Differentiation Portfolio Michael Ferris

Assignment 3: Differentiation Portfolio
EDUC4720 Differentiation for Diverse Learners

Michael Ferris (ferr0121/2096044)

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Introduction

This portfolio will examine the concepts of differentiation and inclusion, explore how the concepts
of differentiation have been used at Reynella East College, and also consider how I was able to
apply techniques of differentiation within my teaching practicum, with a reflection on the
effectiveness of these techniques and ideas on how best to improve my teaching practice moving
forward.

Definitions of Differentiation and Inclusion

As an educational tool, differentiation is not designed to be an afterthought. Differentiation is also
not a knee-jerk reaction used to solve the issues of poor quality curriculum or instruction. Neither is
differentiation supposed to be a collection of different activities for different students. Simply put,
applying effective differentiation strategies in the classroom is to take a holistic approach to
planning and teaching that is grounded in an inclusive philosophy and a set of guiding principles
(Jarvis, 2013, p. 56). Differentiation is designed to be proactive contemplating potential
adjustments needed in order to cater for learner differences. One of the key objectives in the use
of differentiation is to enable students to develop as learners, and not necessarily at the same rate.
This is underpinned by the belief that all students can learn and that every student matters
(ACARA, 2010, p. 8). Therefore, rather than using differentiation techniques to divide students into
categories, effective differentiation needs to include curriculum with clear objectives, in order that
students know what they need to understand, know and be able to do. These learning objectives
are the end goal, and differentiated classrooms provide different avenues to acquiring content, to
processing or making sense of ideas, and to developing products so that each student can learn

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effectively (Tomlinson, 2001, p.1). Differentiation is designed to enable students to work at their
own level of appropriate challenge, as teachers allow student differences to dictate what, when,
and how they teach certain content. Differentiation ultimately is an educational tool which aims to
promote inclusion allowing students as much access as possible to what they need so that they
may develop into successful learners.

While differentiation is the method through which students are provided opportunities to develop
as learners, the basis for differentiation is the concept of inclusion. In defining inclusion, Ainscow
and Miles (2008) incorporate four related elements: presence, participation, progress (or
achievement) and a sense of belonging. Inclusion can be defined as the process of the removal of
barriers for groups and individuals who are at risk of being marginalised or excluded (Booth and
Ainscow, 2002). The end goal for educators must be ensuring that all students under a teachers
care have the ability to access a quality curriculum and [make] personal progress through the
curriculum (Jarvis, 2013, p. 55). That said, providing avenues through which students can
participate more fully, make progress at their own rate, and create an atmosphere in the classroom
where individuals feel as though they belong is the key to ensuring students feel included in what
takes place on a daily basis. Understanding student needs and allowing those needs to dictate the
decisions that a teacher makes is the essence of ensuring that inclusion and differentiation create
positive learning experiences for all students.


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A School Diversity and Inclusion Profile

Reynella East College (REC) is an R-12 school situated in the southern suburbs of Adelaide. Catering
for, in 2014, over 1650 students across the pre-school, primary, secondary and special education
sections of the College, Reynella East seeks to be an educational institution that is seen to be
inspiring success (Reynella East College, 2014). Currently the largest Department of Education
and Child Development (DECD) school in South Australia, REC caters for 53 Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander (ATSI) pre-school children and students, 20 children and students under the
Guardianship of the Minister (GOM), 130 children and students with disabilities and 116 students
who speak English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EALD). The College operates under the
belief that high expectations support all learners to progress and achieve, and that all learners
are able to make progress with their learning (REC, 2014). These beliefs support the same ideas
seen in the literature surrounding differentiation and inclusion, and through the 107 teachers, 39
Support Services Officers (SSOs) and 2 youth workers, these ideals are continually worked towards
with the students.

Reynella East College utilises a number of inclusion strategies in order to further integrate students
within the wider school community. Perhaps the most noticeable of the inclusion strategies used is
the use of streamed classes. During my time with the College, I have been able to work across the
range of Basic, Standard, and Advanced classes across the middle school band (Years 8-10).
Students are divided based on NAPLAN scores and also through work completed during the school
year. Students have the capacity to move fluidly between the different levels. Some students have
also been accelerated through some year levels. One Year 8 Advanced English student I taught last
year was in a Year 10 Advanced class this year. This vertical grouping generally works well in terms

