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DI is not a new concept as it was part of the PD during my T&L days. However, this session serves as a refresher and also reinforce what was taught during the DI course back then.

DI needs time to apply to the class because we need to know the class profile with multi intelligence levels. However when this balance is achieved, the classroom will be made into a complete and holistic learning environment for students with multiple intelligences.

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I guess DI is actually not new to us as we have been somehow using it in our role as an AED T&L especially when we have been given the task to help the students with learning needs in our classes.

However after the lesson, I found that there were newer  ways to do it to guide and assist our students to learn better. It gave me a better understanding how we could apply it in our classes in future and even in diverse classroom settings, students were able to still get to the goal that you have set according to the video that I saw.

Its amazing how she manages to get every one of her student involved in the class to suit their own capability and do the same lesson but in different manners.

The scaffolding of the lessons was really a great lesson that I would be able to use for my lessons in future.

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What's new: The equalizer method
What's expended: I have used differentiation and have experience teacher giving differentiated instructions too. However, my knowledge has expended as I realise that differentiated instructions is a holistic form of instruction from of learning styles to environment plays to interest to take into consideration when planning a lesson by looking at the child holistically. I also learned that a student can have more than one learning style.
What resonated:  What resonated with me was the videos where the teachers really broke down the lessons to cater to the different learning groups based the individual needs of students.

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What's new:
Modifying the learning environment to facilitate learning and the equalizer method.
What's expanded:
The readiness, interest and the learning profiles can be tailored to suit individual students. Categorizing all the information needed and the various strategies involved so that these are readily available when planning for lessons.
What resonated:
The need to scaffold learning and making connections to make learning meaningful for students. The fact that not just the teaching strategies and how students learn be differentiated, we must also allow differentiation in the end product.

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Differentiated Instruction is useful for teachers to monitor and review their own teaching and learning on how student with diverse capability learnt.  Some understanding that has been shared and that resonated well with me that I have experiences and can be further improved include strategies such as modifying the environment to help the students focus  better and match task requirement based on student ability and also most importantly is to ensure that student has sufficient support to be successful at the given work assigned.

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DI isn’t that new when teaching. I have learnt from this session that having an assessment is important to gauge whether students are able to understand what was being taught for the lesson.

The What and How teachers can differentiate instructions. There are different key elements such as content, process, product and learning environment which should be taken into account to deliver DI to students who need more support. In addition, by knowing the different ways such as interest, learning profile and readiness, we can help students to understand the lesson better.

Each student have different learning styles. They can either be visual, auditory or kinestheic learners. As teachers, we should, as much as possible, teach in all ways to help out students. Grouping students together has shown me that they learn and understand better from one another.

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What's new:
Certain methods introduced such as the equalizer method.

What's expanded:
I've already know certain aspects of differentiation, and today's lesson allowed me to categorize all these information that I already know into more organized categories. By knowing these categories, it will make it easier for me to tap on these information when I am planning for my lessons.

What resonated:
There really is a need to differentiate as every "brain" is different in the sense of how it receives information from the environment. To really optimize learning and to make it meaningful for the learner, differentiation needs to be done in class, so that the learner will be more motivated to learn.

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The sharing of AHA moments are valuable reflections by others which I could learn from and apply.
Self-monitoring could be taught by demonstrating how an adult would use it. This is also a form of differentiating instructions. Example, it is helpful to write down daily task a person would like to settle/accomplish by the end of the day instead of mentally having in the mind. By putting a tick and moving on to the  next task is helpful for the frame of mind, make the thoughts visible and as a form of motivation. Because by the end of the day, looking back at the list of things checked and done will form a feeling of a sense of accomplishment. So imagine how a student would feel. Making them feel good is important for their growth mindset and motivation. This reinforced what I have already know, we need to break down complicated skills/strategies into bite size lesson before students could grasp the bigger picture. By providing the stepping stones for the students to learn, slowly building their confidence and making learning fun is a goal for me for my students. Continuing education beyond the years for the students is an ideal situation which I would like to be a part of their education years.

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I used to think that I know differention well.I was totally wrong.Today's lesson really made me gain a deeper insight into differention.

I have learned that i can modify the learning environment(on top of content , process and product) to meet the student's emotional needs.This gives me an idea on changing the physical layout in LBS room if i have the chance.

