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Tyler
Abstract: Chapter one goes over what Differentiated Instruction(DI) is and how it benefits teachers and students alike. What is seems to boil down to is making sure every student has a fair chance at completing an assignment, no matter what their level of intelligence or ability. Instead of a “my way or the highway” approach, being flexible and adaptable shows students that you are there to help them learn. The book gives examples like giving a student who is struggling an extension on an assignment, giving a student a different set of problems if they do not understand how you explained it the first time, or giving an advanced student more challenging assignments to work on so they do not start to coast. An interesting point in the book was when the author said, “what is fair is not always equal.” At first, it made a little bit of sense, but as I read on, the example about the two students in the back of the room, one with glasses and the other without, made this idea very clear. At first, it seems that DI makes school too easy for students because the teachers seem to give the students everything. This is true to a point. The teachers give the student every resource and opportunity they need to be challenged enough to thrive in school. The teachers simply provide the necessary information and resources that allow the students to apply it to their studies.

Synthesis: The majority of responces to this article included a descrition of [|Differentiated Instruction]and its importance in the classroom. Many people either had an idea, had heard about, or were confused about what DI was. After reading into DI, a common sensus that DI is about teaching the class the same material, but giving alternative assignments or instruction to students who need it. The scenario about the kid with the glasses came up a few times. When the two students are required to read something on the board from the back of them room, the teacher tries to make it fair by removing the glasses from one kid. This does not make it fair, it give the student an excuse to not read the board. By giving him the glasses, teachers give him the oppertunity to succeed. That is just one [|example]of differentiated instruction. After hearing and learning about DI, most of the posts say that they will use DI in their classrooms, too.

Ally
This chapter discussed how differentiated instruction works and all the components that make it up. I knew what differentiated instruction was but it was hard to explain it, so to actually define it was helpful to understand it as a whole. I learned a lot about how some student react to differentiated instruction. It didn’t occur to me that some students become dependent on differentiated instruction so they therefore become so used to it that they aren’t challenging themselves. In the book it said “Some students limp around being dependent on differentiated instruction. In order to avoid that I think we need to challenge our students a little bit because then they learn to use different strengths and then they become more independent. The most interesting scenario I read about was the glasses story because at first it didn’t make any sense. I had to read it a couple of times in order to understand how taking away the glasses would help the child at all but now I get how the teacher is helping the student. This will help me as a teacher because I am going to be using differential instruction in my classroom; I need to be able to integrate it into my curriculum. I also need to recognize if students are just getting by with differential instruction and not challenging themselves. Teachers need to realize when students are taking advantage of them. This will help my classroom because everyone will be learning the curriculum in a way they understand however, I am going to make it fair and challenge everyone to be better than they are which might frustrate some of my students but in the end it will be beneficial to them.

Jasmine
Teachers must be fair to their students and provide them with choices and options in their instruction. I learned that differentiated does not necessarily mean individualized, but sometimes, there will be cases where the teacher must create personalized instruction for specific students. As a teacher, I will need to realize the balanced responsibilities of the instructor and the learners. A teacher who completely blames her students for performing poorly or missing the point of the lessons fails to be successful. However, a teacher who believes she is the most important member of a classroom is also wrong. Students are the people whom the government, communities, superintendents, and parents care about, because it is their learning shapes the rest of the world. When we differentiate, we give students the tools to handle whatever comes their way whether it is differentiated or not. Students will do well on standardized tests only if they have learned the material in the class, and differentiated practices are the ways we maximize students’ learning at every turn. An interesting point is that most teachers who dive into differentiation’s mind set and practices feel liberated, not burdened. It makes the classroom run more smoothly when more students are given better opportunities to be successful. This certainly makes sense because in a one size fits all classrooms, students are not given good opportunities to be successful and are thus not successful. They just give up and decide not to try because they do not feel they are getting a good education. = =

Abby
When this idea of differentiated learning is presented most people assume that it would be hard to incorporate this into the classroom, but it is used quite often without us even thinking about it. They are not asking teachers to individualize instruction where each student is given their own assignments and assessments, but rather admonishes them to be flexible and help students where they are. It is not used all the time, but only when a student is struggling or is not being challenged. To be able to differentiate the teacher must know his or her students well.

Another argument is that the world is not differentiated so teachers are setting their students up to fail. Firstly, what is more important the method used to teach or the insurance that the student actually understands the material? People should not be as concerned about how the material is presented but rather that the students learn it. Also, the real world does differentiate by allowing changes in deadlines, adaptions, and creativity.

I think that differentiation is crucial. Students learn differently and whether they are struggling in a subject or are completely bored because they already know all the material, our job as teachers is to make sure that they continue to learn and are given the tools to succeed. I want to be able to give students options and let them show their creativity as well as use their natural talents in my class. Often in English I feel that so much emphasis is put on the five-paragraph essay that students assume that if they are not good at writing these types of papers they are not good at English at all. There are different ways to test a student’s understanding and although writing is important it does not need to be the sole assessor of a student’s mastery of an English concept.

