Time Flies When You’re Differentiating Instruction

I attribute the success of Monday’s class to my method of using differentiated instruction. I kicked off each segment with a video to create a spark and ignite the working memory. Students were directed to simply listen – and not submit to the temptations of note-taking and keyboard shadowing. Post video, students ventured to the activity center where I instigated a real-world application with the intent to create a link from theory to application so that when students are faced with a test question they can activate their memory through associating the activity with the skill. I will describe a sequence of events:

1. We used YouTube and viewed a video on the ins and outs of Protecting Documents.

2. Activity Center – A fishbowl of 5 students were given an index card with a job title and they were instructed not to look at their index card. The activity models the basics of a child’s game called, Hedbanz. On the index card was a job title and a brief description of the role the person played in a corporate office environment. Some roles included: Manager, Intern, Supervisor, Great employee, Just gave 2 weeks notice. Students were asked – based on the descriptions – to create a dialogue as to why we would want to protect a document. As dialogue unfolded, I created different dynamics. Instead of 5 employees I selected just 3 and the students were prompted to continue their discussion. Obviously, several dynamics resulted in different conversations – evidence that the lightbulbs were flickering. The students walked away with an idea that breathed life into the objective of the segment.

3. Students proceeded to their computers and completed the practice exercises with enthusiasm and purpose.

Fun Fact: The class structure was inspired by a quote I read from Ken Robinson (in a link published by an educational enthusiast I follow on Twitter), “Creativity is not an option, it’s an absolute necessity.”

Picture originated from <www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/learning/fishbowls.html>