Running head: DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION 1

Differentiated Instruction
Donna Roy
AET/525
November 26, 2013
Kathy Zientek
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Differentiated Instruction

A post-secondary lesson plan for the class of Food and Nutrition was chosen to give
recommendations for modification in differentiated instruction. Tomlinson (2013),
Differentiation means tailoring instruction to meet individual needs.(para1). A teacher can do
this by responding to the diversity in their classroom and try to reach all of their students. In the
lesson plan it states that the students need to be familiar with the food pyramid, dietary
guidelines, what foods work together, and what goes into the preparation of appetizers, entrees,
and desserts. A way to differentiate the content would be to have an assessment test in which the
students show their knowledge by answering questions on an exam. The results will allow the
teacher to see what the students still need to learn before proceeding with the class. Another way
to differentiate the content would be to have a slideshow or power point presentation that shows
food preparations of appetizers, entrees, and deserts from several different countries to show how
different cultures have very different foods for the same meal courses. This will allow diverse
students to better comprehend the lesson. This would allow the adult students to have confidence
in themselves by proving that they have the required knowledge to allow them to move forward
and be successful in class. A way to vary the instructional strategy to teach the content of the
class would be to have the students work in teams to come up with an appetizer, entre, and
desert for a wedding dinner from two different cultures and compare the similarities and
difference between them. This would give the students practice before their individual
assignment. This team assignment, will also the students to learn about foods and traditions from
other countries. A second way to vary the instructional strategy would be to have the students
learn about how food critics rate the foods from restaurants. This could be done by having an
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actual food critic speak to the class about what they look for when rating different foods and
even have an example dish for the students and the critic and have the students follow the critic
directions on the procedure for rating this dish. This will allow the students to have a better
understanding of critiquing food so that when they offer advice for improving a fellow students
meal plan. This assessment provides feedback for both the teacher and the student with the
ultimate goal of improving student learning. Delivery of instruction in the past has often
followed a "one size fits all" approach. However, differentiation is student centered, with a focus
on utilizing appropriate instructional and assessment tools that are fair, flexible, challenging, and
engage students in the curriculum in meaningful ways. The assessment will have to take into
account the different backgrounds and diverseness of the students in the class.
If the end product is varied it will help to show mastery of the class content. One way to
vary the end product would be to allow the students to pick what their event will be that they are
preparing the three courses for and to allow them to pick the culture that they would be preparing
the meal for. A second way would be to have the students act as chefs for a benefit or fundraiser
for a charity and the students come together to create a menu that includes options for appetizers,
entrees, and deserts for the public to choose from. This will allow the students to demonstrate all
that they have learned about food preparation and the proper way to put together a three course
meal for diverse individuals from various backgrounds and countries. This is a good strategy for
adult learners because they can see that what they are learning in class is what they will actually
be using once they enter the workforce.
Varying or altering the environment to accommodate varied learning styles will allow all
students to have the same opportunities to learn as everyone else. An auditory learner would do
best if they could not only see a power point or slide show but also if they could hear someone
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talk about food preparation and the foods that are common as part of a three course meal from
other countries. A kinesthetic learner would benefit from learning by a hands on approach to
food preparation and a good place for them to learn would be from an actual restaurant where the
student could do the same things that they are learning in class about food preparation and the
proper way to put the different foods together. This would allow the kinesthetic learners to
develop a better understanding of the classroom content. Not all mastery is demonstrated by
students passing tests or submitting accurate assignments, but rather some types of mastery can
be demonstrated by use of the new knowledge in real-life experiences, such as in a restaurant, a
virtual kitchen, or by creating team projects, that meets the needs of the final objective for the
class.
Students have the right to expect enthusiastic teachers who are ready to meet the students
as they are, and to move them along in their learning process as far as possible. Its up to
teachers and instructors to vary their lesson plans to accommodate all the students in their
classes, by adjusting the content to include the cultures of their diverse students. This will allow
the students to learn in the way that is best for them individually. A differentiated classroom
allows for student growth and individual success in their course of study. An effective activity or
task generally involves students in using an essential skill that they have learned in the classroom
to come to understand an essential idea, and is focused on a learning goal. A teacher can
differentiate an activity or process by providing different options at individual levels of difficulty
or based on differing student interests. All of these could be used to improve the lesson plan and
make it cater more to the adult student.


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References
Tomlinson, C.A. (2013). Reading rockets. Retrieved from
http://www.readingrockets.org/article/263/