Running head: DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION 1

Differentiated Instruction
Lisa Passerella
AET/525
October, 21, 2013
Jennifer Churchill-Allen
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Differentiated Instruction
Differentiated instruction is a method used by instructors to assist their students in a
diverse learning environment. It is a teaching method that identifies with a diverse student body
and offers modifications to the standard lesson plan that reaches these diverse learners. The goal
of differentiated instruction is to reach a larger number of students and help them become
successful in the learning environment. To differentiate instruction is to recognize students'
varying background knowledge, readiness, language, preferences in learning and interests; and to
react responsively. ("National Center on Accessible Instructional Materials," 2011). There are
four instructional methods that will be addressed and two suggested modifications offered for
each. These methods include: differentiating the content to be learned, varying or altering the
instructional strategies used to teach the required content, varying the end product used to
demonstrate mastery of the required content, and varying or altering the environment to
accommodate varied learning styles. A lesson plan from the University of Washington, School of
Law will be the basis of review. The lesson plan is based on Internet Privacy Laws (Appendix
A).
Differentiating the Content to Be Learned
The content to be learned from this law class specifically pertains to Internet privacy. It
introduces students to basic concepts surrounding Internet privacy as well as privacy policies of
social websites like Facebook and Google. ("School Of Law University Of Washington," 2013).
The content of the class is based on current laws and initiates thought provoking discussions
about what privacy means versus what the expectation of privacy means.
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The class follows a PowerPoint presentation that highlights a variety of information from
how to define privacy to understanding internet terms like cookies and metadata. Because
content is the basis of the learning experience, modifications should be based on maintaining the
foundational content and simply teaching it in alternate ways. The internet is a highly accessible
tool and therefore students may have prior knowledge of the terminology presented. The first
modification suggestion would be to take a quick assessment of what terms the students already
know. The instructor can integrate the less known terms into the discussion. Repeating the terms
in a variety of examples will enable the students to become more familiar with the content.
Offering a variety of examples maintains the required content while providing additional
exposure.
The second modification suggestion would be to assess the students prior knowledge of
the internet terms. Once the assessment is completed, assemble the students into mixed groups.
As the instructor progresses through the slides, they can provide the groups the opportunity to
work together and come up with a team definition of the terms. This will incorporate teamwork
and provide the mixed levels of knowledge to work together to find success.
Varying or Altering the Instructional Strategies Used to Teach the Required Content
Adult learners are most successful when they use a variety of instructional strategies
throughout the learning process. This course offers the following strategies: lecture, PowerPoint
presentation, discussion, and group interaction. It would be beneficial to add the following
modifications: educational relevance and prior experience brainstorming.
Educational relevance brings meaning to the adult learner. The instructor can ask the
students to relate the content to situations that have occurred in his/her life. Examples of
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relevance would be: when posting online to a social network such as Facebook, have there been
consequences for something posted? Have the students been reprimanded or passed up for a
promotion because the employer saw the post and did not agree with it? By breaking down the
effects of assumed privacy, the students can find relevance in their own lives.
To add additional depth to the learning experience, add a segment on prior experience
brainstorming. Engage the students in a conversation that allow them to offer personal life
experience. By brainstorming, the students can open their minds to experiences that they may
have had, but did not think applied to the discussion. When reviewing the privacy policies share
personal experiences that can bring value to the conversation. An example brainstorming topic
would be; Facebook reserves the right to share individual photographs without prior consent.
Ask the students for experiences or scenarios that this may cause an area of concern. What is the
result of photos being posted and how does it change the perceived notion of privacy.
Varying the End Product Used to Demonstrate Mastery of the Required Content
Once the content is delivered to the students, it is important to verify that it was
adequately understood. The lesson plan utilizes a student participation activity to determine if the
content was successfully delivered. Although the activity does require the students to participate,
it does not adequately determine if a full understanding is present. The nature of the content
includes some grey areas that lead to personal opinion being the correct answer. It is important
to add to the determination of mastery of content a measurable way to determine an adequate
understanding of the materials. Two suggestions to demonstrate mastery of the required content
are vocabulary mix and match quiz and independent research for a case study or pending legal
case pertaining to internet privacy.
