Definitions of differentiation and inclusion

Differentiation in the classroom

Recognising individuals, learning needs strengths interest and
learning styles anonymous author
Providing different access points to the curriculum anonymous
author
Awareness of the different needs and backgrounds of students
within the classroom anonymous author
Catering to the specific individual learning needs of the students
anonymous author
Modifying the task so that all students can access the curriculum
anonymous author
The above quotes were obtained while doing my final professional
experience from various teachers and are included to show how
other teaching professionals define differentiation in the classroom.
I understand differentiation in the classroom as starting with a clear
learning objective and then being able to identify through preassessment the readiness of students to meet the learning
objective. This enables planning of the lesson to cater to the
readiness of all students. Students are learning the same material in
different ways allowing for all students to achieve.
Differentiation is not an entity on its own, relatively it is a mixture of
theories and practices combining together to provide teachers with
a way to manage their classroom with a more holistic approach
(Tomlinson 2000).
Inclusion in the classroom
A programme which caters to individual needs and learning styles
in a challenging and inclusive way building students confidence
anonymous author
To ensure all students feel they belong, are involved and treated
fairly to enable learning to occur anonymous author
all students have equity of access across all areas of school and
learning anonymous author
Having all students involved in achieving the learning goal
anonymous author

Creating opportunities for all students to participate by providing

the necessary supports/modifications anonymous author
The above quotes were obtained while doing my final professional
experience from various teachers and are included to show how
other teaching professionals define inclusion in the classroom.
I understand inclusion to be ensuring that all students are being
catered for. Students all come to school with their own virtual
backpacks and they all contain a variety of things. Inclusion is being
able to understand and build professional relationships with
students to optimise all students learning.
Inclusion is a course of action to find improved ways of teaching and
responding to student diversity. Inclusion in a classroom provides
students a sense of self and removes barriers that inhibit learning.
This provides a platform for all students to feel present in the
classroom, participate and achieve goals. While inclusion is about
all students it lends itself to those groups of students that are left
behind (Ainscow, M., & Miles, S. 2009).

A School Diversity and Inclusion Profile

School context
The demographic of this school is P to 7 with a high proportion of
students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The school is classed as
a category of disadvantage level 2. At present there are seven
regular classes including an all boys class. The school also hosts a
district special class for primary aged students with approximately
12 students. The school consist of approximately 160 students with
15% of these enrolments being indigenous students. Attached to
the school is a pre-school with 16 enrolments. The school is lucky
enough to enjoy superb surrounding views and have large outdoor
spaces including two ovals. The school buildings include a new
administration block, a new gymnasium, 2 teaching wings including
the resources centre, a music drama room and all rooms have been
newly carpeted. Attached to the school is a pre-school which has its
own facilities.
Differences faced in the classroom
Student
Ability
values
Behavioural
Socio Gender
economic
Intellectual
Cultural
disabilities

Trauma
ESL
ADD/ADHA/
Aspergers/Aut
ism

school with no
Speech and
Immature
food
Language
motor skills
Lateness
disabilities
Lack of
Processing
Absent
money for
disorder
excursions
Family
Students
disputes
coming to

The list above is compiled from information obtain from

various teachers within the school. All are consistent issues in
the school and provided a multitude of differences in all
classrooms. All of these differences affect learning, planning,
teaching and classroom structure. As the school has such a
range of differences, differentiation and inclusion are a
common practice by all staff. As all staff at this school are
active learners and are consistently trying to improve the way
they teach, they have all heard of differentiation but not
necessarily understood what is meant by it. Even though the
teachers have not necessarily understood what differentiation
is, it is evident it is being implemented. For example a teacher
at the school is teaching a 3/4 class and has a range of
intellectual ability ranging from reception to year 6. On
observation and through discussion with this teacher I was
able to identify that she was differentiating her lessons by
readiness. There was evidence of pre-assessment which
allowed for knowledge of students readiness level. The lesson
was then designed with this in mind. The lessons have clear
learning objectives and then students were given tasks that
were based of the learning objective but allowed for the
readiness of each student.

Specialised staff and support personnel (including

external professionals who visit the school and work
with particular students)
Guidance
Special
Hackham
counsellor
Education
west
teacher
community
Disability
centre
CAMHS
coordinator
Disability SA
Student
Relationships
DECS support
behaviour
Australia
coordinator
worker
NOVITA
Speech
Aboriginal
Families SA
pathologist
worker
Smith Family
(operates DIG
SSO
club)


The list above is compiled from information obtain from
various teachers within the school. This list shows that while
teachers are a vital part of students learning there is a high
need for the above professionals to be involved to ensure
there is the chance that all students will be catered for and
positive relationships can be made in the school community.

