Moving Forward
I believe that I have learned a lot about what it means to successfully differentiate instruction. I have the language to talk about differentiation practices so I am able to reflect on my own teaching and identify what I did well and what I could have done differently. As I leave Penn and enter my first year of teaching, I will take all of what I learned with me and apply it in my own classroom. I will also take with me some questions, however, and my inquiry into this subject will continue.
When is it worthwhile to have students work in mixed-ability groups or pairs? When is it better to differentiate content and have students work independently?
At various points in this year my classroom mentor and I have made the decision to have students work in small groups or pairs. This usually happens when the assigned task is relatively difficult—something that we anticipate many students will have trouble with. Every time we do this, however, I wonder how beneficial it is, and to whom? I worry that the students who understand the content are doing all of the work and allowing the students who do not to passively observe. In this case, no one is learning. Elementary school is just as much about teaching social/emotional skills as it is about teaching academic content, so for this reason I believe that there is inherent value in having students practice working with others. Beyond that, however, what is the value? My guess is that the answer lies in some balance between group/pair work and differentiated content that allows for individual work, but this is something I will continue to explore.
In the videos below students are working in mixed-ability pairs or small groups on a social studies assignment about rights and responsibilities of students in a classroom from my integrated unit. The video on the left gives a general impression of what was going on in the room at this time. Of particular note is the part from 2:10-3:12 when an ELL student is having trouble explaining his idea to his partner. The video on the right focuses on one pair. The boy on the left is generally quite advanced. The boy on the right has autism spectrum disorder and a host of other medical problems, and has trouble grasping even simple concepts. From both of these videos I see a clear social/emotional benefit. But is there an academic benefit for any of these students?
In the videos below students are working in mixed-ability pairs or small groups on a social studies assignment about rights and responsibilities of students in a classroom from my integrated unit. The video on the left gives a general impression of what was going on in the room at this time. Of particular note is the part from 2:10-3:12 when an ELL student is having trouble explaining his idea to his partner. The video on the right focuses on one pair. The boy on the left is generally quite advanced. The boy on the right has autism spectrum disorder and a host of other medical problems, and has trouble grasping even simple concepts. From both of these videos I see a clear social/emotional benefit. But is there an academic benefit for any of these students?
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Videos of mixed-ability pairs working on a social studies assignment about rights and responsibilities. (Artifact 18).
How do I create a classroom environment that facilitates the kind of differentiation that I have discussed here and that I know works best?
In both of the classrooms in which I student taught this year I had the pleasure of assisting in the process of creating a functional, safe, and inclusive classroom environment. I was not, however, the person who made the big choices about what behavior management systems to put in place at the beginning of the year, or how—my classroom mentors did that. I recognize that a precursor to effective differentiation is effective behavior management. Next year, I will be the one putting those systems into place. What behavior expectations will I set, and how will I ensure that my students meet those expectations? How will I create a classroom environment that facilitates effective differentiation?