Jake
Differentiated instruction is simply orchestrating what you're teaching in way that will accommodate your individual students. To be completely honest I’m not sure why there is even a chapter written about it, there does not seem to be anything exceptionally profound stated as a whole. I do not mean to belittle it's importance however; Wormeli's point seems entirely valid, I just don't see how any one could argue with it. It seems that teachers are already using differentiation in their classrooms, as many of the ideas Wormeli expresses seem to be common sense. Teacher should provide opportunities for all students; hoping that they will succeed, and, when they don’t, reorienting what you are teaching so that they will. One statement that Wormeli makes that I feel is often overlooked, and often questioned by students, is that “fair isn’t always equal”. Modern day culture seems to use the terms interchangeably and I think it is important to differentiate the two statements in the classroom. As Wormeli says, everyone learns differently and at different speeds. If a teacher wants his or her students to succeed than they must know their students and know what those students need in order to reach their goal. If I’m going to incorporate anything from this chapter into my classroom than it will be the emphasis on differentiation that this book implies. It is certainly important to approach lessons with differentiated instruction in mind; approaching student learning on an individual level, and not necessarily worrying about the collective.

Dan
I thought my understanding of Differentiated Instruction was completely sound before reading this chapter. I believed involving differentiated instructions helped some students learn easier, but that was the wrong approach. It doesn’t make it easier in any sense; rather, it provides a challenge that is manageable and hard while allowing them to succeed. The analogy of the student with glasses was very interesting way of showing why a differentiated classroom is harder than an undifferentiated one, but also why it is effective and needed. When a classroom has differentiated instructions, students are going to be held accountable for all work and projects, because they have been provided more opportunities to excel and demonstrate their mastery of a concept. If we do not provide any differentiation, then students will not learn or cannot truly show that they have learned, because many students learn differently, and the purpose of school is to provide knowledge for students. If that does not happen, then school is a waste. The statement “What is fair isn’t always equal, and our goal as teachers is to be fair and developmentally appropriate, not one-size-fits-all equal” really struck me with importance (p. 6). I always thought in order to be fair, all students needed the same help as anyone else, and if a teacher provided help to one student, they needed to provide the same help to all. That is not necessarily true. It is more of helping the students that need it to their benefits, not the benefits of others. When I become a teacher, I will provide the necessary help for all students, and attend to their needs to the best of my abilities. =

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Jenn
This chapter begins by explaining what differentiated instruction is and how it’s beneficial in the classroom. Many of the pros and cons of using differentiated instruction are mentioned in this chapter in a clear and beneficial way, basically making DI the only acceptable practice.

One of the many beneficial things about the way this chapter deals with DI is that it becomes clear what things students can gain from this, and how those will apply in life outside the classroom. First, I really liked how this chapter gave clear examples of how DI is used in everyday situations, even the military. It makes more of an impression when the chapter points out the many ways it already affects lives. Secondly, my favorite and most memorable discussion this chapter has is when it explains that DI is not necessarily making it easier for the students, it is giving them scaffolding to be able to reach new levels of understand, so, in a way, it’s actually making the ending goal harder to reach. I think with the vivid example of taking away a student’s glasses, this will now stick clearly in my mind. It also helped to clarify what I already knew about DI and how to use it successfully in the classroom. Finally, I really appreciated how at the end of the chapter it mentioned how much more useful having a positive attitude toward DI would make, especially in finishing the book. I don’t think that a lot of educators think about how their attitude affects how they’re learning, so this was a really important part for me.

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**Katie**
Differentiated instruction is something that every teacher should use inside of the classroom because it helps to keep all of the students learning about the same material, although it may be in different ways. Teachers need to be aware when students need more help in class so that they can give the student more material such as a topic organizer for a paper or essay if the student is having a hard time figuring out how to set up their ideas into flowing paragraphs. If a teacher taught the class with every student getting the same information and having to do the same level of work, then some students will learn faster than others while some students may learn slower. Being a teacher is all about having the students learn and it is up to the teacher to find out where the student is in their learning process and from there, the teacher can assess what the student needs. Not every student is the same and so every student also has their own pace at which they learn and grow. I know that I will find out where each of my students are with their learning and based upon where they are, I will be able to give them the right tools and materials in order for them to learn at their full potential. Teachers must be able to identify where their students struggle and where they excel in order to achieve complete confidence that they are learning the material effectively.

