Article #6

Article #6

“The Highly Engaged Classroom”

By Marzano and Pickering

According to Marzano and Pickering (2011), authors of The Highly Engaged Classroom, student “engagement is a central aspect of effective teaching. If students are not engaged, there is little, if any, chance that they will learn what is being addressed in class” (pg. 1).  Therefore, Marano and Pickering highlight the importance of student engagement.

The text is composed of six chapters dealing with strategies to engage students of all learning types. The first chapter entitled research and theory looks at four topics that constitute their model of student attention and engagement (pg. 3). The four topic presented are student emotions “how do I feel?”, student interest “am I interested?”, perceived importance “is this important?” and perceptions of efficacy “can I do this?” (pg. 15). Chapter one then provides a model of engagement and attention, and then discusses transforming research and theory within the classroom (pg. 20). The end of each and every chapter in the text has a section allowing teachers and students to analyze their strengths and weaknesses (pg. 20).

Chapter two focuses solely on the student’s emotion and looks at “how do I feel?” (pg. 21). According to Marzano and Pickering, three factors effect students feelings at school which include the student’s energy levels, the attitude of the instructor, and the student’s view of recognition by teachers and peers (pg. 21).This chapter talks about implementing effective pacing methods, integrating physical activity and illustrating intensity and enthusiasm (pg. 30). The chapter discusses the importance of using humor, constructing up-beat student and teacher and peer relationships. The chapter ends by suggesting exercises teachers can use in their classrooms to meet each students emotional needs (pg. 53).

The third chapter entitled “am I interested?” looks at student interests. Marzano and Pickering explain that “students will attend to activities in the classroom if they are interested” (pg. 57). In order to get students interested in what they are learning, chapter three suggests teachers should employ games and trivial competition such as hosting vocabulary or review games like Jeopardy. In addition, teachers can get students interested by starting friendly debates or presenting unusual information by using outside resources such as PBS and Edutopia for ideas. Marzano and Pickering also propose using questioning to increase response rates by calling on students randomly or through a response chain (pg. 65).

Chapter four asks the question “is this important?” based on students perceived importance. Marzano and Pickering warn that “if students do not perceive classroom tasks as important, engagement will be muted or nonexistent” (pg. 87). This chapter provides ways to connect to students. For instance, chapter four suggests that teachers should connect to students’ lives by implementing comparison tasks or analogical reasoning tasks (pg. 90). In addition, Marzano and Pickering propose that teachers link to the students’ life’s ambitions by promoting personal projects to engage students (pg. 92). Chapter four also recommends teachers work towards encouraging application of knowledge by developing cognitively challenging tasks presenting real-life content (pg. 105).

The fifth chapter is entitled “can I do this?” This chapter focuses on self-efficacy, which is a student’s confidence in their capability to succeed in a particular situation or achieve a certain task. Marzano and Pickering believe self- efficacy may be the most significant element affecting student engagement (pg. 117). Chapter five also discusses ways for teachers to track and study student development by providing ideas to follow academic achievement over a specific amount of time (pg. 119). Next, Marzano and Pickering talk about ways for teachers to use effective verbal feedback and specify what type of feedback to avoid and what type of feedback to employ (pg. 124). This chapter also discusses the examples of self-efficacy through the use of stories, quotations (pg. 127). The chapter concludes by explaining ways to teach self-efficacy by having students recognize their personal theories (pg. 137).

Chapter six discusses “planning for high engagement?” Marzano and Pickering explain that high student engagement does not occur instantly; instead, teachers need think about engagement techniques to employ before each unit of teaching (pg. 147). The sixth chapter discusses daily strategies which include effective pacing, implementing effective feedback and constructing school relationships (pg. 148). The chapter also discusses opportunistic strategies such as implementing physical activity, using games and friendly competition, using humor, presenting unusual information, connecting to student’s lives and teaching self-efficacy (pg. 151). Chapter six ends by highlighting extended strategies and presents a summary (pg. 155).

