Reflective Journal #6 Chapter 9

Reflective Journal # 6

This week the text focused on grouping, differentiation, and technology. When creating a lesson plan and effectively planning for the students all of these items must need to be included. During this week’s reading the content was conducive to the learning environment and well needed.

Reflection:

During this week Slavin focused on all of the things that creates an effective teacher. Differentiation is one of those things that I actually struggled with in my own classroom. It is not that I struggled because I was unaware how to effectively create it or the knowledge of it. I struggled because I believed my students were all on the same level. While reading this chapter and previous information it is evident that there has to be some type of assessment going on in the classroom in order to effectively create a differentiated classroom.  Slavin also discusses how differentiation is not just for lower functioning students. Differentiation can also include students who achieving at higher levels.

Grouping and differentiation can actually go hand in hand. In my classroom I use assessment to determine levels. Once levels are determined I then create a differentiated groups based on assessment levels. This provides the students a chance to be a variety level of groups and learning the information that is created for their use. This can also include student choice and what each student needs. This is a requirement in my school and every teacher must have some type grouping and differentiation during each daily class. This is a task that can be created when planning and evaluating assessments. When grouping you can also create a group with technology to fulfill the use of a technology incorporated lesson plan.

References:

Slavin, R. E. (2015). Educational psychology: Theory and practice (11th ed.). Boston, MA:

      Pearson Education.