How to develop student centered differentiated lessons

Introduction

The date for the big national standardized assessment (B-CAT) is quickly approaching and you have received a new student or are the new student with different learning needs than any other student and must past this assessment because your evaluation depends on it, and his academic future does as well. How do you develop student-centered lessons to meet his learning needs?

This webquest is designed to help students and employees develop student-centered differentiated lessons. “One of the best ways to address learning styles while establishing a brain friendly learning environment is to differentiate instruction and to use authentic and integrated teaching strategies. Incorporating them into your lessons assist in developing student-centered learning and project based activities”, NCU Syllabus (2014).

Task

Within each learner there are rooms for knowledge waiting to be filled, as educators we have the complex task of seeking and helping learners find the key to the method for learning they need to receive information to fill those rooms. This can be accomplished by completing the following tasks:

Analyze the results learning styles inventory and create a lesson plan that meets the learner’s areas of strength

Analyze teaching strategies best meet the student learning styles

Use a chart or graph to explain the concepts of learning styles

Understand differentiate instruction

Determine what are authentic and integrated teaching strategies

The completion of these tasks will help students determine their learning styles, choose activities that will enhance their learning and cater to their specific needs, and lastly learner’s will construct a personal journal of tailor varied methods to suit their learning needs for immediate and future reference.

Process
  • Explain to learners that today they will determine what is the best learning style for them to learn something new. Tell students they may have one then one style that works for them.

 

  • Watch a video on different learning styles – to gain and understanding for each style of learning, and then briefly discuss the contents of the video whole group.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fakvitg1Zqs&feature=related

 

  • Provide learners a copy of the learning style meanings. Display learning styles on the board. As you explain learning styles have learners write the correct style next its meaning. Indicate on the board what term they should be recording and where.

 

  • Discussion with your partner and record- divided learners into partner groups. Explain they will use their learning styles paper with its meaning, and chart paper (one piece for each learner folded into fourths) to determine their learning styles. The learners will discuss which methods that they learn best and which works least best for them to learn and record on their chart paper.

 

 

Chart Paper Journal (Figure 1 – FRONT SIDE)

I LEARN THIS WAY BEST

Learning style      (picture)

 

 

 

 

 

THIS DOES NOT WORK ON ME

 

 

 

 

 

 

My learning characteristics

Learning style

Characteristics

Learning style

Characteristics

 

 

 

Learning Style Characteristic Count

Learning style                 12

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Research – Self Discovery Learning

  • Learners will use the computer to Google each learning style they learn best and print a picture for each of the style. Learners will then tape or glue the picture next to the styles.

 

  • Learners will Google search the characteristics for each of the learning styles they learn best and record the characteristics that match them specifically not for entire list of characteristics for each term unless it applies to them. Learners will write with different colors for each learning style and characteristic (see Chart Paper Journal FIGURE 1)

 

  • Learners will record the learning styles they learn best in the box labeled learning style characteristic count and record the number of Characteristics for recorded each and use this to rank their learning styles.

 

 

Chart Paper Journal (Figure 2 – BACKSIDE)

Learning styles inventory results

 

 

 

 

 

 

Learning centers to for my highest learning style

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

              Student Name

          My best ways to learn

 

 

 

 

Summary writing – Explain how you learn best.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Learners will be provided copies of Gardner’s Eight Areas of Intelligence as explained by Moore, (2012) with blended activities for learners. Each learner will record actives (Max 5 total) they would like to use for their learning.

For learning style needs to meet the classroom environment it has to be arranged in a manner that is conducive for students to learn. Howard Gardner understood this and argued that individuals have at least eight distinct intelligences. Howard Gardner eight distinct intelligences were called multiple intelligences and he related them to a individuals abilities. Each of the eight intelligences addresses the entire diverse population of any classroom and directly supports a classroom environment conducive for brain based learning. Provided below are Gardner’s eight multiple intelligences and how they can be blended into the classroom to meet the diverse needs of learners.

Gardner’s Eight Areas of Intelligence explained (Moore, 2012) and blended activities for learners

Linguistic – the ability to use language either oral or written. Activites for learners include word games, email discussions, choral reading, card games, journal writing, internet searches, etc

Logical-mathematical – the ability to use numbers, logic, discern patterns, use sensitivity capacity. Activities for learners include problem solving, mental calculations, classification, number games, critical thinking, solving puzzles, etc.

Spatial – the ability to perceive the spatial world accurately and perform transformations. Activities include visual activities related to graphic art, mind mapping, visualization, maps, pictures, imagination games, models, etc.

Bodily-kinesthetic – the ability to use one’s body movement and handle objects skillfully. Activities include hands-one activities, drama, dance, sports that teach, tactile activities, etc.

