• Recent research indicates that using multimodal learning experiences can be effective in teaching mathematics. Multiple metaphor and multimodal tasks have the potential to support abstract reasoning and enhance children’s understanding of mathematical concepts. 
•  The primary source of information collected was video footage. Additional information collected included student work samples, teacher planning documents, and reflective notes.
•  The point of view of the research reports on the professional learning collaboration with a primary school teacher designed to explore the use of metaphors and modalities in mathematics instruction.
• The findings of this study revealed that the teacher was able to successfully plan both multimodal and multiple metaphor learning experiences that acted as semiotic resources to support the children’s understanding of abstract mathematics. 
• In the research, a combination of verbal, drawing, concrete, and gestural modalities enabled year two children to solve abstract mathematical problems.
• In this research, the focus was on one classroom’s specific culture and how the teacher and children in that classroom conversed and interacted. An implicit bias that needs to be considered is that the study was framed by a micro ethnographic approach since it explored a cultural experience. 

• Offer an Entry to Learning- Lesson planning should reflect a variety of ways to offer entry to learning by students. If you know that a student builds understanding best when she can watch a demonstration and then dialog about the content and its implications, you should provide that experience. While each student has different approaches to learning, learning preferences do overlap in groups of students. Teachers can start using learning profiles when they know the various ways that each student makes sense of content. The more teachers understand their students; the more efficient teachers can ensure their students learning successes. When teachers have in-depth understanding for how their students learn, there is a major impact on diagnosing student needs and planning effective supports. Multiple intelligences and thinking styles inventories can be effective tools for gathering data about students. As soon as this learner data is collected, you can start differentiating lessons in ways that intentionally and strategically improve student learning. 
  
  
• Cross Train Learning- Students learn through a variety of approaches. “Placing learners into a single learning style container ignores the reality of the whole person”. Teachers need to cross-train students by using two or more approaches to thinking styles profiles when planning differentiation. The more we know about our students, the more we can be effectively strategic in meeting everyone’s needs. Learning profile cards, student profile surveys, and student learning perceptual quick surveys can provide detailed insight about students that spans across multiple thinker processing categories. 
  
  
• Plan Three Dimensional Lessons- Three dimensional lessons incorporate a variety of different experiences in a lesson. Content, Process, and Product. These three areas can be differentiated, meeting student’s diverse needs. This will help students find ways to connect. 

• Embed Choices- When using learning profiles, all learners fall somewhere on the learning styles range. Design versions of an activity or product that incorporates different aspects of a learning profile. “The mindful use of learning profiles keeps the light on and the door open for them to learn".

Why Are Some Kids Thriving During Remote Learning?, edutopia.com

• Because of its global focus, this source has a strong socio-emotional and socio-cultural emphasis, both of which undergird each section of the chapter. Consequently, many perspectives on differentiation according to those facets of the learning profile are provided. An example of differentiating instruction according to the social and emotional dimension of a student is demonstrated through a group activity. The students are intentionally organized according to ability and social status within the classroom. The activity will require a wide range of skills that will encourage the participation of all members. In this context a student with a low social status in the class will be able to demonstrate competency that will be witnessed by his or her peers. As a result, the student’s self-esteem will be boosted, and a positive interaction with his or her fellow students will also have occurred. An example of a culturally-sensitive differentiation is recognizing that Asian-American students may be more likely to not verbally contribute to classroom discussions because it is not a part of their culture to verbalize their understanding of material. This should then prompt different ways of evaluating their understanding.    
• This source addresses the controversy related to learning styles (i.e. kinesthetic, auditory, and visual learning) and the question of the effectiveness of adapting instruction to them.The argument is made that children do not fall strictly within the category of any one learning style. Instead, combinations of learning styles are more likely to be present, and different learning situations may elicit one learning style more strongly than another situation will. Understood in this light, differentiating according to learning styles can be an effective tool in the classroom. 

• My interpretation of this image is that its appealing to the eye and grabs my attention. The infographic is well organized, concise, and easy to understand. This infographic dissects the complex topic of multiple modalities and presents the topic and information in an enjoyable way holding my attention longer. The infographic provides tips and ideas to help students learn in a way that’s best for them and their preferred learning style.
• I believe this infographic is pertinent to my driving question (How can developing learning profiles for students facilitate differentiation?) because a student’s learning profile is greatly shaped by their learning style. Four learning styles are presented and explained in this infographic.

• This concept map gives a clearly structured response to our driving question. It defines what differentiation is and develops the theory and method behind it. It illustrates how the learning profile fits in with the differentiation process, and also provides instructional and managerial strategies that are geared specifically toward differentiating according to learning profiles.  
•  Although the concept map does not break down the specific components of the learning profile, it does provide specific instructional strategies that are geared towards learning profiles. Considering the implicit goal in each instructional strategy can aid one in inferring which components of the learning profile are being addressed. 

• Annie’s classroom and methodology are not situated within a differentiation instructional model. However, she was able to answer the majority of the questions with good examples of how she works to meet her students’ learning needs as best she can. For example, when it comes to differentiating according to learning styles or preferences, she explained how she will often give students the option to work in pairs, on the floor, etc. When asked if she presented content according to auditory, kinesthetic, or visual learner needs, she said it was more often that she could have differentiated lessons in religion classes, while in math the assignments were what she would differentiate according to the abilities of her students. It basically depended upon the nature of the subject matter.  
•  An interesting comment that Annie made about learning profiles was that she gets to know the students in a more organic way, and that tests do not really give the true profile. Instead (and I remember doing this in her class), she has journal questions that she has her students answer everyday, and this is a major source of personal information that she is able to get directly from her students.
• I asked Annie if she thought that self-esteem was important in the learning process, and she said that it was. She explained that if a child believes they can do something, it is far more likely that they will be able to do it. Interestingly, what followed directly after this statement was the fact that Annie gives her students opportunities to fail. When students are able to fail in a safe environment, they learn that it is not the end of the world and that ultimately they can handle it and learn from it too.  

• words (linguistic intelligence)
• numbers or logic (logical-mathematical intelligence)
• pictures (spatial intelligence)
• music (musical intelligence)
• self-reflection (intrapersonal intelligence)
• physical experience (bodily-kinesthetic intelligence)
• social experience (interpersonal intelligence), and/or
• experience in the natural world (naturalist intelligence)