The book concludes with an epilogue that includes an appendix that consists of answers to teaching exercises throughout the text (pg. 159). In addition, the appendix includes an explanation of what is an effect size regarding meta-analysis and research (pg. 183). Moreover, the appendix includes sample of unusual information teachers of a variety of subjects such as math and social studies should be aware of regarding student engagement (pg. 187). The appendix ends with a section on planning questions to help teachers monitor their daily and opportunistic strategies (pg. 202). The appendix also contains many charts and assessments for teachers to implement to monitor student engagement (pg. 205). 

Reflection

I found this text to be very beneficial for helping teachers understand techniques to better help students succeed. I really like how the chapters of the book are based on the first four topics presented in the beginning of the text. The four topics which are based on student emotions, student interests, student perceived importance and students perceptions of efficacy help the teacher understand and realize each student is different and each student has diverse needs. Therefore, I feel as though and the methods presented in Marzano’s and Pickering’s text make differentiation in the classroom more realistic. Although some of the strategies can be complex, Marzano and Pickering do a great job at providing many real life classroom examples, classroom exercises and charts to explain the techniques in great detail. I plan to use this text to help me formulate my questions for my research study on differentiation in the classroom. I also felt like the summary section near the end of every chapter was very beneficial in helping the reader make complete sense of the readings. The analyzing your strengths and weaknesses at the end of each chapter was also helpful because by using a self-assessment scale, it allows the reader which is the teacher to rate their teaching strategies from a 0 (not using), 1 (beginning), 2 (developing), 3 (applying), 4 (innovating) (pg. 110).

Reference

Marzano, R. & Pickering, D. (2011). The Highly Engaged Classroom. Bloomington, IN:

Marzano Research Laboratory.

Article #5

Article # 5

 "Examining Differentiated Instruction: Teachers Respond"

By Brenda Logan

According to Logan (2011), author of Examining Differentiated Instruction: Teachers Respond, "today's classrooms are more diverse than ever" (pg. 1). Logan introduces her paper by explaining that 21^st century classrooms are “defined by diversity” and states that “by 2035, students of color will be a majority in schools with increasing populations of children of immigrant and migrant families” (pg. 2).

After introducing her study, in order to find ways to differentiate for these diverse students, Logan starts talking about the review of literature she has conducted. The first literature Logan reviews surrounds the major principles of differentiation (pg. 2). Logan refers to many articles and principles dealing with differentiation including work from Tomlinson (1999). Logan explains that according to Tomlinson “teachers ought to focus on the essentials in learning, ought to attend to student differences, should collaborate with students on learning and should not separate assessment from instruction” (pg. 2).

Once Logan discusses the major principles, the second literature Logan reviews looks at the essential components of differentiation (pg. 2). Logan again refers to Tomlinson who classified three components of differentiation which include content, process, and products (pg. 3). Logan then refers to Langa & Yost (2007) authors of Curriculum Mapping for Differentiated Instruction, who suggests three different components of differentiation which are students readiness level, students interest level and students learning profile and then suggests ways to modify content, process and content (pg. 3).

The third literature Logan reviews deals with suggestions for implementing differentiated instruction. Logan refers to many authors and articles surrounding differentiation and suggests easy ways to differentiation. One suggestion Logan makes based on the literature reviews is for teachers to collect profiles of every students such as “learning preferences, family structure, hobbies, interests, and assessment scores” (pg. 4). In addition, Logan suggests that teachers need to take the time to reflect, evaluate and analyze differentiation. Finally, Logan says that in order to make differentiation manageable, teachers need to “build upon personal strengths and talents” (pg. 4).

