Introduction

Hello and thank you for visiting my blog. My name is Julie Love and I recently completed my California Multiple Subject Teaching Credential and I am currently working to complete my Master of Education Degree with an emphasis in Best Practices. During my educational program, I have discovered the importance's and value of differentiated instruction in todays classroom. In this blog I will share you some key elements of differentiated teaching and some learning activities that I have used to engage learners. In addition, I will also share some links to websites to further enhance your understanding of differentiated instruction and why it is important for all students success in your classroom.

I hope you find this information helpful!

Best Regards, 

Julie Love

What is differentiated instruction?

Wikipedia defines differentiated instruction and assessment as “a framework or philosophy for effective teaching that involves providing different students with different avenues to learning in terms of: acquiring content; processing, constructing, or making sense of ideas; and developing teaching materials and assessment measures so that all students within a classroom can learn effectively, regardless of differences in ability.”

What are elements of differentiated instruction?

1. The first element is to develop an environment that is engaging and actively encourages learning. 
2. The second element consist of high quality curriculum and clearly defined instruction, learning goals, and expectations.
3. The third element discussed was about the importance of ongoing assessments. Ongoing assessments include a variety of products and different means to measure learning outcomes.
4. The forth element discussed was in response to students’ instructional needs. After formative assessments, teachers often find that all students are not at the same place in regards to achieving learning outcomes.
5. The fifth element that was discussed was that of effective classroom management. 

Why is differentiated instruction important?

Differentiating Instruction provides students with different paths of learning. It allows students to make choices/decisions in their learning.  It has also been proven that students learn better when making decisions and that providing students with choices increases their achievement. According to the book, Differentiating Instruction in the Regular Classroom, Differentiated Instructions, differentiating instruction “promotes acceptance of differences, affirms that all students have learning strengths, acknowledges that students learn at different rates and in different ways” (Heacox, 2012, pg. 13.)  

Learning activities and useful links: 

Learning Activities:

1. Equity Sticks -to randomly call on students during direct instruction.
2. Sentence Frames - can help students in answering questions.
3. Multiple Ways to Express Understanding - Depending on their needs, students can respond verbally, through sketching, or by writing. 
4. Share Air Time -During small group work, teachers can use a system to encourage equitable participation. 
5. Excerpt Texts-Struggling learners work with shorter excerpts as long as the excerpt conveys the ideas and claims of the whole text.

Useful Links:

What Is Differentiated Instruction?
Differentiated Instruction Allows Students to Succeed

Teacher Tested Strategies for Differentiated Instruction 

8 Lessons Learned on Differentiating Instruction

References:  

Differentiated instruction. (2018, January 10).
Retrieved January 12, 2018, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Differentiated_instruction

Differentiated Instruction Allows Students to Succeed.
(n.d.). Retrieved January 13, 2018, from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/differentiated-instruction-student-success

Edutopia Follow. (2015, June 04). Teacher Tested

Strategies for Differentiated Instruction. Retrieved January 13, 2018, from https://www.slideshare.net/edutopia/teacher-tested-strategies-for-differentiated-instruction

Heacox, D. (2012). Differentiating Instruction in the
Regular Classroom: How to Reach and Teach All Learners. (1st ed.).Minneapolis,
MN: Free Spirit Publishing Inc.

S. (2016, February 15). Five key aspects of
differentiated instruction. Retrieved January 12, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TRGl3iXoAE&list=PLOXUrDMSVPHnDeKVZTOfi2pjWMegTcRCD

What Is Differentiated Instruction? (2015, December
31). Retrieved January 13, 2018, from http://www.readingrockets.org/article/what-differentiated-instruction

8 Lessons Learned on Differentiating Instruction.
(n.d.). Retrieved January 13, 2018, from https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/8-lessons-learned-differentiating-instruction/