Differentiated Learning

During the course of the few years of independently teaching my own classes I have been
trying to bridge the gap between students of different abilities in the class. During my
placement, this year I feel that there has been a wide range of different abilities that I had to
adjust to in the classroom environment. Teachers must accommodate to every students’
ability in the class so that all the students can achieve the best learning experience in the
classroom. “The purpose of schools should be to maximize the capabilities of all students.
Differentiated thinking empowers teachers to be responsive rather than reactive to the
unique and individual personalities, backgrounds, and abilities found within students”
[ CITATION And07 \l 6153 ].

I found while researching over the years that teaching today cannot be the same way a
teacher twenty years ago would have run the classroom. I feel that as a teacher that it is
very important to adapt to each individual student needs when delivering instructions or
information to the class. When I started to realize that it was very important to me to talk
with the co-operating teacher about each class. After this conservation, I felt that I had to
carry out more research on certain individuals within the classroom to try and establish the
basics. By doing this, the teacher can tailor the curriculum to each class group. But it is
important to remember, when I was carrying out research, that I have dyslexia. This has
made me realise that teachers may choose to modify the curriculum for individual students.
I feel a great way to overcome this is to ask the students for ideas in how they want the
class to be taught. I feel that there are ways that you could get around this, by trying to
incorporate the student’s interests into the curriculum this can motivate the students.
Instructed diverse learning is an essential part of motivation and it keeps the student’s
enthusiasm to learn key differentiated instruction. It is important as the teacher to keep the
motivation levels very high, this can be provided by having a lot of hand on interest
activities, particularly in the practical room.
On my placement this year I have experienced a lot of different mixed ability in the school
that I had to tailor for with some students. When talking to the cooperating teacher he
informed me that some students have dyspraxia in the class, and he said to me that I would
have to differentiate instruction so that the whole class would remember the information.
‘’Differentiation by content involves teaching the same information and content to all
students but presenting the information in different forms and modes to meet the needs of
students’’ [ CITATION Bow10 \l 6153 ]. From my own experience as I had dyslexia myself,
which was diagnosed from a very young age that I got a sense that when reading out
information I will not remember it very well. But, with looking at videos or teachers
recording themselves reading the information out to me I found this very helpful. So, when
moving to the online place I felt that I had to implement these ideas online with using
recording, voice overs, adjusted resource for the students and provide verbal support. From
using this strategy, I got feedback from the teacher and these students they all felt that this
strategy to learning information was very helpful to know for themselves in the future. This
was very pleasing for me as the teacher to help students realise different strategies of
learning that work for them. ‘’Not only must teachers adapt what material is taught, they
must change the way the information is presented as well as the environment in which it is
given.’’ [ CITATION Mar2 \l 6153 ]

References
Anderson, K. (2007). Tips for Teaching: Differentiating Instruction to Include All Students.
Bowgren, L. (2010). 3 Steps lead to differentiation. Retrieved from Journal of Staff
Development: http://search.proquest.com/docview/870747163?accountid=28549
DeMarco, M. (n.d.). Journal Reflection – Differentiated Instruction. Retrieved from
Assignment Five Differentiated Instruction:
http://mariannedemarco.com/academic/graduate_ms/FoundationsII/DifferentiatedI
nstruction.pdf