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Instructional & Assessment Strategies for Diverse LearnersBy Shay McNeilThe purpose of this lesson is to show that as an educator, recognizing the needs of diverse learners is necessary. It will demonstrate how to effectively incorporate assessments into lessons. Different assessment tools to inform continuous learning will be revealed. Differentiation for students with disabilities and/or enrichment concepts will be discussed to address various learning levels of students as well.1Summary of Lesson:Initial Lesson on Probability:Casino NightGoal of the lesson was to determine the number of outcomes related to a given event and understand the basic laws of probability.

Essential Question: How do I solve for simple and compound independent events?This lesson is based on the concept of probability. In the lesson, students ware asked to perform at different stations and solve problems at their stations based on both simple and compound events. They presented answers in fractions (favorable outcomes/total outcomes) or ratios. Students were sometimes asked to convert fractions to decimals or percents.

This lesson allows students to demonstrate their knowledge through performance assessments. As they walk around to the various stations, students would document their answers after rolling the die, spinning the spinner, counting cards, or pulling poker chips out of the bags. Answer sheets are provided and students get answers based on information they obtained at various tables.2What Pre-assessment Data RevealedMore formative assessments needed. This area can be addressed with warm ups, check points or exits slips. This way, corrections can be made and feedback can be timely.Method of delivery may need to change.All learning needs are not being met.More feedback needed to find and make corrections.Pre-assessment data revealed that some students understood the basic laws of probability. They knew what the top number represented and how to obtain the information needed for the denominator of a ratio on probability. High level learners got all three quick warm up responses correct. Many students that did not understand or recall how to answer the questions, simply circled any multiple choice response.

Failure to recognize a need for change in delivery and assessments will reap poor summative assessment results. Teachers in a position where half of the class passed and the other half guessed is quite alarming. When students do not retain information properly, the method of delivery may be a factor. Working to change3Assessment tool prior to teaching the lesson: Simon spins a 9 sectioned spinner numbered 1-9. What is the probability he spins the spinner and lands on an even number?a. 5/9c. 1/2b. 4/9d. 2/9Maggie reaches into a bag of marbles and pulls out a color at random. What is the probability the marble is green? Use the information below to answer the question:a. 8/13 c. 8/11b. 4/15 d. 8/15 Color Quantity red 4 Green 8 Blue 3

The word P-R-O-B-A-B-I-L-I-T-Y IS cut into individual letters and placed in a bag. What is the probability of randomly selecting the letter B?a. 2/11c. 2/10b. 1/11d. 4/11

The pre assessment will consist of questions regarding information students should be able to determine at this point. Questions will be given that will help students prepare for the many forms and levels of assessments they will face (Herrera 2009). They will be written in standardized testing format and used as warm-up activities, review, or challenge questions on classroom quizzes and tests throughout the duration of the lesson (Herrera 2009).

4Assessment tools during teaching :Numerous checkpoint exercises to see if students get correct responses.Reciting information learned to peers.Late feedback is better than no feedback. -AnonymousOne of the most generalizable strategies a teacher can use is to provide students with feedback relative to how well they are doing. The most powerful single modification that enhances achievement is feedback (Marzono 96).

5I would change the lesson for remediation to:Include differentiation techniquesConversions of decimals and percents practices would be provided. Calculators would be provided for accommodations for SWDs to solve addition and multiplication of fractions.Focus more on mastering the standard than tedious details.A table would be provided that allowed students to practice expressing probability in fractions, decimals, and percents. Although a sixth grade standard, many eighth grade students with disabilities (SWDs) have trouble expressing this. Calculators would be provided where necessary. This way, SWDs can keep up with the lesson on probability instead of experiencing frustrations with decimal or percent conversions.

6I would change the lesson for enrichment and introduce: Open ended responsesCompound Dependent EventsIncorporate more open ended questions that are based on Blooms Taxonomy at each station. Questions that make predictions (synthesis) before visiting stations or ask of other possible outcomes (analysis) will be intertwined at each table.See what students conclude when they remove items they draw or pull on the first round. (application)Teachers should provide different levels of questions for students with higher levels of intelligences compared to students with disabilities. The students would have different response type questions that may include questions regarding explaining how they got their answers. Because most formal testing includes multiple-choice items, these are included here as well, but with an added explain your thinking, justify your logic or how do you know? component (Herrera 2009).

