B2+FIAE+Chapter+1



= =

Abstract
The first chapter of FIAE begins by talking about example of teachers differentiating their teaching methods in the classroom. Some easy examples the book lists are by letting students retake a test, or giving students to mastered content harder problems to perform. A major movement that schools are hoping for today is that teachers who taught in the 50’s and 60’s would enter a modern day and feel uncomfortable. That means that teachers are differentiating, something that teachers in the past did not focus on. The definition of differentiated instruction is, “Doing what’s fair to students…”(FIAE pg. 3) As important as it is to differentiate in the classroom it is important to note that it is not done all the time. A teacher should only differentiate when it is needed. When teachers do differentiate, the goal is not to make the work easier, it is to make the work challenging enough for each learner that they can understand and build their knowledge. A standardized test will only show what the students were taught in the class. When a teacher differentiates we are not only teaching the information, but we are helping the students master the content. This will help engage the students and can make the class itself far more enjoyable. On top of enjoyable, the class will become fair for all students. Some students will show different strengths in their multiple intelligences and as a teacher it is important to have the students use them. The beauty behind teaching in a [|differentiated] classroom, teachers are preparing students to succeed in a differentiated world.

Synthesis
As a class we had the same views to this chapter. One point many people focused on was how this chapter clearly defines what [|differentiated instruction] is and how to incorporate it into our classrooms. Everyone said in one way or another that they want to use DI in their classroom in the future. The way the chapter talks about how the brain works and how that affects students was also talked about by many students which showed proof that DI works. Many of us wrote about how people say that if students are learning in a differentiated classroom than the teachers are making it to easy. Unanimously we all disagreed with that statement because in a differentiated classroom the students are learning in more ways than one which will lead to information being stored in their long term memory rather than cramming their minds with vocab for a test that the day after they will completely forget. Another key point we made was how teaching a differentiated classroom is showing students what the real world is like and better prepares them for it. One response that stuck out was by Emily when she talks about how her teachers taught her in a differentiated classroom. She talks about how she has a learning disability and how the teachers would modify the assignments so that she could still learn all of the necessary content but made sure no one thought it was special treatment. No student wants to feel like they are being treated differently and Emily clearly expresses this.

toc

Andrew C
As noted by the author it is very important to remember that everything we know today about brain function and how learning is intertwined with that could change at any time. The reason this is important to remember is that just because a student has a certain intelligence doesn’t mean that they will learn the same as a person with the same intelligence. This is why it is always important to observe. This chapter also pointed out the importance to observing and knowing your students. I’ll will be sure to know my students as well as possible when I am teaching, because it will allow me to be able to teach to all of their needs. I really like how this chapter broke down what differentiated instruction does for students. It gave great examples of how it enhances the students learning. It is definitely something I want to use all the time in my class. I plan on helping to push the kids as much as possible. The author also made a really good point when he brought up some of the negative connotations that people have towards differentiated instruction. I can see why some people would say that it is a crutch, but they only say that because they do not understand the overall goal of differentiated instruction. They do not see that we are trying to tailor to the students learning styles and different intelligences. When a teacher is able to do this in an effective manner it makes the student more engaged and active in their learning. They are also learning through their strongest methods, so we see a huge improvement in the overall student.

Emily H.
In the first chapter of //Fair isn’t Always Equal// the main focus is to describe differentiated classroom. There wasn’t much to learn from this chapter that hasn’t been told in the other books, such as UbD/DI. However I never realized that the classroom’s I have been in would be considered a differentiated classroom. The teachers I had ran a variation of the differentiated classroom. I remember as a student getting the option of different assessments because of a learning __#|disability__. Without my teacher giving me other options or extra time, I would have struggled completing the work and think that I couldn’t do it. Differentiated classrooms worked well with my learning style since I needed different options to succeed. From my experience in a differentiated classroom I was able to be successful in school and in a way that worked for me. Differentiated classroom is something I would like to use in my classroom so that all my students can get the help they need and go at their own speed. This will keep them engaged in their work and school helping them in the future. I want my students to feel comfortable in class and feel like my classroom is a place where learning is fun and easy. I never thought I was getting special treatment when other options were given to me. I understood it as the teacher doing what was fair to help me succeed. I hope as a teacher I can be fair to all my students but also used the differentiated classroom in an effective way that works for all students. = =

