Designing a Differentiated Lesson Plan

        Evaluating and Choosing Instructional Strategies

    My experiences in a second-grade math class led me to design a differentiated lesson for a crucial mathematical concept. In second grade, students experience place value and flexible thinking about numbers to apply to computation strategies, such as addition and subtraction. Observational data, learning style inventories, and discussion with the classroom teacher all led to the decision to create a lesson that builds number sense conceptual understanding in computation strategies. Specifically, I focused on a concept that reviews and applies the decomposition of two-digit numbers to support addition strategies. Place value understanding is an important precursor for computation and conceptual understanding of arithmetic skills, and emphasizing place value helps students with multi-digit addition tasks (Lambert & Moeller, 2019). Students need strong number sense related to place value and decomposing and recomposing numbers in flexible ways in order to build computational skills. To address common student misconceptions, the differentiated lesson focuses on applying the decomposition of two-digit numbers and flexible thinking about numbers to the computation strategy of adding the place value parts to find the sum. 

    The differentiated lesson is designed with mostly small group and collaborative learning activities to support the diverse learners in the class. In order to engage and support all learners in the second-grade classroom, I used formative data about student readiness and learning styles to differentiate the lesson with concrete, representational, and abstract methods of instruction. Students with visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning needs benefit from multiple means of accessing the math content. The concrete-representational-abstract (CRA) instructional sequence approach creates learning experiences that improve number concepts and conceptual meaning of operations (Hinton & Flores, 2019). Manipulating concrete objects, using visual pictures and representations, as well as collaboration through math discourse provide learning experiences throughout the differentiated lesson that support diverse needs of students. Also, I used information from the classroom teacher about student interests to ensure I could connect the content to make the learning activities relevant and engaging for the students. 

Differentiated Assessment

    Differentiated assessment in the lesson ensures all students can meet the specific learning goals and provides an opportunity for student choice. Students demonstrate their understanding of how to solve an addition problem through an exit ticket. The assessment allows choice in which manipulatives to use, including concrete and digital, as well as which graphic organizer to help students solve the problem. The lesson allows students multiple opportunities to practice the addition strategy of adding the parts using hundreds charts, open number lines, manipulatives, and place value charts. Students also have the choice of providing their response to the exit ticket visually with paper or concrete objects, digitally with Google Slides, or orally with a video recording using Flip. Differentiated assessment provides flexibility and choice for students to acquire the knowledge and skills in a learning objective, as well as the manner in which they demonstrate their understanding (Kaur et al., 2019). The differentiated assessment supports diverse learners such as ELLs, students with special needs, gifted students, and early finishers. For the different student needs, students can choose to complete the exit ticket collaboratively or independently. Multiple resources and support are available for diverse learners, such as visual aids, anchor charts, various manipulatives, sentence frames, and technology. The lesson provides extension activities to apply the place value concepts and addition strategy to larger numbers. 

    Technology Integration

    Throughout the lesson, technology is integrated as an option for students with digital tools for decomposing numbers and solving addition problems, as well as a differentiated method for sharing student thinking. Digital base ten blocks provide students a different resource to manipulate numbers as they flexibly think about place value and apply it to addition of numbers. Dreambox, an online application for practicing mathematical concepts, allows students to practice and apply the concepts of decomposing numbers and adding numbers. This application provides differentiated learning experiences as teachers are able to assign targeted lessons based on student readiness and level of understanding. Flip, a video recording application, allows students to record and present their explanations for solving addition problems and provides differentiated means of expression for assessment. Technology and digital tools support differentiated instruction and allow students to collaborate, visualize content, and engage in learning activities (Santori & Smith, 2018). Through the use of various technology tools, students are able to explore the decomposition and addition of multi-digit numbers. This differentiated lesson meets the individual needs of the second-grade students and engages them in learning activities to build their number sense and computational understanding. 


References:


Hinton, V. M., & Flores, M. M. (2019). The effects of the concrete-representational-abstract sequence for students at risk for mathematics failure. Journal of Behavioral Education, 28(4), 493-516. https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.2307/45282332

Kaur, A., Noman, M., & Awang-Hashim, R. (2019). Exploring and evaluating differentiated assessment practices of in-service teachers for components of differentiation. Teaching Education, 30(2), 160-176. https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.1080/10476210.2018.1455084

Lambert, K., & Moeller, K. (2019). Place-value computation in children with mathematics difficulties. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 178, 214-225.

Santori, D., & Smith, C. A. (2018). Teaching and learning with iPads to support dialogic construction of multiliteracies. Middle School Journal, 49(1), 24-31. https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.1080/00940771.2018.1398944

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