IDI/UBD Chapter 4

The fourth chapter of Integrating Differentiated Instruction and Understanding by Design further discusses issues of content. This more focuses on clarity of content, however. The chapter focuses on how an educator needs to establish clear understanding goals for content and give both quality curriculum and instruction. Though most teachers believe this and that variety is necessary in the classroom, research suggests that this is an ideal that most instructors are not currently meeting. Therefore, they are falling short of the sort of responsive classroom that they would like to have. Differentiated instruction is a big part of this, as, in many classrooms, students who are struggle tend to be given smaller goals and less work while students who tend to over-achieve tend to be given more goals and extra work. In an ideally functioning classroom, the same goals belong to everybody, but they may be reached in different ways to accommodate different learners.
Also central to this is the idea that every student in a classroom understand the similarities and differences between themselves and their fellow learners. Acceptance and appreciation of these creates a more respectful and comfortable environment for learning, and discourages supporting each others learning efforts as opposed to competing with them. This is important to any classroom, as academic stress, embarrassment, and discomfort are not helpful to any learner, and a classroom that provides that would be less effective for it. I also really appreciated learning about situating lessons so that no student is being over or under extended, as I think that it is really important to supporting a students learning that neither of these things occur.