Kathleen Willey: ED 636
Research Paper: Differentiated instruction and the diverse classroom
ED 636
Kathleen Willey
Kathleen Willey: ED 636
Language, age, tradition, gender, ability, disability, interest, talent, heritage, ethnicity and religion
are just a few of the many forms of diversity that we see in the world around us. This colorful mixture of
humanity is not limited to particular continents, countries or even cities. We see diverse populations
everywhere and today’s classroom is no exception to this trend. Each and every student, no matter the
grade level or location, has varying abilities, interests and needs. Cultural aspects are also represented by
each student as well, such as language, values and traditions. With such a variety seen in the
demographic of student populations, the utilization of one teaching method is not adequate. A diverse
group of students requires a variety of teaching and learning strategies which address the varying needs in
each classroom. Differentiated instruction is designed to help teachers “meet each child where they are
when they enter class and move them forward as far as possible on their educational path” (Levy, 2008).
By acknowledging and maintaining a culturally diverse environment, addressing differing abilities, styles
and interests, as well as implementing additional supports, differentiation accomplishes the task of
providing every student an individualized education that will help them achieve the goals and meet the
standards that have been set.
Cultural differences extend beyond a student’s language or religion. Values, assumptions and
interpretations of those assumptions vary from culture to culture and are issues that impact the way that
information is learned. (Cifuentes & Ozel, 2006) For example, Cifuentes and Ozel provide the story of an
American giving a presentation in Germany. The presenter had his hand in his pocket and opened his
speech with a joke. It is seen in German culture as disrespectful to greet even your friends with your hand
in your pocket, and jokes are reserved for informal settings. Although this example is not in the
traditional classroom setting, it is applicable to such. Understanding different values within a culture
assist in the communication among individuals who do not belong to the same culture. When in the
classroom, teachers must create an environment that provides learners a place to socially negotiate
meaning; to discuss, interact and even repair misunderstanding in order to explain ideas. (Cifuentes &
Ozel, 2006)
Kathleen Willey: ED 636
Once a diversity trait has been identified and acknowledged, educators can then create methods
that address such cultural factors impacting instructional design. (Cifuentes & Ozel, 2006) Businesses
market their products and services to an appropriate demographic, for example; one would probably not
hear a commercial for an upcoming cage fight on the easy-listening station, much like commercials for a
hair and nail salon would not be featured on a hard-rock and roll station. Localization of instruction in the
classroom is just as necessary. For example, when teachers set up classroom websites, it is important to
know, much like in advertising, who is the audience. Language, formality of word choice and pictures
chosen for the site are all factors that must be addressed to stay aware of a variety of backgrounds and
attitudes that both students and parents bring to the classroom atmosphere. “When instructional
environments do not acknowledge cultural differences, instruction can be ineffective, and even effective
instruction will be underused.” (Cifuentes & Ozel, 2006) If cultural differences are not recognized,
understood and respected, it can make the learning process impossible.
Differentiated instruction’s foundation may be the simple understanding of a student’s diverse
background, where educators are able to gain a comprehension of who their students are as people.
However, the heart of differentiated instruction is to know and address the varying learning abilities,
styles and interests of every student. As written by Holli Levy, “every teacher who has entered into a
classroom has differentiated their instruction in one way or another.” (Levy, 2008) Allowing more class
time to finish an assignment, giving choices of which book to read and mixing up the different types of
assignments given throughout the week, Levy remarks, are all ways to differentiate instruction, however
they are not individually responsive to student needs. Educators must be flexible in order to create such a
learning environment.
With the structured standards at the national, state and district level, teachers are provided with a
set of goals and educators must create the paths by which their students reach those goals. Flexibility in
content, process and assessment based on student strength, needs and learning styles is the way for those
paths to be blazed. (Levy, 2008) Appropriate levels of content vary student to student. Confining gifted
students to the mandated curriculum is just as frustrating to the student who needs more time with core
Kathleen Willey: ED 636
concepts. Differentiating content and being flexible with what is being taught, but keeping sight of the
mandated curriculum provides students with the appropriate building blocks they need to move on,
whatever their level. For example, if studying poetry, students would be given examples which reflect
their level of ability. The students may have different content presented to them such as sonnets or haiku;
however the content stays aligned with the curriculum allowing all students to meet the standards.
Flexibility in the process of instruction provides a way for content to reflect the needs of students.
“Students do not all learn the same way, so we cannot teach them all the same way.” (Levy, 2008) Each
activity and lesson must be in line with the diverse abilities of each student. In order for this to take
place, teachers need to find out where students are when they come into the educational process and build
on the scaffolds already in place in order to advance their learning. (Levy, 2008) Just as each student is
diverse in cultural identity and values, so are their levels of prior knowledge.
Establishing capability levels is one step; however to fully tailor instruction to the needs of each
student educators must also pay attention to learning styles. Visual learners will not learn most
effectively through lecture, and kinesthetic learners will not learn most effectively through reading
material in a book. For students to obtain the maximum retention of information, both level and style of
learning should be addressed. Once the path to reach the academic standard has been created, educators
must sell it. Learning is meaningful only when students recognize its importance. (Levy, 2008) By
providing purpose and application, students see the information not as frivolous and daunting, but as a
real tool to their success and the understanding of the world around them.
