FIAE+B2+Chapter+1

Synthesis: Lauren Breton
Chapter 1: The Differentiated Instruction Mind-set Throughout the responses to Rick Wormelli’s first chapter of __Fair Isn’t Always Equal__, we selected to focus on similar aspects of the chapter. This chapter focused on explaining what differentiated instruction is and providing examples that illustrate what [|differentiated instruction looks like] in the classroom. One example that was focused upon was the example of a student who required glasses and a student who did not. In order to illustrate that differentiated instruction is focused on ensuring the fairness of education, not equality. By taking away the glasses of the student who needs them, we would be making his life easier; he would just get to sit in the back of the room and not learn the material. By providing him with his glasses, we require him to do his work and do it well, because now he is capable of doing it. Also, Wormelli insists that although differentiating instruction can be considered a “crutch”, it is not to be considered so in a negative way. Differentiated instruction is to be considered a crutch in the sense that it allows students to become all that they can be in terms of their learning and their education, as opposed to limiting them by removing their support devices.

Another aspect of the text that was mentioned continuously was the quote “In fact, what we teach is irrelevant. It’s what our students learn after their time with us that matters,” (p. 8). Many of us found this quote helpful in understanding just how large of an impact differentiated instruction can have within a classroom as well as why it is important to differentiate in our future classrooms. Another aspect of the text that we as a class found helpful for describing differentiated instruction in the real world was how it was used in the military. Even though we might not think that the military utilizes differentiated instruction, it does so by allowing different repetitions of tasks for different learners and different options for learning the essentials.

As a class, our reflections all expressed surprise and relief about how simple differentiated instruction could be to incorporate into the classroom. Many of us felt relief that we could use differentiated instruction in such simple ways such as restating a question, extending the amount of work time for a project, and providing alternative examples so that students could better understand the material. It seems as though we were all expecting differentiated instruction [|to be more complicated than it was]. Collectively, we all also wanted to enable our students to have flexibility and choices in our classes, so that they could focus on what projects or assignments would be best suited for each student as an individual learner. We also all shared the opinion that differentiated instruction was the most practical way to ensure fairness in our classrooms. Although some of us feared that we would use too much differentiation in our classrooms, we were all in agreement that it needed to be incorporated into our classes to ensure fairness and a quality education for our students. toc

Lauren Scheidegger
Fair Isn’t Always Equal” by Rick Wormeli starts off by going over some thoughts about differentiated instruction. He stressed that differentiated instruction does not make things easier for the students. It is not something that “dumbs” down a curriculum. Wormeli then went on to describe differentiated instruction as a crutch. In society we see “crutches” as something negative, a thing that if used too frequently becomes something that we’re dependant on. However Wormeli went on to say that crutches are tools that enable great people to do great things and that they do not hinder but instead allow progress. He also described how the world in differentiated, even in the military. After reading his illustrations on how the world outside of school is differentiated, it seems silly not to make sure schools are differentiated as well. Wormeli seemed to have snippets of wisdom embedded throughout the pages. My favorite portion of the chapter was when he talked about how encouragement is a powerful motivational force. As a future teacher I plan to be as encouraging as possible. Every student has the intelligence and capabilities to succeed. After reading previous texts, I am already convinced that differentiated instruction is something that needs to be present in my classroom, but reading this chapter helped make it even more concrete. I also learned from all my educational readings, including Wormeli’s book that teachers need to take on some of the responsibility. I know that students need to accept some of the responsibility, but I also realize that a lot is up to the teacher and they need to take some responsibility as well.

Megan Millette
In chapter one of __Fair Isn’t Always Equal__, Wormeli goes into an in depth discussion about differentiated instruction and how it is important in the classroom. I found this chapter to be quite intriguing. I did not realize how much differentiated learning really entailed. I would have never imagined that the way desks are set up, the rephrasing of ideas, the giving you more time or choice on an assignment, and a teacher being physically closer to a student to keep their attention were all forms of differentiated instruction. This shows me that differentiated learning is everywhere in the classroom. Wormeli then went on to discuss how differentiation is not a crutch but more of a help to prepare students for all that comes their way. He reassures educators that it is good to use differentiated instruction through out a student’s time at school because it benefits them. He tells the readers about how a “lack of differentiated instruction puts competence in jeopardy and passing graduation assessments in question” (7). Students with a lack of differentiated instruction are most likely the students who are more apt to not graduate from school. This shows how positive of an influence differentiated learning has on a student.

This chapter had many great ideas I could see myself using in my classroom. For instance having my students who understand the information is available to help those who do not. Also giving my students the handout of what to do when the teacher is unavailable to help. Knowing that differentiated learning is not individualized instruction makes me feel better since I know that it means I don’t have to cater to each student’s independent needs. This will all help make my classroom more differentiated for my students, which is very beneficial to students.

