Differentiated Instruction: Part One

It has been a while since I last posted but I am taking another course (Differentiated Instruction) and I like the permanency of a blog post so that I can find my recollections again later.  I hope to make this course as practical as possible which means applying some of the strategies meant for a regular classroom to a Resource Room setting.  For our first homework assignment we were given the first three chapters of Differentiated Instructional Strategies: One Size Doesn't Fit All by Gayle H. Gregory and Carolyn Chapman to read and respond to.

Chapter One is an introduction to differentiated instruction.  It is the "Why" and the "How" in brief.  This chapter has a template for a lesson plan that looks helpful.  Differentiated lesson planning is an area that I would like some more instruction in.  I have the general idea but I would love to see it modeled in multiple subjects and grade levels to feel like I have a good grasp on it.  For my own daily lesson plans I have thought about including a code for whether an activity is visual (v), auditory (a) or tactile-kinesthetic (t-k).  Although I work with students on IEP, which is a bit different, I think that this addition to my plans will help remind me to teach to a variety of learning styles.  It will remind me to teach to the students preferred learning style but also to include activities in a style that they perhaps need to develop skills in.

Chapter Two is titled: "Creating a Climate for Learning".  One of the main points of this chapter is about creating a safe place in which learning can take place.  Hopefully my room is already a positive learning environment but as with anything, there is room for improvement in this as well.  While reading this chapter I was reminded that social and emotional factors can be a huge barrier to learning.  Next year I will be teaching a few small groups and I am thinking that I would like to include a "circles" concept to my everyday teaching.  What I mean by that is that I would like to start each lesson by going around the group and give an opportunity to share.  Some classes I will give a prompt ("What is the best thing that has happened to you today?", "What are you most looking forward to during the break?") and others I will just allow for them to share some news.  Spending a few minutes in discussion of a more social nature allows some students to "let it out" so that they can then focus on what needs to be learned that day.  Which brings me to my next idea: a focus activity.  Sometimes it can be difficult to get back on track after talking about our social lives and relationships.  I hope to plan focus activities to start each lesson.  It will have to be something relevant to the lesson (or at least the subject area) and engaging enough to bring everyone's attention back to the subject matter.  I realize that this will not always be easy, but if I include it in my day plan it will help me be more intentional in creating the positive learning environment that I want my classroom to be.

Chapter Three is about the importance of knowing the learner.  Learning styles or multiple intelligences remind us that not only do we want to teach to a variety of styles but we also want to allow for students to show their knowledge/learning in a variety of ways.  When I create IEPs I look at learning styles as well as try to tap into student interests as well.  I have a few new students next year that I have never worked with before and I hope to do an introductory activity with them in the first week.  I am not yet sure what format I want to do this in (discussion, questionnaire, survey on the computer or game) but I am searching Pinterest for ideas.  If I don't find anything that way I will probably make my own.  Figure 6. on page 27 and Figure 12. on page 39 seem like good places to start.