Integrating Exceptional Students Platform
1. What are the key underpinnings(foundations)of differentiated instruction that you embrace in your own teaching practices?
The first key underpinning of differentiated instruction that I would embrace in my own teaching practice would be to give my students an interest survey or learning styles survey. My goal in giving out this survey is to get a better understanding of the types of learners in my classroom and by analyzing this data, I will be able to make decisions how to present my lessons to the class. For example: After a survey is given, the teacher looks at the data and determines most of his or her students are visual learners. This can help in how they present their lesson. If you were to teach those students about the geography of North America, the most effective way according to your surveys would be to do so would be by looking at a map instead of verbally describing the shape and relative location of each country. As teachers we want to meet the needs of the learners in our classroom and teach to their learning styles. If the styles of learning are completely mixed, you could run stations in your classroom, in which visual learners were grouped together, auditory learners were grouped together, etc.
The second key underpinning of differentiated instruction that I want to embrace in my own classroom would be assessments that give students choices to show how they want to represent their learning. Throughout this semester I've learning of think-tac-toe strategies, the cubing strategy, choice boards, and dinner menus. I fell in love with these ideas the minute I was taught about them. With such diversity in our classrooms, our students are coming from all different types of backgrounds. Now more than ever students need differentiated instruction when it comes to assessment. With assessments such as choice boards or dinner menus, students may pick through several options of how they want to show what they have learned. For example, on a choice board on reading comprehension would allow students to choose between:
1.Choose four of the most important scenes of the story to act out with classmates. Defend your choices.
2.Use or make up a flow chart or graphic organizer to map the progression of the story.
3.Draw a scene illustrating the most important concept or theme of the story. Defend why you choose that theme as being the most important.
4.Rewrite the story in the song, rap, or poem. Include the major ideas and/or themes of the story.
5.Identify the main problem in the story. Think of an alternative solution other than the one used in the original story. How would you change the outcome.
Giving students options like these mentioned above allow students to show creativity, become engaged in the assessment, and allow of differentiation. Some students may like to draw, while other students like to write and want to creative an alternative solution. Students need differentiated instruction in order to succeed in school. Every student is good at something and by differentiating our assessments, students can feel good about the product their produced. My goal is for students to take pride in their work and if it is something they are interested in, they will be motivated and eager to do it.
The third and final key underpinning of differentiated instruction that I want to embrace in my own classroom would be making the necessary accommodations I need to for all my students. The bulk of this course was about all the kinds of learners teachers might have in their classrooms and how to make accommodations and to meet the needs of all the learners in our classroom. Accommodations are when teachers change how students learn and ways they demonstrate what they have learned. Modifications are when teachers change what students are expected to learn and demonstrate. As an educator, it is my duty to make the necessary changes I need to whether it be in my classroom or in my teaching style to accommodate for all my students in my class. Throughout this semester I've learned about learning disabilities, speech/language impairments, health impairments, intellectual disabilities, autism, multiple disabilities, hearing impairments, and visual impairments, but more importantly I've learned how to accommodate for these students that need that extra support. I want to embrace these students and let them know they are just as equal as everyone else. To meet the needs of these students I may have to adjust the intensity (maybe more time for direct instruction), have predictable and organized structure of the classroom procedures, specialized support of the curriculum, collaboration with a person of expertise to meet the student's needs and monitor progression as well.
I've learned so much to take with me when I have my own classroom, I'm now familiar with types of assistive technologies, I've learned about the characteristics of several types disabilities, I've developed strategies that help students with ADHD focus better, and how to help a student with autism reach their potential in the classroom.
2. What struggles to do you continue to have with the notion of differentiated instruction?
Some obstacles I have when it comes to the notion differentiated instruction is that sometimes the district requires teachers to follow a prescribed text. How can we implement differentiated instruction when the district wants us to be following their lesson plan from start to finish? Another struggle I have with the notion of differentiated instruction is what if their is no support at the school I work at in the future. What if I'm all for differentiated instruction, but administration and my other supporters don't allow me to receive the assistive technologies my student needs? Another struggle I have when it comes to the notion of differentiated instruction is explaining to students the concept of every student is getting what they need to support their learning. What is a good way to explain to students why a lesson is being differentiated? I know we don't explicitly tell students whether they are in a high group or a low group, but what if the students figure out they are in the low group. How do you explain your reasoning in a professional way?
3. What questions do you still have or have arisen because of our work this semester?
A challenge I've had when it comes to implementing differentiated instruction in my field experience classroom would be that the district has scripted lessons for teachers to follow. For example the LDCs are designed by the district and a big binder is handed to the teacher with scripted lessons of what they will be teaching on day 1 and how they will be teaching it and this LDC goes on for about two weeks. It's a challenge because as a teacher you want to what is best for your students, but at the same time teach exactly what the district wants the students to be learning. At the end of the LDC, the teacher must assess the students according to the assessment that the district want. How can we differentiate our lesson as teachers if the district is handing us scripted lessons with assessments and we must follow this binder or it affects our job.
