Running Head: PRINCIPLES OF DIFFERENTIATION 1

Principles Of Differentiation

Andrew Keane

National University

Professor Terry Ahrens

MAT 674
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Abstract

In this assignment I will express my understanding of the six principles of differentiation

and how they can apply to a standard based lesson. First I will rank each of Ventriglia’s six

principles of differentiation in order from most impactful to least impactful. Then I will provide

reasoning and rational for each of the six principles ranked. Finally I will use the number one

ranked principle of differentiation and apply it to teaching a standard based content lesson.
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Principles Of Differentiation

According to www.ed-data.k12.ca.us highschool history class sizes range from 25 to 30

students and on adverage highschool teachers teach five different classes a day. In just one day a

highschool teacher is responsible for 125 to 150 different students.That means that one teacher is

responsabile for teaching 125-150 unique learners who each have a different learning styles and

pocess individual strengths and weaknesses. That is a huge responsibility for one teacher.

Differentiation is an aproach that when applied to teaching can make the huge responsibility

seem managable and effective.

There are “six main principles upon which differentiated intruction is based.” (Ventriglia,

2010, p. 4) In the following list I rank each of the six principles in order from greatest to least

important in applying differentiation to create a positive and effective learning enviornment.

1. Differentiated instruction acknowledges students’ diverse learning styles and provides

multiple modality learning opportunities.

2. Differentiated instruction addresses the three curricular elements of Teach, Practice, and

Apply

3. Differentiated instruction is a blend of whole group, small flexible groups and

individualized instruction.

4. Differentiated instruction is tied to assessment and target teaching.

5. Differentiated instruction focuses on the quality of instruction, rather than the quantity of

assignments

6. Differentiated instruction gives all students access to the core curriculum and to grade

level content standards.

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Rank Rational

The principles are ranked in this order to emphasis a student-centered learning

environment. The basis behind differentiated instruction is to design, deliver, and create a

learning environment that caters to individual students’ “diverse learning styles and provides

multiple modality learning opportunities.” (Ventriglia, 2010, p. 4) Applying differentiation to the

curicular elements of teach, practice, and apply play a key role in adapting the lesson, delivery,

and assignment to the needs of the students. It is crutial that differentiation can be applied to the

class as a whole and small flexible groups as well as indivdual students because collaberation

play a vital role in learning. Assessment along with target teaching keeps differentiation effective

and relavent and is the main componet to adaptation to the needs of a student over a school year.

When differentiation is applied effectivly the quality of instruction will improve and students

will better understand core curriculum as wellas grade level content standars.

Differentiated Lesson Plan

I chose for my top ranked principle, “Differentiated instruction acknowledges students’

diverse learning styles and provides multiple modality learning opportunities.” I chose this

principle because it is the heart and soul of differentiation and must be understood and applied

before effective differntiation can occur. I am going to apply this principle to a 11th grade history

lesson that covers California State Standard, “10.9.3 Understand the importance of the Truman

Doctrine and the Marshall Plan, which established the pattern for America’s postwar policy of

supplying economic and military aid to prevent the spread of Communism and the resulting

economic and political competition in arenas such as Southeast Asia (i.e., the Korean War,

Vietnam War), Cuba, and Africa.” (CDE 2013)

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I would start by distributing a handout to the class. The handout will provide students

with new vocabulary words and a basic out line of the PowerPoint and lecture including in

lecture and post lecture discussion questions. The hand out will also include a blank event time

line and post lecture questions, which are to be completed after PowerPoint presentation. During

the introduction we will go over the standards, the lesson outline, and new vocabulary word,

which they will define during and after lecture. The PowerPoint presentation will consist of

slides that will follow the outline on the student hand out, these slides will consist of new

vocabulary as well as description of the events and their effect on the Cold War. Maps, pictures,

diagrams and a short video clip will support the information on the PowerPoint presentation. As

the PowerPoint is presented I will lecture information as well as explain maps, pictures, and

diagrams. Students will follow along the PowerPoint and add information to their outline and

defined vocabulary words as information is lectured. During the PowerPoint I will stop at key

points and ask discussion questions. I will allow students to first discuss questions in their table

groups of five or six and then call on random groups to present their answers to the class. The

lecture will be presented in chronological order so students will better understand the succession

of events and how the Cold War was an escalation. In the conclusion of the PowerPoint I will

add how the events of the cold war have shaped current policy that we witness in present events.

Basically the assessment activity is that all aspects of the handout are completed. I will give the

class an addition 10-15 minutes to create a time line of the events of the cold war with a brief

description and their importance and effect on the United States as well as the world. During this

10-15 minute time period students will be able to work in groups to collaborate ideas and

complete the hand out. Each group will be provided a text book and crome book to use for

researching the events of the time line as well as aid them with answer the discussion question.
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The handout will provide a hands on approach for kenistetic learners and the visuals from the

powerpoint presentation will provide suport for visual learners and the audio of the presentation

as well as verbal instruction will provide for the auditory learners.

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References

California Department of Education (CDE) (2013). Science framework for California public

schools, kindergarten through grade twelve. Sacramento, CA: CDE Press.

Ventriglia, L. (2010). Best practices; differentiated instruction: The rule of foot. (8th ed.).

Mexico: Younglight Educate.