I.

UNIT 4: Learner- Centered Pedagogy

II. LESSON 5: Differentiated Teaching
III. DURATION: 3 hours
IV. INTRODUCTION:

It is unprecedented. Most schools are close, and teachers are suddenly

faced with adapting to full online instruction. It is a difficult task even when
their students have access to the resources necessary to stay connected.

The roots of differentiated instruction go all the way back to the days of the
one-room schoolhouse, where one teacher had students of all ages in one
classroom. As the educational system transitioned to grading schools, it
was assumed that children of the same age learned similarly.

In any general educational classroom, there are students with various

learning styles. Some learn best by reading and writing. Others prefer to
watch a video, listen to a recording, or dig into hands-on activities.
Differentiated instruction is a way of teaching that matches a variety of
learning styles. Engaging in a discussion, practicing after exposure to
content, and teaching others are much more effective ways to ensure
learning retention.

V. OBJECTIVES: At the end of this lesson, you are expected to:

a. Define and explain what differentiated teaching is all about;
b. Discuss various differentiated teaching strategies; and
c. Appraise differentiated instruction as a method of teaching.

VI. LESSON PROPER

ACTIVITY
Notice which among the sets of boxes is different.

ANALYSIS

Differentiating instruction may mean teaching the same material to all

students using various instructional strategies, or it may require the
teacher to deliver lessons at varying levels of difficulty based on each
students’ ability. Research on the effectiveness of differentiation shows
this method benefits a wide range of students, from those with learning
disabilities to those considered high ability.

Teachers who practice differentiation in the classroom may:

 Design lessons based on students’ learning styles.
 Group students by shared interest, topic, or ability for assignments.
 Assess students’ learning using formative assessment.
 Manage the classroom to create a safe and supportive
environment.
 Continually assess and adjust lesson content to meet students’
needs.

Four Ways to Differentiate Instruction

1. Content. Fundamental lesson content should cover the standards of
learning set by the school or government educational standards. But
some students in the class may be completely unfamiliar with the
concepts in a lesson, some students may have partial mastery, and
some students may already be familiar with the content before the
lesson begins.
What you could do is differentiate the content by designing activities for
groups of students that cover various levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy.
2. Process. Each student has a preferred learning style, and successful
differentiation includes delivering the material to each style: visual,
auditory, and kinesthetic/tactile. This process-related method also
addresses the fact that not all students require the same amount of
support from the teacher, and students could choose to work in pairs,
small groups, or individually. And while some students may benefit
from one-on-one interaction with you or the classroom aide, others may
be able to progress independently. Teachers can enhance student
learning by offering support based on individual needs.
3. Product. The product is what the student creates at the end of the
lesson to demonstrate content’s mastery. This can be in the form of
tests, projects, reports, or other activities. You could assign students to
complete activities that show knowledge of an educational concept in a
way they prefer, based on learning style.
4. Learning Environment. The conditions for optimal learning include both
physical and psychological elements. A flexible classroom layout is
key, incorporating various furniture and arrangements to support both
individual and group work. Psychologically speaking, teachers should
use classroom management techniques that help a safe and
supportive learning environment.

Pros and Cons of Differentiated Instruction

Pros

 Research shows that differentiated instruction is effective for high-

ability students and students with mild to severe disabilities.
 When students are given more options on how they can learn the
material, they take on more responsibility for their learning.
  Students appear to be more engaged in learning, and there are
reportedly fewer discipline problems in classrooms where teachers
provide differentiated lessons.
Cons
 Differentiated instruction requires more work during lesson
planning, and many teachers struggle to find the extra time in their
schedule.
 The learning curve can be steep, and some schools lack
professional development resources.
 Critics argue there is not enough research to support differentiated
instruction benefits outweighing the added preparation time.

How Differentiated Instruction Works

Small work groups. The students in each group rotate in and out. This
gives them a chance to participate in many different groups. A group can
include a pair of students or a larger group. But in all cases, it’s an
opportunity for students to learn from each other.
Reciprocal learning. Sometimes the student becomes the teacher, sharing
what he has learned and asking questions of his peers.
Continual assessment. Teachers regularly monitor student’s strengths and
weaknesses (in both formal and informal ways) to make sure they’re
progressing well in their knowledge and mastery of schoolwork.

