Differentiation is understanding that "one size does not fit all". It is understanding that every student learns differently and that you need to be accepting of everything that is going on with the studenets and in their brains. In a diverse classroom, you will inevitably be faced with students who are visual learners, auditory learners and children who are bouncing off the walls all during the school day. Every student will learn at a different pace and in a different way, so the teachers have to get to know their own students and everything about them. It is very easy in todays world, after all with the technology available at our finger tips a step-by-step is easy to find to break it down. Differentiation is very time consuming but it has very good outcomes. With multiple teachers trying it out and finding success in it, it is benefitting them, their students, and the Common Core Standards. As a future teacher, I recognize that this is probably one of the best ways to teach the diverse students out there and hopefully be able to spark that love for learning in all of them.
I experienced differentiation, in high school with my Art classes and my English class. My art teacher had a small class once we were down to art 2 and 3, he knew who each of his students were and how to approach us the best way. I spent everyday after school for at least an hour to possible two hours, my art teacher would be there the whole time working with me and the other students who stayed after to show us different coloring techniques or painting techniques or even showing us how to do something right then and there so that we have an example to reference. My English teacher, was probably able to get to me the most, she recognized that I had a hard time writing essays, since I write like I think typically, so she helped to teach me how to edit my papers and catch the mistakes that I make as well as suggesting books that would introduce me to many new styles of writing so that I can find where I could find the style of writing I felt most comfortable writing it. All of my teachers I have had found out my interest and got to know me on a personal level where they knew how to teach me. They knew what to do, which makes them fantastic teachers. There are many different ways to approach differentation and they have to learn the best way for them and their students.
I feel like technology can be play a key part in differentiation, it allows for teachers to be able to help students learn in different ways by assigning a project and allowing them to do their own methods of learning and questioning certain concepts that they come across. Technology can be used to show movies and videos and pictures and help the students participate in learning by perhaps making the lesson a jeapordy game. Technology can play a good role in helping to teach the children, but everything is good in moderation. Remember that. :)
