Introduction
As described by Hall, Strangman, & Meyer (2011), differentiated instruction [DI] allows teachers to build flexibility into their approach and understanding in adapting curriculum to the needs of the student, instead of requiring students to apply modifications they may be ill-equipped to complete (p. 2). In the alternative classroom, with a majority of students ELLs, teachers can adapt DI to set lesson and curriculum goals through a range of instructional and management strategies to engage students through curiosity, promote understanding, and clarify understanding to incorporate learning in the classroom (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010a; Laureate Education, Inc., 2010b). As a teacher become confident in lesson planning, extra flexibility is introduced with the addition of technology that will enhance the framework in which DI can drive instruction. The following resources will be able to enhance the learning environment for learners in my Media Literacy and English language arts classrooms.
Resources
Hall, Strangman, & Meyer (2011) stress developing knowledge of your students from the beginning allows you the freedom to help learners complete and fulfill their understanding of the learning process (p. 4). In order to accommodate readiness knowledge in the alternative English language arts classroom, I will assign reading tasks based upon software that determines student-reading abilities. This free website, Get a Lexile Text Measure, at http://www.lexile.com/analyzer/ measures the text readability for the reading assignments in your curriculum. I like this site because you can measure different types of text and match them for each student. The site is free to join (with registration) and free upgrades for educators...
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Works Cited
Hall, T., Strangman, N., & Meyer, A. (2011). Differentiated instruction and implications for UDL implementation [Website]. Retrieved from http://aim.cast.org/learn/historyarchive/backgroundpapers/differentiated_instruction_udl
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010a). High quality curriculum [Video webcast]. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010b). Introduction to differentiated instruction [Video webcast]. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Sutherland, M. (2008). Appropriate structures for teachers to implement in the high school classroom for at risk students [Website media]. Retrieved from http://www.waier.org.au/forums/2008/sutherland2.html
Tomlinson, C. A. (2005). How to differentiate instruction in mixed-ability classrooms. (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
Watts-Taffe, S., Laster, B., Broach, L., Marinak, B., McDonald Connor, C., & Walker-Dalhours, D. (2012). Differentiated instruction: Making informed teacher decisions. Reading teacher, 66(4), 303-314. doi:10.1002/TRTR.01123
After, reviewing the vast amount of reading inventories that can be utilized to obtain a reading competency level for a student. I decided to utilize the Jennings Informal Reading Assessment, this assessment had all of the essential elements needed to analyze and evaluate the reading styles and comprehension level of a student. The unique qualities that assist me in selecting this strategy were that of the preprimary word list. The word list offers the student a chance to learn and observe terms that he/she may not have known prior to the assessment. This also provided me with a better understanding of the student usage of visual cues and ability to utilize prior knowledge to understand and recognize information. This is a cognitive ability
1. Differentiated instruction- Is personalized and customized learning, and it is one of the concepts in education that many people hear about, but do not understand clearly.
This lesson plan did include differentiated instruction. Differentiated instruction focuses more on the students and how to teach them. The school must make sure “that teachers focus on process and procedures that ensure effective learning” (Tomlinson & McTighe, 2006, p iv) for numerous students in the class. Teaching Middle Ages needs the use of the student’s eyes, ears, and hand. Students learn more and have fun when they can use more senses.
Is differentiated instruction necessary to meet the needs of all levels of learners within the environment based on learning styles, interests, and readiness levels? Differentiated instruction involves daily assessment, either formal or informal, lots of planning, and a classroom of learners working together as a community (Tilton, 2001). Differentiated instruction is a learner-centered instructional design model that acknowledges that students have individual learning styles, motivations, abilities, and, therefore, readiness to learn.
For this lesson I still need to learn how to analyze instructional goals and differentiated instructional strategies. When I transfer to a university to further my education; in my educational classes I will learn about this. In addition to student teaching, I will be learning how to handle future situations with the appropriate grade level. Lastly, I will ask for advice from art teachers and teachers in general to find out more information on differentiated instructional strategies.
