Planning for
Differentiated Instruction 

Artifact Description: During summer semester 2022 in Methods and Materials for Teaching Bilingual Students (EDUC342),  I created this word wall, pared de palabras, that can support the learning environment in my future classroom. The focus of the assignment was to create a word wall of cognates.

IPTS Connection: This word wall connects with the third IPTS and performance indicator “develops or selects relevant instructional content, materials, resources, and strategies (e.g. project-based learning) for differentiating instruction” (3Q). Word walls are essential for building content literacy and help students better comprehend and interpret words from a text. Word walls are a useful, interactive tool to display vocabulary words and visuals. With this word wall example of cognates, students see the visual and spelling of the word in both English and Spanish; although pronounced differently the words consist of the same meaning.

What I learned: By creating this word wall, I displayed my creativity as well as built more connections with cognates in English and Spanish. I’ve learned that students become more independent in their writing when a tool such as a word wall is displayed in the classroom.  

Artifact Description: I used this graphic organizer to create differentiated questions as a small group activity for my third student teaching observation. I created questions and organized small groups prior to the lesson.

IPTS Connection: This graphic organizer connects with the third IPTS and knowledge indicator “understands when and how to adjust plans based on outcome data, as well as students needs, goals, and responses” (3D). Small groups are an effective way of promoting student teamwork, active listening, and the 3 C’s (clarity, content, and confidence). I created these six questions by differentiating the length of each response. Some questions required more critical thinking, other questions consisted of shorter responses. Overall, this graphic organizer helped students recall information from the novel, I Survived: The Shark Attack of 1916 , that aligned with the final project - Cereal Box Book Report. 

What I learned: This graphic organizer helped me critically think and organize students into groups based on their leveled ELA small groups and communication skills. Creating the questions and organizing the groups in advance saved time and created a smoother flow of the lesson. Through this activity, I was able to see the importance of differentiating instruction to active prior knowledge and facilitate academic growth in students.