Unit 2: Differentiating Lessons for Diverse Learners

Project Description

Overview    

Teachers must create lesson plans that meet the needs of all students in their class. To help develop those skills, it’s beneficial to begin by examining case studies and identifying students’ needs. From there, teachers can adjust the process, product, content, or learning environment to meet these needs, which may involve changing how they teach or assess students. By differentiating instruction, teachers can help each student achieve their best.

Learning objectives

• Candidates will examine how the literacy needs differ for primary, intermediate, and secondary students in language, reading, and cognitive development. 

• Candidates will list ways to differentiate and create developmentally appropriate reading instruction for primary, intermediate, and secondary students. 

• Candidates will differentiate a literacy lesson for six diverse learners.

What will you do?

1. During the virtual class, discuss your current understanding of differentiating the content, process, product, and learning environment.  Give specific examples of times you have done this or seen this done in the classroom. 

   • In the virtual class, discuss how teachers differentiate the various language, reading, and cognitive development needs of elementary, middle, and secondary students.

     • Break into small groups based on the grade band you teach in or are seeking licensure in, and discuss what differentiation looks like in the grade and subject areas you teach.

     • Come back together and discuss the differences between the language, reading, and cognitive development needs of students in primary, intermediate, and secondary grades. 

     • Discuss how you will incorporate this knowledge into your multidisciplinary unit plan in the next unit as you plan a unit that includes developmentally appropriate literacy and content standards and objectives. 

2. Independently,

   • continue the conversation about differentiated instruction by summarizing your understanding of differentiating the content, process, product, and learning environment within the discussion forum. 

     • To receive a proficient score, you must summarize your understanding of differentiating the content, process, product, and learning environment.  

     • To receive an outstanding score, you must summarize your understanding of differentiating the content, process, product, and learning environment, and give a specific example for differentiation in each area. 

   • look at the sample literacy lesson plan in the Activity Resources.  

   • review the MTSS and Triangulation of Data case study from the last module, which outlines the diverse needs of eight students. In Module 5, you explored how to create heterogeneous and homogeneous groups based on each student's needs. In this assignment, you will re-examine each student's needs and identify how you can differentiate the literacy lesson for each student. 

   • make a copy of the Differentiating Lessons for Diverse Learners template in the Activity Resources.  

   • Within the template, list how you could differentiate the process, product, content, or learning environment to meet the needs of each diverse learner. 

     • For a proficient score, list how you would differentiate in one way for each student.  

     • For an outstanding score, list how you would differentiate in more than one way for each student.

3. Submit the completed Differentiating Lessons for Diverse Learners template.

Candidate assignments

• Participation in Discussion Forum

• Completed Differentiating Lessons for Diverse Learners Template

Note: All assignment descriptions are written for Proficient. You should carefully examine the criteria for an Outstanding score if you want to aim for Outstanding.

Content specific methods requirements

Method Subject: English as a Second Language

As per your certification area, when completing this plan for differentiating a literacy lesson, address the following:  

• Include and describe the use and adaptation of culturally and academically relevant materials and resources, including digital resources.  

• Integrate specific authentic texts, technology, and scaffolding strategies to support the language and literacy development of the students.

Project Description

Overview  

As we discussed in the previous unit, teachers learn so much from observing other teachers in the classroom.  Seeing how teachers differentiate instruction to meet the needs of each learner allows us to glean ideas about how we can better meet the needs of our students. As you watch this clinical practice teaching lesson, think about how you could adapt what the teacher is doing to meet the needs of your students.  Once you watch the lesson, reflect upon how the teacher differentiated the instruction to meet the needs of each student in their classroom.  Which differentiation practices that you observed would work in your classroom?  We must constantly seek to meet our students where they are, and differentiating instruction is one way to do just that.   

Course Learning Objectives

• Candidates will observe and reflect upon one teaching lesson and analyze how the teacher differentiated instruction to meet the needs of each learner.

• Candidates will reflect upon how they can implement differentiation in their classroom.  

What will you do?

1. Watch the teaching video from the Activity Resources.

2. Read the lesson plan that aligns with the video.

3. As you watch the video, consider the following:

   • How did the teacher differentiate instruction to meet the needs of all students?

   • Which differentiation practices that you observed would work in your classroom?

   • How would you improve or adapt this lesson to meet the needs of your students?

4. Submit a written (1-2 pages) or recorded (2-3 minutes) reflection on the teaching video, focusing on one or more of the questions listed above. 

Candidate Responsibilities

• Written or Recorded Reflection on Teaching Video