• << eFellows
• Introduction
  • Background & Context
  • Personal Significance
  • Research Questions
  • Theoretical Perspectives
  • The Process of Education
  • The Learning Environment
  • The Physical Environment
  • Different Learning Styles
• Methodology for a case study
  • Quantitative data
  • Qualitative data
  • Standards for validation
• Data Collection
• Data Sources & Analysis
  • Quantitive data sources
  • Standardized test results
  • Qualitative data sources
  • Data Analysis and Interpretation
• Creating a user friendly classroom environment
  • Teacher Training
  • Lifelong learning
  • The learning journey
  • Fitting policy into practice
• Conclusion
• References
• Appendix 1
• Appendix 2
• Appendix 3

The learning journey

So how can we nurture this desire for learning once they get to school and prevent it from being destroyed by our education system? Hopefully by understanding how our 10% of students with specific learning disabilities learn and by finding out more about how they see their learning environment working for them, we can guide them along the tracks of the learning railroad, but by allowing them to stop off at stations along the way they can explore the sidetracks and their attractions at their own pace, until they are ready to jump on the next train and continue their journey. There will be more hills to climb slowly and less opportunities to glide down the other side for these students, but the longer journey will be worth it in the end, as they become the creative and innovative members of adult society.

Until the process of learning becomes more important than the product at the end, those with specific learning disabilities will always fall off the rails before they reach a station because they are being pushed along too fast, without the opportunity to stop and consolidate their learning along the way. They may need to stop more frequently and possibly for longer at each station but they will eventually get there, with the guiding tracks to direct them, and a comfortable and safe carriage to travel in between stations.

© Karen Newbrook 2004