Web Quest for Differentiation

 Two instructional strategies
Task cards
Mind maps
 Two instructional tools (e.g., technology tool, device or iPad App, Web Quests, etc.),
Posters
Clicker technology
 One activity (e.g., Think-Pair-Share).
Show and tell
The above instructional strategies are instrumental in addressing the diverse learning
needs of students in a classroom. Task cards will allow me to give my students a wide range of
content that will be tailored to meet their diverse needs. These will be effective as I will use them
for both independent learning as well as cooperative learning. Each task card will contain a
specific task or question. I will arrange students in groups and let them work on the task cards as
they rotate them to other groups. For more personalized learning, I will make task cards for
individual students. As students work on the task cards, I will individualize instruction by
monitoring the progress made by each group and work with different groups as I address the
knowledge gaps as necessary.

Another way to use task cards is to accommodate all learners. The students who are
“early finishers” can get bored wondering what to do as other students are still working on an
assignment (Iserbyt & Byra, 2013). Giving them task cards to work on helps keep them busy.
Establishing rules helps in dealing with early finishers. I will have a box of task cards ready for
each lesson. So, when students have finished the common task, they can walk to the box, take a
task card, and work on the assigned question or task. It is also a great classroom management
strategy.
Additionally, a task card is short and does not have room for long text. This comes in
handy when dealing with students who have learning disabilities. Since decoding long texts can
be a challenge to such students, text cards contain short phrases that are easy to decode (Iserbyt
& Byra, 2013). Besides, students are in a position to focus on one idea at a time. Task cards help
target a specific skill. When trying to help students practice how to decode texts, these cards
come in handy.
Mind maps are another instructional strategy that will come in handy when dealing with a
largely inclusive classroom. Mind maps will be prepared by both the students and the teachers.
As visual aids, they are highly effective when dealing with visual learners. They enable the
teacher to present or group different ideas together (Literacy Today, 2020). It can be done using
a software. Thus, using their i-pads, students will create mind maps. They will use them to give
as many details about a word as possible. For instance, they will explain its etymology, meaning,
and usage in grammar.
Overall, modification is important and relevant to the theory of differentiation. Through
modification, students learn at their performance and ability levels. It ensures that students are
not presented with the information above their understanding level. Modification ensures that the

three elements of differentiation are adjusted accordingly to meet the learning needs of
individual students. Modification has a wide scope. It may entail making certain fundamental
changes or alterations to the curriculum, standard course expectations, and assessment so that the
student is able to learn the content presented (Blackwelder, 2018). In some instances,
modification may even entail presenting a student with different materials from the rest of the
class because a student is not able to understand the material presented to other students. It may
also be as simple as allowing a student to complete fewer items than what others are completing.
Depending on the ability of a student, a teacher may modify instruction by rewording in a
language that is simpler. An educator may also give students access to videos and audiobooks.
This may be necessary when dealing with auditory learners or learners with learning disabilities.
Thus, modification is important as it provides tailored support to individual learners depending
on the skill being measured, even if it entails altering the skill being taught to the extent it meets
the ability of the student. Modification enables differentiated instruction.

References

Blackwelder, A. (2018). Accommodation, Modification, and Differentiation: Understanding
Terms. Spectrum Life Magazine. Retrieved 6 August 2020, from
https://www.spectrumlife.org/blog/accommodation-modification-and-differentiation-
understanding-terms-191.
Iserbyt, P., & Byra, M. (2013). Design and use of task cards in the reciprocal style of
teaching. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 84(2), 20-26.
Literacy Today. (2020). Literacy Today – Mind Mapping. Literacytoday.ca. Retrieved 6 August
2020, from https://www.literacytoday.ca/popupwindow/differentiation/article/mind-
mapping.