Book review

Introduction

I chose the article entitled “Differentiating Instruction: Meeting Students Where They Are” by author Jennipher Willoughby (2005). According to Willoughby (2005), “no two students enter a classroom with the same abilities, experiences, and needs.” The author emphasizes that students thinking and learning style, language proficiency, prior knowledge, readiness to learn, along with other factors can differ widely within a single group of students. The author further states that rather than simply using the “one size fits all strategy”; teachers can use differentiated instruction to match tasks, activities, and assessments with their students’ abilities, interests and learning preferences. I chose this article to learn more about differentiated learning and how to effectively cater to the diverse intelligences and needs within my classroom.

Summary

Willoughby (2005), states that irrespective of students individual differences, they are expected to master the same concepts, principles, and skills. According to Willoughby (2005), meeting National Standards and catering to these individual is an enormous challenge that requires innovative thinking. The author define differentiated instruction as an instructional theory that allows teachers to take into consideration the diverse factors that affects students learning when planning and delivering instruction. This theory is based upon the belief that students will learn best when they can make a connection with the curriculum and their interest and experiences; to the level where they can work without assistance.

Willoughby (2005), postulated that in order to differentiate instruction teachers should provide numerous learning opportunities and appropriate levels of chall...

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... water down version of the curriculum” or giving students different activities, but actually knowing our students and identifying their knowledge, interest and experience and building on it based on their level and learning style.

I am aware of the fact that through differentiated instructed students will learn the same concepts, principles, and develop the same skills, however, I believe the Jamaican system should move away from the standardize testing and adapted some of the plans Finland have in place for their students; because there is no form of standardize testing done in there, yet their literacy and numeracy rate is among the top ranking countries. In closing, I believe the Education system in Jamaica must come to recognized that “one style of testing does not fit all” and teaching goes beyond covering content and assessing is more than accurate recall.