The fourth literature Logan reviews considers the myths, clichés, and barriers within differentiated instruction. One cliché from the literature review was that “differentiation is just another phase and the pendulum will swing the other way soon because the emphasis on testing will not last forever” (pg. 4). One barrier is that teachers do not have the time to differentiate and that teachers do not have access to the professional development resources or administrative backing necessary for differentiation (pg. 5). One myth was that “the differentiated classroom has to do with dividing the class groups into bluebirds and redbirds (pg. 5).

The fifth literature Logan reviews looks at research studies and theories supporting differentiation. During the first part of this section of the literature review, Logan discusses how differentiation instruction was utilized within the classroom with a number of different content areas such as math, reading, science, social studies, along with different grade levels including, elementary, middle, and high school (pg. 5).

After discussing the five areas of literature reviews regarding differentiation, Logan then sums up the research. During this section, Logan states that “little research has been completed on the effectiveness of differentiated instruction” (pg. 7). Logan feels like there is a “need to add to the body of research about the factors that encourage and discourage teachers in attending to student differences” (pg. 7).

Next, Logan discusses the methods section. Logan explains that the purpose of her study is to learn what teachers identify as chief elements of differentiated instruction (pg. 7). In this section, Logan states her two research questions which are “will teachers agree on what is essential to differentiating instruction in the classroom and will teachers agree with the myths surrounding the practice?” (pg. 7).

Then, Logan explains the participants and setting of the study. For this study, Logan surveyed 141 teachers. Of the participants, 38 were male while 103 were female. Participants taught anywhere from 1 year to 35 years. All content areas were included in the study such as math, art, band, Spanish, special education and technology (pg. 8).

After discussing the participants and setting, Logan explains the research instrument. Logan’s study was based on a qualitative survey that was developed using data obtained from the literature reviews. The survey consisted of 16 questions dealing with the essential principles, the essential components, and the myths of differentiated instruction (pg. 8). The survey questions consisted of a Likert-type scale which asked participants to circle whether they strongly agree, agree, disagree, strongly disagree and not sure (pg. 8).

Logan then goes into the analysis and results section. Logan explains the process of going through all of the data obtained from the surveys. Logan then goes through each question asked on the survey and explains what percentage of teachers agreed or disagreed with the questions asked (pg. 9).

Next, Logan presents the discussion portion of the paper. In this section, Logan says studies need to understand why teachers are not agreeing or disagreeing regarding differentiation. Logan also suggests that the problem of differentiation lies with the public school and that public schools need to spend more time training teachers. Logan stresses that "professors must, as much as possible, engage in professional conversations about differentiation by agreeing to serve as mentors to first-year novice teachers and by offering workshops on college campuses and at school sites" (pg. 10).

Logan ends the paper by stating that differentiation helps students reach their summits and potential. Logan feels as though schools have an obligation to modify to the evolving needs and stages of students (pg. 11). Logan believes teachers need to "move away from a pedagogy of scarcity to a pedagogy of plenty" (pg. 11).

Reflection

After reviewing Logan's (2011), article on Examining Differentiated Instruction: Teachers Respond, I had a new outlook on differentiation. Before reading this article, I did not really consider the clichés, myths, and barriers to differentiation. However, after reading her article I began to realize all of the different perspectives teachers have regarding differentiation.

I found Logan's article to be very well organized. For instance, she did a nice job at separating each section of the article using bold headings. I found her review of literature section to be very detailed and insightful.

I think Logan could have highlighted her research questions a little more in the article. Her research questions were not mentioned until the middle of the article in the bottom of the methods section. Although Logan did a nice job discussing her findings, I think Logan could have talked a little more about the strengths and weaknesses of her study along with additional ideas for future research.

I believe Logan's teacher survey regarding teacher's perspective of differentiation was very well planned and easy to understand. When I conduct research, I may use Logan's type of research format by creating a 15 questions survey based on the literature review I have conducted over the semester and using a Likert scale to obtain teachers responses regarding differentiation in the classroom. Logan did a great job at providing detailed information about the data she received from the surveys.