Once content and process have been molded to best fit each student, the processes by which
educators assess the academic gains of students are utilized. The flexibility of assessment is just as
important as the flexibility within content and process; it also must reflect the needs and abilities of
students. Several types of assessment exist ranging from preassessment, formative assessment and
summative assessment. Assessments should act as a snapshot of where your student is in respect to what
you plan to teach, (Levy, 2008) what you are teaching and what you have taught. Preassessments, be they
a simple “what do you know” activity or teacher prepared exams, work as a tool to establish existing
Kathleen Willey: ED 636
knowledge of a topic, an important aspect of differentiation as mentioned previously. Formative
assessments, or mid-lesson assessments, allow teachers to gauge the effectiveness of a particular process.
Walking around and getting a feel for the levels of comprehension is just one of many ways teachers
ensure methods fit the needs of each student. Finally, summative assessments give teachers the answer to
whether the material being taught was learned, or not. Exams, projects, quizzes, etc. are ways in which
this form of assessment is completed. No matter the form of assessment, students show what they learn
in ways that mirror their learning style. For example; a student who learns best through visual means may
show what they have learned about plants best through a diagram or picture, while the student who is a
linguistic learner might be best assessed through a speech or presentation. “Students are more likely to be
successful if the assessment system encompasses a broad spectrum of abilities and modes of expression.”
(Benjamin, 2008)
From the information provided thus far, differentiated instruction is presented as the fix-all to
every problem students can throw at their teachers. However, with often times upwards of thirty students
in many classrooms, additional supports are needed in order to give each student the attention and
individualized instruction that they need. Students whom English is a second language, students with
behavioral difficulties and learning disabilities (etc.) are intellectually capable, but complex; they
experience specific difficulties that prevent them from being successful without significant supports to
access and demonstrate their understanding of subject matter. (Lawrence-Brown, 2004) Tools such as;
assistive technology, manipulatives, visual aids, personal assistance from either a peer or adult and
methods such as; emphasizing key concepts, providing clear expectations, breaking down specific
concepts and making connections are ways that students who require more can succeed. (LawrenceBrown, 2004) By providing students additional supports aside from just using books of the appropriate
reading level, students with special needs are able to achieve the high goals and standards.
Students who perform above grade level require additional supports as well. “Differentiated
instruction is at least as important for students with significantly higher ability as for students with
significantly lower ability.” (Lawrence-Brown, 2004) By enriching the curriculum even within a general
Kathleen Willey: ED 636
classroom, gifted students who may not be represented in ways that talented and gifted programs can, are
encouraged to develop their skills. Talents and gifts also extend beyond reading, writing and math.
Enriching a classroom curriculum in disciplines such as the arts, drama and mechanics provide practical
additional supports to students who need more added to their general curriculum.
Additional supports are not only given to the students to ensure their success. Educators also
require a certain level of assistance in order to provide their students with effective differentiated
instruction. Collegiality among teachers and administration provides a community and support system to
encourage differentiated methods in the classroom as well as act as a venue for reflection and a place to
voice concerns. (Benjamin, 2006) Based on communication, the existence of such a support system
requires shared planning time to be most effective. Professional development is another additional
support that educators are provided with to best differentiate their instruction. Many types of
professional development exist, and give educators a wealth of information. For example, an elementary
school in California implemented a school-wide differentiated instruction plan. In turn, educators were
provided with time for reflection, planning time to improve practice, standards based designed training
and job embedded learning opportunities. (Cusumano & Mueller, 2007) When educators have the knowhow as well as the support they need to do so, differentiated instruction is not viewed as overwhelming,
but as good teaching.
Diverse classrooms provide educators with challenges. Each student is different from the next in
a multitude of ways and it is the job of teachers to ensure that each student gets the best education
possible. Differentiated instruction is a method for which teachers can design their classrooms and give
each student what they need. Whether strengths are in math or reading, whether weaknesses are writing
or comprehension, whether goals are to read a novel or to just pay attention, differentiated instruction
creates a classroom community. Within that environment, through; the acknowledgement and
understanding of cultural variations, the flexibility of content, process and assessment, and through
additional supports, students can feel comfortable and capable of learning at their full potential.
Kathleen Willey: ED 636
Bibliography
Benjamin, A., (2006) Valuing differentiated instruction. Education Digest, 72(1), pp.57-59
Cusumano, C., Mueller, J., (2007) Differentiated instruction helps struggling students. Leadership, 36 (4),
p8-10
Cifuentes, L., Ozel, S., (2006) Resources for attending to the needs of multicultural learners. Knowledge
Quest, 35(2) pp.14-21
Lawrence-Brown, D., (2004) Differentiated instruction: inclusive strategies for standards-based learning
that benefit the whole class. American Secondary Education. 32(3), pp.34-62
Levy, Holli M. (2008) Meeting the needs of all students through differentiated instruction: helping every
child reach and exceed standards. Clearing House, 81(4), pp.161-164