DIFF 510: Differentiated Instructional Strategies

Professor: Rebecca Mansell

Reflection
Jessica Maiorana
DUE: Saturday, March 22nd, 2014
Reflection
My unit was focused on growing and changing. Students learned how people grow and
change, recognized other living things (plants, animals, insects...etc.) that grow and change just
like people, realized that all living things go through a life cycle, and gained awareness of the
different changes involved in life cycles. Our primary focus was the life cycle from a caterpillar
to a butterfly, which complimented our literature, Im a Caterpillar.
My first lesson focused on the idea of growing and changing and what that really means.
Students reinforced their knowledge of growing and changing by completing one of the five
activities (singing/creating a song or a poem, completing a venn diagram, writing a story,
drawing, or completing a timeline). They were able to connect the way we (humans) grow and
change to other living things in nature. Students were able to discuss and explain why we grow
and change, referring to the purpose behind it. I found this lesson to be beneficial because it also
encouraged students to think back to all that they have a accomplished from their time as a baby
until now, which built their confidence.
My second lesson picked up where the first lesson left off. Lesson one was wrapped up
by reading the story Im a Caterpillar. Lesson 2 begins with the students filling in something
they learned from the story on a butterfly cut out and adding it to the class KWL chart. The
lesson progresses and continues to cover the life cycle of a caterpillar to a butterfly. Students
were able to learn about and reinforce the life cycle of a caterpillar to a butterfly by
writing/recording the stages in order on the worksheet provided, drawing pictures of stages in

order on the template provided, ordering the series of pictures provided in the correct sequence,
or by acting out the out the different stages of development in the correct order.
I found that students were much more successful when they had options, different ways
for them to demonstrate their understanding. I have always known how important it is to
differentiate and I have done different things in past lessons to do so; however, I have learned to
consider and focus on what I would like them to take away from my lesson. For example, if I
would like them to have an understanding of a life cycle, its purpose, and be able to accurately
identify the stages of development and their order in the butterfly life cycle, that does not mean
they need to go about it in the same way. I am not testing their writing ability, so they do not
need to write out the stages of development to prove that they know them. Students could rely
on their strengths and areas of interest to demonstrate their understanding whether that be writing
a story, creating a song, illustrating, acting, discussionetc. In the past I did find ways to
differentiate; however, after completing the matrix I feel much more comfortable with aligning
Blooms taxonomy to Gardners multiple intelligences. The matrix as well as the unit as a whole
has forced me to think of ideas in areas that may not be my strength or area of expertise because
everyone is different and I dont want to have them limited by my comfort zone. I know I am
currently writing a reflection, but the unit as a whole has forced me to be more self-reflective
about my teaching and strategies that I use. I really feel this has pushed me out of my comfort
zone, but in a way that has benefited me as teacher and my students as learners.