Phillip C.
One interesting concept in the first chapter was claiming that all aspects of the class should be differentiated, including the grading. I am not sure if I understand how that would __#|work__. It would be easy to grade different assignments with different criteria, but grading the same assignment differently for different students seems unfair to me, especially if a rubric or graphic organizer was handed out before the assignment. I liked how at the beginning of the chapter they connected differentiated learning to cognitive theories that back it up. Evidence like this helps me buy into methods, most likely because of my science background. Another part of the chapter I found important was stating that differentiated instruction is not meant to make learning easier. This misconception could be a point that those opposed to the method would attack. They would claim that things don’t happen like that in the real world and students wouldn’t be growing. However, it is meant to push students in a way that they are able to thrive with challenging work. I like how this chapter clarified this and I personally think it is important to use differentiated instruction with challenging work so as to help students grow academically rather than just getting them to skate by on the course minimums. I will strive for this in my classroom. When students are presented with undifferentiated work, whether it is in the form of a standardized test or something outside of school, it shouldn’t matter. The fact that they learned the material and concepts through differentiated instruction should carry over into the other facets of their life and other tests. If they couldn’t really learn the material they would likely just memorize it for tests and forget it soon after.

Cameron B.
This chapter begins by clearly discussing the importance of differentiated instruction inside of the classroom. The concept is simply teaching in various ways to help students craft their various learning styles. If a teacher simply uses the same techniques in a class day in and day out than the students will only learn a limited amount of particular skills. An argument was made that if students experience differentiated instruction in elementary and middle school then suddenly in the higher education levels differentiated instruction goes away that students will struggle. This turns out to be false. The reason is that students know how they learn from being exposed to differentiated instruction at an earlier age and they will be able to adapt properly. A goal that the book stated is that if teachers from the 60’s-80’s came into a modern classroom they would wonder what the modern teachers are doing. This is showing how teaching has evolved over the years. My classroom is going to consist of differentiated instruction and I believe that it is important in science. There are many ways to study content in science, whether it being a textbook, interactive videos, or designing cells or molecules for the hands on learners. This will help to build the students various intelligences instead of a particular one. Overall if a teacher is not implementing the new teaching methods in their classroom I don’t believe they should be teaching today. Differentiated instruction has shown to be effective and should continue to be used in the classroom.

Brittany R.
From this chapter I learned about what Differentiated Instruction actually is. When I first started reading about it I thought of it more of a coaching style instead of a way to teach students. I feel that a lot of teachers I have had in the pass fall into this category and make things easier for students. In the chapter, I began to understand that my initial impression was inaccurate. Instead it is creating challenges for students depending on which level they are at. One of the reasons I want to be a teacher is so I can continue to learn for as long as I am in the classroom. I want to continue to do so when I have students of my own and I want to provide the same atmosphere for my students. When I was in school I felt that teachers would focus more on the students who are struggling with the content then the students who felt more than confortable with it. I want to expand students’ knowledge and if they feel comfortable with the lesson I have just introduced, I will expand their critical thinking and give them another piece of information to wrap their brain around. As the book stated the brain is a very complex thing, which is why it is still being researched. This is another reason the “one-size-fits-all” will not work in the classroom for many students. I want to avoid this way of teaching in order to make sure I don’t leave any students behind while presenting information.

= =

Tyler R.
I learned several things from this chapter. The chapter began with things that I had learned in previous classes, but had forgotten about. An example of this is when the teacher used proximity in the classroom. I had learned about this and really liked the thought process behind it. The teacher walks around the classroom making sure that each student or each group works productively and as a future teacher I could definitely see myself implementing this into my future classroom. Another thing that I learned from this chapter and also liked was the level of difficulty that students were given for their homework assignment. If some students seem to be struggling with the lesson you are giving them while other students seem to be understanding the lesson well, why would you be giving them the same homework to do? This simply doesn’t make sense. Students who are struggling should get problems to help them gain confidence in the subject area as well as teach them the subject at the same time. On the other side of the spectrum, students who seem to be excelling in the subject area should be given homework material that continues to challenge them, so they do not lose interest in the lesson, but at the same time keeps the student remembering the information and learning. As a future teacher I want to be able to identify which students are struggling and which students are excelling and be able to give them the work that they need.