I used to think that differentiated instruction is only to cater to different learners' needs.However , from today's lesson , differentiated instructions can be based on different attention spans , interests , language abilities and cultural backgrounds.

To motivate and engage the student with dyslexia in learning spelling , i created powerpoint slides of the spelling words and inserted pictures as well as animations of her favourite food and cartoon characters. Besides that , i also let her choose 2 spelling words that she wanted to learn in each withdtawal session.I am delighted to see that she enjoyed learning spelling with me and kept requesting to extend the duration of the withdrawal sessions.

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Today’s lesson gives me a clearer view on differentiated instructions; what it is and how we could apply it in our teachings in future after understanding its rationale and implications, and to closely take note on certain areas, that we could have overlooked in the past. Although our classrooms are diverse, there are possibilities and solutions to cater to the different learning capabilities, to create fruitful learning experience and a conducive learning environment for our students.

New: The location and physical structure of the learning environment could be a factor for distractions. Often we may overlook and not take much into account but rather just make do with what is available. Due to limitations of resources, manpower, finance or factors beyond control. (e.g. most classrooms are shared between AM & PM session; the physical structure may not be appropriate for students in the PM session. Location of class may be close to a construction site for a period of time)

Expanded: Scaffolding the content appropriately, taking into considerations the student’s pre-requisite skills that teachers may often overlook. (E.g. teaching student to prepare a drink using 3in1 beverage sachet, without prior teaching them how to tear open the sachet or using scissors to cut open)

Reinforced: Teachers to modify the method of presenting the content to accommodate students with different learning capabilities. Different methods of representations can be used to ensure students understand new information and ideas taught. (E.g. via watching/listening to a video, demonstrations, reading)

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With differentiation in the classroom, teachers can manage what students learn, how students learn, and how students are assessed. Today's lesson we learnt about it's flexibility and how we can apply it to our local context. Differentiated instruction allows teachers to maximize individual growth and is student-centered. We differentiate and modifying instruction to meet a student’s individual needs and learning styles. Through that, we also scaffolds our teaching as we design and teach lessons that allow all students with different learning needs to be successful in learning the same content.

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I thought today's lesson was helpful in the sense that the idea of everyone coming together according to their expert groups allow for in-depth sharing of personal experience, which in this case, is the Differentiated Instruction to support our students' learning.

Something new?
Apart from today's topic, I have learnt that, throughout all our 10 sessions, reflecting on one's learning and understanding of the world is essential in developing a growth mindset. I used to not really appreciate the importance of reflecting on the many moments of my life but ever since I started my journey in NIE, I came to realise that reflection is actually an integral part of one's learning process. Through this process, I got to learn more about myself and in a way, it helped me look into the different areas that I can improve on, be it my academic or teaching skills.
Something that expanded my learning?
I have always heard of the term 'Differentiated Instruction' and I am aware of its rationale, but I don't think I truly understand how I can systematically apply it in my teaching while taking into consideration the four different elements that are guided by the student needs. I thought the readings and discussions today provided me with clearer understanding of its application in the classroom and I feel that I will have more confidence in using DI in my teaching once I go back to work.
Something that resonated and reinforced what I already know?
As I was reading through the articles provided, one part that I could resonate with is respecting my students' choices, allowing them the freedom to choose what they would like to do and how they would like to do it. Especially for my non-verbal students, I observed that they were often given commands on what they are expected to do, without giving them the opportunity to make a choice (choice-making). Even for us, we are constantly making choices in our daily lives and it frustrates us when we are not given the opportunity to choose what we want. So putting ourselves in the shoes of our students who have difficulty communicating with us, wouldn't the frustration be more daunting given that they are unable to make a choice?

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Today’s lesson, I’ve learnt the importance of Differentiated Instruction in classroom setting. As we know in mainstream schools, the classrooms are filled with students of diverse learners. Hence, it is important for the teacher to have various teaching styles to cater to the students learning needs.
The new things I learnt today is that learning environment can be modified to meet the students emotional needs to ensure effective learning. For students who cannot sit still for a very long time are allowed to have a break and move around the class.
What reasonates me is to tap on the student’s interest as this will engage their attention and hence gives them the motivation in learning.