The 16 Differentiated Teaching Strategies:

1. Create learning stations. Provide different types of content by setting up
learning stations — divided sections of your classroom through which
groups of students rotate. Each station should use a unique method of
teaching a skill or concept related to your lesson. To help students
process the content after they've been through the stations, you can hold
a class discussion or assign questions for them to answer.
2. Use task cards. Like learning stations, task cards allow you to give
students a range of content. Answering task cards can also be a small-
group activity, adding variety to classes that normally focus on solo or
large-group learning.
3. Interview students. Asking questions about learning and studying styles
can help you pinpoint the kinds of content that will meet your class’s
needs. Track your results to identify themes and students with
uncommon preferences, helping you determine which instruction
methods suit their abilities.
4. Target different senses within lessons. A lesson should resonate with
more students if it targets visual, tactile, auditory, and kinesthetic senses,
instead of only one.
5. Share your strengths and weaknesses. To familiarize students with the
idea of differentiated learning, you may find it beneficial to explain that not
everyone builds skills and processes information the same way. Talking
about your strengths and weaknesses is one way of doing this. Explain --
on a personal level — how you study and review lessons. Share tactics
that do and don’t work for you, encouraging students to try them. Not only
 should this help them understand that people naturally learn differently,
but give them insight into improving how they process information.
6. Use the think-pair-share strategy. The think-pair-share strategy exposes
students to three lesson-processing experiences within one activity. Start
by asking students to think individually about a given topic or answer a
specific question. Next, pair students together to discuss their results and
findings. Finally, have each pair share their ideas with the rest of the
class, and open the floor for further discussion.
7. Make time for journaling. Journal can be a tool for students to reflect on
the lessons you’ve taught and the activities you’ve run, helping them
process new information. As they continue to make entries, they should
figure out which ones effectively allow them to process fresh content.
8. Implement reflection and goal-setting exercises.
Have students reflect on important lessons and set goals for further
learning at pre-determined points of the year. Based on the results, you
can target lessons to help meet these goals.
9. Run literature circles. Organizing students into literature circles not only
encourages students to shape and inform each other’s understanding of
readings but helps auditory and participatory learners retain more
information. This activity makes written content — which, at times, may
only be accessible to individual learners with strong reading retention --
easier to process for more students.
10. Offer different types of free study time. Free study time will generally
benefit students who prefer to learn individually but can also be slightly
altered to help their classmates process your lessons.
11. Group students with similar learning styles. Heterogenous grouping is a
common practice, but grouping students based on a similar learning style
can encourage collaboration through common work and thinking
practices. This tactic allows like-minded students to support each other’s
learning while giving them time to spend with each group. You can then
offer the optimal kind of instruction to suit each group’s common needs
and preferences.
12. Give different sets of reading comprehension activities. Instead of
focusing on written products, consider evaluating reading comprehension
through questions and activities that test different aptitudes. Offering
structured options can help students demonstrate their understanding of
content as effectively as possible, giving you more insight into their
abilities.
13. Assign open-ended projects. Like to evaluating reading comprehension,
give students a list of projects to find one that lets them effectively
demonstrate their knowledge. Include a clear rubric for each type of
project, which clearly defines expectations. Doing so will keep it
challenging and help students meet specific criteria.
14. Encourage students to propose ideas for their projects. A student must
show how the product will meet academic standards and be open to your
revisions. If the pitch doesn’t meet your standards, tell the student to
refine the idea until it does. If it doesn’t work by a predetermined date,
assign one of your set options.
 15. Analyze your differentiated instruction strategy regularly. Frequently
reflect on the match between your classroom and the teaching and
learning philosophy you want to practice. Look for matches and
mismatches and use both to guide you.
16. “Teach up.” According to Tomlinson, teaching at a level that’s too easily
accessible to each student can harm your differentiated instruction
efforts. Instead, she recommends “teaching up.” This eliminates the pitfall
of being stuck on low-level ideas, seldom reaching advanced concepts.

ABSTRACTION
The graphic process will help you understand the lesson.

Learning
Content Process Product
Environment

APPLICATION

1. Think of other suggestions whereby you can contextualize strategies in

your differentiated learning environment.
2. Which of the 16 strategy do you think will be helpful for you in your
learning context?
Submit using A4 bond paper, Arial 12-point font with 1.5 spacing and 1inch
margin on all sides.

VII. REFLECTION
How would you differentiate your learning aptitude?

VIII. QUIZ
Give at least 10 Differentiated Teaching Strategies
1. ____________________________________
2. ____________________________________
3. ____________________________________
4. ____________________________________
5. ____________________________________
6. ____________________________________
7. ____________________________________
8. ____________________________________
9. ____________________________________
10. ____________________________________

IX. READINGS
Parsons, Seth A., Dodman, Stephanie L., & Burrowbridge, Sarah Cohen.
(2013). Citation: Broadening the View of Differentiated Instruction. The
Phi Delta Kappan, Vol. 95 (No.1), 38-42. Retrieved from
https://www.jstor.org/stable/23617757

Online References:
https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/classrooms/Pages/app
roacheshitsdifferentiation.aspx#:~:text=Differentiated%20teaching%20oc
curs%20when%20a,need%20to%20grow%20and%20succeed.

http://www.ascd.org/research-a-topic/differentiated-instruction-
resources.aspx

https://inservice.ascd.org/7-reasons-why-differentiated-instruction-works/

https://www.understood.org/en/learning-thinking-differences/treatments-
approaches/educational-strategies/differentiated-instruction-what-you-
need-to-know

https://resilienteducator.com/classroom-resources/examples-of-
differentiated-instruction

https://www.prodigygame.com/main-en/blog/differentiated-instruction-
strategies-examples-download