Chapters 1-7

I really like the way this book is laid out. It is a logical progression through introducing what differentiated instruction is, how to carry it out, how to manage a classroom while it is occurring, along with many other helpful scenarios. Differentiated instruction seems like it is the best bet for a classroom to be at maximum productivity. Though it seems like it is a bit more work to plan many different pathways to one main idea, it is what will work best for the children. It gives each child the chance to get what they need to learn.
It seems like many of the things we have learned already are coming together in the chapters I read. It talks about connecting information to prior knowledge, each child's needs being different, the importance of assessments along the way and before hand rather than just at the end, and the many different ways of learning and showing that they have learned the information.
At this point in time, I am not sure how I would set up a differentiated instruction classroom, but I know I want to. This may be one of those, do one area the best you can, things. Once I can do one area differentiated well, I can bring in others. This way of instruction is surely a bit more work, but it is better for the students. The students in my classroom would benefit from this greatly. My class has a very wide range of abilities, from a few that are unable to read to a couple gifted children. It is difficult to allow all of them explore the subjects in a way that suits them best, and allows them to satisfy all of their needs without differentiating. If the class could be differentiated for just one subject, it would make a huge difference in the students' learning.