Unit 3: LEARNER-CENTERED PEDAGOGY

Intended Learning Outcome:

• Formulate teaching procedures utilizing differentiated instruction (CO 2, CO 3).

Time element: 3 hours

Lesson 3: Differentiated Instruction

Name: ___________________________________ Course & Yr.: _______________ Section: _____

LESSON PREPARATION/ REVIEW/PREVIEW

Just as everyone has a unique fingerprint, every student has an individual learning style. Chances are, not all of your
students grasp a subject in the same way or share the same level of ability. So how can you better deliver your lessons to
reach everyone in class? Consider differentiated instruction—a method you may have heard about but haven’t explored,
which is why you’re here. In this lesson you will learn exactly what it means, how it works, and the pros and cons.

But before we begin, let me know your thoughts and ideas about differentiated instruction by completing the
first task.
TASK NO.1
Graffiti

Instructions: Group yourselves with five members each. Brainstorm ideas about differentiated instruction. Give your
own understanding of what differentiated instruction is and then provide ways on how to differentiate instruction as to content,
process, product, and learning environment. You may use colored markers to make your output as creative as you can.

CONTEN
T

DIFFERENTIAT
ED
INSTRUCTION LEARNING
PRODUC ENVIRONMEN
T
T

PROCES
S

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CONCEPT NOTES PRESENTATION

Carol Ann Tomlinson is a leader in the area of differentiated learning and professor of educational leadership,
foundations, and policy at the University of Virginia. Tomlinson describes differentiated instruction as factoring students’
individual learning styles and levels of readiness first before designing a lesson plan. Research on the effectiveness of
differentiation shows this method benefits a wide range of students, from those with learning disabilities to those who are
considered high ability.

Differentiating instruction may mean teaching the same material to all students using a variety of instructional
strategies, or it may require the teacher to deliver lessons at varying levels of difficulty based on the ability of each student.

Teachers who practice differentiation in the classroom may:

• Design lessons based on students’ learning styles.
• Group students by shared interest, topic, or ability for assignments.
• Assess students’ learning using formative assessment.
• Manage the classroom to create a safe and supportive environment.
• Continually assess and adjust lesson content to meet students’ needs.

The roots of differentiated instruction go all the way back to the days of the one-room schoolhouse, where one teacher
had students of all ages in one classroom. As the educational system transitioned to grading schools, it was assumed that
children of the same age learned similarly. However in 1912, achievement tests were introduced, and the scores revealed the
gaps in student’s abilities within grade levels.

In 1975, Congress passed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), ensuring that children with disabilities
had equal access to public education. To reach this student population, many educators used differentiated instruction
strategies. Then came the passage of No Child Left Behind in 2000, which further encouraged differentiated and skill-based
instruction—and that’s because it works. Research by educator Leslie Owen Wilson supports differentiating instruction within
the classroom, finding that lecture is the least effective instructional strategy, with only 5 to 10 percent retention after 24 hours.
Engaging in a discussion, practicing after exposure to content, and teaching others are much more effective ways to ensure
learning retention.

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Four Ways to Differentiate Instruction

According to Tomlinson, teachers can differentiate instruction through four ways:

1. Content
As you already know, fundamental lesson content should cover the standards of learning set by the school district or
state educational standards. But some students in your class may be completely unfamiliar with the concepts in a lesson,
some students may have partial mastery, and some students may already be familiar with the content before the lesson
begins.

What you could do is differentiate the content by designing activities for groups of students that cover various levels
of Bloom’s Taxonomy (a classification of levels of intellectual behavior going from lower-order thinking skills to higher-order
thinking skills). The six levels are: remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating.

Students who are unfamiliar with a lesson could be required to complete tasks on the lower levels: remembering and
understanding. Students with some mastery could be asked to apply and analyze the content, and students who have high
levels of mastery could be asked to complete tasks in the areas of evaluating and creating.

Examples of differentiating activities:

• Match vocabulary words to definitions.
• Read a passage of text and answer related questions.
• Think of a situation that happened to a character in the story and a different outcome.
• Differentiate fact from opinion in the story.
• Identify an author’s position and provide evidence to support this viewpoint.
• Create a PowerPoint presentation summarizing the lesson.

2. Process
Each student has a preferred learning style, and successful differentiation includes delivering the material to each
style: visual, auditory and kinesthetic, and through words. This process-related method also addresses the fact that not all
students require the same amount of support from the teacher, and students could choose to work in pairs, small groups, or
individually. And while some students may benefit from one-on-one interaction with you or the classroom aide, others may be
able to progress by themselves. Teachers can enhance student learning by offering support based on individual needs.

Examples of differentiating the process:

• Provide textbooks for visual and word learners.
• Allow auditory learners to listen to audio books.
• Give kinesthetic learners the opportunity to complete an interactive assignment online.

3. Product
The product is what the student creates at the end of the lesson to demonstrate the mastery of the content. This can
be in the form of tests, projects, reports, or other activities. You could assign students to complete activities that show mastery
of an educational concept in a way the student prefers, based on learning style.

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 Examples of differentiating the end product:
• Read and write learners write a book report.
• Visual learners create a graphic organizer of the story.
• Auditory learners give an oral report.
• Kinesthetic learners build a diorama illustrating the story.

4. Learning environment
The conditions for optimal learning include both physical and psychological elements. A flexible classroom layout is
key, incorporating various types of furniture and arrangements to support both individual and group work. Psychologically
speaking, teachers should use classroom management techniques that support a safe and supportive learning environment.

Examples of differentiating the environment:

• Break some students into reading groups to discuss the assignment.
• Allow students to read individually if preferred.
• Create quiet spaces where there are no distractions.

Pros and Cons of Differentiated Instruction

Pros Cons
• Research shows differentiated instruction is effective • Differentiated instruction requires more work during
for high-ability students as well as students with mild to lesson planning, and many teachers struggle to find the
severe disabilities. extra time in their schedule.

• When students are given more options on how they • The learning curve can be steep and some schools lack
can learn material, they take on more responsibility for professional development resources.
their own learning.
• Critics argue there isn’t enough research to support the
• Students appear to be more engaged in learning, and benefits of differentiated instruction outweighing the
there are reportedly fewer discipline problems in added prep time.
classrooms where teachers provide differentiated
lessons.

For more examples of Differentiated Instruction, click this link:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1M_LH4NaKN5BnahGkB-v-FyK8DeNCbbjN?usp=sharing

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GUIDED PRACTICE
TASK NO.2 A
Content Analysis

Instructions: Read and analyze the lesson plan presented. Then identify which portion of the lesson plan the DI is reflected
and justify your answer.

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PERFORMANCE

TASK NO.3
Hands-On: Formulating Differentiated Instruction

Instructions: Formulate a lesson plan based on a topic of your field of specialization. The lesson plan must reflect differentiated
instruction using appropriate learner-centered teaching methods and strategies. Focus on the four ways in which you may
differentiate instruction for you to be guided.

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ASSIGNMENT
TASK NO.3
Research Review

Instructions: Conduct a research review from the journal article entitled Differentiated Instruction: Understanding and
Applying Interactive Strategies to Meet the Needs of all Students. Use the template below for you to be guided.

The Problem Methodology

Theories Findings/ Discussion

Source/ Reference (Research article title, name of journal, name of author, date published)

What have you learned so far?

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References:
https://resilienteducator.com/classroom-resources/examples-of-differentiated-instruction/

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1183415.pdf

https://www.henry.kyschools.us/userfiles/63/Main%20Idea/samplelessonplan.pdf

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