Kevin Lind
My favorite thing about this chapter is the breakdown of what differentiation looks like in the beginning. The imagery is important for teachers to understand so they can use similar differentiation in their classrooms. The imagery also brought to my attention how few teachers really differentiate their assignments. I know in my high school, if a few students didn’t understand the math problems we were going over, the whole class would have to continue learning the same material, including students who had a clear grasp of the work. This type of teaching prevents students from advancing. I hope that I will be able to differentiate in my classroom.

The quote from Dr. Haim Ginott at the end of the chapter also helped to open my eyes to how important teachers are in different aspects of a student’s life. The main idea of his quote is that teachers can “make a child’s life miserable or joyous” (Wormeli 9). This made me think of all the teachers who either made me have a wonderful or an awful one. I will attempt to make a class students look forward to, rather than dread.

The main point that should be taken from this chapter is that we can teach in any number of different styles, but the important thing is what the students learn. Education is based on serving students so they can go on to achieve their future dreams. As a future teacher, I plan on using differentiation and proper motivation to help my students gain as much knowledge as possible.

Alyssa Amari
" It does not matter what we teach, it only matters what students learn (pg.8)." This Chapter introduces the idea of differentiated instruction, an idea used to teach in a way that a students brain will best process. Differentiated instruction is simply a matter of treating every student fairly through teaching to maximize any students learning by giving them the tools to handle different situations. This idea can be used in a variety of ways: giving alternate or extra assignments for increased understanding, individual or group work, one on one time with a teacher, giving extra time for an assignment, providing multiple forms of a lesson for each learning style, and assessing student work through progress not only accuracy. Differentiated instruction is a guiding tool for many students, so that they may be prepared for further study in other grades. It is a way of saying that fair is not always equal, and it is better to not equalize the work given to students because every student is different. Differentiated instruction is a part of every day life, it is seen in many jobs, in the military, or even at home. Without this type of instruction, students would not graduate prepared for a future filled with differentiated tasks. This is important to me because I will have a variety of students in my classroom. They will all learn at different rates and it is my job to meet these rates with the appropriate learning tools. I will need to understand that some students will need more time, and some will be ready to move on. This will mean that I will need to adjust my plans according to progress of my class as a whole. This will definitely affect my classroom because it will be a huge success tool to each of the students. Teaching and assessing in a way that they can meet will be essential in any of their progress towards future goals.

Samy Tracy
The first chapter of this book describes differentiated instruction clearly and explains why it is so helpful to students. The author also connects this theory to the title of the book, and how being fair to students is not always equal. An example of this is how some students wear glasses. You cannot take their glasses off just so they are equal with other students because then they would not be able to see and it would cloud their focus on the assignment, instead of learning the information presented to them, they would end up trying to just see. Reading this chapter also made me think about how some people would think that teachers are babying their students too much because they are giving them so much attention and trying to figure out each and every student needs. This attention though, is helpful to students because it helps them understand their learning needs better and makes them more excited to learn. I know for myself, that it always made me much more eager to learn when a teacher would try to create different ways for me to learn an assignment because I felt more important and actually worthy of learning the material.

Another important part of this chapter was when Wormeli explained that the real world is differentiated. Things never really go as planned and so people have to compromise to find what works best for them. This will especially affect my classroom and the way I teach because I never really realized that the real world is actually differentiated, and schooling is supposed to prepare you for your adult life. If students also recognized this, they might be more willing and excited to learn.

Lauren Breton
Chapter 1: The Differentiated Instruction Mind-set: Rationale and Definition The first chapter of this text provided an introduction to the idea of Differentiated Instruction and began to convey some of the reasons that it is such an important tool in education. It began by showing readers dozens of different examples of Differentiated Instruction and how it is used in classrooms on a daily basis. This chapter also began to discuss how Differentiated Instruction impacts students after they have left school and have begun working and living in the real world.

I was amazed to see how many different examples were provided for Differentiated Instruction and how my education has been affected by many of them. If you had asked me before I read this chapter whether or not my teachers had employed aspects of Differentiated Instruction, I would have likely said no. After reading this chapter, however, I realized how many different ways there are to incorporate Differentiated Instruction into the classroom effectively. By doing such things as extending deadlines, rephrasing questions, giving extra examples, or letting students redo assignments they can benefit from Differentiated Instruction and can learn the material much better. In addition to making me realize how important Differentiated Instruction is in the classroom, this chapter also helped me to understand how it effects the outside world. For example, I have never thought of the military being differentiated, but through the examples given, I realized that the differentiation was what made the military so efficient. After reading this chapter, I now realize how to effectively utilize Differentiated Instruction in my classroom as well as its importance for my students in life after school.

