Model Two: Determining core & variable instructional components

The main focus of a learning goal determines the instructional focus, the area in which each student needs to be challenged. If the goal’s focus is specific content, then all students need to be working towards mastering that content. If the goal’s focus is a particular skill, then all students need to work towards developing that skill. Conversely, if the goal is NOT focused on a particular content or skill, that content or skill can be varied to meet the needs and interests of diverse learners. Varying these elements will greatly enhance student engagement, which is vital to all learning.

Here we provide three examples that illustrate how much of the curriculum can be varied because so many of the methods and materials we use aren't central to learning goals. Notice how few of the following instructional components are actually "core" in each example below:

Instructional Components

• Content or subject matter (e.g.. subject matter material, specific literature)
• Skills/strategies (e.g. writing a cohesive essay, estimating quantities,)
• Steps in a particular process (e.g. the steps in dissecting a frog, the steps in long division)
• Presentation media (e.g. slides, speech, text, hyper-media, video)
• Learning Context/format (e.g. small group, whole class, pairs, individual, hands-on)
• Instructional format (e.g. lecture, text book, demonstration)
• Tools for student response/expression (e.g. computer, pen, art tools, video or still camera)
• Media for student response/expression(e.g. text, image, video, speech)
  Information sources (e.g. textbook, CD ROM, Internet, primary sources)
• Tools relating to content area (e.g. slide rules, science equipment, measurement devices)
  

Example 1: Recognition Goal

Standard/Benchmark
S: Students know that complex interactions occur between matter and energy.
B: Describe interactions among solar, weather, and ocean system

Example 2: Strategic Goal

Standard/Benchmark
S: Students write clear and coherent sentences and paragraphs that develop a central idea.
B: Edit and revise drafts to improve coherence and progression by adding, deleting, consolidating, and rearranging text.

Example 3: Affective Goal

Standard/Benchmark
S: Students appreciate how mathematics is used as communication.
B: Express mathematical ideas in journals or portfolios.