Differentiated Instruction

Prior taking this RETELL class I thought differentiating meant “dummying down” work. I struggled with the concept of differentiating strategies because I thought it help students to be all they can be. Taking the class have given a clear understanding the meaning and the usage of differentiating teaching, matter of fact, some the strategies I use in class are similar to some of the strategies taught in the RETELL class. I realized that Differentiated instruction is about using teaching strategies that connect with individual student's learning strategies. The ultimate goal is to provide a learning environment that will maximize the potential for student success. The important thing to remember is to hold on to the effective teaching strategies that lead students to positive learning outcomes and to make adjustments when necessary. It's about being flexible and open to change. It's also about taking risks and trying teaching and learning strategies that you would have otherwise ignored. It's about managing instructional time in a way that meets the standards and also provides motivating, challenging, and meaningful experiences for school age

Differentiating instruction is a valuable instructional management and delivery tool, which can be used to assist teachers in meeting the needs of the diverse populations of students which they now find in their classrooms. In using these strategies, a teacher may use pre-assessments to determine the learning styles, interests and readiness of the students, prior to the introduction of a lesson or unit. After developing a learner profile, the teacher may then differentiate according to the readiness of the student, by process of delivery, and by the product which the student may produce to

In the past, I have been somewhat successful with differentiating instruction. I can’t say I have been 100% successful.

The intervention model we use in our school is RTI. With Response to Intervention the instruction that as a function of the outcomes of the assessments. RTI drives changes in hopes to see in students succeed, who are identified at some level of risk for not meeting academic expectations. Tiered instruction represents a model in which the instruction delivered to students varies and are related to the nature and severity of the student's difficulties. This model is sub divided by 3 tiers:

Tier 1 focuses on effective classroom instruction and practices for academics and the management of behavior for all students. Tier 1 includes the quality core instruction and curriculum all students have equal access which incorporates the classroom teacher using proactive data-driven practices to identify and help children who are not being successful (Hilton, 2007). Using research-based differentiated instruction for all learners and a universal screener to measure proficiency at least twice a year are keys to an effective program. These screeners identify students who are not meeting standards. Approximate 80%-90% of students will be successful in a Tier 1 program. If less than this percentage is successful, classroom practices must be evaluated.

Mrs .Sikkema said she has foyr high achiever students and two students who are on behavioral plans (Sikkema,2015,personal communication). She also said it is important to document and observe the students so you can understand their needs. I like how Mrs. Sikkema meet the learning needs of all the children in her classroom. Mrs.Sikkema help me to do my lesson plan in a timely manner. When I observe the classroom I was shock that the students was well behaved and attentive to the students. I have a lot of expereiences implementing different leson plans which was time consumer but it help me to do be able to implemnent a lesson plan in the future. Differentiated Instruction for Exceptional Learners provides an introduction to children and youth with a wide range of exceptional educational needs. There are five learning style auditory, visual, tactile, kinesthetic, and tactile/ kinesthetic (Differeitate Instructional

In response to the varied student learning needs, differentiation will be a key component of this classroom. It is “designed to improve access to the general education curriculum by adapting instruction to each student’s diverse learning needs” (Smith, 2007). “Differentiation instruction means changing the pace, level, or kind of instruction you provide in response to individual learners’ needs, styles, or interest” (Heacox, 2012). Because each student comes to this 6th grade classroom with unique needs, differentiation will implemented frequently to ensure that each student receives the rigor needed to master the 6th grade curriculum. It will be relevant to your student and his/her needs. It will provide an appropriate level of challenge. It will be engaging and at times, it will offer choices. Delivery of differentiated instruction will frequently involve centered based learning activities and small group instruction. A list and description of some of the centers will be distributed to parents and is attached as Appendix

If educators have learned anything in the last decade of school reform initiatives it is that one size does not fit all. Differentiated Instruction (DI) is an approach where teachers proactively plan varied approaches to what students need to learn, how they will learn it and how they express what they 've learned (Differentiated Instruction, 2015). However, does this all end when we become educators and then magically educators learn in the same manner? The ultimate goal of professional development is to strengthen the practice of teachers in order to raise the achievement of students (Darling-Hammond, 1997a, 1997b) (Sever, 2010). Effective school leaders not only adopt differentiated instruction in the classroom, but also for all professional development for their staff, ensuring the success of all professional developments offered.