Ali P.
Chapter one introduces us to the concept of differentiated instruction. In differentiated instruction the teacher does what they need to get the student to learn. The teacher aids the student in as many ways as possible. An example of this could be extending a due date, moving a students desk closer to the black board, or even having a student wear reading classes. Another point made was that differentiated instruction is found in day to day life, not only in the classroom. The use of differentiated instruction in classrooms gives students confidence and makes teachers feel liberated. The chapter mentioned fitting grades to students, and not students to grades. This reminded me of a french class my sister took. Last year she was in a class that was full of students who had taken french for six-plus years. My sister had never taken french. Because our school is so small, this was the only french class she could take. Although the teacher used differentiated instruction to teach my sister, she did not when she graded her. She graded her as hard as she did the other students in the class who had been taking french for so long. My sister was so intimidated by this, she dropped french the next year. Looking at this situation makes me realize how much students confidence relies on differentiated instruction. When students are scared, they will not learn. As a teacher I plan to do all I can to accommodate my teaching and grading to the students needs. I hope to realize what their needs are and do what I can to meet them.

Nicole C.
May I just say: thank God for this chapter. The term “differentiated instruction” has been defined again and again to me, but because the definition always varied a little, it never really stuck. After reading this chapter, I finally feel like I know exactly what differentiated instruction is, because it not only provided a solid definition – it gave multiple examples and explained //how// they correctly modeled differentiation. As the book said, “differentiated instruction is doing what’s fair for students” (Wormeli 3). That is, as teachers, we must do our best to provide options for our students to make sure their learning is maximized. If we give them the right tools, then they can find success anywhere. This idea will definitely impact the way I teach in my future classrooms. Say, for example, I want my students to understand the difference between a tragedy and a comedy when it comes to plays. Now, I could just have them write an essay explaining the difference between the two. But that wouldn’t be differentiated. Some students might not have a proclivity for essay writing. Others might just recite memorized definitions. It would not be an accurate picture of their understanding. However, if I came up with multiple assessments such as compare/contrast short essays, multiple choice quizzes, oral presentations, illustrated and informative posters, group discussions, or having them bring in their favorite Disney movie and asking them to explain which type of ending they believe it has and why – these are ways I could differentiate instruction. If I provide my students with legitimate options, then they will naturally select the option that fits their learning style best and it will in fact be a fair assessment of their understanding. The real world is full of differentiation – it is how a variety of people find success in such similar areas. Therefore, my classroom will be full of differentiation, too.

Jackie B.
In this chapter we learned about all the different ways a teacher could vary her instruction. I didn’t know that altering an assignment or even a teacher standing next to a student to make sure they stayed on track could be considered differentiated instruction. In my classroom I believe I’ll have a diverse group of students, and I want to be as flexible as possible when it comes to helping someone learn. This really ties in with adaptability which we learned about with the iPads in professor Overall’s class. The iPads were hard to use at first for some people because they didn’t know how to use them but over the course of the week we all got better, our skills became stronger and I think it’s because of the different teaching techniques that were used when being taught about the iPads.

This chapter is also about what is fair to our students. Differentiated instruction is considered fair. I believe that we as teachers should take up differentiated instruction but we can only vary our instruction so much before it becomes too time consuming in my opinion. We can’t alter the assignment for every student. As much as I’d love to be able to help every student and give them what they need, there just isn’t enough time in the day and that’s a big fear of mine: not being able to help all of my students succeed and pass. I want them to feel safe in my classroom and by helping them to grow and learn in a way they can relate to then I think they will feel safe. I just hope I have enough time to help out or figure out a way that I can vary my teaching in a productive time efficient way.

Meng H.
This chapter is about the definition of differentiated instruction. Differentiated instruction means a fair and appropriate way to teach each student. Differentiated instruction is fair for students because it meets their skills, content knowledge backgrounds, learning styles and paces. However, it doesn’t mean that differentiated instruction is equal because every student is different from others in his or her own way. Instructions are not always individualized in order for them to be differentiated, but they are altered and tailored to best suit students to promote successful learning from the students. Differentiated instructions keep students engaged and fittingly challenged, which makes it easier for the teacher to do classroom management. With clear content knowledge goals in mind, teachers utilize differentiated instructions merely as tools or means to assist students to achieve success in their school careers. Ultimately, differentiated instructions will enable students to not only learn the course materials better, but also have better understanding of themselves as learners, and become advocates for their own learning styles or rights in the future. This teaching and learning process will ensure that the students will adapt well in the differentiated real, post-secondary world.