Musical – the ability to undertake musical endeavors to produce and appreciate rhythm, pitch, and appreciate the forms of musical expressiveness. Activities include songs that teach, rapping, learn tunes, create rhymes, super learning, enhance ability to learn, etc.

Interpersonal – the ability to understand other people and respond to moods, temperaments, motivations, and desires of other people. Activities include cooperative learning activities, lead discussions, community involvement, dramatic activities, simulations, etc.

Intrapersonal – the ability to understand oneself and access one’s own feelings and the ability to discriminate among one’s emotions, and the knowledge of one’s strengthens and weaknesses. Activities include individual instruction, read books, journal writing, independent study, self-esteem activities, cooperative groups, etc.

Naturalist – the ability to understand nature and distinctions in the natural world. Activities include activities related to the natural world and biological sciences, exploration of nature, finding origins, studying the nature objects, etc

 

PART II of this plan would explain how the learners would make and use the learning activity they choose.

 

Create journal of their preferred learning styles as a reference of the keys needed to their learning

 

Journal final product

Fronts view                                              Back view

 

 

 

                Student Name

            My best ways to learn

 

 

Summary writing – Explain how you learn best.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oral Presentation

  • Learner will briefly share their how they learn best to include their best two learning styles and how they will use this knowledge to help them learn. Learner will explain his characteristics that relate to is learning style.
Evaluation

 

Below is the rubric which will be used to assess your work

Evaluation Rubric


 

Beginner

1

Developing

2

Accomplished

3

Outstanding

4

Score

 


 

Presentation

- Little appeal or impact - Poorly written (many inaccuracies in grammar, spelling) - Not creative

- Satisfactory appeal or impact - Fairly well written (some errors in grammar, spelling) - Moderately creative

Good appeal or impact - Well written (few errors in grammar, spelling) - Very creative

- Excellent appeal or impact - Very well written (minor errors in grammar, spelling) - Exceptionally creative


 

Organization

Lacks clear logical sequencing

Fairly logical sequencing

Logical sequencing

clear logical sequencing


 

Content Summary

Irrelevant information and unclear focus

satisfactory information

Good information with good content

Substantial information and excellent


 


 

Total Score:  

 

Conclusion

This webquest was designed to help students and employees develop student-centered differentiated lessons. The completion of this activity has helped students determine their learning styles, choose activities that will enhance their learning and cater it to their specific needs.

Credits

Learning styles (retrieved form YouTube) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fakvitg1Zqs&feature=related

Moore, K. D. (2012). Effective instructional strategies: From theory to practice. 3rd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA. Chapter 13

Personality Pathways: Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) Introduction http://www.personalitypathways.com/type_inventory.html#Inventory

Pritchard, A. (2009). Ways of learning: Learning theories and learning styles in the classroom. 2nd ed. New York, NY. Chapters 7, 8

Teacher Page

Introduction

This teaching guide will help you align objectives with the learning environment.

Standards

The completion of these tasks will help students determine their learning styles, choose activities that will enhance their learning and cater to their specific needs, and lastly learner’s will construct a personal journal of tailor varied methods to suit their learning needs for immediate and future reference.

Process

  1. Determine the best learning style for students to learn something new.
  2. Watch a video on different learning styles
  3. Learners will discuss which methods that they learn best and which works least best for them to learn and record on their chart paper.
  4. Learners will use the computer to Google each learning style they learn best and print a picture for each of the style.
  5. Learners will identify characteristics of the learning styles they learn best and record the characteristics that match them specifically.
  6. Record the learning styles they learn best in the box labeled learning style characteristic count and record the number of characteristics for recorded each and use this to rank their learning styles.
  7. Learners will complete the learning styles inventory to help further determine their learning.
  8. Learners determine their learning intelligences based on Gardner’s Eight Areas of Intelligence with blended activities for learners.
  9. Create journal of their preferred learning styles as a reference of the keys needed for their learning.
  10. Learner will orally share how they learn best to include their best two learning styles, how they will use this knowledge to help them learn, and explain his/her characteristics that relate to is learning style.

Resources

Learning styles (retrieved form YouTube) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fakvitg1Zqs&feature=related

Moore, K. D. (2012). Effective instructional strategies: From theory to practice. 3rd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA. Chapter 13

Personality Pathways: Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) Introduction http://www.personalitypathways.com/type_inventory.html#Inventory

Pritchard, A. (2009). Ways of learning: Learning theories and learning styles in the classroom. 2nd ed. New York, NY. Chapters 7, 8

 

Credits

TC Curriculum & Instruction Design, http://tccid.dover.net/teachingguide.htm#menu

EducationWorld, http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech011.shtml

WebQuest.Org - http://www.webquest.org/search/index.php

Zunal.com - http://zunal.com/index-matrix.php?Curriculum=108&Grade=104&page=1

Youtube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fakvitg1Zqs&feature=related