Other higher level of thinking would incorporate what, if scenarios (application) where students note what happens when the factor of not replacing items was involved. Calculations would be different than those of replacing the items in compound independent events which is what they have been using throughout the entire lesson.7Activities for high level learners include: Incorporating learning task for enrichment. Allowing advanced students the opportunities to make presentations, discuss findings, or participate in more hands on activities.Although many students can benefit from learning at higher levels, motivation to perform these tasks with presentations or projects will be evident through tasks. When students can create work at these levels of Blooms it demonstrates a true understanding of concepts taught and presented.8Activities for SWDs modificationsServices for students with IEPs5 students of the 15 had IEPs; they were all allowed the use of calculators to assist in computations.Manipulatives introduced.Small group instruction provided at tables per paraprofessional or coteacher.Allowing extended time for completion at stationsModified assignments to meet their instructional level is needed as well.Testing and assessments is often monitored with children with disabilities. Various types, formal or standardized are used often. Formative assessments should be given to compare population as well as evaluating individual children. Some are less formal and used for ongoing assessment of a students progress in meeting his or her IEP goal (www.about.com). Helping reach the IEP goals is a top priority in the classroom and can somewhat level the playing field for the disadvantaged learner.

Many services provided were the result of instructional recommendations that would best suit the need of the childs deficit. When traditional methods of instruction do not work, another method of delivery may be required as written in the IEP.9Post test for mastery changesAllowing students to demonstrate masteryA need for earlier intervention strategiesWhen students are at the tables, walking around with a list of names on a clipboard and marking correct responses as a method of evaluation can be a different way to allow them to demonstrate mastery. Incorporate quicker ways to show daily progression and give feedback.Formative assessments linked to the targets of daily instruction provide continuous information (Chappuis 2008).Instead of making the mastery summative in nature like before, allowing students to demonstrate their knowledge by showing or telling how they got their answers meets the comprehension stage of Blooms. If they understand the information they learned, that should be able to translate or explain their responses.

Performance assessments are typically inappropriate for measuring student knowledge of facts (Slater 2010)so helping assess how they acquire their answers to solve is a high priority. This can be addressed by allowing students to earn points on their score by successfully showing or telling how they got their answer to a problem instead of using mathematical problems on paper.10Assessment tools after teaching the lesson:Provide a choice board for assessments that suits the needs of various learners. Grade the student based on their areas of expertise.Activity 1Activity 2Activity 3Explain why a game is fair or not fair if two friends play darts but choose 1 color. (Create your own dartboardto use for answer)

What is the probability of landing on a red and black space on two rolls in a game of roulette.?Present a demonstration on probability and show how you obtain your final results.Testing after the lesson is summative in nature to some extent. However, after researching this topic more, it appears that evaluating students based on how well they perform in a certain area may have a lot to do with their diverse learning styles or habits. Students learned how to solve probability in a variety of ways ranging from solving operations to performing (or doing) the work with the tangible object in hand, to name a few. In any case, the objective of the lesson was realized and students all mastered, although at different levels of learning, how to solve for simple and compound events.

Allowing choice boards as assessments, helps students pick what problems they feel comfortable answering. With an opportunity to choose, students feel more involved in their learning process and actively work to submit correct information. (Example provided in the slide)11Why were these changes necessary?Changes were needed:

To actively incorporate both formative and summative assessments.

To provide more timely feedback to students.

To allow students the opportunity to be responsible learners.A group of diverse students will have different learning levels as well as different intelligences. One way a student acquires information may be totally different from how another student acquires the same information or concept. In any case, students are required to master the same standards and retain information on the objectives at hand. When teachers are faced with presenting a lot of data to students, no one method of instructional delivery is considered superior.

Actively providing students with both formative and summative assessments are necessary. The modifications to the lessons worked to bring both type of assessments to the lesson. When summative and formative classroom assessments are high quality and purposefully planned, they are synergistic parts of the same system and can help form a more complete and accurate picture of student learning (Chappuis 2008).

12ReferencesChappuis, Stephen. Finding Balance: Assessment in the Middle School Classroom. October 2008. Retrieved on January 18, 2010 from www.nmsa.org/Publications/Middle Ground/Articles/October2008/Article1/tabid/1755/Default.aspx.Herrera, Terese. Middle School Portal/Math Assessments. March 2009. Retrieved on January 15, 2010 from http:://wiki.nsdl.org/index.php/MSP:MiddleSchoolPortal/Math_Assessment.Slater, Slater Timothy F. 2010. Performance Assessment. Retrieved on December 20, 2010 from http://www.flaguide.org/extra/download/cat/perfass/pss.pdf