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Most students dislike quizzes. However, there are interesting ways to quiz the students
that are not time consuming or difficult to administer. One example of this is the vocabulary mix
and match game. Divide the class into small groups of three to four students. Each group is
provided a stack of index cards that contain a vocabulary word or a definition. There are two
extra definition cards that do not match any of the vocabulary words in the stack. Each team is
instructed to group the words and definitions into matching sets. The smaller groups enable
students to participate and demonstrate understanding of the terms. Once the cards are matched,
the instructor will randomly ask each team to provide an example of a vocabulary word. This is a
collective effort. The students have two minutes to jointly provide an example and share with the
class.
The second suggestion to determine mastery of the content is to ask each student to
conduct an internet search for a recent case study or pending legal issue that pertains to internet
privacy. The cases will be discussed at the same time as the example cases already integrated
into the course outline. Asking the students to find their own studies opens the door to a greater
variety of cases to review. In addition to the variety, it assists the instructor in determining if the
content was understood. If the student can provide an applicable case or study, then the instructor
knows he or she has understood the instructions and the content delivered.
Varying or Altering the Environment to Accommodate Varied Learning Styles
There are three main learning styles that instructors need to be aware of; audio, visual,
and kinesthetic. The lesson plan briefly addresses each learning style. However, there are always
suggestions to improve the environment to address the needs of the students. The PowerPoint
presentation will appeal the audio and visual learners. This is an excellent tool to show the
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students the content as well as discuss it openly. Kinesthetic learners may not find this as
interesting as they prefer to have more of a hands on approach. One suggestion to vary the
environment and increase interest for these learners is to take a break from the presentation and
offer an opportunity to explore the topic in more depth. This is where group activities or research
is appropriate to fit in. The students will have the opportunity to learn about the topic and then
immediately put into practice their understanding of the content. These student participation
activities will appeal to the kinesthetic learners.
Proper adjustment of time and activities is necessary to catch and maintain the students
attention. The instructor should focus continually on all three learning styles to maintain interest.
It is also important to keep in mind that most adult learners prefer one learning style to another,
however they are capable of learning through all three learning styles when they display interest
in the topic. With this in mind, another suggestion to alter the environment to accommodate
varied learning styles is to jump back and forth between; the presentation, the student activities,
and the discussions. Begin the class with the PowerPoint presentation, stop for activities, and ask
questions to initiate a directed conversation pertaining to the topic, return to the presentation and
so on. By consistently changing the environment the students will remain engaged and find
learning the content more accessible. Each learning style will be entertained for short periods of
time providing them the opportunity to absorb the information through their preferred learning
style. Once the environment changes to a different learning style the prior one addressed has the
opportunity to process the information obtained. By the time they return to their preferred
learning style the students is reactivated to receive and process information.

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Conclusion
In conclusion, differentiated instruction is a tool for teachers which helps them
identify and implement accommodations to a diverse learning environment. A lesson on Internet
Privacy from the University of Washington, School of Law was reviewed and suggestions were
made for the application of additional accommodations to this course. The four areas of focus
were; differentiating the content to be learned, varying or altering the instructional strategies
used to teach the required content, varying the end product used to demonstrate mastery of the
required content, and varying or altering the environment to accommodate varied learning styles.
Each area of focus was discussed and two accommodations were offered for enhancement of the
course delivery. Adult learners need to have interest in the topics being learned. Adding these
accommodations energizes the delivery of this course enabling the students to maintain interest
throughout the class. These accommodations also provide additional variations to determine the
content delivered is clearly understood by the student.









