Differentiated Instruction
Differentiated Instruction is “the process of matching learning targets, tasks, activities, resources, and learning support to individual learners’ needs, styles, and rates of learning.”(Tomlinson, 1999) Tomlinson further suggested that by differentiating instruction, teachers can (a) challenge all learners by providing varied levels of difficulty, (b) vary the degree of scaffolding, and (c) vary the way in which students work. The intent of differentiated instruction is to maximize each student’s growth and individual success by meeting each student where he or she is at the time and assisting them in the learning process. (Landrum & McDuffie, 2010) Differentiation is based on a set of beliefs that “(a) students who are the same age differ in their readiness to learn, their experiences, and their life circumstances; (b) differences are significant enough to impact what students learn, the pace at which they learn, and the support they need from teachers; (c) students learn best when connections can be made between the curriculum and interests or life experiences; and (d) teachers should attempt to maximize each student’s learning. Differentiated instruction is proactive, student centered, dynamic, and rooted in assessment. It also emphasizes multiple approaches to teaching content and the use of flexible grouping.” (Tomlinson, 1999; Landrum & McDuffie, 2010)
Strengths
The first step in differentiated instruction is to determine a student’s needs and strengths. A student may have a learning disorder and have difficulty with reading texts. The teacher can provide a modified text, have the test read aloud, or teach reading strategies to the student. Just as student needs come in a multitude of varieties, differentiated instruction should be individualized and tailored for a student’s specific needs. (Landrum and McDuffie) It is important to note preferential learning styles and differentiated instruction are not the same thing. “In fact, we urge resisting the temptation to try to match instructional methods with students’ preferred modalities because research does not support such a practice.” (Landrum & McDuffie, 2010)
Proactive, Positive Classroom Management Plan
Differentiation of instruction can be implemented in a secondary education classroom in many ways. Heward notes that the best way to maintain a classroom is a proactive, positive classroom management plan. The different elements of the proactive classroom plan include:
1) A structure the physical environment
2) Clear expectations for appropriate behaviors
3) Scheduled and sequenced lesson to minimize downtime
4) Structure lessons for compliance
5) Planned engagement throughout instruction
6) Use praise to positively reinforce and motivate positive behavior
7) Anticipate and address problem behaviors before they occur (Heward, 2009)
These methods, while originally designed to counteract emotional and behavioral disorders, share characteristics of the three forms of differentiation; scheduling, pace of instruction and lesson planning. These are planned before lessons, are based in evidence gathered about specific student strengths, and are designed to better serve the needs of all students.
Scheduling:
As a teacher, flexibility is essential, especially when attempting to individualize instruction for a class. Being able to assess, modify, and change instruction as needed not only helps the students learn, but helps the teacher remain attentive to student needs. When scheduling, a teacher has to account for all the time in a class; it is important to reduce down time so students lose motivation or run out of content to work on. Breaking lessons, assignments, and projects into smaller portions, where a teacher can assess the class’s progress on a more regular basis is a form of scheduling that requires an extreme amount of flexibility on behalf of the teacher and students. However, with the constant assessment and check-in, teacher are better suited to differentiate their practices to suit the needs of the class or the individual. Modifications with scheduling could come in the form of extra time for examinations, homework, or projects, a change in activity if students are losing interests, or advancing or regressing to concepts for the good of the class.
Pace of Instruction:
Many students need adapted pace in order to maintain focus, attention, and motivation in a class. It is easy for a teacher in secondary education to lecture at an extended pace, leaving little down time to reflect on learning, work on developing student generated content and voice, or simply to take a breath from the material. The instructor might be aware of the cues given by students and, as such, modify the pace as appropriate. Keeping instruction to a minimum and allowing students to engage with their learning provides a much need break from the teacher’s instruction, but also allows students the chance to ask their peers questions, present their knowledge, and build a student-centered academic community. Chunking the pace of instruction gives natural breaks in lessons while allowing students a chance to rest. These small pauses and changes can help students, especially ones with attention problems, because they transition before their engagement slips.
