Course: Practicum 1a

Code: EPC 1403

Observation Task 6: Different

learning styles and differentiation

Prepared by: Fatema Saeed ALshehhi

ID: H00271530
Prepared to: Ms. Hamda Al-awadi
Date of submission: Sunday July 1, 2018
Observation Task 6: Different learning styles and
differentiation
Focus: On a higher-level learner.
Objective: For student teachers to gain an initial understanding of how learners are different.
Procedure:
1. Ask the teacher to help you choose a higher-level learner in the class.
2. Observe the learners all day and make notes on a schedule (see below).
3. After the observation answer:
• How many different activities did the learner do?
• How did s/he interact with the other learners throughout the day?
• What was the longest period of time the learner spent focusing on one
activity?
• What did the learner do during the break times?
• What did the learner’s attention span / interest during activities seem
like?
• What did the learner seem to like doing the most / least during the day?

Here is an example of notes from observation of higher-level child:

Time Activity (what is the Notes (what happens during the activity?)
learner doing?)
9.30 Teacher gives out a math Faten is hands out the materials and shows
activity to do in groups. another child how to do the math.
9.50 Teacher plays a game Faten is shy and refuses to play until the teacher
with the whole class. calls her name.
Observation Task 6: Record sheet - A day in the life of a higher-level learner
Follow a learner for a day and write down the activities and movements in the table
below.
Name: Hessa Rashed Age: 19 year old Level: 4 of foundation

Date of observation: June 4, 2018 to June 11, 2018

Time Activity / Notes / comments

Movement
10 mins Matching words Hessa finished in 8 minutes and checked answer with the
with its teacher. The teacher asked her to check again because
definition two of them were incorrect.

10 mins Multiple choice Hessa was helping her partner and she was explaining to
of parts of her why she has chosen this choice. She finished on time
speech and she interacted with teacher during answer questions.

10 mins Completing Hessa was translating the sentence to her friends in

sentence with group. She refused give the answer directly. She helped
word them to get answer.

10 mins Finding the Hessa prepared the definitions at home and she finished
definition in her task very early.
Arabic
2 mins Write sentence Hessa wrote her sentence on the white board without
using new words mistake in spelling or grammar.
Reflection
The following question may guide your response:
 What was the same or different about the two learners?
 What did you notice that relates to the theories we have been discussing?
 What interested or surprised you?

Differentiation (high level)

Most of the students in the classroom I observed have same abilities but some of
them have higher of ability than others like Hessa. She had a good grammar and
vocabulary as a level four of foundation. These skills helped her to finish her tasks early
compared from others. Furthermore, she was so excited and interacted during discussion
the answers. The activities were the same for whole class but the teacher depend on the
student's high level to help other students if they finish their work. There is no extra work
or activity the teacher prepared if they finish early. Finally, in the last activity, the
students can leave early once finish their work.

In my opinion, I think the strategy that my MST used with the higher level
students not enough. I think it's very necessary to give students another work to do after
finish their work early. Even though, I liked the role that teacher given to Hessa when,
she asked her help her colleagues. She definitely increased her self-esteem and it was
strong motivation to motivate to keep going to do the best. Moreover, I observed when
the Hessa finished her work early in the last lesson and left early, she encouraged her
colleagues to try to finish their task.

In conclusion, I believe strongly that apply differentiation in classroom very

important and this what will happen when I will be a teacher in the future. The teacher
should be aware about abilities of her students and try to improve it and support it as
possible. Especially with higher level, they will lose their talents and abilities if they are
ignored and not stimulated. So, I will care about everyone in my class.