Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Differentiated Instruction

First grade teachers Mrs. Wipfler, Mrs. Berman and Mrs. Bourque created a WIN (What I Need) block for their students based on assessment data.  Upon completion of a place value unit in Math, they administered  an end of unit assessment.  The teachers used Excel to do an item analysis of student data. They used these results to differentiate their instruction and  target skills for each child.

Three groups were formed.  
The Strategic Intervention group had difficulty with the concept and were in need of a concrete learning experience.  The students used manipulatives for a reteaching lesson.  Manipulatives have both a visual and tactile appeal and help to present the concepts explicitly.
The On Level group understood the concept but could benefit from continued practice.  They participated in a cooperative learning game from our online EnvisionMath program (the Core Math program).
The Advanced group demonstrated mastery of the unit and were assigned an App (Kids Math Place Value) on the Nexus 7 tablets. This extension activity provided students the opportunity to engage in challenging lessons.

The use of technology allowed the teachers to assess students' needs and then vary the complexity level of the activities. It helped them address student variables by manipulating level of difficulty of the content.