Lesson Planning:
When planning a lesson, it is always important build in differentiation. Planning for student engagement is important; without student engagement attention slips and students do not learn to their full capacity. Chunking lessons by adding in moments of student voice keeps students aware and keeps the teacher apprised through formative assessment. Using a variety of graphic organizers, images, and evidence in a social studies classroom can help students connect their learning and associate visual cues with names and concepts. Modifying texts and providing assistive materials like gloss or guided notes can help all students develop a deeper understanding of course content. (Wolpow, 2006) It is also important to remember to connect student learning with background knowledge; in general, students learn best when they can connect new knowledge to their existing knowledge. Knowing student backgrounds and interests are essential when modifying lesson plans. Teachers must know what motivates and inspires the most active learning for students and the class in order to fully differentiate instruction for their classroom.
Strengths
The first step in differentiated instruction is to determine a student’s needs and strengths. A student may have a learning disorder and have difficulty with reading texts. The teacher can provide a modified text, have the test read aloud, or teach reading strategies to the student. Just as student needs come in a multitude of varieties, differentiated instruction should be individualized and tailored for a student’s specific needs. (Landrum and McDuffie) It is important to note preferential learning styles and differentiated instruction are not the same thing. “In fact, we urge resisting the temptation to try to match instructional methods with students’ preferred modalities because research does not support such a practice.” (Landrum & McDuffie, 2010)
Proactive, Positive Classroom Management Plan
Differentiation of instruction can be implemented in a secondary education classroom in many ways. Heward notes that the best way to maintain a classroom is a proactive, positive classroom management plan. The different elements of the proactive classroom plan include:
1) A structure the physical environment
2) Clear expectations for appropriate behaviors
3) Scheduled and sequenced lesson to minimize downtime
4) Structure lessons for compliance
5) Planned engagement throughout instruction
6) Use praise to positively reinforce and motivate positive behavior
7) Anticipate and address problem behaviors before they occur (Heward, 2009)
These methods, while originally designed to counteract emotional and behavioral disorders, share characteristics of the three forms of differentiation; scheduling, pace of instruction and lesson planning. These are planned before lessons, are based in evidence gathered about specific student strengths, and are designed to better serve the needs of all students.
Scheduling:
As a teacher, flexibility is essential, especially when attempting to individualize instruction for a class. Being able to assess, modify, and change instruction as needed not only helps the students learn, but helps the teacher remain attentive to student needs. When scheduling, a teacher has to account for all the time in a class; it is important to reduce down time so students lose motivation or run out of content to work on. Breaking lessons, assignments, and projects into smaller portions, where a teacher can assess the class’s progress on a more regular basis is a form of scheduling that requires an extreme amount of flexibility on behalf of the teacher and students. However, with the constant assessment and check-in, teacher are better suited to differentiate their practices to suit the needs of the class or the individual. Modifications with scheduling could come in the form of extra time for examinations, homework, or projects, a change in activity if students are losing interests, or advancing or regressing to concepts for the good of the class.
Pace of Instruction:
Many students need adapted pace in order to maintain focus, attention, and motivation in a class. It is easy for a teacher in secondary education to lecture at an extended pace, leaving little down time to reflect on learning, work on developing student generated content and voice, or simply to take a breath from the material. The instructor might be aware of the cues given by students and, as such, modify the pace as appropriate. Keeping instruction to a minimum and allowing students to engage with their learning provides a much need break from the teacher’s instruction, but also allows students the chance to ask their peers questions, present their knowledge, and build a student-centered academic community. Chunking the pace of instruction gives natural breaks in lessons while allowing students a chance to rest. These small pauses and changes can help students, especially ones with attention problems, because they transition before their engagement slips.
Lesson Planning:
When planning a lesson, it is always important build in differentiation. Planning for student engagement is important; without student engagement attention slips and students do not learn to their full capacity. Chunking lessons by adding in moments of student voice keeps students aware and keeps the teacher apprised through formative assessment. Using a variety of graphic organizers, images, and evidence in a social studies classroom can help students connect their learning and associate visual cues with names and concepts. Modifying texts and providing assistive materials like gloss or guided notes can help all students develop a deeper understanding of course content. (Wolpow, 2006) It is also important to remember to connect student learning with background knowledge; in general, students learn best when they can connect new knowledge to their existing knowledge. Knowing student backgrounds and interests are essential when modifying lesson plans. Teachers must know what motivates and inspires the most active learning for students and the class in order to fully differentiate instruction for their classroom.