Shifting Mindsets: Designing Lessons for Learner Variability

Classrooms nationwide welcome a diverse group of learners. A goal, and an achievable one, is to recognize this unique diversity on a whole child spectrum and to strive to customize learning to meet individual needs. Critical to this process is for teachers to have at hand research that connects factors of learning in a holistic way. It is equally important to provide research-based strategies that teachers can use to embrace differences and provide pathways to robust learning for each student. With these considerations in mind, the Learner Variability Project (LVP) engaged in a partnership with the national nonprofit DonorsChoose to discover if teachers across the country could use the Learner Variability Navigator (LVN) to find and put in place research-based strategies that address the whole learner. The LVN is a free and open-source web app that curates research to provide factors of learning and affiliated strategies on a whole child framework. The pilot study found that even brief use of LVN encouraged teachers to reflect on the research-based strategies they already use and explore new strategies that support their students’ diverse experiences and needs.