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What’s new: DI isn’t all that new but from this session I see how the element of readiness is important even before I start to differentiate based on interest and learning profile because it is like a pre-assessment - where the student is in terms of understanding, skills and capacity.
Expanded learning: Tomlinson in the video mentions that differentiating based on the student’s learning profile leads to learning efficiency. So it is not about not learning at all but learning in most efficiently. Will I consider making it less tiring and cognitively less draining for the student?
Resonated: I appreciated how the teacher teaching in the mainstream school in the video gave autonomy to her students to group themselves based on their (perceived) levels of readiness. This helps the students to have the habit of reflecting on their own learning, develop self awareness and build a relationship of trust between the teacher and the students.

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Evaluate:
This session is essential as in today's classroom every student is different in their abilities, profile and learning styles so DI can  help each one of our students be the best that they can be.

Individual reflection:

1. Something new that I learnt today is the P level that the English teacher used in her class. It is interesting to know that P levels are actually a set of descriptors to record and assess the progress of SEN children and this P levels children’s abilities have not reach Level 1 of the curriculum. Prior to this, I thought the teacher came up with this herself.

2. Something that expanded what I already know is the 4th “arm” in DI. All these while, I knew DI has Content, Process and Product element and today I’m glad to learn that learning environment can also be differentiated such as modifying the environment to meet student emotional needs. For example, teachers can allow kids with ADHD to have movement break between lesson.

3. Something that resonates with me is differentiating the process. In my class, I will give my students the opportunity to make a choice in homework options. By doing so, I believe can encourage and motivate them.

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With the inclusive education, it make differentiated instruction (DI) even more important, you have may have 20% of high achiever, and 10% of student struggle to catch up with the other 70% of follow well, with DI you will be able to engage all the student.
1. Product is something that I have never come across my mind, it regarding how student demonstrate learning

2. Demonstration of core task, modified task, extended reinforce what I am doing is correct

3. Differentiate by interest is something that I need to remind myself to be more aware of.

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Today's lesson is useful as it helps us to understand how differentiated instructions can be beneficial for a group of students with different and diverse learning capabilities.
I learnt how I can use differentiated instructions with different students. Every student have different capabilities. Hence using different instructions would be beneficial to them to cope and achieve the same goal at the end.
I remembered participating in a differentiated instructions class during secondary school and only now understand the purpose after reflecting my past experience. I realised how useful it is and will use it in the future.

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Today, I have learnt about the theory of multiple intelligence with the different modalities of intelligence.

Differentiated Instruction is something I have practiced in daily teaching but today I have learnt the different tiers and also to implement it on the basis of readiness, interests and learning profiles. Each student is different in absorbing, understanding, learning and applying what they have learnt.

I realize scaffolding technique is important in which the breaking down of instructions for students helps them to better understand the content presented and to make a connection to enhance learning. I have to be mindful of using the appropriate form of scaffolding to enhance learning as well.

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Today's lesson was very helpful for me. I learnt a lot from how I can differentiate instructions for my students. I learnt what is content, process, product and learning environments and how we can adapt these and differentiate for our students.

Student's readiness level, interests and learning profiles can be assessed and tailor made for each individual student.

What resonates with me from today's lesson is the importance of differentiation and how we can assess the student's so that we are able to identify the type of differentiation needed by them. Teachers giving students an option to learn via different modes is equally important. This would allow the students to know their learn style and have them more engaged in their preferred learning modes.

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I think today’s lesson is very useful as it helps us to learn from one another especially since the group sharing are diverse. Through the lesson, we also in a way get to ‘own’ the course material as we are able to process the information and relate it to our group members.

Somehow or rather i felt that i have been using this methods in the classroom, just that with the lesson it allows us to see in a different format. Making it more structured.

One thing that i have learned and that i will expand would be how to do the DI systematically. Firstly, i would try to expand more in understanding the student’s needs. In a way take more time to explore this. To explore where is the student at in terms of readiness, what are their interest and also what are their learning profiles. This is something i would want to do more as i feel it is important, so that we can know how best to suit the student needs.

The thing that resonated with me would be how it is important to look at different strategies that we can use when we do DI in classrooms. It is important to differentiate certain contents; as some students may need adaptations and accommodations. This is the same for process also, as some students need additional support in terms of visuals and instructions. Product also need to be differentiated as some students present things differently or they need to be assessed differently, especially for students with higher needs.

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Differentiated instruction can be done through the modification of four interconnected elements of content, process, product and learning environment.

Prior to modifying the different elements, it is imperative for educators to recognise and acknowledge the individual needs of each student in order to cater to their differences accordingly. As an educator,  I will constantly adopt various pedagogies to enhance students' learning outcomes, particularly student growth, motivation and efficacy of learning.