Each school year children enter classrooms with different abilities, learning styles, and personalities. Educators are required to see that all students meet the standards of their district using Common Core Standards. Through the use of differentiated instruction strategies, many educators can meet the needs of all students and help them to meet and exceed the established standards. In this case study, this author gives practical examples of how to differentiate content, process, and product for Destiny Shamrock, a new ELL student assigned to my caseload.
Instruction. These two strategies are approaches that address classroom diversity in general education settings, and inclusion classroom settings. The idea of UDL is that instructional lessons, strategies, and assessments are planned with supports, which are more likely to be well-suited for students with special needs. The supports minimize the need for adaptations at a later time. Properly designed classrooms require fewer adaptations for students with special needs, is an ass...
While differentiating instruction and being able to design lessons geared towards the needs of diverse learners are currently highly prized skills for teachers, this has not always been the case. The history of education in the United States is a history of segregation. Even today, schools and curriculum are designed to meet the needs of a core group of students, which does not include students with disabilities (Hitchcock, Meyer, Rose, & Jackson, 2002). In the past, learners who were different, out of the mainstream, or did not fit into the mold to which teachers taught (were not part of the core) learned how or lost out on learning. This is not to say that teachers of the past did not care about their students, about being effective teachers, or about student learning. However, as schools are mirrors reflecting mainstream societal norms (Chartock, 2010; Delpit, 2006)—and, given that our society has not always valued diversity in people, be it due to disability, class, culture, or race—teachers in the past have largely focused their efforts where they could earn the largest return on their investment: the average student .
Hall, T., Strangman, N., & Mayer, A. (2009, February 11). Differentiated Instruction and Implications for UDL Implementation. Retrieved March 20, 2010, from CAST: http://www.cast.org/publications/ncac/ncac_diffinstructudl.html
This discussion reminds me of the time that I helped my niece with her homework after her mother would get frustrated that she did not understand how to solve First grade math problems. This is where differentiated instruction and DAP come into action as each child learning differently and where a teacher or parent should remain composed even if you get frustrated. Differentiated instruction provides children with numerous options when learning fresh information, while Developmental Appropriate Practices is where we use the knowledge about how children develop to construct learning programs that are suitable for both their age and mental development.
Understanding by Design, Differentiated Instruction and Standards-based instruction are three methods that are used to instruct students in the classroom and help them succeed when learning. They can be used separately to plan and organize the classroom. Yet used together, they create and promote effective ways for the students to learn and insure that every student in the classroom can reach success. One must understand the different methods and how they work in the classroom before they are able to understand how to instruct with all the methods together.
Reading Mastery is targeted for grades K through 5, focusing on phonemic awareness, phonics and word analysis, fluency, vo...
In today’s educational environment, all students expect to receive the same level of instruction from schools and all students must meet the same set of standards. Expectations for students with learning disabilities are the same as students without any learning difficulties. It is now unacceptable for schools or teachers to expect less from one segment of students because they have physical disabilities, learning disabilities, discipline problems, or come from poor backgrounds. Standardize testing has resulted in making every student count as much as their peers and the most positive impact has been seen with the lowest ability students. Schools have developed new approaches to reach these previously underserved students while maintaining passing scores for the whole student body. To ensure academic success, teachers employ a multi-strategy approach to develop students of differing abilities and backgrounds. Every student is different in what skills and experiences they bring to the classroom; their personality, background, and interests are as varied as the ways in which teachers can choose to instruct them. Differentiated instruction has been an effective method in which teachers can engage students of various backgrounds and achieve whole-class success. When using differentiated instruction, teachers develop lesson strategies for each student or groups of students that provide different avenues of learning but all avenues arrive at the same learning goal.
When teachers differentiate their lesson, the students are more engaged to learn. Students have some choice in their learning activities, which motivates students to want to learn and also puts more learning responsibility on the students. Some students may prefer to work alone or in groups and some students like to be hands-on. By differentiating the lesson, all students’ needs are being met. “Differentiated Instruction gives students a range of ways to access curriculum, instruction and assessment. DI engages students to interact and participate in the classroom in a richer way. It is based on the assumption that all students differ in their learning styles, strengths, needs and abilities and that classroom activities should be adapted to meet these differences