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of pitching content at the right level but it does not work for all. Some talented students who do
not complete work are placed into the Basic class which creates further issues in relation to
student motivation and engagement. Despite this, vertical grouping appears to be mostly effective.
12 students at REC are also students of the Special Unit, and Tier 2 staffing is used to support
students with Negotiated Education Plans. These Plans are readily available in the staffroom for
consultation by all members of staff. Indigenous students are also well supported with two
Aboriginal Education Teachers (AET) and an Aboriginal Community Education Officer (ACEO). These
people are able to provide in-class support and mentoring, as well as working with parents/carers
of Indigenous students to support their learning and develop cultural connections in the
community. International students, of whom there are a significant number from Japan, participate
in an Intensive Secondary English Course in order to fast-track their use of the English language.
Perhaps one of the most useful inclusion strategies employed by REC is the Flexible Learning
Options (FLO) program which allows students with particular learning needs, styles or aspirations to
enrol in a program of study, designed specifically for them, which may include some school-based
subjects, but may also involve courses run by outside organisations. The College, in a recent
upgrade, developed facilities including an Allied Health Services Skills Centre, an Automotive
Workshop, a Building and Construction Workshop, a Commercial Kitchen and Caf, and a
Technology Centre through which specialised courses are run to engage students in non-traditional
methods. As well as all of this, sport and music are also a feature of Reynella East College, and
many students are actively involved in these extra-curricular activities. There are a number of
methods through which the College seeks to include students in the life of the school. To this end, I
believe these strategies are mostly effective. Many students make use of the wide range of
activities and courses, expertise and support offered to them, and for this, I believe REC should be
commended for the work they do with such a large cohort of students.

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In terms of opportunities for staff to become better familiarised with differentiation strategies and
working towards inclusion, REC utilises a range of professional development initiatives. During
faculty meetings, which generally occur fortnightly, up to three teachers will share a short
presentation about a technique or program or resource which they have found to be effective in
terms of better including their students and differentiating the curriculum in order to cater for
student difference. Further professional development opportunities are provided in order to
support teachers who have difficulty with issues such as dyslexia. These meetings provide
opportunities for collegiate learning, which is of benefit to all staff involved. While on placement,
REC published their Site Improvement Plan for 2014-2015. Within this plan, it is clear that creating
space for differentiation, and seeking further ways to include students into the wider school
community are priorities for the leadership of the school. As REC adjusts to new leadership,
professional development concerning differentiation and inclusion strategies appears to be an
important initiative for all staff.

Perhaps the most common difficulty faced by teachers at REC is the varying learning styles and
needs that students have. Having said that, I believe that REC is working effectively towards
providing students every opportunity to be successful, whether that be through extra-curricular
activities, through flexible learning programs, or through professional development. Improvements
that may make differentiation and inclusion even more effective is through developing a culture of
excellence, and of higher standards, which would further increase students motivation towards
learning, and the innate desire to continue to improve and be engaged in their learning.


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Professional Reflections

During my professional experience, I explored a range of differentiation strategies with my classes.
As two classes were middle school English, and the other two were senior school History classes, I
had the opportunity to consider the effectiveness of a number of strategies.

I focussed my attention on differentiating based on learner profile and interest. In each of my
classes, I used RAFTs as an effective tool to enable students to work in a format of their choice, on a
topic of their choice. This assessment type was initially met with some resistance from students
who could not understand how to make their choices, but following this, students were further
engaged with the topic. RAFTs enabled students to take on different viewpoints than their own,
while also fulfilling the objectives that I had for the topic. Examples of the RAFTs I set are below.

RAFT (Year 9 Poetry):

Role Audience Format Topic
Activist The local community 5 Haiku Racism
Opponent of
deforestation
People in favour of
deforestation
3 Cinquains Why deforestation is vital
throughout South-East Asia
Civil Rights campaigner Politicians 6 Couplets Same-sex marriage
Politician Australian public 4 Quatrains Poverty


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RAFT (Year 10 English Body Image Unit):

Role Audience Format Topic
Jillian Michaels Biggest Loser
critics
Speech What we do is effective for
our contestants
Whitney Thore Year 8 girls How-to Guide How to respect yourself
irrespective of your size
I Wanna Marry
Harry contestants
Harry Letter Why would you mislead me
for your own and the worlds
entertainment?
Cameron Russell Magazine
editors
Internal Monologue
(thoughts)
Use me as I am not as you
want me to be

I also used pre-assessment at the start of each topic I presented to the students. Particularly in the
Stage 1 History class that I taught, pre-assessment proved vital in deciding where I needed to pitch
my delivery of content relating to Communism and its role in the Cold War. Students came in with a
good level of knowledge, which allowed me to extend them further in their understanding.
Conversely, with the semester change, a new group of students have begun who have little
understanding of the ideology, and my teaching has become more structured and scaffolded for
this cohort.