Reference

Logan, B. (2011). Examining Differentiated Instruction: Teachers Respond. Research in Higher

Education Journal (13). Retrieved from http://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1068803

Article #4

Article # 4

“The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners”

By Carol Tomlinson

Tomlinson (2014), author of a book entitled, The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners, is a well-known figure regarding differentiation. Tomlinson’s text consists of ten chapters. Tomlinson’s first chapter asks the question, “what is a differentiation classroom?” (pg. 1). To answer her question, Tomlinson talks about the hallmarks of differentiation and then provides portraits from different schools and grade levels by giving differentiation examples from primary school, elementary school, middle school and high school (pg. 12).

The second chapter looks at the underpinnings of differentiation (pg. 14). During this chapter Tomlinson, considers the nature of differentiation classrooms. For instance, Tomlinson provides a chart that suggests “differentiation is a teacher’s proactive response to learners needs shaped by mindset and guided by general principles of differentiation” (pg. 20).  Moreover, in chapter two Tomlinson compares the traditional classroom to the differentiated classroom and explains the three pillars that support effective differentiation by using a graph illustration. Tomlinson ends the chapter by discussing the philosophy of differentiation (pg. 26).

Tomlinson’s third chapter considers rethinking how we do school—and for whom (pg. 29). In chapter three, Tomlinson looks at changes in education and suggest that humans learn best with moderate challenge (pg. 33).  Tomlinson then talks about current knowledge about learning and teaching and suggests ways to strive for equity and excellence (pg. 37). In chapter three, Tomlinson also has the reader think about the students they teach and consider what they know versus what they do and provides a chart distinguishing understanding versus reality in education practice (pg. 43).

In chapter four, Tomlinson talks about learning environments that support differentiated instruction (pg. 45). During chapter four, Tomlinson discusses teaching as a learning triangle and explains that the teacher, student and content make up the triangle (pg. 48). Tomlinson also gives many characteristics that support a healthy classroom learning environment. For instance, one example of a healthy classroom setting would when teachers strive for joyful learning and promote student independence (pg. 57).

The fifth chapter looks as good curriculum as a basis for differentiation (pg. 60). Tomlinson starts this chapter by talking about how to stay away from “hazy” lessons which are a vague idea of what students should do that day and focus on two essentials for durable learning which are engagement and understanding (pg. 63). Tomlinson then talks about levels of learning and explains subjects are built upon concepts and principles (pg. 66). Next, Tomlinson discusses how to address standards in a meaningful manner (pg. 66). Tomlinson concludes chapter five by explaining how curriculum, assessments and instructions are connected (pg. 77).

Chapter six looks at teachers at work building differentiated classrooms (pg. 80). In chapter six, Tomlinson uses a chart to explain how differentiation is made up of the questions “what”, “why”, and “how”. Next, she talks about how to differentiate using fact or skilled centered instruction by giving many differentiation examples used in different grade levels and subjects. (pg. 85).Then, Tomlinson explains how to differentiation based on concept or meaning based instruction (pg. 92).

Tomlinson’s seventh chapter considers instructional strategies that support differentiation (pg. 102). Tomlinson starts chapter seven by defining stations, which are various spots in a classroom where “students can work on different tasks simultaneously” and then explains importance of stations and differentiation (pg. 107). Next, she talks about agendas and says agendas are “personalized list of tasks a student must complete in a specified time” and explains why agendas are beneficial (pg. 109). Tomlinson then discusses complex instruction which deal with academic, culturally, and linguistically diverse classrooms and provides examples of complex instruction tasks. Tomlinson ends chapter seven by explaining orbital studies which are “independent investigations” done in about six weeks and are important because they help find similarities and differences among students (pg. 116).

