NOTE: Free essay sample provided on this page should be used for references or sample purposes only. The sample essay is available to anyone, so any direct quoting without mentioning the source will be considered plagiarism by schools, colleges and universities that use plagiarism detection software. To get a completely brand-new, plagiarism-free essay, please use our essay writing service.
One click instant price quote
Individualized instruction is not just a philosophy, but rather is comprised of a specific plan for meeting every student's educational needs. Individualized instruction begins with a system to diagnose student strengths and weaknesses. Teachers use this pre-assessment to define goals for the student and understand their academic interests. The next step is to determine the best possible arrangement to group students for instruction, whether it is by needs, interests, or developmental levels. Once the teacher has determined student needs and organized the students into groups for effective instruction, the teacher must decide how to instruct the students to produce maximum benefits for each individual student. This includes instruction delivery, course content, integrated activities, and a learning time frame.
In order to evaluate the student's progress, a design for record keeping and a variety of assessment techniques must be must be made. The purpose of this paper is to design a plan for implementing an individualized instruction program in mathematics education. The plan will focus on mathematics content in 4 th to 5 th grade. The content area for this plan is geometry, and will include components of measurement and fractions. Geometry is one of the five content areas outlined by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. A relational understanding of geometry incorporates aspects of measurement for determining properties such as area, volume, perimeter, etc.
Fractions are used in geometry for understanding geometric equations such as the area of a triangle (A = 1 / 2 b h) and in determining ratios between various geometric objects or shapes. Van Heile levels, meeting students where they are at Diagnosing strengths and weaknesses Many people believe that individualizing instruction means adapting learning for students experiencing academic difficulties or cognitive delays. This could not be further from the truth. Individualizing instruction means engaging students in learning content, processes, and attitudes that are most appropriate for the individual. This means the needs of all students must be met for the program to be effective. The needs of students experiencing difficulty, students who right on track, and students who far exceed academic expectations must be met.
As educators, we provide opportunities for every student to maximize his or her individual potential. It is impossible to look at a student and understand the needs of that child. Teachers must create a thorough plan for diagnosing students' abilities and interests, as well as determining objectives and goals for each student. Diagnosing student strengths and weaknesses can be a stressful process for students because it often involves diagnostic testing.
For this reason, students must understand the purpose of an individualized instruction program in order to truly benefit from it. Explain to the students that the testing will not be used for grading purposes, but instead will be used to allow the student to work at a pace and on a level that they feel comfortable at and that they will be successful at. A pre-assessment process will be used to determine student needs in mathematics. As previously mentioned, it is important to meet the students where they are at in terms of geometrical understanding. The van Heile levels break geometric understanding into three levels; 3 levels. The students progress through all of the levels, and in the same order.
In order to maximize student achievement, the teacher must be aware of what level the student is at, so that the student can be appropriately challenged. There are many ways to conduct the pre-assessment. You do not want to rely on simply one form of pre-assessment because a variety of assessments will eliminate testing biases and more effectively reveal student needs. One popular form of pre-assessment is a diagnostic test. The diagnostic test will reveal what students already know and what their strengths and weaknesses are. The diagnostic test allows students to focus in areas that they have weaknesses in (such as lower level students) and omit areas that they already have an understanding in and move on to more challenging work (as in higher level students).
Students who demonstrate prior mastery in a unit's objectives can participate in a Curriculum Compacting program to eliminate instructional time and practice in the mastered content. The students will use their learning time to participate in enrichment options or acceleration programs. In addition to diagnostic testing, observations of student behavior can reveal student needs. The area of geometry is special because it is a very hands-on, manipulative subject, especially in elementary school. There are an abundance of commercially made and personally made materials that students can interact with. Teacher observation with a checklist can reveal if students have little understanding, a functional understanding, or superior understanding, of geometry content or skills.
In these observations, use geometric constructivists activities such as learning centers and mathematics games and manipulatives to reveal the students' van Heile level. The student might even be able to diagnose their strengths and weaknesses better than the teacher. Use student journals, questionnaires, and interest inventories to determine what the student feels confident or hesitant about doing, what his or her interests are, and what kind of goals they have for themselves. As a teacher, use the diagnostic testing, real-setting observation, and personal reflections to place the student into the appropriate van Heile level. This is not to say that each student falls onto one of three categories and will receive the same instruction as other members of the group level. However, it will allow you as a teacher to generally classify students according to a level of understanding so that you can meet them where they are at for instructional purposes.