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References
Accommodating learning styles. (2013). Retrieved from
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.123.8549&rep=rep1&type=pdf
National center on accessible instructional materials. (2011). Retrieved from
http://aim.cast.org/learn/historyarchive/backgroundpapers/differentiated_instruction_udl#
.UmM1QBDYHIU
School of law University of Washington. (2013). Retrieved from
http://www.law.washington.edu/clinics/streetlaw/lessons.aspx














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Appendix A
Name: Meghan McCabe
Lesson: Internet Privacy
Source: Original Lesson Plan
Date: 14 April 2011
Time: 50 minutes

I. Goals:
a. Introduce students to basic concepts surrounding internet privacy
b. Familiarize students with the privacy policy of common websites like Facebook
and Google
II. Objectives:
a. Knowledge Objectives: From this lesson, students will be better able to:
i. Define basic internet terms such as cookies, metadata, and IP address
ii. Talk about their views about what they consider to be private and what is
actually covered in internet privacy
iii. Understand the tensions between free and open communication and
private information
b. Skills Objectives: From this lesson, students will be better able to:
i. Share opinions in a clear and concise opinions
ii. Develop the ability to critically analyze why they hold the opinions they
do
iii. Engage is respectful debate about privacy issues
iv. Find the privacy policy of the websites they wish to use
c. Attitude Objectives: From this lesson, students will be better able to:
i. Appreciate how complex the relationship between input information and
stored information is on the internet
ii. Be more thoughtful about information they put on the internet
iii. Understand the tensions between public information and what each
individual considers to be private
III. Classroom Methods:
a. Hook/Survey
i. Advance to the first slide.
1. Ask students for their opinions on what privacy means to them.
2. Invite several students to share their opinions.
3. Ask students if they feel differently about things they post on
Facebook, versus private emails, versus instant messages
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ii. Advance to the second slide.
1. Ask students how many of them use Facebook.
2. Ask students how many of them use Google, or Gmail.
3. Ask students how many of them use Twitter.
4. Engage in a discussion about initial feelings of privacy. Some
potential questions are listed below.
a. How many of you read the terms and conditions when you
signed up for Facebook or your email server?
b. How many of you read the security updates on Facebook?
c. How many of you have ever put something on Facebook
you regret?
d. How many of you have ever sent an email you wish you
hadnt?
iii. Advance to the third slide.
1. Tell the students we are discuss to learn some basic internet
terms.
2. Define cookie.
a. When you visit a website, certain information is exchanged
between your computer and that website. It is stored on
your computer, and on the server of the website, in small
packets of information called cookies.
3. Whats included in a cookie?
a. What you type into the search bar of that website
b. What other websites you might have visited and what you
searched for there
4. What else should you know?
a. How much information they collect, as well as how much
information they store, is determined by personal settings
on your browser, as well as what the website asks your
computer to tell it.
b. Cookies can be disabled, but this may prevents you from
using certain websites.
iv. Advance to the next slide.
1. Define metadata.
a. Basically, its data about data.
b. Information about when you created data, where it came
from, how its been edited and when, and what program
created it.
c. Explain using the picture example on the slide.
i. Information is stored with the file that includes
things like:
1. What sort of camera took the photo
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2. When it was taken
3. How many times its been opened on my
computer
4. If the image has been edited at all
v. Advance to the next slide.
1. Define IP address.
a. IP address is internet protocol address.
b. This means a numerical label assigned to each device
participating in a network.
c. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
invented in the internet and IP addresses.
d. It might help to think of it the way DARPA defines it.
i. A name indicates what we seek. An address
indicates where it is. A route indicates how to get
there.
vi. Advance to the next slide.
1. What is private on Facebook?
a. The basic answer is it depends.
i. You can change what other users see on your own
privacy settings.
ii. However, you cannot prevent Facebook from
essentially owing whatever content you put in.
b. According to the privacy policy of Facebook, the company
has the right to use, store, and retain for an extended
period of time almost everything including:
i. Your status updates, pictures, videos, links, events
or groups, comments on other peoples content,
wall posts (on your wall and those you make on
other peoples), notes, chats and private messages
vii. Advance to the next slide.
1. Click into Facebooks privacy policy. Show students how to
navigate the site.
a. https://www.facebook.com/privacy/explanation.php
b. Tell students that this is what they assented to simply by
signing up for a Facebook account.
c. Tell students to be careful. You never know what kind of
job you might want in the future.
viii. Advance to the next slide.
1. Lets talk about Google.
2. Ask students if they know what a monopoly is.
a. Happens when one party or company has complete
control of a particular industry
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b. Google doesnt have one, but there are some who think
theyre getting close with internet information.
