Unit 4 Activity 4.

8/30/2014

Differentiated Instruction

Lorand Irinyi

National University

Class: TED606-46092-1408

Professor: Kristina Lyman

I chose for this assignment the Differentiated Instruction part. The content I am going to
teach, Physics, which, by its very nature, will require a teaching approach that could be
best described as differentiated. Differentiated instruction is an approach whereby
teachers adjust their curriculum and instruction to maximize the learning of all students:
average learners, English language learners, struggling students, students with learning
disabilities, and gifted and talented students (The IRIS Center, 2010, p. 1). In any
physics class it will be inevitable that there is going to be a wide variation on
preparedness, interest and ability among the students. In order to best serve students
interests and teach the most content to students, their abilities, interests and preparedness
must be taken into consideration when preparing the curriculum as well as when that
curriculum is presented and in the way that presentation takes shape. Physics is a basic
science and as Kluth (2014a) stated science is about learning ideas and concepts,
studying vocabulary, and understanding theories, but it is also about observation,
exploration, and discovery (p. 1). All this will require from me the ability to recognize
the different learning styles of each student. This will have to be so by necessity, because
physics requires a lot of laboratory work and many students are not trained or ready to
work with their hands in a class that is fundamentally as much theoretical as it is practical
work. Concepts will have to be demonstrated, elucidated, explicated and replicated. At
each stage students will have their own different approach, attitude and interest in what
they will see and experience, and how they make knowledge out of all that. Physics
classes that present only theoretical approaches to the subject are not doing justice either
to the students, or to the subject itself. Physics must be taught as hands-on subject. This is
vital, because mathematics will come into the picture later. Since there is a very wide

variation among students mathematical preparedness coming into the class, it is vital for
me, the teacher, that the concept which at this time needs very little mathematics is
presented and explained as clearly as possible to all students with their differing learning
styles. Labs are indispensable to presenting content and mastery of subject for students. I
would have to differentiate the instruction so all students could have the hands-on
experience. The actual experiments would have to be designed in such way that all
students with different capabilities would be able to perform the labs. Being able to
perform all labs would not only increase content knowledge, which it would, but also
increase students self-confidence and self-efficacy. As Kluth (2014b) stated Another
reason to give all students access to lab work is to pique their interest and enhance their
learning. It is widely accepted that students who participate in labs and other hands-on
science activities will remember the material better and be able to transfer the learning
across situations and lessons (p.1). Teachers can differentiate content based on
readiness level, interests, or learning profile by offering a variety of materials. This
allows students to access the information in the way that works best for them (The IRIS
Center, 2010, p. 5). I could do this by designing experiments with varying difficulties that
would match students abilities, but still demonstrate the same physical phenomenon.
There is another reason to tailor lab work with differentiated instruction, which is not
immediately content oriented, but just as important for students development as persons.
Finally, lab work helps all students hone social and communication skills, making it
ideal for learners with disabilities who may need help with asking and answering
questions, taking turns in a conversation, or knowing how to enter a discussion Kluth,
2014c, p. 1). This is why and how I would use differentiated instruction in my classroom.

References
The IRIS Center for Training Enhancements. (2010). Differentiated Instruction:
Maximizing the Learning of All Students. Retrieved on [Aug. 30, 2014] from
http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/di/
Kluth, Paula (2014) 20 Ways to Adapt the Science Lab. Retrieved on [Aug. 30, 2014]
from http://www.paulakluth.com/readings/differentiating-instruction/20-ways-toadapt-the-science-lab/