Differentiation and Problem Solving

Differentiation and Problem Solving

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address the following

• Explain the lesson you are going to change to a problem-based lesson. Why did you select this
  lesson? Remember to create a meaningful context with the problem solving.
• What other strategies will you use to differentiate this lesson to ensure all students� needs are met
  and all students are learning?
• How will you teach this lesson to ensure the problem-solving process is upheld?
  Differentiation and Problem Solving

To attain successful teaching career, teachers should use differentiated assessment and
effective teaching strategies (Improvement, 2014). They are responsible for ensuring that
their students grasp the main concepts of their respective courses. This paper explains the
expectations and the academic impact of using differentiated strategy in problem-solving of
mathematical problems. It explains how students can be tested on their ability to use simple
arithmetic operations to understand how to put equations together physically.
Changing a Course to a Problem-Based Lesson

I intend to change the addition and subtraction to a problem-based lesson to make my
students easily understand the concepts of the course. The use of addition and subtraction is
part of arithmetic operations that are used to find solutions to problems involving taking
from, comparing, taking apart, and putting together. This is done by using objects, equations,
or drawings. Students will solve addition and subtraction problems by representing them in
the form of pictures and numbers, and I will measure their progress using a running record.
This record will allow me to know each student’s progress from the first lesson to mastery of
the concept. I will give physical and word problems for the students to see how they can use
their hands to place graphic equation and express the equations on paper.
I will also demonstrate this using iPad where students can touch the graphics by
moving them to the right areas of similar equations. An example of a word problem is: Tom

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went to the market and bought two oranges. He later stopped at the supermarket to buy four
more oranges. How many oranges does Tom have altogether? I will give the students tiny
green plastic oranges to demonstrate the equation. I will also ask them to demonstrate the
equations using drawings by inserting the correct symbol to form equations. This will give
the students a better chance of understanding the concepts of the lesson. I will use
observation to see each student can represent numbers correctly. If a student cannot represent
the equations correction after sometimes, I will recommend further assessment of their
position to determine their proper placement in the school. I choose this course because I
noticed in the past that students who have had difficulty grasping these basic arithmetic
concepts were prone to having a hard time progressing to the next units.

Lesson plan
NAME: GRADE:
State standard

States standards recommend teach to begin with the selection of the topic to be
taught followed by the development of a teaching method. After teaching the
lesson, the teacher is supposed to assess and allow academic impact. Finally,
teachers are required to give academic feedback to their students before
proceeding to the next lesson.

Objective

At the end of this course, students should be able to take their illustrations,
compare with equations, and find their solutions with 99 percent accuracy.

Procedure

This activity will allow the students to combine their illustrations, equations, and
solutions by putting them in one solution box. They will take turns to explain how

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they arrived at their solutions within their small groups and the entire class.

Homework / Assessment

Students will be graded using their corresponding correct match of items. The
marks will be awarded based on the correct matching of pictures to respective
numbers, and correct solution of the equations.

Other Strategies Will Enhance Differentiated Learning

In mathematics, there are various activities, tools, and strategies that support teachers
in the implementation of differentiation and problem-solving strategies. Firstly, in this lesson,
I will use online tools such as sumdog.com and scootpad.com to allow my students to
practice and effectively master addition and subtraction operations (Newman, 2013). These
tools will assist in making the lesson interesting and minimize boredom. Secondly, I will use
research-based intervention of one-on-one tutoring where I will extend learning to specific
students that need more assistance to grasp the concepts of the course. Thirdly, I will use exit
cards strategy to allow students to ask questions before exiting the classroom. This will give
me an opportunity to answer math questions based on student’s exit cards and build a positive
relationship between the students and myself. These alternative strategies will enhance
student’s performance and achievements in the course.

How to Uphold Problem-Solving Process

Formative assessment of these activities will enable me to create and form a running
record and portfolio for my students to develop and enhance skills in arithmetic operations
(Puckett, 2013). This will allow me to keep track of their activities, questions, their anxiety
and participatory levels, and ways of solving arithmetic problems. The portfolio will give
student’s progress during the entire course. Also, I will use these assessments to determine

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what and how I will change the course. Whenever they encounter problems describing how
they arrived at creating equations or finding their solutions, I will ask them questions to help
them recall course content. The key to effective use of formative assessment is to focus on
student’s adaptation to instruction and analysis of their responses (Puckett, 2013). Their
responses would reveal their misconceptions and thought processes that must be redirected.

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Reference List

Improvement, T. C. (2014). Teacher Quality and Comprehension.
Newman, R. (2013). Teaching and Learning in the 21st Century. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint
Education, Inc.
Puckett, K (2013). Differentiating Instruction: A Practical Guide. Bridgepoint Education: San
Diego, CA.