Designing a Differentiated Lesson Plan

 

When creating lessons, it is important to ensure that are engaging and provide differentiation for learning styles, abilities, and needs.  “As educators, we need to create classrooms that will maximize the success of all students, and will accommodate a diverse range of skills, needs, and interests” (O’Donnell 2017). There are students with ADHD, Autism, who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and ELL.  To ensure all students are gaining access to information and assessments, I needed to make sure I appealed in ways to all students. For example, providing the base 10 blocks provides a visual and is also a hands-on manipulative that students can use and physically see the process of regrouping. Using the white boards and discussion during Numbered Heads Together allows for student discourse and auditory learners to discuss their process for solving the problems, as well as listening to what other people did to solve.  “The idea of teaching every concept in every content area the same way to every student does not fit today’s generation, which celebrates and values individuality” (Murawski, 2017, p. 203).  Providing manipulatives, student discourse, and visuals appeals to all learning styles within one lesson.  Also having a discussion as to why we need to understand how to regroup is important in creating buy-in.  “Neuroscience has revealed that learners show a great deal of variability in three key areas: in what they find motivating (the “why” of learning), in how they are able to take in and process information to make meaning from it (the “what” of learning) and in how they demonstrate their understanding (the “how” of learning)” (Perez & Grant, 2022).  When students are able to recognize why they are learning information, they are more likely to retain it. Without this conversation, many times, students will not see the purpose and learn it for a test or just for the class they are taking. By having these conversations of the “why”, I am creating more engagement in the learning process.  Within my assessment, I am using a Blooket. This is a technology app that allows me to create quizzes or assignments digitally. Students are able to show their understanding of math problems on the computer in this game format, which creates buy-in. Students with IEPs and ELL use base 10 blocks, whiteboards, along with the Blooket to show their understanding of adding within 1000 with regrouping. This type of assessment allows me to see immediate results and pull small groups as a response. After students complete the Blooket, students will work on independent work to show me and explain their understanding of regrouping. Based on these results, I will pull students to the back table to work through the questions with them. This provides for immediate feedback and support in where they are struggling.  In this lesson, students are able to have visual, kinesthetic, and auditory exposure, as well as technology to increase engagement during their assessment. I am able to support in small group as a result of the assessment, which will increase overall understanding of the standard being taught and assessed. Without appealing to all learners and differentiating instruction to meet the needs of all learners, students will be unsuccessful in learning to add within 1000 with regrouping.

 

References:

Murawski, W. W., & Scott, K. L. (2019). What really works with Universal Design for Learning. Corwin a Sage Publishing Company.

O'Donnell, A. (2017, October 26). Ila's Blog. International Literacy Association. Retrieved May 3, 2023, from https://www.literacyworldwide.org/blog/literacy-now/2017/10/26/teaching-tools-and-strategies-for-diverse-learners

Perez, L., & Grant, K. (2022, February 9). 30+ tools for diverse learners. ISTE. Retrieved May 1, 2023, from https://www.iste.org/explore/Toolbox/30-tools-for-diverse-learners.