About to start placement

This blog will be used to help with my reflection on my up and coming teaching placement. This blog will also be used for me 4720 assignment upon differentiation and inclusion. I have currently finished lessons for my differentiation class and with the knowledge I have gained from this semester so far, I am planning my teaching around these new ideas. This week I am putting together lesson plans that I will hopefully differentiate for my 3,4,5 class. I am struggling today to get through the amount of work I have due to a head cold. I am persevering. Lessons that are ready to be differentiated so far for week 1 will be; Maths, I am taking the year 4,5's (these kids may need more grouping then just year levels though), Spelling (co-ordinated by the teacher) and possibly guided reading. We will see.


Throughout this placement I am to reflect on classroom differentiation and inclusion. When practicing differentiation and inclusion I first have to understand fully what it is. 

Differentiation describes the approach to teaching and learning that revolve around the students knowledge, skills and abilities rather than from per-determined study.
Tomlinson has said, differentiation means giving students multiple options for taking in information (2003). Differentiating instruction means that you observe and understand the differences and similarities among students and use this information to plan instruction. This means that classes, groups and learning can change over time. 
Inclusion goes in hand with differentiation. It shifts from the focus of the content to the learning context for the students. This also means a change for the learning environment. Inclusive teaching allows students to be apart of classroom as well as being exposed to the learning content (Jarvis, 2004). Being inclusive in teaching may be seen as a way for 'disabled' students to access areas of the curriculum that would be difficult for them physically and mentally, but inclusive teaching is for all students and means that the teacher has the responsibility to observe and reflect on the students and the needs they need to achieve their learning bests. Inclusive education focuses on the environment too and how matching the environment to the student helps their learning.

I need to reflect on these practices when I go into my placement for the next 6 weeks.

Sousa, David A 2011, 'Mindset, learning environment, and differentiation', in Sousa, David A & Tomlinson, Carol A, Differentiation and the brain: how neuroscience supports the learner-friendly classroom, Solution Tree Press, Bloomington, Ind, pp. 17-43.

Tomlinson, Carol Ann 2003, 'Deciding to teach them all', Educational Leadership, vol. 61, no. 2, pp. 6-11.

 

Jarvis, Jane M 2014, 'Supporting diverse gifted students', in Hyde, Merv, Carpenter, Lorelei Rita & Conway, Robert NF (eds.), Diversity, inclusion and engagement, 2nd edn, Oxford University Press, South Melbourne, Vic., pp. 297-315.