Chapter eight focuses on additional instructional strategies to support differentiation (pg. 122). This chapter includes ideas for centers which “differ from stations because they are distinct” and explains how teachers can use centers identify learning goals (pg. 123). Entry points are also discussed in chapter eight. Tomlinson explains that entry points are a great tool to use to differentiate for students with different intelligences preferences or strengths and she provides a diagram to help show the importance of entry points (pg. 130). Next, Tomlinson talks about tiered activities which are based on student readiness and help all students learn the same ideas and skills through different readiness approaches (pg. 133).  Tomlinson ends the chapter by discussing a plethora of strategies that invite differentiation such as small group instruction, choice boards, and literature and discussion circles (pg. 148).

The ninth chapter asked “how do teachers make it all work?” (pg. 151). During chapter nine, Tomlinson discusses images of school teachers have and then gives teachers ideas about how to start differentiating in their classrooms (pg. 152). Tomlinson then talks about settling in for the long haul and making practical considerations regarding differentiation (pg. 160). Tomlinson ends the chapter by stressing the importance of developing support systems to help teacher’s differentiation (pg. 166).

Tomlinson’s final chapter discusses education leaders as catalysts for differentiated classrooms (pg. 170). In chapter ten, Tomlinson talks about how important it is for teachers to experience and research differentiation and embrace school change (pg. 171). Towards the end of the chapter, Tomlinson offers a word of advice to beginning teachers and says “we must help all educators move towards teaching that meets individuals at their points of readiness, interest, and learning profile (pg. 181).

Near the end of the text, Tomlinson talks about a final thought about differentiation and then provides an appendix that includes “Tools to Guide Planning for Differentiated Instruction” along with a bibliography for further research (pg. 184).

Reflection

I chose to review the Tomlinson text because I have found her name appear in a lot of previous articles I have read regarding differentiation in the classroom. This text is a great tool for teachers to use it they want to learn the value of differentiation and build on their differentiation teaching methods. The book is divided into ten well organized chapters that include many examples of differentiation in the classroom. In addition, Tomlinson starts each chapter with a quote that deals with the topic of that chapter which helps the reader reflect on differentiation through the perspective of another teacher. I found the charts, diagrams and graphs to be really helpful in understanding the concepts presented throughout the text.

Reference

Tomlinson, C. (2014). The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners.

Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Article #3

Article # 3

“Rethinking Differentiation—Using Teachers’ Time Most Effectively”

By Kim Marshall

Marshall (2016), author of Rethinking Differentiation—Using Teachers’ Time Most Effectively, starts her article by asking the following questions regarding differentiation, “Are we overemphasizing, overthinking, and overusing differentiation when a different approach can focus on learning, harness teacher teamwork, and reach all children without exhausting teachers?” (Marshall, 2016, pg. 8).

Marshall refers to Tomlinson’s (2010) work who is an expert in the field of differentiation. Tomlinson explains differentiation by saying, “Differentiation is effective attention to the learning needs of each student. The purpose of developing a differentiated classroom is to make sure there’s opportunity and support for each student to learn essential knowledge and skills as effectively and efficiently as possible. The key is getting to know each student and orchestrating the learning environment, curriculum, assessments, and instruction so all students learn what’s being taught” (Marshall, 2016, pg. 8).

After discussing Tomlinson’s work on differentiation, Marshall then begins her critique of differentiation. In her critique, Marshall talks about a provocative article from 2011 by Schmoker found in Education Week who suggested that “there was no credible evidence that differentiation works”. According to Schmoker, differentiation is based “largely on enthusiasm and a certain superficial logic” (Marshall, 2016, pg. 9).

Then, Marshall goes into reframing the issue regarding differentiation and suggests that “differentiation is just one of a number of factors in effective instruction” (pg. 10). Marshall then says that teachers should consider two questions before they begin to differentiate which are, “what are students supposed to be learning?” and “are all students mastering it?” (pg. 10).

