1.5 Differentiate teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities
Proficient Level : Develop teaching activities that incorporate differentiated strategies to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities.
2016: At the end of 2015, I undertook some training regarding Autistic Spectrum Disorders. This has proved invaluable to me in my understanding of ASD students. Critical to my teaching practice has been the concept of the 'iceberg' in that we can only see what's happening on the surface and not everything under the surface. When teaching and communicating with my current ASD students I try to keep this at the forefront of my mind.
I continue to provide visual structure and maintain predictable routines whenever possible. This definitely helps minimise anxiety with my ASD students and also the other students in the classroom. |
2015: I currently teach a composite class of year 3/4 students; their abilities range from year 2 standard to year 5. I also have a student with ASD. I have to differentiate my teaching to meet the needs of all of my students on a daily basis for every lesson. I do this in a number of ways. Some examples include differentiating the curriculum content itself, carefully structuring groups for teaching and peer-learning, providing choice in assessment and class tasks, and providing different levels of scaffolding to a task depending on student need.
I also have different expectations of different students depending on their ability. The expectations are the same for everyone in that they need to put in 100% effort, but the outcomes of this effort may be different. For example, one student who has difficulty in writing is able to complete his reading comprehension onto the worksheet itself, whilst the other students have to structure their responses in their Literacy books. The expectations are high for all students.
In an activity linked to our novel study, students were asked to create a new lolly/chocolate and advertise it for sale. They had options of designing and creating hand-written/drawn posters or creating a poster through Word or even producing a PowerPoint. This allowed students to choose an option that suited their strengths and one in which they felt comfortable.
I also have different expectations of different students depending on their ability. The expectations are the same for everyone in that they need to put in 100% effort, but the outcomes of this effort may be different. For example, one student who has difficulty in writing is able to complete his reading comprehension onto the worksheet itself, whilst the other students have to structure their responses in their Literacy books. The expectations are high for all students.
In an activity linked to our novel study, students were asked to create a new lolly/chocolate and advertise it for sale. They had options of designing and creating hand-written/drawn posters or creating a poster through Word or even producing a PowerPoint. This allowed students to choose an option that suited their strengths and one in which they felt comfortable.