A Personal Reflection on the Importance of Differentiated Education

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During the course of this class and a previous class I’ve been learning and researching the

importance of differentiated instruction. It is by no means a new concept maybe just a new term.

Take a one room school house, years ago. There were no separate grade levels. Everyone was in

the same classroom with one teacher and the teacher taught to meet the needs of each student in

the room. This was differentiated instruction; they just didn’t know it at the time. Differentiated

instruction comes from the belief that there are differences among students, how they learn,

learning preferences, and interests. “The purpose of schools should be to maximize the

capabilities of all students. Differentiated thinking empowers teachers to be responsive rather

than reactive to the unique and individual personalities, backgrounds, and abilities found within

students.”(Anderson). Through my experiences, research and assessments, I will analyze the

importance and effects of differentiated instruction.

In 2004 I received a position as an Interpreter for the Deaf at a local high school. This was my

first taste of the educational system. I continued to work there as the sole interpreter for three

years. Working as an interpreter, I was simply a conduit for language. I couldn’t help my student

in any way. I was there to break the language barrier and it was against my code of ethics to do

any other than that. I wanted more than that. I wanted to be able to help my students and

make a difference in their lives. In 2007, I moved to San Antonio, TX where I was hired on as an

Instructional Assistant for Northside Independent School District in their Regional Day School

Program for the Deaf. After working there for ...

... middle of paper ...

...thinking empowers teachers to

be responsive rather than reactive to the unique and individual personalities, backgrounds, and

abilities found within students.” (Anderson)

Works Cited

Anderson, K. (2007). Tips for Teaching: Differentiating Instruction to Include All Students.

Preventing School Failure. 51(3), 49-54. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete

database.

Benjamin, A. (2006). Valuing Differentiated Instruction. Education Digest, 72(1), 57-59.

Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database.

McQuarrie, L., McRae, P., Stack-Cutler, H. (2008). Differentiated instruction provincial

research review. Edmonton: Alberta Initiative for School Improvement.

Rock, M., Gregg, M., Ellis, E., Gable, R.A. (2008). REACH: A framework for differentiating

classroom instruction. Preventing School Failure, 52(2), 31-57.

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