After the teacher has determined what the needs are of each child from an educator's standpoint, it is important to conduct individual conferences, both with the student and the parents. Together the student and the parents should define goals for the child. Determine what each party wants the student to get out of the unit. Students need to have something to work towards; otherwise they will never see the purpose of the learning in their lives. Use the conference period to outline 5 to 6 meaningful, behavioral objectives for the student. Compile the diagnostic test results, observation checklist, student reflections, educational goals and objectives, and overall teacher reflections into a file.
This will allow the teacher, student, and parents to revisit the pre-assessment at the conclusion of the unit do determine academic progress made, objectives accomplished, and effectiveness of the individualized program. See appendix for an example a diagnostic test, observation checklist, and interest inventory. Grouping of Students When using an individualized instruction program, organization on the part of the teacher is essential. Meeting the needs of all students, differentiating assignments, and supervising the class are issues that must be addressed. Dividing students among different groups makes it easier for the teacher to adapt instruction for individual differences.
However, a teacher must be careful when deciding on a system for grouping students. Students must work in many different groups based on a variety of characteristics. For example, having students work in the same ability group for every project becomes a problem. Students become tracked on a certain level and have trouble reaching their potential, in addition to limiting their interactions with all classmates. Grouping by ability level is often very beneficial. Lower ability students will often require personal interaction with the teacher.
Working at a small-group table with four to five students allows the teacher to meet the needs of a few students who are experiencing similar difficulty. The students who are having trouble will not feel embarrassed like they would if they were grouped with students whose ability far exceeded their own. Students who are progressing at a normal rate can benefit from small group instruction as well. The teacher can take the opportunity to challenge these students at a higher level through hands-on interaction and application exercises. Students who are at the highest level can be grouped for curriculum compacting after passing the pre-assessment. These students participate in enrichment activities like self-selected projects, independent study, or learning centers designed to accelerate the curriculum.
These three levels will likely correspond to the van Heile levels of understanding. A second way to group students is by separating students by preferred learning modality. Teachers should provide opportunities to for students to work with other students who learn in ways similar to their own. This makes it easier for students to teach each other because they have a similar reference for explaining concepts or skills. Some students are visual learners and may be grouped as such. These students might prefer to learn from workbooks, videos, or by observing other students or the teacher work out a problem.
Other students may be auditory learners and would prefer to work at a learning station with audio equipment to guide them through a learning process as they manipulate objects or work out problems. These students may wish to work together as one student explains how a problem is carried out, while the other listens to follow the process. Still a third type of learning modality is the tactile kinesthetic. These students learn best from manipulating objects and completing activities that encourage them to use their hands.
These students will benefit from exploratory learning centers, creating projects, and using manipulatives. A third way to group students is by interests. Some students may enjoy problem-solving activities, while others enjoy mathematical games, and still others prefer construction or creative activities. Students should be encouraged to work in areas that they feel comfortable about and that they enjoy learning about. The student will gain a more meaningful learning experience because he or she enjoys the mathematics content and processes they are engaged in, and will feel like they are an important factor the decision-making process of their education. Group work should not be selected simply for the purpose of having group work.
The goals for instruction should be specific and personalized for each student, and these factors will determine the appropriate way to group students for any given lesson. Group size and number of groups is important. When you first assign students to work in groups, the number of children per group should be small. Students should feel comfortable working with a small number of students so that everyone feels like they can offer relevant input to the group. The larger the group, the less influence every child has on the learning that takes place. When the teacher decides to assign the students to groups, the number of groups in the classroom must not bee too overwhelming for the teacher.
The teacher must be able to circulate around the room and spend an acceptable amount of time observing student interactions and academic progress. If the class is divided into 10 groups, it will be very difficult for the teacher to devote enough time to each of the groups. Some students are natural teachers and this makes it possible to group students into tutoring relationships. This does not mean that gifted student should be placed with students experiencing difficulty. There must be a purpose for each child and the decision must be individualized for the situation. For example there are a few students in every class who enjoy helping lower-ability students.
These tutors do not miss out on more advanced instruction, but instead solidify their understanding by relating it to...
Free research essays on topics related to: feel comfortable, learning centers, strengths and weaknesses, makes it easier, higher level
Research essay sample on Makes It Easier Strengths And Weaknesses