While I often find myself differentiating the content, process and product when working alongside my students with diverse learning needs and abilities, I would like to work on differentiating the learning environment. I have a student with ASD who often engages in off-task behaviours, including walking around during lessons and disrupting his friends. I would therefore like to try to differentiate the learning environment by using a timer to indicate how long and/or when he can move around.

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All students learn content at a different pace, and for learning in a classroom to be maximised, differential instructions is both useful and important.

I believe that every child has the capability to learn, and due to this, I would make intentional efforts to differentiate all my lessons so that the learning needs of all my students are met. These differentiation are usually done in the form of content, process and the learning environment. Today, I learnt that we can differentiate the assessments given to students at the end of the lesson. I also gained more insights on the different ways we can differentiate content, process and learning environment through students' needs. During the process of differentiating instructions, it is important to factor in students' choices so as to increase their motivation in learning.

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Today’s classroom is full of diverse learners. Hence, teachers must accommodate their classroom to welcome all students regardless of racial, culture, ethnicity or socio-economic background. We as educators today cannot conduct their classroom the same way a teacher 20 years ago would have run his/her classroom. Classroom instruction must be differentiated in order to adapt to the individual needs of today’s students.

I learnt that when developing content to be taught, it is important to keep in mind the individual strengths and weaknesses of their particular students. For example, finding out the student’s interest and incorporating those interests into the curriculum can be extremely motivational. Motivation is an essential part of instructing diverse learners. Keeping motivation and enthusiasm for learning is key to differentiated instruction. Another way to keep the motivation level high in their classroom by providing high interest hands-on learning activities.

All in all, even though we are task to be an expert on one area, the collaborative learning and sharing thereafter seemed to be beneficial for today’s lesson. I would imagine if this were to become a lecture style, I don’t think I would be able to take it most of the information and it will be wasted not to have any takeaways at the end of the day. 

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Today's lesson has been very insightful and interestingly resonated quite a bit about my experiences with the teachers I have worked with before. To me, all teachers have a certain degree of differentiated instruction in their lesson planning, whether they are aware or not. Even small minute things that teachers plan to break a routine such as going to the computer lab to do a math quiz or going to the school garden to look at plants can trigger a student's interest in the lesson or a topic. It is important to know what triggers this curiosity or interest in our students, so as to motivate them to be more involved or increase participation in class.

The extra time that the teachers spent profiling the class and finding out the best suitable way to plan to teach a class has proven to show positive results and increased efficiency in learning. The 4 core factors of differentiated learning of content, process, product and environment which has been portrayed in the videos that I saw during the lecture has shown me that flexibility, determination and a positive attitudes towards students of various abilities by the facilitator will directly affect a students motivation and enthusiasm in learning. As educators, we must be aware of how our students react to our teachings, and if need be, tweak it to suit the students. Teach how the learner can learn.

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DI uses 4 parts:
Content, Process, Product and Learning Environment.

It is important to understand what we are teaching and how we can deliver it to the different students.

It is important to always ensure that the learning goals will always be the same but the journey there can be differentiated to better help students.

It is good to give students autonomy to let them choose how they would like to learn as it will tap on their interest which will increase their motivation in learning.

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DI is something which we use in our daily teaching.
I used it at home with my gal while playing and teaching.
It helps to cater to the needs on the students thus it helps them to understand and achieve the learning goal.
It is important to understand the student's needs and abilities as it helps the teacher to know what to prepare for the student.

What is something that you have learnt that is new?
The different ways that information can be presented using Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences.

What is something that you have learnt that expanded what you already know?
knowing the student's interest and readiness and catering it through content, product and process.
And learning more examples on content, product and process.

What is something that you have learnt resonated and reinforced what you already know?)
Knowing the ability of the students and cater to their needs. It helps to get a sense of achievement

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I find DI useful as there are different tiers of instructional strategies. Tiered activities or tasks in class, tiered products given to students, tiered outcomes or alternative forms of assessments for different students. and even tiered by resources (varied reading levels & complexity.

Individual reflection:
I learnt something new, an equalizer, differentiate according to different levels. adjust according to their needs and abilities.
What reasonates me is to be able to use visual cue cards in class to better support the child during withdrawal sessions. and videoing lesson is also something that i may look into so that my students can revisit it in future.