Children spend the majority of their waking hours in schools and classrooms. They are dependent on the adults who shape the experience in those schools and classrooms for the quality of each day spent there.
We must look at teaching, as a way to bring out the soul of the child. We aren't there to just teach them the concepts that they need. We are there to bring out the intellect and make that child's dream a reality.
The philosophy of differentiation proposes that what we bring to school as learners matters in how we learn. Therefore, to teach most effectively, teachers must take into account who they are teaching as well as what they are teaching.
Some of the reasons it is important to have a differentiated classroom:
the number of ELL's in classrooms across the country is increasing.
the achievement gap for minority learners-especially Native Americans, African Americans, and Hispanic students.
Special Ed students in the classroom has grown by 20%.
Gifted students may be losing motivation in the classroom.
You're getting a great background in differentiation... good for you! 5 pts.
ReplyDeleteThe reasons you listed of why it is important to have a differentiated classroom are all very true. Especially in Utah, there are so many new ELL students coming into the classroom. Some of the field work we have already done allowed me to see that first hand. I do think that even without those specific reasons it is very important to have a differentiated classroom. Reasons can be as simple as one student learns this way and another student learns that way. Also, there could be many things going on in a students life and if the classroom is not safe, welcoming, interesting, motivating and more, why would that student want to come to class to begin with. I love the idea of Morning Meetings to incorporate in our classrooms. I feel that this will help us get to know students more individually and help us plan a differentiated classroom.
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