Required Readings
4 Proven Strategies for Differentiating Instruction: Helping Each Child Learn Within the Elementary Classroom
Acknowledging the challenges of differentiating instruction for all students, this article provides four (4) strategies to make it easier. As you read the article, consider if these are strategies you already use or could benefit from using.
Setting the Stage for Differentiation
While reading this short article, consider how you currently assess your students. Are there assessment techniques here that you can begin to use?
What is Differentiated Instruction?
As you read this article, consider how applying “differentiated instruction” can help address the needs of academically diverse learners in our increasingly diverse classrooms.
Differentiation Model
This is a concept map for the Differentiated Instruction Model (Carol Tomlinson).
Required Videos
Content Differentiation in 3rd Grade Science (Open Transcript)
This video shows two science lessons (one before coaching and one afterwards). As you watch the video, consider what you can take away from it and how it is applicable to you.
Supplemental Reading for Special Education Teachers
The following resource is provided to give supplemental support for special education teachers. As well, the information may be helpful for all teachers who teach students who struggle with reading. Although the article is not tested on the session quiz, the information will provide additional insight for the assignments within the session.
Differentiation in Special Education
This short article describe differentiation in special education classrooms.
Assignment
Differentiation of a Lesson
For this week’s assignment, you will assemble a model lesson that includes both reading and writing components, describing how the content, process, and assessment is differentiated for the different learners in the classroom. You can differentiate the content, the assessment, or the delivery if you choose. Then, you will write a narrative showing how the lesson demonstrates the new learning from the readings this week. As you complete this assignment, make sure to include all of the following:
- The original lesson’s objectives, standards, materials needed, delivery method(s), content, and any pre- and post-assessments. Be as detailed as possible
- A detailed narrative describing how you can differentiate this lesson in the future
- Description of what parts of the lesson you’ll modify (content, assessment, delivery, etc.)
- Any assessments that were a part of the original lesson (formative or summative)
- Any rubrics associated with the assessment in this lesson
The narrative portion of the assignment should be between 300-400 words.
Answer preview
Classrooms are made up of students who come from different backgrounds and who have different learning abilities. The differences are brought about by their readiness to learn, different experiences, cultural orientation, self-esteem and other personal interests. It is the responsibility of the teacher to ensure that he/she is able to take care of the unique learning abilities of each student in the class. Differentiated instruction allows the teacher to be more responsive to the needs of the students as opposed to using a teaching method that does not consider the unique learning needs of each student in the class (Cox, 2014). Through the use of the differentiated instruction model makes it possible for the teacher to meet all the learning needs of each student in the class.
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