Week 2 Blog:
Differentiation Instruction Through Technology
Essential
question: How do you make decisions about your own actions for students in
a differentiated classroom? What is your criteria for intervention, and/or for
letting learning happen?
Every
teacher has the skills to differentiate instruction but often we don’t realize
this. McCarthy explains the DI can sometimes seem mystical to educators but in
all reality “every teacher already has the tools to differentiate in powerful
ways for all learners.” (2015) Often I feel the same way but after reading on
the various rules of thumb that Tomlinson presents such as using assessments to
guide instruction and content, that lessons should aim to engage all students,
and being clear on the general concepts that each unit or lesson presents. (pg.19,
2001) Student interactions are what help me decide my actions in teaching and
guiding learning.
Students
differ and this difference can be understood as soon as they walk in the
classroom. My students differ in the same ways that Small has wrote about in
her book. She provides the following example and ways students might approach
in solving the task.
In one cupboard you have three shelves with five boxes on each shelf.
There are three of those cupboards in the room. How many boxes are stored in
all three cupboards? (pg.2, 2012)
The students might react by waiting for the teacher to help
them, by drawing a picture of the situation, by using addition, by using
multiplication, by acting out the situation, or by refusing to answer the
problem. (2012)
In my
classroom, I use these responses from the students to help decide how I will
act in the learning environment and what thinking processes that I will model
for the students. I intervene with the students who respond by refusing to
answer the problem and automatically seeking for assistance without beginning
the thought process on their own. The way that I will intervene is by having
another student explain his or her method. If this seems to bring understanding
and interest, the goal of learning has begun to be achieved. Eventually I will
have the student decide what response was best for them to process in answering
the question. This will help the students and myself understand the way the
students learn.
The
classroom environment is very important to differentiate instruction
effectively. The classroom environment should have the following elements:
everyone feels welcome, everyone contributes to the class, respect for all is
the norm, students feel safe, the class’ goal is success, fairness in learning,
and all are willing to grow and learn (Tomlinson, 2001).
Please see below the various ways I differentiate
instruction in my classroom.
References:
BBC Active
(2010). Methods of Differentiation in the Classroom. Pearson. Retrieved from http://www.bbcactive.com/BBCActiveIdeasandResources/MethodsofDifferentiationintheClassroom.aspx
McCarthy, J.
(2015). 3 Ways to Plan for Diverse Learners: What Teachers Do. Edutopia:
George Lucas Education Foundation. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/differentiated-instruction-ways-to-plan-john-mccarthy
McCarthy, J.
(2016). 100+ Tools for Differentiating Instruction Through Social Media. Edutopia: George Lucas Education Foundation.
Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/differentiated-instruction-social-media-tools-john-mccarthy
Pierce, R. L.
& Adams, C. M. (2004). One Way to
Differentiate Mathematics Instruction. Gifted Child Today, Vol. 27, No. 2.
Retrieved from http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.4219/gct-2004-133
Small, M. (2012).
Good Questions: Great Ways to
Differentiate Mathematics Instruction. New York, NY: Teachers College
Press. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=ZCDX0SolMN0C&oi=fnd&pg=PR5&dq=NCTM+differentiated+instruction&ots=V6RrhLuEcf&sig=ZH39DLKAsI7CPKi8fVESpF60WyA#v=onepage&q=NCTM%20differentiated%20instruction&f=false.
Tomlinson, C. A.
(2001). How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-ability Classrooms.
Alexandria, Va: Assoc. for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
It's nice to see another math teachers perspective in this DI realm. I also agree that I don't feel like I use DI, but in a sense, I have the skills necessary. One of the greatest strategies I use when helping students with math problems is questioning. Like you, I wouldn't know what students think unless I probe, and question students as they solve problems. The concept map I drew was a representation of what a DI class looks like, but it appears you have described what you actually do. That's awesome!
ReplyDeleteI love that you "intervene with the students who respond by refusing to answer the problem and automatically seeking for assistance without beginning the thought process on their own." One of the articles I read for this week, talked about the Zeigarnik Effect, which states "once we start doing something, we tend to want to finish it" (Hill-Sypnieski and Ferlazzo 2012). Research has show this to be true. By encouraging our students to begin a problem without our intervention, they are more likely to finish it independently. I think too often educators, as those tasked with ensuring students "get" their content, jump in before allowing their students struggle with the content. It is, however, in that struggle that lasting learning takes place. (Nor, if we're being honest, are we helped by having students who are part of the generation of immediacy where they have the knowledge of the world at their fingertips).
DeleteI believe differentiation, which moves the conceptual role of teacher from "holder of wisdom" to "coach on the sidelines", in part, addresses the (sometimes innate) instinct to intervene. By the nature of the role, coaches work to provide their athletes with the structure and process to succeed, help them learn the skills of them game, encourage them to push themselves further, however, they do not play the game -- during the game, they stand on the sidelines, helping their athletes implement all they have learn. They only call a time out to intervene when it is clear their athletes lack a skill or direction they need to play the game and be successful.
Reference
Hill-Sypnieski, K. & Ferlazzo, L. (January 17, 2012). The five-by-five approach to differentiation success. Education Week Teacher. Retrieved from http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2012/01/17/tln_ferlazzo_hull-sypnieski.html
Gerald, I find without questioning and knowing where the students are at, the class is going forward blind and that I am teaching on my behalf versus the students. I am so thankful for the days that I realize that I am not exactly sure where my students are at with the concepts.
DeleteHeather, The Zeigarnik Effect gives me a lot to think about. This is great to know but I wonder if there is a loophole when it comes to math because it doesn't seem like students care whether or not they finish. Just kidding. I actually might look this up and show it to my students. Thank you for your insight.
Classroom environment is key to reaching all students. I taught in Thailand for a while as an English teacher and the classrooms layout were awful at encouraging learning for a variety of ability levels. I think at the higher grades we can forget that environment (how desks are set up) either promote or discourage a differentiated environment.
ReplyDeleteI agree that environment is important. I focus mainly on the peer to peer environment because in high school these relationships are often unhealthy. My students have been around each other so much and are often related to each other and because of this, the lines are blurred.
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