Another challenge I've had in my classroom after taking this course is determining how I would fit a student in a wheelchair in my classroom. The accessibility in my classroom is not arranged well at all, with 24 desks, a guided reading table, a teacher's desk, and more, I've found it almost impossible to think of an arrangement that would allow a wheelchair to maneuver throughout my classroom. I believe the classroom I'm in would not fit a wheelchair, but that is a challenge I have. Accommodations are something that are important to me and if there was a student with a wheelchair in my class, I would need professional help to rearrange the classroom I'm in.
One benefit I had in the classroom was after I passed out the interest survey to my students and started grouping them into centers, they became extremely engaged in the activity at the center because they were interested in the topic and their learning style was being met as well. In math, I had some students working on the computers doing fast math, some students playing a math version of football, some students worked independently, and other students were being pulled into a small group for enrichment. Every student was getting their needs met. It's a satisfying feeling as an educator to see students enjoy learning because their interested in the topic and the way they are learning the content.
One method I learned in this course is that for students with ADHD, it can be helpful to move their desk to the front so they aren't distracted by windows, door windows, or classmates. I have a student in my class who isn't diagnosed, but shows several signs of ADHD, after talking with my CT, we decided that we should move his desk to the front of the classroom to limit his distractions and so his focus is on learning. After making this decision, his scores have improved and he is participating in discussions more as well.
A benefit in my own personal experience after taking this course was that I gave every student in my class pencil grips without singling out my student who has difficulties with her fine motor skills. Pencil grips come in variety of shapes, sizes, and color. and can be slipped onto pens and pencils to provide a stable holding surface for right or left handed kids. These grips seemed like I was just giving my students a gift, but in reality I was able to help my student who has fine motor skill problems. This student has finally been able to take control of their writing because of this simple piece of assistive technology.
The first key underpinning of differentiated instruction that I would embrace in my own teaching practice would be to give my students an interest survey or learning styles survey. My goal in giving out this survey is to get a better understanding of the types of learners in my classroom and by analyzing this data, I will be able to make decisions how to present my lessons to the class. For example: After a survey is given, the teacher looks at the data and determines most of his or her students are visual learners. This can help in how they present their lesson. If you were to teach those students about the geography of North America, the most effective way according to your surveys would be to do so would be by looking at a map instead of verbally describing the shape and relative location of each country. As teachers we want to meet the needs of the learners in our classroom and teach to their learning styles. If the styles of learning are completely mixed, you could run stations in your classroom, in which visual learners were grouped together, auditory learners were grouped together, etc.
The second key underpinning of differentiated instruction that I want to embrace in my own classroom would be assessments that give students choices to show how they want to represent their learning. Throughout this semester I've learning of think-tac-toe strategies, the cubing strategy, choice boards, and dinner menus. I fell in love with these ideas the minute I was taught about them. With such diversity in our classrooms, our students are coming from all different types of backgrounds. Now more than ever students need differentiated instruction when it comes to assessment. With assessments such as choice boards or dinner menus, students may pick through several options of how they want to show what they have learned. For example, on a choice board on reading comprehension would allow students to choose between:
1.Choose four of the most important scenes of the story to act out with classmates. Defend your choices.
2.Use or make up a flow chart or graphic organizer to map the progression of the story.
3.Draw a scene illustrating the most important concept or theme of the story. Defend why you choose that theme as being the most important.
4.Rewrite the story in the song, rap, or poem. Include the major ideas and/or themes of the story.
5.Identify the main problem in the story. Think of an alternative solution other than the one used in the original story. How would you change the outcome.
Giving students options like these mentioned above allow students to show creativity, become engaged in the assessment, and allow of differentiation. Some students may like to draw, while other students like to write and want to creative an alternative solution. Students need differentiated instruction in order to succeed in school. Every student is good at something and by differentiating our assessments, students can feel good about the product their produced. My goal is for students to take pride in their work and if it is something they are interested in, they will be motivated and eager to do it.
