FIAE Chapter 1

This chapter begins by explaining what differentiated instruction is and how it’s beneficial in the classroom. Many of the pros and cons of using differentiated instruction are mentioned in this chapter in a clear and beneficial way, basically making DI the only acceptable practice.

One of the many beneficial things about the way this chapter deals with DI is that it becomes clear what things students can gain from this, and how those will apply in life outside the classroom. First, I really liked how this chapter gave clear examples of how DI is used in everyday situations, even the military. It makes more of an impression when the chapter points out the many ways it already affects lives. Secondly, my favorite and most memorable discussion this chapter has is when it explains that DI is not necessarily making it easier for the students, it is giving them scaffolding to be able to reach new levels of understand, so, in a way, it’s actually making the ending goal harder to reach. I think with the vivid example of taking away a student’s glasses, this will now stick clearly in my mind. It also helped to clarify what I already knew about DI and how to use it successfully in the classroom. Finally, I really appreciated how at the end of the chapter it mentioned how much more useful having a positive attitude toward DI would make, especially in finishing the book. I don’t think that a lot of educators think about how their attitude affects how they’re learning, so this was a really important part for me.