Answer to Question 1
Suggested Response: Ms. Mongue needs to use differentiated instruction to reach all students. For reading and math, she probably needs to use ability groupings, remembering to keep groups flexible. She needs to assess students' performance continuously and regroup students as needed to challenge them appropriately. Assessments help her figure out students' zone of proximal development and provide both support and challenge effectively. For other subjects, such as science and social studies, she should include all students in the discussion. She needs to develop a system for calling on everyone and expecting everyone to participate. If she has access to technological resources, she might choose tutorials that promote the development of specific skills. She might implement the INCLUDE strategy to integrate the students with disabilities. INCLUDE will help her adapt the classroom environment, work with these students' strengths and needs, and determine instructional adaptations to make in the classroom. She needs to make sure her expectations of each student are based on actual performance and not on prior test scores, grades, and notes in the permanent files. In her diverse community, she needs to conscientious about avoiding stereotypes, biases, and prejudice.
Text Reference: Differentiated Instruction and Adaptive Teaching
Answer to Question 2
Suggested Response: Mrs. Ash needs to use direct instruction because she is teaching basic skills that involve factual information and she has only one week to teach the unit. Direct instruction is an effective and efficient approach for teaching basic skills and facts.
Mrs. Ash might effectively use advance organizers to help students organize information about the various types of Indians. For example, if they study four different types of Indians that lived in different parts of the country and built different types of dwellings, and advance organizer helps students develop schema that compare and contrast these differences.
Text Reference: Teaching Approaches