Running Head: Student Centered and/or Differentiated Instruction Kennedy 1

Student Centered and/or Differentiated Instruction-Reflection and Rationale

Andrea Kennedy

Regent University
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Introduction

When working with gifted students, it is imperative that I create lessons and activities

that keep them actively engaged and challenge them just enough without causing frustration. In

addition to that, many of my students had IEP’s and 504s that I had to consider before planning

and differentiating my lessons. For the students that required intervention from the special ed

teacher and any of the specialists, I had to make sure the other teachers knew exactly what was

needed for each day’s lesson so they could pull those students and be ready to go. With gifted

and twice exceptional students at an all gifted school, the learning environment itself has been

tailored to fit the unique needs of my students and when designing lessons and instructional

practices, I have to remember that they thrive when they have the freedom to uncover knowledge

and have an active role in their own learning.

Rationale for Chosen Artifacts

The first artifact I selected for this competency is a math lesson plan that covers

regrouping in addition and subtraction problems. This lesson was the first one I taught after

making the math small groups using the rounding pre-assessment data I pulled. Whole group

instruction included six math review questions that incorporated the spiraling teaching strategy

and allows my students the opportunity to refresh their memory on concepts we aren’t directly

learning about. Small group rotations, however, are where I differentiate instruction based on

student readiness. The AP group, which typically is the first group with me for instruction

usually end up being the gauge of where I begin for my other groups. If they aren’t ready to

move onto a more difficult set of problems, then the other two groups will likely not be ready

either. During the first small group, I started them off with subtracting two-digit numbers without

regrouping using their printed out Base 10 manipulatives. As they get comfortable with those
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problems, I give them one where they have to use regrouping and have them show me the

process of exchanging units for rods. During small group instruction, I have the opportunity to

float around the room and see how each student is doing with the problems and give feedback

directly, should they require it.

The second artifact I chose is the lesson plan for when my students had to design and

conduct their own experiment after coming up with a hypothesis about changing a property of

matter. This lesson gave each student free reign to decide what kind of experiment they wanted

to do and how they were going to set it up. At the start of the week, Mrs. Knecht and I discussed

the requirements for the assignment and showed them the digital graphic organizer that they

would be using to record their data and confirm or revise their posed hypothesis. The day before

the students were to begin conducting their experiments in class, Mrs. Knecht and I conferenced

with the students about their experiments and allowed them to share with us their ideas. As they

talked us through their plans, it gave them adequate time to verbally process their thoughts and

work through any initial concerns they had about the assignment. This lesson was selected

because of the student-centered focus the experiment had. When it comes to science, it is

important that the students take the time to thoroughly explore and investigate what they are

learning for themselves rather than having teachers lecture at the about what they need to know.

Allowing students to have the space to indulge their natural curiosity and let them uncover and

discover knowledge is vital in the process of building problem-solving skills and practical

knowledge used in everyday adult life.

Reflection on Practices and Theory

The purpose of differentiating instruction is being able to see the individual needs of each

student and breaking down large instruction into pieces that are more likely to produce
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knowledge retention and application of acquired skills. Like a student’s perception of learning is

unique to them, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all strategy for differentiating instruction, especially

not for students who are classified as gifted or twice exceptional. “Differentiated instruction is

not a single strategy, but rather an approach to instruction that incorporates a variety of

strategies. In other words, differentiation is responsive instruction designed to meet unique

individual student needs.” ((Watts-Taffe et al., 2012). If given the opportunity to dive into a

subject, manipulate with their hands, interact with the materials, and dig deeper into what is

being taught, a student should always aim to do so. “Students who were encouraged to use

evidence to support their models seemed to develop improved knowledge of content.” (Granger

et al., 2012). When students are able to find a practical, real-world application for what they are

learning, they will better retain that information because it now has personal significance to

them. They are more likely to engage and participate in learning and instruction when they know

the material bears some kind of influence on their lives.

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References:

Granger, E. M., Bevis, T. H., Saka, Y., Southerland, S. A., Sampson, V., & Tate, R. L. (2012,

October 5). The Efficacy of Student-Centered Instruction in Supporting Science

LearningE. Retrieved from https://science-sciencemag-

org.ezproxy.regent.edu/content/338/6103/105

Watts-Taffe, S., Laster, B., Broach, L., Marinak, B., Conor, C. M., & Walker-Dalhouse, D.

(n.d.). (2012). Differentiated Instruction: Making Informed Teacher Decisions. The

Reading Teacher, 66(4). doi:https://doi-org.ezproxy.regent.edu/10.1002/TRTR.01126