Page 42 - CARING and SAFE SCHOOLS in ONTARIO

INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES
Cooperative Learning
▪ Cooperative learning is an instructional method that emphasizes small-group work. The teacher puts students with different abilities and talents into a small group and assigns that group a specific task, with the requirement that the students work together to carry out the task. Cooperative learning fosters both positive interdependence and responsibility. Students learn appropriate social behaviour and skills when they are put into a learning situation that requires them to work constructively with a group (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2005).
Differentiated Instruction (DI)
▪ Differentiated instruction is a method of teaching based on the idea that because students differ significantly in their interests, learning styles, and readiness to learn, it is necessary to adapt instruction to suit these differing characteristics in an environment that is planned and organized to meet the needs of all students. The teacher can differentiate one or a number of the following elements in any classroom learning situation: (1) the content of learning (what the students are going to learn); (2) the process of learning (the types of tasks and activities);
(3) the products of learning (the ways in which students demonstrate learning); and (4) the affect/environment (the context and environment in which students learn and demonstrate learning) (Tomlinson, 2008, as cited in Ontario Ministry of Education, 2009e).
The Tiered Approach
▪ The “tiered” approach is a systematic, sequential approach to providing high- quality, evidence-based instruction and appropriate interventions that respond to students’ individual needs. It is based on frequent monitoring of student progress and the use of assessment data, focusing on learning rate and level, to identify students who are having difficulty and to plan specific instructional interventions of increasing intensity to address their needs effectively. It can be used to address both academic and behavioural needs (Vaughn et al., 2003).
Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
▪ Universal design for learning is a teaching approach based on research showing that assistance targeted at a specific group can help all students (Turnbull et al., Caring and Safe Schools
2002, as cited in Ontario Ministry of Education, 2005). Its aim is to assist teach- ers in applying teaching strategies or pedagogical materials designed to meet the special needs of specific students or groups of students to enhance learning for
all students, regardless of age, skills, or situations.
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