ONM1 Task 2: Analyzing Students’
Individual Differences
D187 - Differentiated
Instruction
Western Governors
University
Master of Science, Curriculum and
Instruction
Introduction
I am currently teaching 7th and 8th grade math at a suburban middle
school. Our students come from a variety of different socioeconomic
classes, different educational experiences, and cultural backgrounds. My
average class size is 25 students including regular education students,
special education students, and students with 504 plans. This paper will
evaluate the vertical alignment of a specific concept of instruction in the
, prior, current, and following grade levels and to reflect upon how I can
collaborate to allow for horizontal alignment of a curriculum for the seventh
grade level.
Determining Student Information
In order to learn about individual students’ learning preferences, their
culture, gender influences, intelligence, and interests, there are various
strategies to use. To address individual student learning preferences,
teachers consider “environmental or personal factors that may impact the
learning process” (Tomlinson, 2017, 111). One strategy useful to do so is to
“teach students how to talk about their preferences, and provide varied
options for them” (Tomlinson, 2017, 116). By allowing students to discuss
their preferences and training them so that doing so allows them to access
the choices that best fit their needs, the instruction is being differentiated
through both environmental and personal factors that impact individualized
learning.
Information that impacts students' intelligences that helps determine the
practice of differentiated instruction as it “refers to the sorts of brain-based
predispositions people have for learning” (Tomlinson, 2017, 113). In
particular, this factor encourages teachers to deviate from labels and the
idea that one student uses one mode of learning throughout various
contexts without variation (Tomlinson, 2017, 113). To allow for
differentiation of instruction based on students’ intelligences, theRAFT
(role, audience, format, topic) strategy of assignments “present students
with a range of thinking or communication prompts” should be centered
around a consistent skill to provide opportunities for students to express
their understanding through different mediums (Tomlinson, 2017,
120). This type of strategy is useful when a teacher wants to
address the varying intelligences that are present within the whole
group and among individuals.
A third area that influences individual preferences and shapes how
students learn best. Both gender and culture influenced preferences
include specific learning patterns but
03-09-2025 05:14:13 GMT -05:00
, there is variance as well (Tomlinson, 2017, 114). As a culture, we have set
“norms” for what is acceptable or perceived to be the male or female
approach to learning as well as the variance that may be present in
learning styles that are different among different cultures. In order to learn
this information within the classroom, it is helpful to implement
“groupworthy tasks” in a given exercise to allow students to explore their
preferences without an imposition from their teacher (Tomlinson, 2017,
118). These “groupworthy” tasks allow for opportunities for the students to
participate and contribute to an activity in their own way by showcasing
the skills they feel are best within a
multidimensional task (Tomlinson, 2017, 118). While providing the students
this access to a wide variety of resources, students have the time to and
opportunity to explore their preferences in learning and it allows the
teacher to use the strategy to learn about the students’ culture and gender
preferences in the classroom.
The final area to consider when differentiating instruction is to focus on and
plan for individual learning based on student interests. One strategy that is
relevant to the practice of differentiation that can help a teacher learn about
students’ interests is ‘Sidebar
Studies’ which draws upon the student’s existing interests that are linked
to the curriculum (Tomlinson, 2017, 98). This strategy examines the
students’ interests by asking students to list their specific interests and any
topics thay might like to explore at the beginning of the school year. With
this information, the teacher can use the students’ inferences to study or
explore a topic from the curriculum. This strategy allows the teacher to
differentiate instruction based on specific student’s interests while
increasing the students motivation to engage in the specific instruction.
Learner Profile
Student
Profile
● Student A ● Academic Background
● 7th grade ○ Math ability is below
● Age 12 grade level,
● Subject: approximately 6th
Math grade level
○ Reading and writing ability at
grade level
Individual Differences
D187 - Differentiated
Instruction
Western Governors
University
Master of Science, Curriculum and
Instruction
Introduction
I am currently teaching 7th and 8th grade math at a suburban middle
school. Our students come from a variety of different socioeconomic
classes, different educational experiences, and cultural backgrounds. My
average class size is 25 students including regular education students,
special education students, and students with 504 plans. This paper will
evaluate the vertical alignment of a specific concept of instruction in the
, prior, current, and following grade levels and to reflect upon how I can
collaborate to allow for horizontal alignment of a curriculum for the seventh
grade level.
Determining Student Information
In order to learn about individual students’ learning preferences, their
culture, gender influences, intelligence, and interests, there are various
strategies to use. To address individual student learning preferences,
teachers consider “environmental or personal factors that may impact the
learning process” (Tomlinson, 2017, 111). One strategy useful to do so is to
“teach students how to talk about their preferences, and provide varied
options for them” (Tomlinson, 2017, 116). By allowing students to discuss
their preferences and training them so that doing so allows them to access
the choices that best fit their needs, the instruction is being differentiated
through both environmental and personal factors that impact individualized
learning.
Information that impacts students' intelligences that helps determine the
practice of differentiated instruction as it “refers to the sorts of brain-based
predispositions people have for learning” (Tomlinson, 2017, 113). In
particular, this factor encourages teachers to deviate from labels and the
idea that one student uses one mode of learning throughout various
contexts without variation (Tomlinson, 2017, 113). To allow for
differentiation of instruction based on students’ intelligences, theRAFT
(role, audience, format, topic) strategy of assignments “present students
with a range of thinking or communication prompts” should be centered
around a consistent skill to provide opportunities for students to express
their understanding through different mediums (Tomlinson, 2017,
120). This type of strategy is useful when a teacher wants to
address the varying intelligences that are present within the whole
group and among individuals.
A third area that influences individual preferences and shapes how
students learn best. Both gender and culture influenced preferences
include specific learning patterns but
03-09-2025 05:14:13 GMT -05:00
, there is variance as well (Tomlinson, 2017, 114). As a culture, we have set
“norms” for what is acceptable or perceived to be the male or female
approach to learning as well as the variance that may be present in
learning styles that are different among different cultures. In order to learn
this information within the classroom, it is helpful to implement
“groupworthy tasks” in a given exercise to allow students to explore their
preferences without an imposition from their teacher (Tomlinson, 2017,
118). These “groupworthy” tasks allow for opportunities for the students to
participate and contribute to an activity in their own way by showcasing
the skills they feel are best within a
multidimensional task (Tomlinson, 2017, 118). While providing the students
this access to a wide variety of resources, students have the time to and
opportunity to explore their preferences in learning and it allows the
teacher to use the strategy to learn about the students’ culture and gender
preferences in the classroom.
The final area to consider when differentiating instruction is to focus on and
plan for individual learning based on student interests. One strategy that is
relevant to the practice of differentiation that can help a teacher learn about
students’ interests is ‘Sidebar
Studies’ which draws upon the student’s existing interests that are linked
to the curriculum (Tomlinson, 2017, 98). This strategy examines the
students’ interests by asking students to list their specific interests and any
topics thay might like to explore at the beginning of the school year. With
this information, the teacher can use the students’ inferences to study or
explore a topic from the curriculum. This strategy allows the teacher to
differentiate instruction based on specific student’s interests while
increasing the students motivation to engage in the specific instruction.
Learner Profile
Student
Profile
● Student A ● Academic Background
● 7th grade ○ Math ability is below
● Age 12 grade level,
● Subject: approximately 6th
Math grade level
○ Reading and writing ability at
grade level