T.J. Hebert
Differentiated is doing what is fair for students, something that we all hope every teacher is and has been doing. This is where teachers recognize different student abilities and learning styles and adapt within the classroom in order for every student to learn and understand as much as possible. It has to remain fair and equal to all students. It does not mean that one student gets their homework deadlines pushed back because they are funnier than the rest of the students. When it comes to standardized testing, students that have been taught in a differentiated way should perform well as they will have learned and understand the material. Testing only samples student’s knowledge and the knowledge should be there if differentiated instruction was given. The world and life is differentiated, people must change and adapt their lives every day in order to survive. By teaching in a differentiated way, students will learn these skills and hopefully be able to apply them in life. The book asks for the reader to think back to when they were in school and suggest that we received differentiated instruction, it just was not deemed as such back then. I know that at some point, one of my teachers must have re-phrased a question or provided a different example for a student who did not understand the one given; however, I never thought of that as differentiated instruction. I viewed differentiated instruction as determining learning styles as soon as possible and adapting classes to encompass all the learning styles as much as possible. Such as doing group work one day because some students learn better socially and then going outside for a class because some students learn better in different environments. I did not understand that something as simple as re-phrasing a question was differentiated instruction. Very simple examples, such as the re-phrasing a question, are things that I will surely do in my classroom as well as many many other techniques to maximize my students learning.

Rachel Joiner
 This chapter has helped me in my understanding of creating differentiated instruction. I now have a better understanding of what it includes. One thing I took away from this chapter that I thought was important was when the mention that by giving differentiated instruction, it does not mean we are making it easier for any of our students. I thought this was an important lesson to come away with. This is important to me, because I think it is important that all students receive an equal opportunity in their education. As a teacher, this was important for me to hear. After reading this, I realized ways to not make it easier, just change the activity or lesson to fit the student. I realized that as a teacher I should be aware of this.  I found it interesting when the book said that by having all the students engaged classroom management gets easier. The book mentions that if students understand, and are challenged enough then they will be cooperative. As a teacher this impacted me, because now I know if I am having issues with classroom management I will look at myself and my teaching styles before I look at my students being an issue. I thought this was an important piece of information I could use in my classroom. I learned from this chapter how to handle students who need a little extra help, but do not want to accept it. I have always wondered how you approach and handle such a situation as a teacher. The book describes to offer the student the extra graphic organizer, or whatever help they need. If they are against the idea, let them take the assessment without it and let them do poorly. After they see for themselves, they can take the graphic organizer and retake the test. I thought this was a great way to handle a student who is not accepting help. I found this chapter to be extremely helpful in teaching strategies.

Morgan Ware
This chapter explains about what differentiated instruction is. If a teacher ever rephrased a question or let you retake a test r redo a project, they use differentiated instruction. Teachers can give different examples to help students understand the content more. When we first learn about differentiated instruction we think about differentiating principals and structures. We need to also think about cognitive principals. We need to think about not only what to help students but how to help them. Differentiated instruction is doing what is fair for students. In order to do this we have to do different things for different students. Every aspect of teaching should and needs to be fair to students. With differentiated instruction students become more independent when in turn makes them more tolerant of others. They also become more creative and are more willing to take risks. Differentiated instruction does not mean that we make it easier for students, instead it give students the tools to thrive. This will impact my classroom and me in a positive way. It will give my students the skill to be successful without me cradling them. I could use this to improve my own understanding of how my students learn and help them thrive. I want my students to use differentiated instruction and see for themselves that they can succeed in their classes.

Emily McGee
Rick Wormeli introduces differentiated instruction as a basis for assessing and grading in the classroom. He defines differentiated instruction as a compilation of best practices intentionally utilized to effectively teach students for understanding. This type of instruction provides scaffolding for learning, and employs respectful tasks, flexible grouping, and learner profiles based on readiness. According to Wormeli, it relies on teacher competence and the use of diverse approaches to learning, intent on providing appropriate challenges for students to grow. Through many examples Wormeli elucidates the misconception that differentiated instruction means making tasks easier for students, when in fact it provokes deep understanding of content by providing each students the tools he/she needs to succeed.

This idea of differentiated instruction challenging students to gain a profound understanding of the content through the type of instruction and assessment that best utilizes their learning styles, rather than enabling them to succeed through shallow, understanding a rote memorization, should be of the utmost importance to educators, students, and parents. As Wormeli identified, it doesn’t matter what is taught, only what is learned; and it doesn’t matter how it was learned, only that the knowledge was deeply acquired. It is important for me as a pre-service teacher to understand the undeniable importance of providing differentiated instruction that is fair to all students’ learning needs. I hope to apply these ideas to my classroom in order to give students the tools they need to learn fully and be successful.