3. Talk about all the internet companies Google owns.
a. YouTube, AOL, Picasa, Android, Double Click, and 89 other
companies
b. They reach into businesses like internet marketing, service
providers, search engines, and social networking.
4. Double Click is the worlds largest online advertising company.
When Google purchased in for $3.1 billion in 2007, it was the
largest acquisition ever and remains so to this day. It took the
Securities and Exchange Commission anti-trust division almost a
year to investigate the deal and clear it for purchase.
a. Double Click is involved in online advertising, and works in
things like the targeted advertisements you see on the
sidebar of Google, or in your Gmail account.
ix. Advance to the next slide.
1. Show students how to access Googles privacy policy.
a. http://www.google.com/intl/en/privacy/
2. Define opt-out.
a. Google assumes they have your consent, unless you say
otherwise. You must make the affirmative step to not
participate.
3. Google retains a lot of information about you.
a. Any search you conduct, cookies, log information, user
communications (emails and chats)
4. Think about all those companies we talked about that Google
owns.
a. YouTube, Picasa, Google search, and all other websites
that allow Google to host their search function, like
cnn.com
x. Advance to the next slide.
1. Were going to conduct an opinion poll.
a. Note to teacher: One teacher should set up signs along a
long wall so students can have space to stand next to
them. They should be:
i. Strongly agree
ii. Agree
iii. Unsure
iv. Disagree
v. Strongly disagree
2. Directions:
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a. We are going to read a series of statements. You will go
stand next to whatever sign most closely resembles your
view on that statement. If youre unsure, stand in the
middle. If youre in between two feelings (like agree and
strongly agree), stand between those two signs.
b. After each statement, we are going to discuss with a few
people why they fall where they fall on the spectrum.
c. If your opinion changes when you hear from another
person, feel free to move.
xi. Statement One
1. If I meet someone new that I might be interested in, I Google
them or search for them on Facebook.
2. OR Ive Googled myself.
xii. Statement Two
1. Im comfortable with everyone in this class knowing my last ten
searches on Google.
2. My last fifteen?
3. What about everything Ive searched in the last year?
xiii. Statement Three
1. I am totally comfortable with other people tagging and posting
photos and comments of me on Facebook.
a. Note: Some services, like Picasa or iPhoto can search just
for your face, using facial recognition software. You dont
have to be tagged.
xiv. Statement Four
1. I am comfortable with data mining about me so I can get targeted
advertisements on my email and on the sidebars of websites like
Facebook.
xv. Statement Five
1. I agree with everything Ive posted on the internet in the last
three years, and Im comfortable with colleges and employers
seeing everything Ive posted.
xvi. Debrief with some current news stories.
1. Winklevoss Case
a. Basically, this is the real court case from the movie The
Social Network.
b. Litigation commenced in 2003, and a settlement was
reached in 2008 for $65 million.
c. Since 2008, Cameron and Tyler have tried to reject the
settlement and get more, claiming all sorts of things
against Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook, including
securities fraud.
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d. 9
th
Circuit Court of Appeals rules in early April 2011 that
the Winklevi must accept the settlement.
e. Chief Judge Alex Kozinski wrote in the April 12
th
ruling:
The Winklevosses are not the first parties bested by a
competitor who then seek to gain through litigation what
they were unable to achieve in the marketplaceAt some
point, litigation must come to an end. That point has now
been reached.
2. John Kerry and John McCain
a. The often extremely divergent senators introduced a bill
April 10, 2011 to Congress to drastically limit data
collection services (data mining) allowed on the Internet
Its called the Commercial Privacy Bill of Rights Act of
2011.
b. John Kerry said in a statement, Americans have a right to
decide how their information is collected, used, and
distributed, and businesses deserve the certainty that
comes with clear guidelines.
xvii. The final debrief (last slide)
1. The moral of the story is simply to educate yourself and think
before you act.
2. You dont need to be afraid of the internet, but you need to be
conscious of the ramifications of your current actions on the
future.
3. Think before you type something into the Internet. Once its out
there, you can NEVER take it back.


IV. Evaluation
a. Participation in classroom activity.