After asking these two questions, Marshall then introduces the idea of phases of differentiation. For phase one, Marshall talks about planning units and lessons and warns teachers not to overthink or overwork during this phase. For phase two, Marshall discusses delivery instruction and explains that it is important to assess students while they are learning (pg. 12). During phase three, Marshall explains the importance of following up after instruction by looking over assessment data during learning and “examining what student’s had problems with and why” (pg. 13).

Once Marshall discusses the three phases, she then focuses on the results (pg. 13). In the results section, Marshall says that “every day, teachers face the challenge of reaching students with a wide range of abilities and needs. When those needs are not met, the achievement gaps with which student’s enter school get wider and wider” (pg. 13). Marshall sees the need of differentiation, but also explains that differentiation is not always the best approach. Marshall ends by suggesting that the best approach is to have principals take charge and help the teachers focus on the following two questions: “what are students supposed to learn” and “are all students mastering it?” (pg. 13). Although this might be a lot of work, Marshall believes it will be effective work that will pay off for everyone in the school.

Reflection

I chose to review this article by Marshall because her research focused more on the teacher’s perspective regarding differentiation. In addition, Marshalls article title really caught my attention because her title reads, Rethinking Differentiation—Using Teachers’ Time Most Effectively. I never really spent a lot of time reflecting on my opinion of differentiation until I saw this title. Marshall also asked many great questions that made me think even more about differentiation such as “Are we overemphasizing, overthinking, and overusing differentiation when a different approach can focus on learning, harness teacher teamwork, and reach all children without exhausting teachers?” (pg. 8). In addition, instead of instantly saying that differentiation is the key to helping students succeed, Marshall decided to include information and ideas from other sources such as from Mike Schmoker to illustrate that differentiation “seemed to complicate teachers’ work, requiring them to procure and assemble multiple sets of materials” (pg. 9). I also liked how Marshall organized her article by using a lot of bold headings and including bold boxes that consisted of thought provoking quotes regarding differentiation. Finally, I liked that Marshall ended by suggesting more effective approaches to differentiation.

Reference

Marshall, K. (2016). Rethinking Differentiation—Using Teachers’ Time Most Effectively. Phi

Delta Kappan, 98. Retrieved from http://pdk.sagepub.com/content/98/1/8.short

Article #2

Article # 2

"Differentiated Physical Learning Environment"

By Alisha Thiessen

Alisha Thiessen (2012), author of Differentiated Physical Learning Environment, starts her research paper by introducing her research questions which are “Is there a correlation between student academic growth in mathematics and a differentiated physical environment within the grade five classroom?” and “Does the use of a differentiated physical environment in the grade five classroom affect the student attitude to the academic subject?” (Thiessen, 2012, pg. 2).

After discussing her research questions, Thiessen then provides a definition of terms list and defines the terms differentiation, learning style and physical environment (Thiessen, 2012, pg. 2). Next, Thiessen discusses literature she has reviewed regarding differentiation and learning styles and refers to article by Tomlinson (2003), author of many books and articles regarding differentiation including Fulfilling the promise of the differentiated classroom. Thiessen also refers to Searson & Dunn (2001), who wrote The learning-style teaching model.

Once Thiessen reviews the literature on differentiation and learning styles, she then considers the methods where she revisits her research questions along with her participants which consist of 47 fifth grade students. Next, Thiessen discusses the instrumentation which is called “The Learning Style Inventory” and based on the Dunn and Dunn model (1995). Then, Thiessen looks at the procedure and explains that the researchers class was the control group and that the “independent variable was the physical learning environment and the dependent variable was the difference in scores on the pre and post- math unit tests”.

Thiessen then explains the results which includes the data analysis and findings and then goes into the discussion which shows that “this research study found that there was no statistical evidence of greater academic achievement for those students who were a part of a differentiated physical environment” (Thiessen, 2012, pg. 16).

After the discussion section, Thiessen goes into her summary and conclusion which brings her to her implications and suggest that although there was not statistical evidence changes in grades, the research is still valuable because “teachers can use the evidence from this study in other subject areas to help students increase their enjoyment of education” (Thiessen, 2012, pg. 17).