Patrick Hurley
Teachers have been using differentiated instruction for quite some time. I can remember back to time in middle and high school where my teachers would use it. Our knowledge of the brain is always changing so all the cognitive theories could quite possibly be proven wrong in a year or so. The definition of differentiated instruction is doing what is best for the students to maximize their learning. This could involve anything from giving a choice of assignments to just giving a different example in class. Students learn in different ways and you need to be flexible and able to teach each student effectively. Differentiating instruction can help a student gain a better sense of who they area s learners, helping them later in school and life. When offering something to a certain group of students you need to also tell the rest of the class about so they can use it as well so everyone has a fair chance to use it. I remember certain occasions when a teacher would use differentiated instruction in our classroom. One specific example is giving multiple choices on essays or projects. This gives the student option to do what they know they will do a better job on. I hope to use these kinds of strategies in my classroom. I want to make sure all my students are learning to their full potential. I know that giving multiple examples and different options on assignments helps me, so I am going to use it.

Matt Roy
This first Chapter dives into the reasoning behind differentiating in the classroom. The authors make their case for differentiating by providing many real-life examples of how differentiation occurs daily in the professional world so there is really no reason to not differentiate in the classroom. From mechanics to surgeons, all use differentiation in their daily activities. The authors go on to explain that while differentiation may be a crutch, it should not be looked at in a negative light but rather as essential tools for success for students that would not be able to succeed without it. Ultimately, by differentiating, teachers aren’t making learning any easier for their students just giving them the tools necessary to make learning happen. Consistent with the theme of this class thus far, this chapter really hammers home the reasoning behind why differentiation should be utilized in the classroom. I feel like this is the only book that has clarified that differentiation is only a sometimes thing. Meaning that differentiation only comes into the classroom when it is needed not all the time. The thought of incorporating differentiation into every single point we try to convey seems daunting on paper, I can only imagine the nightmare it would be trying to incorporate it in the classroom. Planning for differentiation makes sense when preparing to introduce complex/difficult concepts that could possibly present confusion in the classroom. In instances like these, it is probably a good idea to plan to incorporate multiple delivery methods and activities to help make sure that as many students can work properly with the material.

Mike Kahler
Chapter 1 of __Fair isn’t Always Equal__ starts to talk about differentiated learning, and how it is so important for our students that we give them proper instruction in order to make our students capable learners well past the High School level. Differentiation can be a simple thing like placing a student with poor vision near the front of the room or extending a deadline for a student who needs the extra time, but it could also be more complex like handing out an alternate assignment to a student who struggles as a writer and needs an alternative project to express their knowledge in an assessment. Experts say that differential instruction is essential to creating intelligent students who are looking to learn and know themselves as learners, but some also argue that too much differentiated instruction is going to hinder students in the future because they are used to their assignments being altered for their needs. This does not happen in real life, and it may end up becoming a problem in the real word. This is contended by saying that which the knowledge students have already received all of the knowledge that they need to be successful in the future, and will face new issues. It is also stated that differentiated instruction is only to be used for those who need it. It is not for everyone all the time. As a future educator I plan on using differentiated instruction in my classroom so that my students all have a fair chance to learn, but I do not plan on overusing it. Despite experts saying that it is completely okay to differentiate for a student through his whole career with no major negative results I still don’t completely believe it. I feel like it will be harder for students like this to adjust in the real world. = =

= =

Simone Thiry
The first section of __Fair Isn’t Always Equal__ defines differentiated instruction as “doing what’s fair for students” (page 3). The authors make a compelling argument for the necessity of differentiated instruction, comparing refusing to differentiate for a student to forcing a nearsighted student to sit in the back of the class without his glasses. Differentiation is the process by which we give students equal opportunities for success. The part of the chapter that described all of the small ways teachers differentiate, by rephrasing questions, giving extra examples, or allowing students to redo work that they did not successfully complete, really resonated with me because it helped me see the broader span of differentiation; it doesn’t stop at complex lesson plans built around the multiple intelligences. The text also addresses the idea that differentiation will prepare students for life outside the classroom, not inhibit their ability to react to it. Differentiation is a process that is molded around the process of student learning. By differentiating instruction, we can help students learn better, while creating a surprisingly small amount of additional work for ourselves. The concept of differentiation is important to me as a future teacher because I hope that by going into my career with a mindset of differentiated learning I will be able to avoid getting too comfortable and stuck in my ways, and will always make student learning a priority. I know now that differentiated learning is about providing additional support when it is needed, and only when it is needed to help even the playing field so that all students can have an equal opportunity to succeed in the classroom.