Differentiating Instruction in the English Language Classrooms (Primary and Secondary)

Overview

In the SFEd courses on Differentiating Instruction (DI) in English Language (EL) Classrooms, you will:

actively inquire into:
- your practice of DI in the teaching, learning and assessment of EL, or
- your practice of leading others in their learning about DI; and
apply your learning and reflect on your practice, which includes the use of educational technology to promote active student learning in participatory, connected and reflective classrooms.

There are courses at three Levels of Practice that you can choose from:

To decide on the most appropriate Level of Practice to meet your learning needs, please refer to the information for each of the three Levels of Practice below.

Levels of Practice and Learning Goals

Proficient Level of Practice: Does independently

Select this course at the Proficient Level of Practice if you:

wish to have fundamental understanding of the principles of DI, and to become skilful and independent in your practice of DI in EL classrooms;
would like to be able to, on an ongoing basis, reflect on your practice of DI to improve student learning of EL; and
plan to apply your learning as you participate in the course.

Learning Goals

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

demonstrate understanding of DI and its rationale in the teaching, learning and assessment of EL;
apply the principles of DI to take into account students’ different learning readiness, interests and learning profiles; and
make appropriate choices, including the use of educational technology, to support the practice of DI in EL classrooms, based on knowledge of learners, the EL Syllabus 2020 and the EL curriculum.

Accomplished Level of Practice: Adapts skilfully

Select this course at the Accomplished Level of Practice if you:

are skilful and independent in your practice of DI in EL classrooms;
would like to become adaptive in your practice of DI, by being able to customise learning for your students as you enact your EL lessons; and
plan to apply and, on an ongoing basis, reflect on your learning as you participate in the course, which involves reviewing a lesson for adaptive practice of DI in EL classrooms.

Learning Goals

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

adapt EL lessons, incorporating the use of educational technology, based on:
- principles of DI, and
- knowledge of learners, acquired through the sound use of assessment information on students’ learning readiness, interests and learning profiles, collected before, during and after instruction; and
demonstrate adaptiveness in differentiating content, process, product and learning environment in the enactment of lessons to enable students to maximise their learning in the areas of language learning.

Leading Level of Practice: Leads others effectively

Select this course at the Leading Level of Practice if you:

are skilful, independent and adaptive in your practice of DI in EL classrooms;
would like to be able to lead effectively and mentor others in their professional learning and practice of DI; and
plan to apply and, on an ongoing basis, reflect on your learning as you participate in the course, which involves planning a professional learning session to lead and guide peers/teachers in their practice of DI in EL classrooms.

Learning Goals

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

lead and mentor peers/teachers in the practice of DI in the areas of language learning to improve classroom practice, by demonstrating:
- the application of DI principles and e-pedagogy;
- ongoing review of and critical inquiry into the practice of DI;
- adaptiveness in the practice of DI to customise learning for students; and
plan with the aim of facilitating professional learning about DI in EL classrooms in the following contexts: a Professional Learning Team (PLT), Professional Learning Community (PLC) and/or Networked Learning Community (NLC) at school/cluster levels.