EDN305

Weekly Assessment 4
Professional experience: BEd Secondary
By Jacob Wehr-Murphy Student Number: 32664441

1. Click on the following link: http://www.teacherstv.com.au/

- If you haven't already registered, follow the prompts on the Teachers TV website
to register. It's free and very useful.

- Log in

- Click on ‘Secondary’ on the left hand side of your screen

- Insert ‘Differentiation’ into the Search box at the top right hand corner of your
screen

- Scroll down to the following YouTube clip: Secondary NQTs - Differentiation

- Press play and view the clip

The Learning Area referred to in the YouTube clip might be different to your Learning
Area, however, many of the approaches can be incorporated in all Learning Areas.
While you are watching the YouTube clip, think about how the strategies would be
relevant or adapted to your Learning Area.

To help develop your understanding, answer the following questions about the
YouTube clip above.

a) What support was provided for the teachers, (that you might be able to use when
you are teaching) to help them respond to varying student needs? The first example of
support has been provided.

i. One teacher incorporated strategies she had learned from a PD

ii. One of the teachers was advised by her mentor to get her students to work on individual
assessment rather then whole class ones to cater to the different learning abilities.

iii. Another teacher aided a fellow teacher by providing equipment for the student that was
disadvantaged to help him in the activity they were doing in science class so he could
progress on his own without additional help from said teacher.

b) The science teacher in the YouTube clip said that special needs wasn’t limited to a
small group of students. Instead, she felt that all students had special needs that should
be responded to. In a few sentences, explain why this is a valuable approach to teaching.
 I believe what she was trying to state is that all students are different and require help in a
range of fields not just the students who suffer from physical or mental disabilities but those
who suffered in the class room with particular learning areas as well. That is why instead of
focusing on one student with disabilities she focused on all the class and let the students
function independently as it is not just the small group that may struggle but others as well.

2. On the same Teachers TV website, scroll to: Managing Learning – Secondary –

Differentiation

Press play and view the YouTube clip.

Answer the following questions to develop your understanding.

a) To help develop students’ self-evaluation of the quality of their understanding of

new concepts, the science teacher in the YouTube clip asked students if they were
confident that they understood the new concept well enough to stand out the front and
explain it to others.

In a few sentences, explain why this is a valuable question to ask students.

To see if students are confident enough to explain the knowledge taught to them. Also to help
cement this knowledge through the explanation of it to others.

b) In the history class in the YouTube clip, students evaluated each other’s work.
What are the benefits of this?

The benefits to this are that students can see how others work on the same tasks and fill in
any of the blanks that they may have missed. They can also aid each other in their allowing
the teacher to focus on students who need urgent help. This can also help cement knowledge
into their minds as they will be looking at the work from a different perspective and aiding
others in finding the answers as well.

c) Thinking beyond the YouTube clip: when students mark each other’s work, they
might be too easy, too hard or unkind. In a few sentences, explain how you would
resolve this.

I would get them to mark one section each and pass it on to the next person so they get a
variety of feedback rather than having one person mark it. I would also explain to them that
they are to mark it fairly, making sure that they mention one good thing and one thing to
improve on. I would do this underlining the “thing to improve on section” as to make it clear
that when we talk about this it is a kind criticism not a nasty one.

3. a) Choose one descriptor from the curriculum in your Learning Area for EDN305,
that you haven’t used previously in this unit, and cut and paste it into your responses
for this week. http://www.scsa.wa.edu.au

Interpret the stated and implied meanings in spoken texts, and use evidence to support or
challenge different perspectives (ACELY1730)

b) In point form, briefly outline a lesson that would guide students’ learning to achieve
the outcomes/descriptor.
  Select two previously spoken and controversial texts spoken by influential figures.
 Split class up into two groups one with one text the other with the other text.
 Get students to read text on their own as well as reading with them after they have
viewed the text.
 Get students after finishing reading to then write a few dot points to some questions. I
will write on the board questions for both texts like, what is the speaker trying to say?
are they emotional in any way? Questions like this to prompt discussion and learning.
 I will then get one volunteer to read their given speech aloud from each group.
 Before this however instructing the other group to answer some questions while they
do their speech like do, you agree with the speaker why/ why not, name one thing you
disagree with in terms of what the speaker is saying, general questions like this to
spark debate and discussion.
 Then once the speaker has gone the other group will state their answers to the
questions in response to the opposing groups speech. The same will then happen
when the other group does their speech.
 Afterwards there will be a whole class discussion about all the topics raised during the
speeches and why some students agreed and others did not.

c) Insert into the outline of your lesson, how you would respond to the needs of the
following students to help them achieve the outcomes/descriptors.

 To those who struggle with reading after a few minutes of reading to themselves I
would then read out the text aloud to each group individually to make sure all the
students understand what is being said in said text before continuing to the next
section.
 I also added putting questions up on the board so those students who didn’t clearly
understand the verbal instructions would have somewhere to look interims of
information and what to do.
 I would also make sure each of my students had written out the questions on the board
in their own books leaving a space between them for answers doing this as a whole
class so no one gets left behind when writing.
 I would also give a brief explanation at the end of each of the student’s speech’s
highlighting what the students were talking about and writing on the board clearly
what points they were trying to make.
 Provide extra questions or already pre-done up work sheets with excess questions for
those students who are more advanced.

d) In a few sentences for each student, briefly explain why your strategies would be of
benefit to them.

Students who struggled learning the skills/knowledge in your lesson

 Taking students through as a whole group allows all students to keep up with one
another using visual and vocal cues I will be able to aid the student through his or her
struggles by providing a group work atmosphere as well as addition aids that should
enable the student to keep the pace with the rest of the class.
Students who were extremely capable (Ensure you do more for these students than just
give them extra work. Give them tasks that would develop a higher level of
understanding or skills.)
 I would provide extra work to keep those students that are usually ahead class
occupied whilst instructing the rest of the class as a group. This way those students
wouldn’t become bored, distracted or detract others who are on the task.
Students with low literacy (Your learning area might be largely of a practical nature,
like HPE or maths, however consider how you could incorporate an element of literacy
to further develop students’ reading and writing.)
 Reading together so all students understand.
 Writing the questions out on the board and reading them out to the students to answer
together so all students understand.
Students with autism (To answer appropriately, you might need to research autism.)
 Depending on whether its mild, moderate or severe I would adjust the activity
accordingly perhaps whether I had discussed with the students’ parents about an
adjusted study plan for the student or if the student had a career in the class I would
instruct them on what to focus on with said student.
Students who spoke very little English
 As stated before reading the speeches to the students aloud.
 using visual cues such as the writing on the board.
 In addition, I would also most likely go over the instructions again after explaining to
the whole class giving that student a one on one to make sure they understood
completely what to do.
Students who were disengaged
 Give students a fair yet stern warning about being disengaged.
 Explicitly explain that I will only be going over the instructions once more so that
they know they have to listen and consistently asking them questions to regain their
attention.

e) Why would it be important to, at times, allow all students the opportunity to
complete extension tasks that are normally provided for capable students?

To push students to improve themselves setting higher expectations and enabling them to
gain confidence in their abilities in said learning area. Also, to see if they are ready for more
difficult work then previously given before as they may not be trying as hard due to boredom
from the current work load.