Thiessen then talks about the limitations and says that “ideally having one teacher teaching both classes would have helped control for this variable in this study” (Thiessen, 2012, pg. 18). Thiessen also explains that space and money were additional limitations to her study.

Thiessen ends by discussing further study ideas and suggest future studies could look at the impact differentiated physical environment would have on other subject areas and other grade levels (Thiessen, 2012, pg. 18).

                                                            Reflection

            After reviewing Thiessen's research paper I was very impressed with how she organized her paper. For instance, she started the paper by introducing the topic of differentiation and the need for differentiation the classroom. Then, she clearly wrote her two research questions so the reader knew exactly what Thiessen was looking for in her research. I think Thiessen did a great job at defining the terms differentiation, learning profile and physical environment so that the reader was aware of what she was talking about throughout her paper. I really liked that Thiessen used a number of different sources to guide her framework for her study such as Tomlinson’s (2003) text on differentiation in the classroom. I also liked the idea of using a pre-and post-test as a way to study the effects physical environment had on differentiation. Although Thiessen did not find any statistical evidence that backed her original claims, Thiessen did a great job at discussing what she would have done differently and providing future research study ideas surrounding this topic.

Reference

Thiessen, A. (2012). Differentiated Physical Learning Environment. Pro Rege. Retrieved from

http://digitalcollections.dordt.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1021

Article #1

Article #1

"Differentiated Instruction: A Research Basis"

by Pearl Subban

According to Subban (2006), author of Differentiated Instruction: A Research Basis, “the homogeneity of yesteryear has been replaced by widespread diversity, however in many contexts teachers do not appear to have adjusted their methods to keep abreast of these trends” which is a problem since high school students learn different and teachers need to be catering to individual student’s needs (Subban, 2006, pg. 935).

Subban begins the article by discussing the search procedure for her research and explains that she only uses current research articles dealing with differentiated instruction over the past 25 years. Once Subban introduces her search procedure she then explains the context and purpose of this study which is to “synthesize the research and the rationale underpinning of the differentiated instruction model” (Subban, 2006, pg. 936).

Next, Subban considers conceptual frameworks. Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory of Learning is the first framework discussed which is “based on the premise that the individual learner must be studied within a particular social and cultural context” and suggests that “education in an ongoing process and not a product” (pg. 936).

Another conceptual framework Subban discusses is Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development. The Zone of Proximal Development is a key point in Vygotsky’s theory and it “refers to a level of development attained when learners engage in social behavior” (pg. 936). Subban explains that the zone is defined as “the distance between the actual development level and level of potential development” (pg. 936).

After reviewing Vygotsky’s work, Subban writes about the implications of Vygotzky’s Theory and explains that Vygotsky’s Theory will be used as a framework for her study regarding education in the 21^st century (Subban, 2006, pg. 937). Subban explains that Vygotsky’s Theory “sees the student-teacher relationship as collaborative, with the learning experience becoming reciprocal” and Subban aims to explore the practice of differentiated instruction ideal as a educational tool to assist the learning progression (pg. 937).

Next, Subban goes into a research rationale supporting the need for a new educational model (pg. 937). Subban feels like a new educational model is needed because the current education system does not address the needs of all students (pg. 938). Then, Subban moves on to addressing differences among students and explains that a “contemporary classrooms should accept and build on the basis that learners are all essentially different” (pg. 938). Subban, then stresses the dangers of teaching to the middle and suggests that teachers need to be aware of how to react to the diversity of 21st century classrooms and not use the “one-size-fits-all” model (pg. 938). Subban believes that “ignoring differences may result in some students falling behind, losing motivation, and failing to succeed” (pg. 938).