Roger
The first chapter in FIAE is about differentiated instruction, reviewing the importance of DI as well as the reasoning behind the program. The chapter mostly went over why DI existed, and how it serves students. DI is designed to take curriculum and apply it to students of any background. As the author states, DI does not necessarily make learning easier. Instead, it takes an extra step towards getting students to learn more, students who otherwise would have missed out on the information provided. The principle of DI will carry several effects in my future classroom. The idea of a broad-based linear curriculum is one that does not stir any interest in me. When I get into a classroom, I want students to actually want to learn. One step towards doing this is allowing students to learn in their own way, as opposed to forcing every square block through a round hole. Differentiated instruction itself stems off of a respect for students, and for any classroom environment to be effective mutual respect is key. The main point of the chapter was about determining the right mindset to work with DI. Basically, DI was not created to coddle students. It was created to accommodate for their needs. The idea is that students will be able to be on the same, high level with academic excellence, regardless of background or any other factors.

Lizz
This chapter discussed differentiated instruction and how it works along with the different components to it. I liked how this book actually defined differentiated instruction and made it understandable because I was still a little confused on what it was and how it worked. Throughout this chapter, it talked about students becoming highly dependent on the differentiated instruction inside the classroom. Since the students are becoming dependent, they are not challenging themselves fully and this is a huge problem. The teachers did not realize that the students were taking advantage of them because I know I would not think of my students doing that. Students however know how to “play” school and get away with all sorts inside and outside the classroom. A scenario that caught my eye the most was the scenario about glasses. It was interesting because I did not understand how taking glasses away from the child would actually be helping them. I now understand that by taking the glasses away it was challenging the student and would help them in the end. This will help me because I am going to use differential instruction in my classroom. I need to be able to distinguish if students are not challenging themselves and are just getting by. I want my students to be challenged and to challenge themselves everyday because I feel as though if they challenge themselves they will learn more from it. I am going to make my classroom fair but I am going to challenge everyone also.

Brittany
This chapter provides several examples of Differentiated Instruction in the classroom. Most of which we do not notice as being differentiated instruction, such as providing an extra example for those who are still confused or moving seats to provide the space a student needs to be able to focus and complete tasks in a timely manner. In order to properly differentiate a teacher must really know their students and what their needs are. Teachers are not expected to create individualized lessons and activities, but rather to help students who are having difficulties, or not being pushed to their full potential. The chapter states that teachers and parents fear that DI is a crutch for the student, and in some ways it is. But it is also a way for students to realize that everyone learns in different ways and at different paces. This way when they get into the real world they are able to look at a problem and think "How can I make this work for me and others that I am working with?" There are opinions that DI makes students dependent, which I find to be untrue because it bring them to a place of self awareness in which they know what works for them and can hopefully modify their challenges to better suit their learning style. One point I thoroughly agreed with is that teachers should not put 100% of the responsibility for success or failure on themselves or on the student. The chapter suggests, and I agree, that teachers and students share the responsibility. The teacher should have been checking in with the student who may be failing periodically and the student should ask for help when necessary. Also teachers should check in with highly successful students to see if they are being challenged enough, and students should bring the subject up to teachers if they feel their education is lacking difficulty to push them forward.

Alex
In The first Chapter of this book i was able to deduct that differentiated instruction is not only important to the classroom but it is something that we see in every day life and take for granted. Yet on that note it is something that I as an educator of the youth need to master and perfect if I am going to be effective in the classroom. Everyone learns differently that is a fact of life, it is not an opinion (no matter how hard someone might argue that it is) therefore being able to teach in multiple different ways or teach a lesson in a multiple of ways allows not only for multiple people to understand but also multiple angels in which to get the information that you are distributing. Therefore I would say what this chapter taught me the most was that Is that I as a teacher need to analyze educating more really next time I go into the classroom, really analyze how my mentor teacher and other teachers distribute there information. there mannerism depending on the the classroom because I need to be able to diversify my teaching style and really get in tune with the mind frame of what is it like to be a teacher and what is it like to become that confident educator, and professional that i ever so what to be.

Caleb
Differentiated Instruction (DI), a term that is sounds rather dry, recognizes that students are capable of learning. It sounds odd, but if we are to think about most instructors today they place emphasis on presenting the material and moving on instead of trying to find ways for each student to understand the material. Moving children around and creating more of a mobile classroom is a slow transition into a differentiated environment. All, this means is adapting our teaching styles to cope with the diversity of our students. This instruction may not show better test result but it will promote better learners. That is why learning to assess students is a vital part of teaching. Handing students a test is limiting them from a potential that a teacher has neglecting to tap. Instead of a test why doesn’t the teacher have a project or a more hands-on way to evaluate what the students have learnt? In my experience throughout the years I have seen brief flashes of DI. A teacher might change up the pace of a class or do a project but it happened quite briefly. When it did happened I believed I learned more. For instance, when reading //Waiting for Godot// in my English class our teacher could have easily tested us to see if we picked up on the major themes instead he had us have a discussion about what we think the characters are doing and how we related to the play. This method allowed me to learn more then the play itself did. Hopefully, when I become a teacher I will be able to construct lessons and assessments that will allow my students to become engaged. Math lessons are quiet dull but if instead of giving out tests of numerous amount of homework assignments like most teachers do, I assign projects and other more engaging ways to go about the curriculum. I feel like I’ve done a good job.