One-Size Doesn't Fit All: Variability in Neurodivergent Brains

Emily Kircher-Morris talks with Barbara Pape, Senior Director of the Learner Variability Project, about the concept of learner variability. The conversation touches on the importance of recognizing each student's unique strengths and challenges. They explore how educators can support neurodivergent learners through personalized instruction, they cover the role of technology in education, and talk about the need for a sense of belonging in the classroom. The discussion also touches on the barriers educators face in addressing learner variability and the evolution of educational policy to better support diverse learners.

TAKEAWAYS

• Learner variability is the recognition that each student has unique strengths and challenges.

• Teaching to the middle does not effectively reach any student.

• Understanding learner variability allows educators to see design challenges rather than student problems.

• The Learner Variability Navigator is a tool for educators to understand and support diverse learners.

• Creating a sense of belonging is crucial for student engagement and success.

• Students should have agency in how their accommodations are presented to peers.

• Belonging in the classroom requires a whole child approach.

• Educational policy must evolve to provide adequate support for neurodivergent learners.

Barbara Pape is the Senior Director of the Learner Variability Project at Digital Promise, where she led a national survey on learner variability, edtech, and teacher practice, authored the defining paper on learner variability, and co-developed the IEP Project, which emphasizes strength-based, whole-child approaches to writing IEPs. She also hosts a monthly edWeb webinar series and previously served as executive producer of the award-winning Teaching & Learning conference for the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Her background includes roles in public policy, having worked on former U.S. Senator Paul Simon’s Senate and Presidential campaign, as well as in the U.S. Senate on the Education and Labor Committee.

Barbara has contributed to numerous publications and was the editor and publisher of the first electronically delivered education newsletter, The Daily Report Card. She serves on the boards of Benetech and The Riley Project and is involved in multiple education and learner variability working groups. Previously, she was an advisor for the Kennedy Center’s Intersection of the Arts and Special Education and a strategic planning committee member for Montgomery County Public Schools. She is currently pursuing a PhD at University College London, holds an EdM in reading and literacy from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, and began her career as a middle school language arts teacher.

BACKGROUND READING

Facebook, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, YouTube, The Learner Variability Project, The Learner Variability Navigator

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