Furthermore, Subban looks at brain research and tells the reader that good instruction inside the classroom looks to use the brain proficiently, “to process, store and retrieve information” (pg. 939). After discussing brain research, Subban explores different learning styles (pg. 939). Subban writes that learning styles are so important because “being able to identify a student’s learning style and teach to accommodate these can assist students to achieve better results academically and improve their attitudes towards learning” (pg. 939). Then, Subban considers the idea of multiple intelligences and explains that generating prospects for every student, by enhancing the classroom through numerous methods and evaluation forms, advances students and conveys their abilities (pg. 939).

Moreover, Subban moves into differentiated instruction and responding to the needs of different learners (pg. 940). According to Subban in order to differentiate instruction teachers must recognize various students’ upbringings, readiness stages, educational profiles, languages and interest (pg. 940). Differentiation is a great way to focus on learner differences and makes teachers alter their thinking from teaching curriculum to making adjustments to meet the needs of to individual student’s (pg. 940). Next, Subban considers the idea of engaging students and suggests that understanding student’s differences will help teachers recognize student’s strong points and help students move ahead (pg. 941).

Furthermore, Subban discusses the importance of catering to student’s interest, learning profile and readiness (pg. 941). Subban explains that by focusing on student’s interest, educational profile and readiness level this will “allow teachers to plan their content and process and support diverse learning styles” (pg. 941). Next, Subban looks at research studies supporting the use of differentiated instruction by going through a list of a number of up-to-date studies that illustrate positive results after using differentiated instruction (pg. 942).

Finally, Subban discusses her theoretical framework and summarizes what was gleaned from his research (pg. 944). Subban ends by saying “this study further takes cognizance of the tenets supporting to move to differentiate instruction, including contemporary student diversity, the dangers of teaching to the middle, research into the workings of the human brain, investigations into individual learning styles and the theories of multiple intelligences” (pg. 944).

Reflection

The article entitled Differentiated Instruction: A Research Basis by Subban (2006) was a very in-depth article surrounding the issue of differentiation in the classroom. Subban started the article by stating the topic and problem very clearly. Subban also made sure to include current research that was no more than 25 years old. I liked that Subban used a conceptual framework such as Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory and Zone of Proximal Development to guide her research. I believe using Vygotsky’s framework gave Subban a lot of credibility in her writing. In addition, Subban’s research paper was very organized and she used a number of different headings and sub-headings to help keep the reader on track. Moreover, Subban implemented a lot of great resources to help the reader find further research dealing with the issue of differentiation. Subban ends the article by summarizing her main points and stresses the importance of a differentiated classroom.

Reference

Subban, P. (2006). Differentiated Instruction: A Research Basis, International Education Journal, 7.

Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ854351.pdf

Links to Articles I will be Reviewing

Below you will find articles and text I have read and material I am currently reading.

Marshall, K. (2016). Rethinking Differentiation—Using Teachers’ Time Most Effectively. Phi Delta Kappan, 98. Retrieved from http://pdk.sagepub.com/content/98/1/8.short

Subban, P. (2006). Differentiated instruction: A research basis, International Education Journal, 7. 

Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ854351.pdf

Thiessen, A. (2012). Differentiated Physical Learning Environment. Pro Rege. Retrieved from

http://digitalcollections.dordt.edu/

 (2016). Quotes About Differentiation in Education. Retrieved from http://quotesgram.com/quotes-about-differentiation-in-education/

Possible Research Topics

Hello,
I was originally considering a few different research topics to study this upcoming semester. For instance, I was thinking about researching topics that deal with brain breaks and/or physical activity in the classroom because I believe these topics are very important to student success. However, after further consideration and research, I have decided to look at topics surrounding differentiation in the classroom because I have discovered this is a topic that affects students and teachers on a daily basis. I will be adding more to this blog as the semester progresses including a number of different literature reviews!

Farrell. (2015).What is Differentiation? Retrieved from https://sites.google.com/a/rps205.com/collaborate-with-mrs-farrell/differentiation/what-is-differentiation