Running head: STUDENT-CENTERED AND/OR DIFFERIENTIATION INSTRUCTION 1

Student-Centered and/or Differentiation Instruction

Leigh Yarbrough

Regent University

In partial fulfillment of requirements of UED 495, Spring 2019

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Introduction

Student-centered instruction is a large part of my cooperating teacher’s beliefs and styles

of teaching. She believes in putting students’ interest first and acknowledges student voice as a

central focus to their learning experiences and academic support. Differentiation Instruction is

directly correlated to student-centered instruction by varying the approach so that all students, no

matter their level from the start, can learn content effectively and according to their needs. This

approach is a great way to allow for all students no matter their academic level to grow and

achieve higher-level thinking. This ultimately allows for the growth of each individual student

within the same topic of the subject.

Rational

The first artifact that I chose was photos taken while groups where collaborating during

their personal projects. When students are on grade-level with the standards that are being

worked on in math they are assigned a group and work on projects. The only thing that the

students are provided by the teacher is their topic. Currently, students are working on area,

perimeter, and volume so they must create a game or activity that uses one or all of these

standards throughout. Each student is given a goal sheet that must be filled out and presented to

the teacher before they may begin doing anything else.

The goal sheet has what their plan is, what materials they will use, and a date that they will

have each step of their game or activity completed to help keep them on task. Once their goal

sheet is filled out by each member they present to the teacher and she accepts it or asks that they

make modifications. During the week whenever time permits students work on their group

project. By allowing students to have full control over what they are creating allows for student-

centered instruction.
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I chose a summative assessment as my second artifact that I then used to create small

groups on exactly what material each student needs to work on. Those students that do not need

to be pulled in a small group are released to work on their group project. Students that have

gotten areas of the summative assessment wrong are divided up so we can concentrate on their

needs. It is important that small groups do not remain the same constantly and are data-driven to

allow for the largest amount of growth and differentiation. Students that have mastered material

have shown they do not need to be pulled in small groups and by working on group projects

allow for growth in other areas.

Reflection on Theory and Practice

A majority of the classes at Regent University have helped me understand many

differentiation strategies that will help in becoming a successful teacher to all students. During

my time during student teaching allowed me to practice these skills since I am in a gifted cluster

and inclusion class. These two classes have a large variety of academic skill levels that have

tested my differentiation instruction.

Using the pre-assessment information and skills map for the unit, I create mini-lessons for

different small groups, which I refer to as “readiness groups” to avoid labeling students by

ability—there’s no low or high group, just different groups ready to tackle skills in different

ways (Nieves, 2018). This skill allows for students to test out of material and for others a

concentration of material that is needed. To be able to keep information interesting to students

they must always be learning. If teachers are not using entrance tickets, exit tickets, or other

forms of data to drive their small groups this will result in students being bored, off task, and

even behavior problems. Throughout the unit, the teacher assesses students’ developing
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readiness levels, interests, and approaches to learning and then designs learning experiences

based on the latest, best understanding of students’ needs (Masten, 2017).

The goal is for students to be invested in their learning and this can be done if they are not

going over material they know again and again. One of the ways of creating a student-centered

environment should be to make learning joyful, challenging and engaging (Liebtag, 2017).

Anytime someone is enjoying what he or she is doing they are learning without even being

aware. Once this is established then we can add in the importance of what the student is learning

and why and allow them to work at their own pace but with a concrete plan of what is expected

and when.

Psalm 32:8 states, I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel

you with my loving eye on you. This helps to understand that when there are times decisions

need to be made God is there to teach you. The bible speaks for the moral and spiritual

instruction of children and places a high value on knowledge and describes the moral and

spiritual fruit by defining the ultimate purpose. As children grow their inherited powers and

tendencies surface and begin to interact with the world around them. As soon as a child is born

there are forces at work influencing their development although we know that human growth

does not end with physical maturity. Education for children and adults is a directing of a total

ongoing process of development towards specific objects (The Christian, 2018).

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References

Liebtag, Emily. “8 Things to Look For in a Student-Centered Learning Environment.” Getting

Smart, Getting Smart, 10 Aug. 2017,

https://www.gettingsmart.com/2017/08/8-things-look-student-centered-learning-

environment/.

Masten, MacKenzie. “7 Reasons Why Differentiated Instruction Works.” ASCD Inservice, 17

Apr. 2017, http://inservice.ascd.org/7-reasons-why-differentiated-instruction-works/.

Nieves, Kathryn. “Differentiation in a Rigid Curriculum.” Edutopia, George Lucas Educational

Foundation, 2 Nov. 2018, http://www.edutopia.org/article/differentiation-rigid-

curriculum.

The Christian Philosophy of Education. (2018, July 5). Retrieved February 14, 2019, from

https://www.bjupress.com/resources/christian-school/solutions/philosophy-

education.php.