Chapter 1 focuses mainly on clarifying the realities and misconceptions about differentiating instruction.
My biggest misconception was each student could have a potentially different project to achieve the same learning goal. How stressful! This misconception has caused me to hold back when developing lesson plans because I always thought grading would be so tedious and unequal, students would get mad for doing more work than others, and classroom management would be a nightmare. I was relieved when I read the section titled Differentiating instruction is NOT the "Individualized Instruction" of the 1970s. Now I know the reality of differentiating instruction is not beginning a topic with a lesson plan for each student, but planning ahead. In my lesson plans, after direct instruction, I can have several activities that teach mastery level skills. If students complete a mastery activity easily than they can do an activity that takes them above mastery or to distinguished levels. However, if the student fails to comprehend the mastery level work than after remediation they can begin on another mastery level activity. It would also be prudent to develop a few below mastery and novice activities in case some students are not able to work at the mastery level after direct instruction.
I still think it will be a struggle to teach students to be responsible for their own learning (students read directions on their own and comprehend what the task is asking), but the world needs individual learners and this skill is an important one to be taught.
What are some of your misconceptions about differentiated instruction? What do you think are the most challenging aspects of it? And what pieces do you feel would be especially advantageous in your classroom?
A few things I realize after reading chapter 1 which was highlighted under the Qualitative over quantitative is that instead of giving the "quick" learners more work it is better to have quality. Because doing twice as much makes them no better. The most challenging aspect I see is that of assessment and tailoring lessons. Assessment is my weakness and something I need to focus more on. I feel peer tutoring does and will work better as we use it more. Pairing an excelling student with a slower one can help both. You must be careful pairing personalities sometimes and not just learning speeds. I also like the idea of teaching students to share responsibility and to consider the achievement of the classroom to add to their own achievement.
ReplyDeleteIssac- I know how you feel about assessment. It is really challenging and scary. When I do formative assessments where students might be graded a little differently I just imagaine a slew of parent phone calls so I tend not to use more subjective terms of assessment when I really should.
ReplyDeleteMy challenge is that students see how we differentiate and they think they're treated unfairly. They see kids be pulled from my room to take a quiz/test with a special ed. teacher who reads the test and gives 2 options instead of 4. Then those kids score a 90 or 100 and they score a 50 or 60. The kids who do not receive any differentiation feels it's unfair. They always ask if they can be pulled out too. Plus, I've made m/c quizzes to accomodate and they want them too. It is fair for the student who needs differenentiation but unfair in the eyes of those who are expected to do it on their own.
ReplyDeleteThat is a good challenge. Grades are a strong motivator for many students and it can be frustrating to work really hard and still not get an A, espically when others are getting them and seem to be putting forth little effort.
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