Summary:
InTASC standard two, Learning Differences, was established to ensure that teachers understand and can recognize the differences in how children process, transfer, and apply information. This standard requires teachers to create learning environments that are welcoming and inclusive to all learners. Teachers who adhere to this standard incorporate multiple conceptual perspectives and instructional approaches in order to provide various opportunities for students to demonstrate their knowledge.
Importance:
This standard is important because the ability to identify, understand, and design instruction for learning differences promotes individualized instruction. Teachers who successfully demonstrate differentiated lessons incorporate learners’ needs into their planning and teach in a way that showcases student strengths. Adhering to the criteria of this standard is an effective way for teachers to position students for success and accomplishment.
Click on the image to view a lesson with highlighted differentiated instruction incorporated into a lesson plan.
Artifact #1:- Differentiated Instruction
This artifact is an example of differentiated instructional planning. Teachers who design instruction with learning differences in mind include methods which meet the cognitive needs of struggling, on-grade level, and advanced students.
Click on the image to view a lesson plan including centers.
Artifact #2: Varied Learning
This artifact is an example of providing varied learning opportunities which are embedded within learning centers or stations throughout the classroom. Learning centers are valuable because they provide leveled hands-on exploration and discovery experiences. These stations promote student independence, choice, and accountability as the activities available in the centers address multiple ways of learning a concept.
Click on the image to view the needs chart.
Artifact #3- Orthographic Needs Chart
This artifact is an example of an orthographic needs chart. This table was created to depict diagnostic information at-a-glance to support instructional planning. Data entered on this table represents word features students have mastered, word features students are using-but-confusing, and the appropriate point to begin Word Study instruction with each child. This example is indicative of adherence to the InTASC standard Learner Differences as it portrays students who are in the same grade, but are operating within prominently different stages of word knowledge.