Week 10 Blog Five Elements of Differentiated Instruction
Differentiated
instruction is a way to guide learning to reflect each student’s ability to
learn and level of learning. As teachers, we need to provide opportunities for
all students to grow as a student and as a person. There are many elements of
differentiated instruction but here are five that I feel like it stuck out from
the rest.
The first
element of differentiated instruction is flexibility. All who are involved with
the learning process need to be willing to be flexible in what content is being
covered, how much time is needed to cover the content, when to switch gears if
different instruction is needed than planned, and the time needed to work with
individuals if needed. Smith and Throne explains that “DI is guided by the
constructivist or student-centered approach to teaching and learning.” (pg.31,
2009)***
The second
element of differentiated instruction is the use of grouping students in
different ways in order to provide authentic and creative learning experiences.
Thomlinson explains that DI is used in the classroom by blending whole-class,
group, and individual instruction and that there are “multiple approaches to
content, process, and product.” (pg.4, 2001) Creating these opportunities for
students to learn in different settings will give students the ability to learn
in the environment that is most conducive to them and also get the chance to
grow in other learning environments.
The third
element that I find to be very important is to provide or facilitate
instruction and assessment in a variety of learning styles so that students are
being taught and assessed in their own mode of learning. Small explains that a
student might respond in various ways such as wait for the teacher to help
them, draw a picture of the situation, use a round about way to solve the
problem algebraically, use a direct way to solve the problem algebraically, act
out the situation, or refuse to answer the question (2012). In giving students
the options on how to learn according to their learning styles and what type of
assessment, students will be confident in the manner and will only need to
focus on the content itself.
The fourth
element of differentiated instruction is the use of assistive technology and
technology to help differentiate in the classroom. The positive aspects of
providing assistive technology are that it provides access to curriculum, helps
teachers overcome roadblocks in learning, scaffolds students from where they
are to where they could potentially be, and potentially gives students some
independence(ATiA, 2007).
The fifth
element of differentiated instruction is having brain-based learning
environment. Degen explains brain-based learning has become a cognitive-science
and it “promote learning in accordance with the way the brain is naturally
designed to learn.” (2014) It’s important to teach students knowing what their
brains are capable of learning at that moment. For example, students can only
learn new material in chunks of 10-15 minutes and this means that I need to
break up direct instruction in the classroom.
In my UbD
lesson plan, it does not explicitly address all five elements of differentiated
instruction that I have identified. A few of the elements that I have chosen
are difficult to write into a plan but other than realize that it needs to
happen. I plan on having flexibility as the unit goes on and to move on or stay
with a concept in accordance to the data from an assessment. I can write in
that if 80% of the students have mastered this concept then we will move on and
the other 20% will be provided more support through various ways such as
individual instruction, organized step processes, work with someone who
understands, etc. I have written specifically some of my assessments and
learning events in what type of grouping. Usually I decide in that moment what
type of grouping to use to keep in mind of how students are feeling and how the
concept learning is going. I need to go back and add in what type of groups for
each activity. I do have a variety of ways to learn and assess students
according to their learning styles. Students can show what they have learned
verbally, in writing, through making a poster, and listening/watching to
videos. I don’t have any students who need assistive technology at this point
in my classroom but I do think it’s a very important aspect of differentiated
instruction. With this said, it is important to use technology in the classroom
so that students are working on the required skills continuously. Lastly,
providing brain-based learning needs to be addressed in my lesson better. I
didn’t know how much into detail I needed to go but I do plan to use many of
the concepts of brain-based learning in the lesson.
References
ATiA, (2017). What is AT? Assistive
Technology Industry Association. Retrieved from
https://www.atia.org/at-resources/what-is-at/
Degen, R. J.
(2014). Brain-Based Learning: The Neurological Findings About the Human Brain
that Every Teacher should Know to be Effective. Amity Global Business
Review, 915-23.
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.
Smith, G. E.,
& Throne, S. (2009). Differentiating Instruction with Technology in
Middle School Classrooms. Eugene, Or: International Society for Technology
in Education [ISTE].
