Running head: STUDENT-CENTERED AND/OR DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION

Student-centered and/or Differentiated Instruction

Becca Roberts
Regent University

In partial fulfillment of UED 495 Field Experience ePortfilio, Spring 2015

STUDENT-CENTERED AND/OR DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION

Introduction
Differentiated instruction is where lesson is presented in different ways to accommodate
multiple students, or the whole class. Differentiated instruction can also consist of going back
over materials that the students did not understand the first time. The final thing that
differentiated instruction can be is making sure that a student with a specific need has their needs
met. This is important because not all students learn at the same level or the same way. As an
educator it is our job to make sure that the students all learn the things that they are supposed to
know. It is not the job of an educator to determine what the best way for a student to learn is, we
are there to accommodate the students and teach each of them in the best way that they can grasp
the material.
Rational for Artifact
The first artifact that I chose is a lesson plan from English showing the learning levels of
three different groups of students. The groups of students were not set up from the PALS test, but
a spelling test that the teacher gave the class in the beginning of the year. Group 1 is the students
that are at the top of the class. The students in group 1 are reading at a much more advanced
level, some already reading chapter books. Group 2 are right at first grade level, or right above it.
Group 3 is below first grade level, they are the students that need the most one-on-one time with
the teacher. In this lesson plan the three groups are all doing thing that fit their learning levels.
The first group is advanced to jump straight to doing certain things, there group 3 needs to start
at the beginning and from there start out slow.
The second artifact is another lesson plan with differentiation in math. The students in
math are not in small groups because of learning levels, they are just counted off and the whole

STUDENT-CENTERED AND/OR DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION

class does the same activities. This is important for the students to learn things in different ways
for math because there is not a true way to tell in what ways the students are learning at such a
young age, and with a new topic. The students are doing hands on learning, visual, and auditory
learning. I did my best to incorporate all of the learning styles because it enables all students to
learn no matter their learning style.
Rational
At Regent, differentiation was talked about in multiple ways. There is scaffolding; this is
making sure that the students completely grasp the concept before letting go. I remember it best
by thinking of a building and the support that the scaffold give while it is being built, then when
the scaffolds come off the building is complete and can stand alone without any help (Many
2015). While differentiating with the students that are on a higher level is important, I believe it
is the most important to differentiate with those that are on a lower level. Students on a higher
level can typically self-teach and figure things out for themselves. Students on a lower level
typically do not have support at home and do not know how to self-teach, there are however
exceptions to that statement.
Regent also helped me see things from a new perspective. I was taught that not all
students come from the same background. While I know this to be true, Regent showed this to
me in a new light and taught me how to cater to those students that may not have the support at
home. Wiggins and McTighe talk about reaching students that come from diverse backgrounds
and have different needs (2005, p. 195). In my class I also differentiate with discipline. There is
one student where there is serious suspicion of abuse going on in the house. With this student I
want to write a note home daily, but I cannot bring myself to do so. This is because of the
background that the student has. There are other students that I know if I wrote a note home daily

STUDENT-CENTERED AND/OR DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION

their parents would make sure that the student changes their behavior. This is because those
students come from a completely different background.

References

STUDENT-CENTERED AND/OR DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION

Many, J. E., & Aoulou, E. (2015). Understanding Literacy Teacher Educators Use of
Scaffolding. Reading Horizons. 53(3), 1-34.
Wiggins, Grant, & McTighe, Jay. (2005). Understanding by Design. Alexandria, VA: Associate
for Supervision and Curriculum Development.