Essay on Differentiated Instruction: Optimizing Student Success

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

With differentiation in mind, I came up with a daily schedule of learning and instruction time for my students. Entry 4 artifact 3 is a copy of my daily schedule and lesson plan format for instructing my students. I begin my day of learning using whole group instruction with a whole group instruction reviewing the calendar, music/movement activity, and read aloud. During these activities, I ask the students question based upon their ability and grade level. The students are really engaged during our introduction. They get to move and meditate to reflect on their day.

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.

Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligence’s (MI theory) is a valuable resource for teachers, if they understood how they could apply this in the classroom (Snowman & McCown, 2012). In this class, there are multiple intelligences observed amongst the students; however, there is minimal differentiated instruction to allow the students the best opportunities for success. It is critical that teachers understand that their teaching methods may not be wrong, but they

Differentiation of instruction is the process of teaching in a way to meet the needs of students with differing abilities in the same class, including those with special learning needs. One way to do this is by providing several different avenues by which all students can learn the same material. In differentiating instruction, teachers plan out and implement a variety of approaches to content, process, product, and environment. Differentiated instruction is used to meet the needs of student differences in readiness, interests, and learning needs. Many people in the education field believe differentiation has the potential to transform teaching and learning in a way that raises expectations for all students.

In order to fully explain differentiation it is important to turn to The National Curriculum and look at what has become known as the ‘general inclusion statement’. This statement contains a statement that defines inclusion as “a demand on teachers not to ignore the three principles of inclusion (below) in their planning” Session 1 / Inclusion, the individual and the environment. In short, these three principals are: To set suitable learning challenges, to respond to pupil’s diverse learning needs, and overcoming potential barriers to learning and assessment for individuals and groups. In other words teachers are expected to develop lessons

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

I think that it is challenging and necessary to know your students one-to-one and not just another face for 180 days. Children will rise to the expectations given to them, but they will also fall in the cracks if not given any expectations. I think that it is important to give challenging and doable goals for the students and accommodate where necessary, but also be mindful that accommodating doesn’t become well, you wrote your name on the paper, and so that’s enough. Feed the desire to learn, offer new and different ways to find the answers…even if it is Ford Mustangs or it adds a few extra minutes to your planning and grading time. So what do I still need to learn about this method?

curriculum. The teacher will achieve this by providing learning tasks, and outcomes tailored to meet the needs of students. The teachers are the ones who would provide quality instructions to meet the varying needs of the students. Ongoing assessment is crucial as it points out the weaknesses and strengths of the students and it informs them as to where they are at and where they need to be. This assessment also guides the teacher’s planning and choice of effective strategies to ensure that at the end of the lesson all and if not all the majority of the students have learned the lesson’s content and

Above-target students will work with other above-target students to improve their research and writing skills, participate in all activities, and all homework. Additionally, these students will have the opportunity during small-group activity to begin working with more intricate research bases. Above-target students will also be allowed to move more quickly through the process, meaning that they could possibly receive teacher-feedback on writing in-class so that they may begin working on other areas outside of class. Students who are engaged in the process will receive individual challenges based on their level of readiness. For example, I may have the engaged students begin constructing their own article in-class that they would have to share with another above-target student to critique.

Gruwell continually monitored her students’ performance and achievements. Ms. Gruwell had an unconventional assessment strategy for her class. She didn’t give standard quizzes and tests. Instead, she used alternative assessments, such as the writing journals and group projects. Differentiated instruction advocates that not all students learn the same way, and they shouldn’t be assessed the same way either.

Howard Gardner and Robert Sternberg believe that educators should find more than one was to for individual’s intelligence to be measure in school systems. They also believe that intelligence is not based on testing there are many ways to value someone’s intelligence there are many different theories that prove that you are smart. We live in a society where our children measure there smarts by standardize testing. Gardner specifically believes that teachers should customize their teaching methods to fit the students that they are teaching. ”Gardner himself asserts that educators should not follow one specific theory or educational innovation when designing instruction but instead employ customized goals and values appropriate to their teaching

Howard Gardner was a Professor of Cognition and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education for almost thirty years as a codirector of Harvard’s Project Zero program. (Jacobus 619) The program was dedicated to improving education in school. While Gardner was determined to improve education, he earned many awards and recognition along the way. Some of the awards he earned were MacArthur Foundation Award in 1981 and Grawemeyer Award in Education in 1991 but his most recognized work was the Theory of Multiple Intelligence. In this theory he objects to the idea that we can measure intelligence with a standardized test. Gardner is more interested in the mastery of thinking and less of the mastery of tests. (Jacobus 620) He believes that

Effective differentiated instruction reflects where the students currently are in their educational stage and not where a teacher wishes them to be. This step is important; placing students either too high or too low in the instruction can be adverse to the teacher’s goal of helping all students. Developing lesson strategies for students that are too demanding may have a negative effect on performance and reinforce negative emotions concerning learning. Likewise, developing lesson strategies that do not challenge students to perform at their best can also have a negative effect. Some students that are not engaged by a teacher's instruction are left adrift waiting for new or more stimulating material. Engaging students in the learning strategy is the key ingredient in producing active learners.

& Huberman, A.M. (1994). Merrill, M. D. (2002), using qualitative data observations, designs developed in support of the differentiation factors that had a positive relationship to student achievement. As I researched about this study, this study illuminated the segments of differentiation that improved both students’ learning and fulfillment in the classroom. The findings from this study are critical as educators’ plan lessons with the end goal of expanding achievements for every one of their students. Until it is a desire that all students’ achieve, not all students’ will Tomlinson, C. (1999). We need to change the attitude that there is a few student’s for whom it is good in the event that they don’t understand, and we don’t anticipate that they will. The specialty of viable teaching must be made unequivocal and anticipated. With a specific goal to build students’ achievement, the attention must be on the instructional strategies that take place in the classrooms. Instructional strategies that have been examined and demonstrated to be operative in the greater of our classrooms and responsibility measures must be set up to guarantee that all student’s definitely demonstrate development each year, as