| It is not always easy for new teachers to know how | | | | self-sufficient literacy classrooms. Teachers will also |
| to engage struggling students. The instructional goals | | | | want to consider how they can meet the needs of |
| for these students are to help them learn at a pace | | | | diverse learning populations. They might collaborate |
| they can achieve.Teachers can set the stage for | | | | and share instructional strategies, reflections, and |
| successful instruction by learning the areas that | | | | observations. The materials and activities will be on the |
| students can and can't do. By targeting instruction, they | | | | same subject matter and include some of the same |
| can determine the best way to help students meet | | | | curriculum goals as regular classroom instruction. |
| those new instructional goals. | | | | However, these instructional goals will be geared to |
| Differentiating Between Instructional Goals and | | | | potentially at-risk and/or struggling students. Teachers |
| Objectives | | | | can also collaborate to prepare special activities and |
| Teachers need to account for instructional goals and | | | | materials for such students. |
| objectives in their teaching. The main difference | | | | Use Differentiated Instruction to Target Goals and |
| between instructional goals and objectives is that goals | | | | Objectives |
| state the desired result or achievement. An | | | | Differentiation occurs when teachers focus on the |
| instructional goal identifies what students should learn. | | | | diverse needs of their students and group them |
| Objectives specify the learning environment, | | | | accordingly. It also occurs when they vary their |
| background knowledge, instructional material, and other | | | | instructional strategies and methods to maintain student |
| tools students will need to have in order to | | | | interest and meet their needs. |
| demonstrate specific knowledge or perform a | | | | Teachers can use differentiated instruction to modify |
| particular task. Teachers need to consider what | | | | their teaching. They want to successfully engage |
| methods they will use to help their struggling students | | | | specific groups within a whole class framework who |
| attain instructional goals. | | | | are not making strides in their learning. In these cases, |
| Identifying Areas of Learning Difficulty | | | | teachers will need to target instruction to meet the |
| Once teachers identify significant areas in which | | | | needs of other students who struggle more. Teachers |
| students struggle and significant areas of at-risk | | | | look for ways to differentiate instruction within |
| learning, they can create targeted instructional goals | | | | extremely tight time and curriculum constraints. They |
| and objectives. These specific goals will guide | | | | are also concerned that students won't be off-task |
| classroom learning and assessment that reflect learner | | | | during period of instruction. |
| independent and growth. According to Starkman, | | | | Teachers are still discovering how to adjust instruction |
| "when anyone is trying to learn, feedback about the | | | | to meet the needs of their struggling students. They |
| effort has three elements: recognition of the desired | | | | can draw upon their instructional goals, experiences |
| goal, evidence about present position, and some | | | | and contexts that are applicable to teaching and |
| understanding of a way to close the gap between the | | | | supporting their struggling students. |
| two" (Starkman, 2006). | | | | Works Cited |
| Meeting the Diverse Needs of Struggling Students | | | | Starkman, Neal. (2006). "Formative Assessment: |
| The focus today is on the best methods to use in | | | | Building a Better Student," T.H.E. Journal, 9. |