Differentiated instruction is different from traditional classroom instruction in several ways. In differentiated instruction, teachers use on-going assessments instead of on assessment at the end of the unit. Differentiated instruction also uses flexible grouping, such as small groups or peer pairs, rather than simply whole-group instructions. Additionally, differentiated instruction uses an array of teaching methods based on the students learning style. Finally, differentiated instruction uses a variety of learning materials.

A final way differentiated instruction prepares students from the 21st century workplace is through direct instruction. Whether students go to college or enter the workforce, students will be required to receive information directly from one, or many, people and think critically about it. Whether it is sitting through a lecture in college, or a meeting at work, students will need to have the ability to take in information verbally and apply it to their area of study or expertise. In my classroom, I try to begin a lesson and end a lesson with some form of short discussion or lecture. I believe that it helps to either set up, or bring closure to, the information we are covering. For example, at the beginning a lesson this week I spoke for about fifteen minutes introducing the struggle for equality that African-Americans faced in the early 1900s. This short lecture helped lay the groundwork for the next two days and assisted in giving my students context for the upcoming hybrid stations.

All in all, differentiated instruction is a method used by teachers to accommodate all the different learning modalities, levels of learning, cultural and language barriers and special needs often integrated in one classroom with one lesson plan.

Trying to stay productive and effective in the classroom is not an easy task. Keeping abreast of all the needs of students in the classroom can sometimes be mind boggling. Student learning variations results from individual differences in ability and motivation, but environmental, social, cultural, and developmental factors also affect the ability to learn (Gagne, Wager, Golas, & Keller, 2005 as cited in Aldridge, 2007). Educators must have experience with a variety of teaching methods to implement and must also be prepared for thoughts and questions in the classroom that arise during lessons or lectures. Teachers’ adaptability is honed by constant reflection: Each lesson an educator prepares for must have a clear lesson plan to successfully teach each concept in a differentiated manner, but they also must be ready to adapt to unexpected questions and student ideas that arise (Parsons, Dodman, & Burrowbridge). Implementing differentiating instruction warrants continuing education that provides the tools and

Learning Differences: In order to support learning differences in the classroom, I will modify my lesson plans accordingly to meet the needs of every student. I will ensure that instructions are clear and easy to understand. I will break the learning into small steps, and supply quality feedback when needed. I will also model what needs to be done, to provide an example for my students. In order to support learning differences, as a Teacher I will modify my lesson plans.

The upcoming changes taking place in my district provide an excellent opportunity for me to facilitate opportunities for differentiation in other classrooms. As the "owner" of English 11, I plan to focus on creating many different differentiated activities for the upcoming school year; this is the first step in my action plan. This will allow two other teachers to witness and implement these activities in their own classrooms. As Tomblinson and Imbeau (2010) explain, the barrier from some teachers in creating a differentiated classroom is the thought that they just do not have enough time (pg. 2458). My work developing differentiated instruction activities into the English 11 curriculum will allow other teachers to sample differentiated activities and decide what works for them without having to do all of the planning themselves. This will also open up dialogue between teachers to discuss how we can modify activities and assessments. To ensure materials are available to teachers, I will create a shared Google folder that contains directions and sample work. As a leader, I will also make sure to speak with teachers who are sharing English 11 to discuss differentiated activities and make possible modifications. As we work through the year, I will ask other teachers of English 11 for increasing input and ideas for differentiated activities. Chapter 4 of Leading and Managing a Differentiated Classroom suggests that inviting colleagues to be a part of the planning process incorporates each teacher's strengths and allows educators to learn from each other (pg. 1310). Furthermore, I will engage our special education teacher in designing activities that will best meet the needs of her students. Tomblinson and Imbeau further explain that co-planning enriches the repertoire of each teacher and forges teams

When teachers develop differentiated instruction strategies for students they provide several different avenues for the student to achieve the same learning goal regardless of which path they choose. Student choice in which avenue they ultimately select creates a sense of ownership with the students and actively engages them in the lesson. The different avenues all lead to the same learning goal just as many roads might lead to one destination. Differentiated thinking empowers teachers to be responsive rather than reactive to the unique and individual personalities,