Chapter 1 The Differentiated Instruction Mind-set: Rationale and Definition

Chapter one, Fair Isn’t Always Equal, reveals that teachers have been using differentiated instruction for hundreds of years, but it wasn’t until recently that society decided to name it, and define what it actually means. The book defines differentiated instruction as “doing what’s fair for students,” and applying this concept to help them acquire the information they need to continue learning the material at the same pace. There are some teachers and parents that are concerned with this form of teaching because they believe students will come to rely differentiated instruction, and in turn they will not be able to learn without receiving this method of teaching. The example given in the chapter explained that there were two students of equal learning, but one student had glasses and the other one did not. If the student, who wore glasses, was asked to remove his glasses both students would be in an equal state of learning; however, the student who needed his glasses, to be able to read his assignment, was now at a disadvantage. Differentiate instruction is similar to providing a child with glasses. The student might be able to understand the material without his or her glasses, but it will take them so much longer to accomplish this task, not because he or she didn’t understand but, because the material was unclear. Scott Willis and Larry Mann website provides examples of how to incorporate differentiated instruction in the class without creating overbearing amounts of stress for the teachers who are trying to use this method to teach.
The class seemed to really enjoy this chapter, and found it rather useful in better understanding how to use differentiated instruction in the classroom. Most students enjoyed the reference made towards how teachers have been using differentiated instruction for decades, and the examples of how most students probably have experienced this kind of teaching method and were completely unaware. They also commented on enjoying the part in the chapter that gives examples as to how teachers differentiate instruction to children, therefore, I found a website that has tons of examples that will help us in the further understanding how to use differentiate instructions in our lesson plans.

Integrating UbD/DI Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of UbD/DI talks about effectively assessing a students work and how does a teacher test for true understanding. It begins by giving three basic principles which are; consider photo albums versus snapshots, match the measure with the goals, and form follows function. Viewing a students progress over time is analogous to viewing a photo album rather then a single snapshot of a person, you get a better idea of who they are with the album. There are three types of educational goals that are distinguished when it talks about matching the measure with the goals and they are; declarative knowledge, procedural knowledge, and dispositions. The book discusses the challenge we have as teachers to assess for understanding, since understanding can be used in many diverse ways. One way this chapter suggests to frame assessments is through the GRASPSs model which stands for goal, role, audience, situation, products, and standards. The three types of assessment strategies which should be used to assess students include diagnostic or pre-assessments, formative assessments, and summative assessments. Providing feedback for students early and often was key to promoting their understanding of the material as well as providing them opportunities to self-assess and reflect.

I think the class, as a whole, liked this chapter because it gave so many different examples of ways to assess students instead of through standardized testing. One of the things many people commented on was the GRASPSs model because they liked how it let students apply it to a real world situation. Everyone also agreed with having the photo album view of a person's work rather then a snapshot because we felt that you couldn't get an accurate measure of someone from one example of their work.

Chapter Two Synthesis-Fair Isn't Always Equal

Abstract:
Chapter two in Fair Isn’t Always Equal discussed how to achieve mastery with differentiated instruction when there is too much material to cover in a short period of time. One step to becoming a master in the desired subject is by using the six facets of understanding: explanation, interpretation, perspective, self-knowledge, application, and empathy. These six facets help focus a students thinking which helps them better understand the material presented to them. As teachers, we also need to determine what constitutes as acceptable evidence to demonstrate that the student has achieved mastery. There are many different methods such as projects, tests, and quizzes, but one of the most effective strategies to ensure that the students have become proficient in the subject would be to give them a written exam. When a student has to write, they cannot conceal areas that may be weak. Many teachers also like to track a few important creations over the course of a unit to monitor their success and keep track of mastery. Chapter two ends by giving out some resources to help teachers create an effective curriculum.

Reflection:
Overall, chapter two seemed to cause a lot of students to reflect on their own personal lives. Many of recalled classes through grade school and high school where they could get away with just the memorization of facts. Many remembered that this method of learning often led to high scores on exams that week, but also to forgetting the material the day after. They also reflected upon the idea of mastery of a subject and how to determine what the most important ideas that the curriculum should focus around were. Chapter two also spent some time clarifying what the six facets of understandings are and how to utilize the facets in your classroom to determine the mastery of a subject. I, like many of my classmates, was glad that this was reviewed because it reinforced what I had previously learned.

Fair Isn't Always Equal, Chapter Three

Chapter three of Fair Isn’t Always Equal focuses on the importance and essentials of successful assessment methods. It describes three different types of assessment. Pre-assessment is valued because it allows the teachers to develop a better understanding of each student’s readiness before starting the unit. The chapter suggests completing all of the summative (or end of unit) assessments, to make sure they reflect the essential knowledge the students should be retaining. From there, formative assessments, which are more frequent and provide feedback for the teacher, can be developed. It is very important that the formative assessments are also authentic assessments; that is, the ability to apply the information to real-world situations. It’s also very important that the assessment matches the format in which the information was originally taught- it’s silly to give a math student a word problem if all they have been solving from are complex numerical equations.

The general consensus for the class was that they liked this chapter in that it was useful to either solidify the importance of the assessment area of teaching, or because it differed from their own classroom experiences in school. The assessment types were described in great detail, and played off each other and linked to each other nicely. Some had never been exposed to either summative or formative assessments, and explained that it would be more beneficial to have a healthy balance of the two in order to assess correctly and efficiently.