This week’s articles about differentiated learning was very interesting and useful. They are very helpful to read and retain the information. I have been subbing for several years and had seen the words differentiated instruction, but never knew what it was. Even starting this program, I did not know how to implement them in the classroom because I did not know what a lot of the types of differentiated instruction. Though I may be getting better I still can use articles like the two from the reading. In the article Food for Thought on Differentiated instruction, the author gives us list of five statement that differentiated is not. For example, “Differentiated instruction is NOT individualized instruction.” The second article 3 Ways to Plan for Diverse Learners: What Teachers Do. John McCarthy gives us three things we should to use differentiated instructions for diverse learners. So, in short, the two articles gave us a short list of dos and don’ts on using differentiated instruction in the classroom
This week’s articles about differentiated learning was very
interesting and useful. They are very
helpful to read and retain the information.
I have been subbing for several years and had seen the words differentiated
instruction, but never knew what it was.
Even starting this program, I did not know how to implement them in the
classroom because I did not know what a lot of the types of differentiated instruction. Though I may be getting better I still can use
articles like the two from the reading.
In the article Food for Thought on Differentiated instruction, the
author gives us list of five statement that differentiated is not. For example, “Differentiated instruction is NOT
individualized instruction.” The second
article 3 Ways to Plan for Diverse Learners:
What Teachers Do. John McCarthy
gives us three things we should to use differentiated instructions for diverse
learners. So, in short, the two articles
gave us a short list of dos and don’ts on using differentiated instruction in
the classroom.
In the Food for Thought article we are
given what Differentiated Instruction is not.
Of the five a couple stuck out for me.
The first is differentiated instruction is NOT
individualized instruction. To me that means just
because some students may need help learning the lesson, that does not mean
that you have to come up with something that is completely separate from the
rest of the class. You as a teacher you
will need to make a variation of the lesson for students. Making things individualized it would just be
extra work for the teacher. I also like differentiated
instruction is NOT just for outliers.
That means the DI is not only for students who have identified learning
challenges, but for all students. There may
be students that have met the criteria of being a learning diverse student, but
still has some struggles with the lesson.
That DI you developed for the student with the learning challenge will also
benefit all students that may be struggling.
I
enjoyed the article titled 3 Ways to Plan for Diverse Learners: What Teachers Do. When it came to DI, I always thought it had
to do with the process, but there is more.
There is differentiating the content.
The best way of doing this is by using various formats for delivery such
as video and audio. With differentiating
product teachers allow students develop their own design on learning the
lesson.
These
articles were very interesting and very helpful. I will definitely keep them and also continue
collecting more resources. DI is still
probably my weakest aspect of my teaching so I will need all the help I can get
to be successful in my classroom and helpful to my students.
Corey,
ReplyDeleteI think that it is great that you are a substitute teacher. It is great that you have been able to receive a good sense of what students are like in the classroom. It is also great that you have heard the terms "differentiated instruction" before and have a sense of what they are. I feel as if I have heard of those terms briefly mentioned in classes I have taken at Trinity. I have not heard of the term in my field placements surprisely, if I remember correctly.
Before the articles, I actually thought that differentiated instruction was a type of individualized instruction for students, but that is one thing the article said it is not, as you mentioned. Did you think it was a type of individualized instruction before you read the articles? I also like the second "not" that you pulled from the article, saying that differentiated instruction is not just for outliers. When I read that part of the article, I thought about the "average" students and how that applies to them as well as gifted or struggling students. I like how the articles talked about how differnetiated instruction is thinking about the classroom as a whole and how to change up instruction, but not for each individual student. When I think of differentiated instruction now, I think of teachers that create lessons that include different things such as whole group, small group, and partner instruction. I think of the teacher coming up with different ways to present information to students. What do you think of now after you have read the articles? Great post! Have a great 4th of July!
Hey Corey, I have also subbed over the last few years and also have heard the term being applied in various ways within the classroom. I also liked the articles because it was a practical "to do" and "don't do" of differentiated instruction. I am looking forward to student teaching in order to apply what we have been reading regarding DI. Also, I want to find experienced teachers in my future schools that teach DI well, and continue to learn from them to continue to understand DI. I do feel a bit of pressure to properly apply everything I have learned perfectly within the classroom. But I am trying on the growth mindset, that will allow me to grow, as well as my students.
ReplyDeleteCorey,
ReplyDeleteI don’t have the background you do in the traditional classroom but I do feel the struggle with differentiated instruction. The term itself feels very broad until you start to chip away at it, as our curriculum has, through activities and readings such as these. The analogies in these articles have probably been the best in clearing up my understanding of what it it and how it should be implemented. I am hoping that during my student teaching placement I get to work with my cooperating teacher a bit on techniques like differentiation to get a better feel for how it looks in practice as well as some ideas to take with me in my career.
Corey -
ReplyDeleteYour perspective was interesting as keeping it simple with Dos and Don'ts. I didn't think of it truly in that way but you are correct after I wrote my own blog and read yours. I agree with your point differentiation is not to come up with a new lesson for the student which creates more work. It is a different presentation or technique to help ALL students, whether they admit they need additional help or to reinforce what they already learned. Differentiation is speaking to ALL students in different ways to help them learn, engage and retain the content and material.