Learner Profiles

My Jagged Learner Profile

Even though I've spent more time sitting at a computer with sedentary fingers than actually typing, this time is what I need to write a paper, create a project, or prepare for a presentation. Fortunately, I was provided that time through most of my schooling (except for the processing time I needed for most quizzes and tests. It often took me longer than average to finish these).

Communication and Processing Time

Although I consider myself a proficient communicator, I don't always appear to be when put on the spot with little time to think. Teachers and peers may observe this as a lack of understanding pertaining to class content.

Considerations for My Jaggedness

With enough time to prepare, someone like me might communicate effectively during speeches and presentations. However, live discussions, pop quizzes, tests, or in-class writing assignments can be tough. When given a five-minute writing prompt, I may spend the first three minutes figuring out what I'm going to write.

Other Jagged Learner Profiles

Student A

Kat is friendly and playful. She gets along with her friends. She is constantly looking out for others, but sometimes comes across as bossy. She struggles academically because she processes information very slowly. In a given timeframe, her work is often incomplete, so she often falls behind the pace of a class. Fortunately, her special education plan gives her extra opportunities to complete work during the day with the support of an adult. In working one-on-one with her, it’s clear that she’s thoughtful about her work, though diligent to the point of indecisive.

Padlet

Student B

Skip is a capable and insightful student. He started the year with a friendly and outgoing demeanor and completed most of his work. He demonstrated a creative thought process and interesting takes on a variety of topics. As time went on, his mood became more and more cynical, and eventually antagonistic. He came to class with no intention of doing work and disrupted class on most days. This behavior was clearly a product of life outside of school. His emotional needs were not being met, so it was difficult to place any emphasis on his academic needs. This speaks to the emotional health factors that play into a jagged learning profile. Addressing these needs from an educator's standpoint begins with awareness and requires empathy rather than anger.

Reflection

In order to effectively use Universal Design for Learning in my teaching, I need to understand that there is no such thing as an average learner. A student may appear average in one metric, low in another, high in another, and then off the charts in another. Every student has a jagged learning profile, including me. My various strengths and weaknesses epitomize the jagged nature of learning, but also the importance of Universal Design. It's not about building accommodations for each student. It's about acknowledging variability and building choice opportunities for all.

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