The central focus of my research was to acquire a greater awareness in regards to a teacher’s preferred instructional routines, their professional/personal attitudes that are the driving force behind such practices, and their level of readiness in regards to the utilization of differentiated instruction within their classroom. This is to ensure that teachers are well prepared to instruct the standards that are mandated by the nation, state, and local education agencies for accountability purposes. Differentiated Instruction (DI) is a revolutionary approach that is often utilized within the general (including bi-lingual), mainstream, and special education classrooms. This unconventional approach allows diverse learners to become fully engaged
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To reach this student population, many educators used differentiated instruction strategies (Weselby, Cathy, 2014). In 2002 the federally overseen No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) was enacted. Then in 2015, Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was established which released the federal government from overseeing implementation and assessments and granting it to the individual states (Popham, W.J., 2017, p. 14). Knowing the history of education and educational testing, a teacher understands the value of teaching utilizing differentiated instruction to enhance academic achievement to ensure educational funding. This information can then be utilized to make adjustments on an individual student’s …show more content…
Some of the pros include: (1) kids get to learn in a way that makes information retention easier. Differentiated instruction allows every child to find their best way to learn. (2) It documents how each child will learn so that everyone stays on the same page. With differentiated instruction, every student receives an individualized educational plan (IEP). This way parents and teachers can review the data and analyze if the child is gaining academically. (3) It eliminates teaching routines that become cumbersome. Some teachers teach the same curriculum year after year in the same way. Differentiated instruction allows the teacher to be creative each year, discovering innovative ways of teaching to a new set of students with different ways of learning. Research shows differentiated instruction is effective for high-ability students as well as students with mild disabilities. When students are given more options on how they can learn material, they take on more responsibility for their own learning. In addition, students appear to be more engaged in learning, and there are reportedly fewer discipline problems in classrooms where teachers provide differentiated lessons (Weselby, Cathy, 2014). The disadvantages are: (1) it essentially creates a second full-time job for the teacher. With each student requiring an IEP, that entails the teacher preparing a lesson for each
To reach this student population, many educators used differentiated instruction strategies (Weselby, Cathy, 2014). In 2002 the federally overseen No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) was enacted. Then in 2015, Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was established which released the federal government from overseeing implementation and assessments and granting it to the individual states (Popham, W.J., 2017, p. 14). Knowing the history of education and educational testing, a teacher understands the value of teaching utilizing differentiated instruction to enhance academic achievement to ensure educational funding. This information can then be utilized to make adjustments on an individual student’s …show more content…
Some of the pros include: (1) kids get to learn in a way that makes information retention easier. Differentiated instruction allows every child to find their best way to learn. (2) It documents how each child will learn so that everyone stays on the same page. With differentiated instruction, every student receives an individualized educational plan (IEP). This way parents and teachers can review the data and analyze if the child is gaining academically. (3) It eliminates teaching routines that become cumbersome. Some teachers teach the same curriculum year after year in the same way. Differentiated instruction allows the teacher to be creative each year, discovering innovative ways of teaching to a new set of students with different ways of learning. Research shows differentiated instruction is effective for high-ability students as well as students with mild disabilities. When students are given more options on how they can learn material, they take on more responsibility for their own learning. In addition, students appear to be more engaged in learning, and there are reportedly fewer discipline problems in classrooms where teachers provide differentiated lessons (Weselby, Cathy, 2014). The disadvantages are: (1) it essentially creates a second full-time job for the teacher. With each student requiring an IEP, that entails the teacher preparing a lesson for each