Instructional Strategies that Support Differentiation

1. Instructional Strategies that Support Differentiation UB EDUC – 503 Part II – November 1, 2011

2. “Only teachers who utilize a variety of instructional models will be successful in maximizing the achievement of all students…Teachers need to “play to” students’ strengths and to mitigate students’ learning weaknesses. This can be done only through the use of instructional variety.” Thomas J. Lasley & Thomas J. Matczynski Strategies for Teaching in a Diverse Society

3. When they are correctly used, many instructional strategies invite teachers to respond to students’ differences in readiness, interest or learning profile.

4. Some instructional strategies last only a short time during a lesson and require little planning.

5. Others help teachers help shape an entire way of life in the classroom and require extensive planning and ongoing reflection.

6. Some strategies emphasize organization or arrangement of students for learning. Others focus predominately on the nature of instruction itself.

7. There are MANY avenues to creating an instructionally responsive classroom.

8. Preparing for the learning and the project In small groups of 2-3 students will describe: the environment, emotional, academic & social differentiation that will be in place to meet the needs of a variety of students. *This starts with a comprehensive description of the class based on a typical profile of the variety of learners, assessment, and observation. You will benefit greatly from interviewing a teacher/s and “borrowing” information about a given class.

9. Groups will also develop lesson plans that include a comprehensive description of how the lessons were designed to meet the needs of the varying students in the class. *Lesson plans can be in UbD framework and must include instructional strategies that will lead to fully differentiated lessons. *Be sure to use “Top 10 Questions to Ask Myself as I Design Lessons” to guide your planning.