Differentiation

Key ideas: DIVERSITY INCLUSION DIFFERENTIATION How would you define these? 2s.

The Challenge of Differentiation “One of the biggest challenges that will face you as a teacher in the primary classroom is to cater for the variety of children with their wide range of learning needs and capacities that you encounter daily. All children do not arrive in your lesson with the same experiences, knowledge, skills and aptitudes and yet you must teach so that all can learn, so that all can ‘enjoy and achieve’.” ECM DfES, 2004a What Are Your Views? - Discuss

Diversity in the Classroom What is the range of needs you are likely to come across when planning for a mainstream primary classroom? List those needs that you have encountered or know about.

Recognising the Variety of Need Variations in fluency of English Cultural expectations Differing academic strengths and weaknesses Gender differences Physical differences Learning styles The range of experiences brought to the classroom Emotional and security Social and communication

6 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Differentiation Needs To Be Flexible: Differentiation is …. an ongoing process which needs to be planned for and is characterised by flexibility. It is the means of maximising learning for all children, by taking account of individual differences in learning style, interest, motivation and aptitude, and reflecting these variations in the classroom. (Webster 1995 cited in Jacques & Hyland 2007: 29)

What about the classroom? How can classroom layout help differentiation ? Are there special areas for activities – technical, practical, role play, listening, working on the computer, problem solving? What do the displays suggest about accessibility to different approaches to learning? Are there pictures, diagrams, written texts, maps, photographs, 3D objects? What about the pupils’ input into displays and the visual environment? Is the work or display material all selected and mounted by adults? Is there variety in the curriculum areas on display? How does the classroom operate as an environment for inclusion? What about the height of shelves and displays and the use of space? What messages about gender and culture are signalled by the materials and books used? (Bearne E in Arthur, J., Grainger, T.,& Wray, D. (2006) Learning to Teach in the Primary School)

Differentiation is about: A inclusion diversity collaboration variety solutions optimism Differentiation is not about: B segregation selection competition uniformity problems pessimism

Some Key Terms Relating to Differentiation: on-going planned teacher’s responsibility flexible tool values each individual celebrates diversity centres on entitlement maximises learning potential contextually embedded

What Do We Mean By Differentiation? …. the process of matching learning tasks to particular groups or individuals. Teachers … have to consider differences when planning and teaching lessons in order to ensure that all abilities in the class are catered for. Blake & Hanley (1995:50) in English & Newton (2005) How do teachers differentiate in the classroom in order to be inclusive, engage and encourage all children to learn?

Differentiation Task Look at the set of planning examples you have been given. Read through them, focusing particularly on the approach to differentiation. Discuss this within your group. Feed back any comments / observations to the main group.

Ways to Differentiate in the Classroom Input Level of Information Given (by content) The Way Ideas are Explained and Expressed ( through concept development) Vocabulary Questioning Task The activity to be undertaken Resources

Further Ways to Differentiate Outcome Open-ended tasks Personalised expectation (both are planned activities) Support Teacher T.A. Peer Planned Independence in Learning

Additional Routes to Differentiation Response Target Setting Feedback Marking Class Organisation Grouping (ability or mixed ability) Setting FOR ADDITIONAL NEED – Such as IEPs – although these children are often considered to have requirements beyond that of normally differentiated approaches

Differentiation Task Using the table of types of differentiation, consider how you might differentiate for the children described on the sheet you have been given.

Analysing the Video Consider this teacher, how has she attempted to differentiate the work for all the children in the class? What else could she try to make the work accessible for all children? a-hussain

Differentiation is Central to Personalised Learning DCSF (2008)

Summary Task Create a mind map to evaluate what differentiation now means to you (consider different approaches, reasons for it, aspects to consider etc) Be prepared to share one key point from your mind map!

Bibliography Bearne, E (2006) in E. Arthur, J., Grainger, T.,& Wray, D. Learning to Teach in the Primary School. Abingdon: Routledge Bearne, E. ed.(1996), Differentiation and Diversity in the Primary School. Abingdon: Routledge DCSF (2008) Personalised Learning – A Practical Guide Nottingham: DCSF English, E. & Newton, L. (2005) Professional Studies in the Primary School. London: David Fulton Jacques, K. & Hyland, R. (2007) Professional Studies: Primary and Early Years. Exeter: Learning Matters