Differentiated
Instruction
in the Ag Classroom
Michelle Pavelock
Anderson-Shiro Elementary
Special Ed
What we need to know…
1. Not all students learn the same way and at the
same pace
2. An effective teacher recognizes differences and is
able to design lessons to reach all learners at
some level
3. It takes time and planning!
What is it?
Differentiated instruction is a method of instruction
designed to recognize students “varying background
knowledge, readiness, language, preferences in
learning, interests; and to react responsively.
Differentiated instruction is a process to approach
teaching and learning for students of differing abilities
in the same class.
The intent of differentiating instruction is to maximize
each student’s growth and individual success by
meeting each student where he or she is, and
assisting in the learning process,” (Hall, 2009).
Why does it matter in ag?
• Career and tech has been largely ignored in
instructional strategy focus because there has
been no major test like the TAKS
• However, keep this in mind…
Food for thought…
“It is our learning disabled students who could
possibly benefit most from the things
agricultural education has to offer.
Career and technical education has the
potential to give students concrete skills that
they can use in the job market and hopefully
have an equal opportunity at employment”
(Moffitt, 2004).
How do we do it?
You have to take time to PLAN!!!!!!
You have to learn to accommodate!!!!!!!!
You have to learn to modify!!!!!!!
Accommodations
• An accommodation is anything you can do to help
ANY student be more successful
• Moving them closer to the teacher (preferential
seating)
• Giving extra time on an assignment
• Peer tutoring
• Providing a copy of the class notes
• Retesting
• Allowing for corrections on an assignments
• Oral administration of tests
Modification
• A change in TEKS (or curriculum)
• Lowered passing standard
• Change in the expectation of mastery
• Anything where that student is not held to the same
level of expectation as the other students
Modification example
• TEK: (c) Knowledge and skills.
•
(1) The student learns the employability characteristics of a
successful worker in the modern workplace. The student is
expected to:
• (A) identify career development and entrepreneurship opportunities in
the field of agriculture/agribusiness;
• (B) apply competencies related to resources, information, interpersonal
skills, and systems of operation in agriculture/agribusiness;
• (C) demonstrate knowledge of personal and occupational safety
practices in the workplace;
• (D) identify employers' expectations, appropriate work habits, and good
citizenship skills; and
• (E) plan supervised agricultural experience programs.
Modified TEK for SpEd
•
(1) The student learns the employability characteristics of a
successful worker in the modern workplace. The student is
expected to:
• (A) identify career development and entrepreneurship
opportunities in the field of agriculture/agribusiness;
• (D) identify employers' expectations, appropriate work habits, and
good citizenship skills
Pointers for a/m
• Don’t be such a hard head that you set your
students up for failure
• Be sensitive to learners’ needs
• Not every child is the same. Don’t treat them that
way.
• Understand that sometimes you have to go the
extra mile, but it’s worth it.
Types of differentiated
instruction
• Cooperative learning-most popular; effective if
done RIGHT.
• Problems can come up with how students are put
together (one kid does all the work, one kid won’t
work at all, etc.)
• Use spinners or popsicle sticks for random groups;
take the time ahead to put kids together who are
different ability levels; Utilize different kinds of
groups!!!
Other methods
• Questions, cues, and advanced organizers
• Using models, building models
• Centers-very underused at the secondary level
• Set them up in your room and let kids work through them
at their own pace
• Very effective
There is no end to what you can do. It’s whatever you can
come up with to reach every child at SOME level.
Our activity
• In your classroom today, you will be teaching a
unit from the FFA manual. This will address your
TEKS objectives dealing with the history of
agriculture.
• Your main focus will be on important dates in the
history of the FFA.
• In your classroom, you have 2 GT students, 10
regular education students, and 3 special ed. You
will be given a copy of their page 4’s.
Directions…
• Using the provided class information, develop a
mini-lesson that meets the needs of all learners in
your room
• Covers the TEKS objective for the day
• Tell me how you would develop an assessment to
gauge the learning of each learner in your room