As relationships are a main means for new teachers to develop

classroom management and to ensure the development of
positive school relationships which will be enhance by personal
and professional effectiveness. Being a new teacher brings
new challenges and as a first time teacher there is the
challenge to not emulate what is being observed and a need to
consult with and have support from professional support
workers (Kindsvatter 1996).

Being able to access all of the professionals in the above list is

vital to a new teacher to help build relationships with students
and professional colleagues. This will enable better classroom
structures and environments that are designed around
differentiation and inclusion. Students will benefit as this
provides a holistic approach to their learning.

Specialist programs or initiatives to help staff with

diverse learners
Programs at the school that are implemented by the whole
school are Accelerate Literacy (AL) and Make it count (MC).
AL is a pedagogy which makes explicit to students the ways of
talking, viewing, thinking, reading, writing and spelling that are
part of a literate discourse in western culture (DECD). AL
offers teachers with a universal skeleton to work from
providing students with a balance literacy program (DECD).
The AL program was developed for indigenous students but is
now used widely in schools in South Australia (DECD). MC is a
program that has been developed on the pedagogies of AL to
help students with the basic needs of mathematical language.
The program is design for developing whole school pedagogies
for mathematics and numeracy that result in distinct improved
achievement by Indigenous students (AAMT). Both these
pedagogies fit well the Australian Curriculum and while
designed for indigenous students are ideal for lower social
economical environments.

 Professional development is also offered to teachers but as the

range of diversity in each class is very different it is hard to
provide professional development for all. Some professional
development session are directed and attend by only the
teachers that need it: for example professional development
for the teacher that has an all boys class which was based
around boys education.

All though professional development was provided some

teachers feel that there is not enough professional
development available to assist all teachers. Overall due to the
nature of the school I believe that the school provides a
platform for student success and caters for a wide range of
diverse students by providing as much as possible professional
development for their teachers.

Professional Reflection

Differentiation strategies I applied while doing my final

professional placement
As part of our assessment for differentiation I designed a
lesson plan around differentiation by readiness for
mathematics. I was able to use this lesson while on my
professional placement. I started off with a pre-assessment to
gain knowledge of students readiness. I found this very useful
for the planning of my lesson. The knowledge I gain by this
pre-assessment enable me to provide a lesson that was
engaging for all students and while I had a set learning goal
students were working towards this goal at a level of readiness
that suited each individual student.

Readiness level is linked to a students current closeness to, or

expertise with in the context of a set learning goal and gives a
clear understanding of students knowledge and skill of the
particular learning goal (Sousa D 2011)

Factors that made it challenging and or easy to

differentiate in the classroom
The classroom why a designated year one class had a range of
complex issues ranging from severe speech disorders,
behaviour issues, domestic violence, complex families to
students working at a 3 year old level to those well above.
Using lessons that were differentiated by readiness allowed me
to cater for all students in the classroom. I believe that an
understanding of differentiation has help me have a very

successful final professional placement by allowing me to plan

very efficient and engaging lessons which have a holistic
approach to each and every student in the class.
Differentiation is not easy to achieve with a high percentage of
diverse learners in the classroom but as I say to my students
you can do hard things so with this in mind, it is to the
benefit of the students I teach that I can do hard things.
Meaning that by being able to learn to differentiate in the
classroom while is difficult it is possible.

Things I have learnt about myself as a teacher of

diverse learners
I believe that I have learnt a lot about myself during this final
professional experience. I have been place in a school with
very diverse learners in every classroom. Each classroom is
different from one another and faces different diverse learners.
In the classroom I was subjected to a range of diverse students
and due to building positive professional relationships with all
the students I was able to better understand their learning
needs. I strongly believe that although this will be an ongoing
learning process I have adapted well to teaching a diverse
range of students and hope to gain employment in this diverse
type of school.

 References

AAMT http://makeitcount.aamt.edu.au/About viewed 3rd June

2012

Ainscow, M., & Miles, S. 2009, Developing inclusive education

systems: How can we move policies forward? Published at:
http://www.ibe.unesco.org/fileadmin/user_upload/COPs/News_d
ocuments/2009/0907Beirut/DevelopingInclusive_

DECD
http://www.decd.sa.gov.au/literacy/pages/Home/accelerated_lit
eracy/?reFlag=1 viewed 3rd June 2012

Kindwvatter R, Wilen W & Ishler M 1996, Dynamics of effective

teaching, White Plains NY Longman chapter 10 Toward
effective teaching pp 357-372

Sousa D, 2011, Differentiation and the brain: how neuroscience

supports the learner-friendly classroom. Bloomington, Ind.:
Solution Tree Press, pp. 85-108

Tomlinson, C. A. & Allan, S. D., 2000, Leadership for

differentiating classrooms and schools, ASCD