In my year 9 English class, I encountered two students with NEPs, both of whom needed support in
terms of chunking and creating opportunities for small steps of progress, as opposed to large

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assignments that appear daunting. Creating space for these students impressed upon me the
importance of scaffolding, and the necessity of supporting them through every step, rather than
assuming that they know what to do, and how to complete it satisfactorily.

What I found to be the most successful forms of differentiation were when students found
themselves being actively involved in their learning, and in the conversation that dictated what
they would learn. In this way, differentiation by interest proved to be effective through raising the
level of engagement, the level of enjoyment, and subsequently, the standard of the work
completed. Through the use of RAFTs, students became much more enthusiastic about their
learning, and despite not always being familiar with the format being chosen, because the subject
was of their choice, they were far more comfortable with completing the work.

What made the application of differentiation difficult, particularly in my two senior classes, was the
structure of the course, and the willingness of students to attend. As the assessment plans had
already been written before my arrival at REC, it was difficult to negotiate ways in which to improve
student outcomes by applying differentiation to the tasks completed. Likewise, any attempt at
differentiation by readiness was thwarted because of chronic absences that at times took out more
than sixty per cent of the class. This made it difficult from a content perspective, but more
importantly, chronic absences made developing a sense of continuity, and an ability to be ready for
content difficult. This was perhaps my greatest struggle, as the use of differentiation through
interest proved effective in each of my classes. This is something that I wish to work on with a
group for whom absences is not such a great issue.


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I have learnt that differentiation is much more than just a useful tool. Differentiation conducted in
a precise manner is the backbone to effectively moving students forward in their learning. The
effective use of differentiation allows each student to have their own goals that they work towards,
and includes them further in the learning process rather than letting the learning just take place.
I have discovered that the perfectly-pitched lessons and work are the most fulfilling and the most
rewarding as a teacher because the results are much easier to recognise. Having said that, I do seek
to develop my ability to differentiate by readiness further, and, I also want to use group work more
effectively within an inclusive and differentiated classroom. This practicum has enabled me to see
just how vital the use of differentiation is to the individual successes of each and every student that
come into my care.

Bibliography

ACARA (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority). (2010). The shape of the
Australian curriculum (Version 2.0). Available [online]
http://www.acara.edu.au/verve/_resources/Shape_of_the_Australian_Curriculum.pdf>. Accessed
14
th
June 2014.

Ainscow, M. & Miles, S. (2008). Making education for all inclusive: Where next? Prospects, 37 (1),
15-34.


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Booth, T. & Ainscow, M. (2002). Index for Inclusion: Developing learning and participation in schools.
United Kingdom: Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education.

Government of South Australia. (2012). 2012 Resource Entitlement Statement for Schools. Available
[online] http://www.decd.sa.gov.au/locs/files/pages/DataOnline/SiteRes/1907-RES.pdf. Accessed
14
th
June 2014.

Government of South Australia. (2013). 2013 Site Summary Statistics Reynella East College.
Available [online]
http://www.decd.sa.gov.au/locs/files/pages/DataOnline/SiteSummaryReports/1907_SiteSummary.
pdf. Accessed 14
th
June 2014.

Reynella East College. (2014). Philosophy & Objectives. Available [online]
http://reynellaec.sa.edu.au/about/philosophy-objectives/. Accessed 14
th
June 2014.

Reynella East College. (2014). Reynella East College: Site Improvement Plan 2014-2015. Available
[online] http://reynellaec.sa.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/REC-SITE-IMPROVEMENT-PLAN-
2014-2015.pdf. Accessed 14
th
June 2014.

Reynella East College. (2013). School Context Statement. Available [online]
http://reynellaec.sa.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/School-Context-Statement-20131.pdf.
Accessed 14
th
June 2014.


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Reynella East College. (2014). Special Needs. Available [online] http://reynellaec.sa.edu.au/student-
support/special-needs/. Accessed 14
th
June 2014.

Tomlinson, C. A. (2001). How to differentiate instruction in mixed-ability classrooms (2
nd
ed.). Upper
Saddle River, NJ; Pearson Inc.

Word Count: 2,170.

Differentiation Portfolio Michael Ferris

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Assignment 3: Differentiation Portfolio

EDUC4720 Differentiation for Diverse Learners

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