Differentiated Instruction with Ms. Reyes (EDU-551)

 Designing a Differentiated Lesson Plan By: Tanya Reyes Readiness, Interests, Learning Styles          When differentiating lessons, it is imperative that teachers consider the readiness, interests, and learning styles of the diverse members of the classroom community. This particular class has several students with individualized education plans (IEPs) in all subject areas, multiple English language learners (ELLs), students receiving speech and behavior therapy, a gifted student, and various learning styles and proficiency levels. Colquitt et al. (2017) describes student readiness as the sum of prior experiences, attitudes, and abilities. Keeping this in mind, it was necessary provide a broad, yet familiar, topic that could be modified to meet the unique levels and lives of every student. Using the prompt of describing a trip they've experienced and many options for delivering their ideas, both written and orally, students can discuss a topic that interes...

 Learning Styles Analysis By: Tanya Reyes (Image retrieved from https://www.acer.org/files/CF_Dec17_2019.jpg) The Whole Child      Educators should be considering how to teach the whole child, a strategy which requires teachers to understand the connection between students' learning styles and all around development. Students experience increased motivation, a stronger identity, and more meaningful learning when teachers provide challenging work based off their interests, high expectations, ample support or differentiation, and opportunities to engage cognitively, emotionally, and socially in class (National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development [NCSEAD], 2019). Cognitive skills include the ability to focus and make connections between concepts, while physical skills support students' motor skills required in reading and writing. Social skills allow students to work effectively with others and resolve conflict, all of which require linguistic...

  Assessing Technology-Based Resources for Differentiation 1.  Nearpod (Image retrieved from https://cdn.nearpod.com/1660334087421/img/new/share-image-homepage.png) Nearpod is an online presentation platform that includes interactive learning activities like quizzes, simulations, matching, collaboration boards, and polls. These activities not only engage students because of the variety, but also guide students to take on content in small, step-by-step pieces that support their working memory (Murawski & Scott, 2019). Teachers can create presentations for math, science, ELA, or social studies with embedded videos, audio recordings, attached PDFs and readings, as well as links to other websites to provide a range of support for their students. Creating presentations or uploading PowerPoint presentations to Nearpod is very simple, however the platform has many features available, and some training or guided exploration is required to be able to use the tool to its full a...