All the reasoning presented in this chapter further convinced me to employ differentiated instructions as a teacher. But having the determination and knowing how to implement the techniques are two totally different things. I am hoping that I would learn and accumulate more techniques from textbooks and role models, such as Dr. Grace, Dr. Theresa, and Beth during this semester.

I would use differentiated instruction to best aid students with their learning in my classroom.

For mathematics, differentiated instructions would mean solving one problem different ways, using assistive technologies, assessing students based on their capacity and skills, etc.

Jackson F.
Differentiated teaching as we have read in previous readings can be very effective. In this book they talk about the use of it and how it is graded. Being taught differently then your peers can sometimes be frowned upon because the added help makes it looks like the students learning is impaired. Differentiated learning is actually quite the opposite, it evaluates what a student may need in order to succeed or understand the material. The book uses the example of a student who wears glasses and another who does not; taking away the glasses from the student who needs them does not make it fair for the other student it actually gives him a advantage because that student is then unable to read the material. Differentiated learning a tool for all students because all students are different and may need help understanding something in an easier way for them. The differentiated idea does not cease to exist if it has been used on students before. Differentiated practice gives students the knowledge of how they learn best and what they can do for themselves to succeed in life beyond twelfth grade. The book has made me thought about what teachers have done for me to ensure I have learned the material I needed to know. Many memories have gone through my mind when a teacher did something different for me to help me achieve. I understand that it is important for all students to be graded fairly which may mean that grading may slightly vary from student to student due to the level in which the student is at. Within my own classroom I can understand that I should not be thinking what is the best way for me to teach but in what ways can I help my students succeed.

Clayton P.
The introductory chapter to this book provides an overview of Differentiated Instruction - something which has already been covered in another book – from a different angle. This text explains how to assess in a classroom with differentiated instruction. It starts off with an example of a classroom which uses DI. In this case, a high school math class. Some students use graphing calculators, others require no extra help, some need help staying focused in class, and some require extra assistance from the teacher to complete the assignment. The author defines DI as “doing what’s fair for the students.” He then gives some examples of how to identify students that may require DI and how to implement it. The author then demonstrates that DI is not just for education, but can be used in the real world as well. Examples given include a mechanic who needs to fix a car in a certain amount of time, but has never serviced that kind of car before. Another example is the military, where soldiers have to learn to disassemble, and reassemble their weapon. For some soldiers, it comes naturally. Others require the help of their instructor to complete the task. Surgery is another example given. If a complication arises in surgery, the surgeon needs to alter the procedure to resolve the complication and complete the surgery. This chapter basically says that teachers need to be flexible. It explicitly states that the “my way or no way” approach is not an effective method of teaching any content area. This is sound advice for anybody, not just teachers.

Joe S.
Chapter 1 discusses the progression that differentiation has gone through over the years, including the time before the term “differentiation.” It describes many examples, and illustrates the concept’s importance to the educational development of students. Differentiation is exemplified in many ways within the classroom, as well as in the world all around us. Whenever teachers repeat themselves, extra examples are given, or alternate assignments are provided, differentiated education is being put on display. Furthermore, auto mechanics use differentiation, the military utilizes the concept, and even surgeons must be adaptable to any situation they may encounter. The main question the author addresses in this chapter is whether or not differentiated instruction is indeed beneficial to students, and his answer is undoubtedly yes. Teaching without differentiation, he asserts, is like having a near-sighted student read from the board without their glasses. Instruction geared toward the specific needs of the students keeps students engaged, and ensures that their learning style will be addressed. Not only do differentiated lessons allow for students to be more responsive in their learning, it also teaches them to be more accepting of other students and other learning styles. Utilizing different teaching methods helps students recognize their strengths and weaknesses, and also that variance is natural. Finally, the author augments his argument by stating that students feel better motivated by differentiating teachers. Using the differentiated instruction mind-set, I can ensure that my students will receive instruction that they can connect to, and promote learning and self-knowledge for reflection not only on the course material, but also on each student’s individual learning style.