Differentiated Instruction - PDT 2023

What is one characteristic of differentiated instruction?

• each student has an individualised set of resources

• providing homogeneous grouping

• teachers provide individualised instruction

• multiple approaches to content, process and product

Answer explanation

Multiplicity of options, materials, perspectives, teaching and learning approaches and modes of groupings characterise the differentiated classroom.

True or False: Differentiated instruction is chaotic

• False - students are more focused and productive because of the flexible learning opportunities

• True - Teachers lose control of their students' behavior because students are focusing on more than one approach to learning

Answer explanation

The appearance of the chaos may be due to the non-linearity of the differentiated lesson and the flexibility of time in response to students' needs.

Which of these statements is false?

• in a differentiated classroom, there is no whole group instruction

• in a differentiated classroom, there is review, and sharing, followed by opportunity for individual or small-group exploration, extension, and production

• in a differentiated classroom, there is ongoing assessment

• in a differentiated classroom, a teacher has to proactively plan for a differentiated classroom

Answer explanation

Whole group instruction is an essential tool at the beginning and at the end of the differentiated lesson and serves the purpose of bookending the lesson through the provision of common context and review to the class - alignment to the recognised norms, while addressing individual student growth.

One big misconception about differentiating instruction is teachers think:

• it means giving advanced students more questions and more difficult questions to answer

• it means giving some students more work to do

• it means giving some students easier

  questions to answer

• all are misconceptions

Complete this sentence: Differentiated instruction to a teacher means...

• teaching students of differing readiness levels in one classroom with different lessons.

• creating individualised instruction for each student so they can pass the state exam.

• knowing your students, meeting their needs and planning with their success in mind.

• putting students in groups and teaching at their level.

Continual assessment of students in a differentiated classroom setting allows for the teacher to:

• make students more comfortable with standardised testing

• teach students how to take tests

• create a stable testing environment

• assess whether the differentiation is working for the student

Answer explanation

Students are assessed in multiple ways and in multiple modes which reflect their evolving performance, work processes and growth over time.

"Flexible grouping, making positive connections, social learning with peers, and "shaking-up"the classroom" is an example of:

• a teacher creating new learning goals for students

• a teacher caring about students

• a teacher creating a responsive learning environment

• a teacher creating a monotonous learning environment

Answer explanation

Flexible grouping based on ongoing assessment of student readiness, interests and learning approaches that reflect a range of intelligence characterises the differentiated classroom.

A differentiated classroom is marked by:

• having learning centers that all students visit to complete the same activities in a week's time

• students assigned to groups by teacher based on their learning level of low, medium, or high

• students volunteering to answer questions; giving advanced students harder questions; allowing the struggling learner to skip questions; and flexible grouping

• a repeated rhythm of whole-class preparation, review, and sharing, followed by opportunity for individual or small-group exploration, extension, and production

Answer explanation

Multiple perspectives on ideas, issues and events are routinely sought through platforms that develop student engagement and involvement while developing their voice, autonomy, relatedness and competence.

True or False: In a differentiated classroom, teachers are continuously learning about how their students learn.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

In differentiated classrooms, assessment is diagnostic and ongoing, providing teachers with day-to-day data on students' readiness, interests and approaches to learning.

Which of the following is NOT a pillar of Effective Differentiation?

• Accepting responsibility for maximizing each learner's progress

• Using flexible grouping

• Customising the curriculum to fit individual students

• Tailoring instruction to assessment-indicated student needs

Answer explanation

Teacher in a differentiated classroom should balance between expected norms and individual norms. They should work towards learning outcomes designated as critical for students of a particular age or grade level while understanding that the pathways to these outcomes must necessarily be suited to an individual. Excellence is defined in terms of both individual growth and recognised norms.