Tomlinson, C. A.
(2001). How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-ability Classrooms.
Alexandria, Va: Assoc. for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
I think you’re correct – flexibility is key to a differentiated learning experience. We wonder why our students are so driven by grades, yet the prevalent model of education has, for years, determined a set number of standards students must meet, prescribed a certain number and type of activities to address those standards held all students accountable to a specific deadline for when the activities must be completed, to earn a very specific grade, that will reflect the quality of their learning as perceived by the teacher, to rank them among their peers, and, potentially, influence a position that will determine their eligibility for college funding. When you think about it, we’ve created a very inflexible system that is heavily focused on a number they receive…not their quality of their learning. If, at any point, we stopped along this process, we’d see a variety of opportunities for differentiation.
ReplyDeleteYes, we need to be held accountable to standards, but do they have to be so proscribed and specific that we are unable to keep up with modern technology (see Gerald’s comments on math standards)? Do we have to say they must meet a certain number each year or could we work with our peers to be flexible in how students learn information? Can we be flexible in how we teach our classes, targeting instruction to best meet the needs of our individual students and not meet a proscribed formula set forth by a district or campus? Are we able to do grades differently, allowing students to repeat an activity until they have truly mastered it? Will we ever have the time to do what’s right, over meeting what we have to meet? It’s an incredibly frustrating series of questions to consider, and I think we all do a great job where we can, but sometimes the learning machine is heavily stacked against our students’ success…
I say this because it’s an interesting tangent to consider – what types of changes would we truly be able to implement if the profession were, in fact, more flexible?
I answer most of your questions in a positive, flexible manner but I am able to do this because my District and Administration support these ideas. In rural Alaska, we must make our learning relative to the students and this might mean that standards aren't necessarily covered in the classroom. So many great questions and I think these need to be talked about often within a school and between teachers.
DeleteIt’s been a challenging week in Algebra 1. We are covering adding polynomials and beginning factoring soon. It’s always been a challenge to teach. “Add like terms”. It’s interesting to notice that when kids are given more than one variable, it throws them off, like really throws them off. When they are faced x variables with more than one exponent number, and y variables with more than one exponent number, they seem to get lost and not differentiate how the terms are like or not. Most of my students will say x^2y^3 and x^3y^2 are like terms! How do you deal with this? I try to say something like the first term is 2 oranges with 3 apples and the other is 3 oranges and 2 apples. It still doesn’t sink in. To them it oranges and apples. I just wanted to find out if you see the same thing. :-)
ReplyDeleteI do something similar to what you are referring to but I do it with colors. Or I go back to the expanded version. xxyyy is not the same as xxxyy. When my students seem to get stuck on these basic skills, I find that repetitive work is most important and the only way to get students to master the topic.
DeleteI also think that the learning environment is important. I did not add it to my five. It was hard to choose just five with so many different things to think about. There is so much that plays into a differentiated classroom. I think that some things could be set up for the idea of an every day classroom. Then others are more specific to the actual units.
ReplyDeleteFlexibility in assessment is important. In math, when we cover a certain new concept, we talk about and practice different ways to go about looking at it and solving the problem - models, algorithms, like problems ...
ReplyDeleteThen when it comes to a summative assessment, I don't care which route they take to solve problems (provided it's not their neighbor), they choose what's best for them. We only care about the correct answer.
I tell my kids, there are many different ways to walk from our classroom to the main office. Some are shorter and some are longer. The important part is, did you get to the office? In our case, I don't care about the journey, it's the destination. That's all about flexibility.
It is amazing how flexibility is such a part of differentiation. I always tell my nursing students "those who don't flex, break". Interestingly enough I was stressed one day and the one of my students quoted it back to me. I had to laugh and tell them they were right. The ability to demonstrate various characteristics such as flexibility to our students, especially those who have a rough home life, is part of being a teacher and shaping the future generations. What an amazing opportunity we hold in our hands.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE it when students use our own phrases to us. What a great learning experience for both involved!!!
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