Running head: STUDENT DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION 1

Kimberly Witham

Student-Centered and/or Differentiated Instruction

Regent University

In partial fulfillment of UED 496 Field Experience ePortfolio, Spring 2017

STUDENT DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION 2

Introduction

In a differentiated classroom, an effective teacher will make the assumption that the

students learn differently, therefore, they will have different needs in order to establish

significant growth. Each day, the students and the teacher are both coming to school to learn.

The students are learning the content, while the teacher is learning about how their students are

growing and learning. In order to do so effectively, the teacher must be able to assess students

readiness in many ways and create learning experiences based off of the students needs,

interests, and abilities. Then the teacher will be able to make modifications and can continually

make adjustments as needed. Tomlinson (2005) states, In a differentiated classroom, the teacher

plans and carries out varied approaches to content, process, and product in anticipation of and

response to student differences in readiness, interest, and learning needs.

Rationale for Selection of Artifacts

The first artifact that I chose is my lesson plan on metric conversions. I selected this

artifact because it demonstrates the different type of learning that the students can encounter. All

students partake in the overall whole group lesson, but then they are broken up into groups. Each

group has its own lesson allowing the students to learn at their own pace, ability, and interest.

The three crucial elements to differentiated learning are the content, process, and product.

Johnson (2009) states, The ideal is to provide equivalent learning activities that cater to the

students' strengths but bring all of the students to the same learning objective. This lesson

details how each student is allowed to take in the content in a way that suits their own needs:

some may need to do it at a slower pace with multiple tools, while others have advanced to using

the conversions in a real world situation (recipe card). In the end, all of the students are ending

up at the same learning objective.

STUDENT DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION 3

The second artifact that I chose is an anecdotal note taking sheet that I started to use

during small groups. This simple sheet allows me to record the problems that the students are

working on during small groups. I am easily able to give a formative assessment of each of my

math groups during the short time that I get to spend with the students due to the set-up of these

notes. At the end of the day, I can see if there are any students that need to be immediately

removed from the group, or I can continue to record and make adjustments to the groups as

necessary.

Reflection on Theory and Practice

As a teacher, it will be my goal to reach the needs of all the students in my classroom. If I

can plan accordingly and differentiate to all my students, my chances of accomplishing this goal

increase. I have realized that sometimes I have to differentiate just in the way I deliver the

lesson. Many times I taught the lesson to the morning group, but then I readjusted it for the

afternoon group to make it more engaging. It is important to understand your audience when

delivering the lesson. I quickly learned that they love it when I incorporate their names into the

real-life problems that we do as a class. Even though this is a minor detail, it paid off

tremendously.

I Corinthians 12:20 states, As it is, there are many parts, but one body. Gods Word

showers us with many different ways of teaching and communicating. We hear Gods Word

through actual preaching, we read Gods Word, and we hear Gods Word through prayer.

Nowhere in the Bible does it state that one way is better than the other. As children of God, we

all learn His Word in a way that suits us best. There is no one way that works best for all. Beam

and Keith (2011) state, Our challenge as educators is to find the best way to instruct each
STUDENT DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION 4

student, not one way to instruct all students. The best gift that we can give to our students is to

teach to their strengths.

As a Christian educator, I realize that to reach all of my students, I must differentiate in

my mind-set first and my lessons second. This is regardless of the age, race, culture, disability,

socioeconomic status, or any other differences that my students may have. Matthew 28:19-20

states, Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father

and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded

you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. This verse clarifies that we

must teach by whatever methods are necessary (Beam & Keith, 2011).
STUDENT DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION 5

References

Beam, A., & Keith, D. L., Dr. (2011). Differentiation and Faith: Improve the Learning Process

by ... Retrieved March 5, 2017, from

http://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1233&context=educ_fac_p

ubs

Johnson, B. (2009, March 02). Differentiated Instruction Allows Students to Succeed. Retrieved

March 05, 2017, from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/differentiated-instruction-student-

success

Tomlinson, C. A. (2005). How to differentiate instruction in mixed-ability classrooms. Upper

Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

doi:http://www.casenex.com/casenet/pages/readings/differentiation/diffisisnot.htm