The third and final key underpinning of differentiated instruction that I want to embrace in my own classroom would be making the necessary accommodations I need to for all my students. The bulk of this course was about all the kinds of learners teachers might have in their classrooms and how to make accommodations and to meet the needs of all the learners in our classroom. Accommodations are when teachers change how students learn and ways they demonstrate what they have learned. Modifications are when teachers change what students are expected to learn and demonstrate. As an educator, it is my duty to make the necessary changes I need to whether it be in my classroom or in my teaching style to accommodate for all my students in my class. Throughout this semester I've learned about learning disabilities, speech/language impairments, health impairments, intellectual disabilities, autism, multiple disabilities, hearing impairments, and visual impairments, but more importantly I've learned how to accommodate for these students that need that extra support. I want to embrace these students and let them know they are just as equal as everyone else. To meet the needs of these students I may have to adjust the intensity (maybe more time for direct instruction), have predictable and organized structure of the classroom procedures, specialized support of the curriculum, collaboration with a person of expertise to meet the student's needs and monitor progression as well.
I've learned so much to take with me when I have my own classroom, I'm now familiar with types of assistive technologies, I've learned about the characteristics of several types disabilities, I've developed strategies that help students with ADHD focus better, and how to help a student with autism reach their potential in the classroom.
2. What struggles to do you continue to have with the notion of differentiated instruction?
Some obstacles I have when it comes to the notion differentiated instruction is that sometimes the district requires teachers to follow a prescribed text. How can we implement differentiated instruction when the district wants us to be following their lesson plan from start to finish? Another struggle I have with the notion of differentiated instruction is what if their is no support at the school I work at in the future. What if I'm all for differentiated instruction, but administration and my other supporters don't allow me to receive the assistive technologies my student needs? Another struggle I have when it comes to the notion of differentiated instruction is explaining to students the concept of every student is getting what they need to support their learning. What is a good way to explain to students why a lesson is being differentiated? I know we don't explicitly tell students whether they are in a high group or a low group, but what if the students figure out they are in the low group. How do you explain your reasoning in a professional way?
3. What questions do you still have or have arisen because of our work this semester?
- How is the strategy "Ask 3 Before Me" a good strategy for learned helplessness? Wouldn't this strategy cause other students not to focus on their work because they are being asked questions?
- What types of professionals are their for teachers to work with to help them set up their classroom environment for increased accessibility?
- What is the best way to teach other students about a student in their class that has a disability? Is it best to sit them down and teach them about the disability? Send a letter home and have their parent go over it with them? Have the student (if they want to) explain their disability?
- What has been found to be the most effective strategy to help students with autism learn in a general education classroom?
- Will the special education laws be on our teaching certification exam?
- Why at the high school and collegiate level of education do educators resort to lecturing if the retention rate is lowest out of any type of teaching style?
A challenge I've had when it comes to implementing differentiated instruction in my field experience classroom would be that the district has scripted lessons for teachers to follow. For example the LDCs are designed by the district and a big binder is handed to the teacher with scripted lessons of what they will be teaching on day 1 and how they will be teaching it and this LDC goes on for about two weeks. It's a challenge because as a teacher you want to what is best for your students, but at the same time teach exactly what the district wants the students to be learning. At the end of the LDC, the teacher must assess the students according to the assessment that the district want. How can we differentiate our lesson as teachers if the district is handing us scripted lessons with assessments and we must follow this binder or it affects our job.
Another challenge I've had in my classroom after taking this course is determining how I would fit a student in a wheelchair in my classroom. The accessibility in my classroom is not arranged well at all, with 24 desks, a guided reading table, a teacher's desk, and more, I've found it almost impossible to think of an arrangement that would allow a wheelchair to maneuver throughout my classroom. I believe the classroom I'm in would not fit a wheelchair, but that is a challenge I have. Accommodations are something that are important to me and if there was a student with a wheelchair in my class, I would need professional help to rearrange the classroom I'm in.
One benefit I had in the classroom was after I passed out the interest survey to my students and started grouping them into centers, they became extremely engaged in the activity at the center because they were interested in the topic and their learning style was being met as well. In math, I had some students working on the computers doing fast math, some students playing a math version of football, some students worked independently, and other students were being pulled into a small group for enrichment. Every student was getting their needs met. It's a satisfying feeling as an educator to see students enjoy learning because their interested in the topic and the way they are learning the content.
One method I learned in this course is that for students with ADHD, it can be helpful to move their desk to the front so they aren't distracted by windows, door windows, or classmates. I have a student in my class who isn't diagnosed, but shows several signs of ADHD, after talking with my CT, we decided that we should move his desk to the front of the classroom to limit his distractions and so his focus is on learning. After making this decision, his scores have improved and he is participating in discussions more as well.
A benefit in my own personal experience after taking this course was that I gave every student in my class pencil grips without singling out my student who has difficulties with her fine motor skills. Pencil grips come in variety of shapes, sizes, and color. and can be slipped onto pens and pencils to provide a stable holding surface for right or left handed kids. These grips seemed like I was just giving my students a gift, but in reality I was able to help my student who has fine motor skill problems. This student has finally been able to take control of their writing because of this simple piece of assistive technology.