‘Students learn in diverse and wondrous ways, including ways that bypass the teacher in the classroom and ways that require neither a classroom nor a teacher.” (Fraser & McGee, 2012)

Everyone learns in different ways (Visual, Audiological, Kinaesthetic, for example). Some learning theories recognised today are: Behaviourist learning theory, involving the manipulation of external factors to encourage learning. This can include reward systems in class and also positive and negative reinforcement. Developmental learning theory is based on what information a person can process at a particular phase in their life. Humanistic learning theory recognizes that a child’s basic needs must be met before they are in an adequate state to learn. Socio-constructivist learning theory is built around the knowledge that new information and life experiences must be adapted into current mental states and learning is achieved through processing and using this new information. Socio-cultural learning theory uses diversity within a community of learners. It recognises that exploring and crossing cultural boundaries can assist with learning. Socio- cultural learning also has a focus on personal identity as well as what knowledge a student stores and uses. The process of learning is a different experience for everyone. The way in which a student learns and processes information can be affected by factors such as: -The environment in the classroom (how comfortable they feel in the learning environment, whether they feel they can express ideas and ask questions) -The mind set or emotional climate of the student when they enter the classroom (whether they are prepared to be mentally engaged or not, they may be distracted or limited by outside factors) -The student’s relationship with their teacher (whether this involves strong, open lines of communication, reciprocity and a feeling of confidence in being able to share) -The student’s relationships with their peers (they may feel excluded, singled out or intimidated at the thought of expressing themselves. The environment within the community of learners should encourage a feeling of equality among the students.)

Because learning is multifarious, there is no one way to make all students within a classroom learn at the same rate and absorb the same amount of information. Learners of all descriptions must be catered for. A teacher can cater for the diversity of learners within the body of students by: -Having variety in the way that new ideas and concepts are relayed to students in the class, e.g. Group discussion, one on one focus time, visual demonstrations involving whiteboard, media etc. -Using feedback. This includes the verbal feedback from students (when they let the teacher know that learning has occurred) and also non-verbal feedback. This is when the teacher can use assessments and general monitoring of the students progress to evaluate if learning is occurring and what method of learning suits individual students. Because the way we learn changes throughout the course of our lives, the only way for teachers to be able to cater to the different learners in their classroom is to be able to respond to needs individually and not block students in to one conformity. The process of learning is constantly changing within a students mind and therefore variety is key to engage students on a continual basis. (Learning Solutions, 2012)

References: McGee. C., & Fraser. D., (2012). The Professional Practice of Teaching (4th ed.) South Melbourne, Vic., Australia: Cengage Learning Solutions. (2012). Building A Learning Community Retrieved from online-learning-community