and responds throughout life to a set of circumstances, influences, and experiences that shape both what and how [they] learn."
How People Learn II, p.33
Conclusion 2.1
Each learner develops a unique array of knowledge and cognitive resources in the course of life that are molded by the interplay of that learner's cultural, social, cognitive, and biological contexts. Understanding the developmental, cultural, contextual, and historical diversity of learners is central to understanding how people learn.
No student, no matter how young, enters our classroom as a "blank slate". They come to us shaped by the knowledge of the generations before them and the many unique circumstances that shaped their lives.
It is our responsibility to recognize this if we are to understand and effectively teach our students.
