More students speaking more languages than ever; Increasing numbers of students with learning difficulties ; More students needing help with reading and writing ; Many advanced learners needing to continue their growth; An economic divide reflected in our classes; A need for every student to leave school as a: thinker flexible and independent learner producer of knowledge
Students: Learn at different rates. Need different degrees of difficulty. Have different interests. Learn in different ways. Need different support systems. Need to own their learning.
Teachers cover content. We don’t always think about teaching individuals. We have an expectation of success for everyone … On the same activities and tests, administered at the same time, under the same circumstances. This is comfortable for teachers; not for students. These habits of instruction are: Mostly teacher-centered. Often low-level. Mainly text-focused. Usually orderly and predictable.
Teaching a roomful of learners the same thing in the same way over the same time span with the same supports and expecting good results for everyone has never happened… Dlfldfdljd dlfjldkfdl and it never will…
Because we know all of these things to be true, what is our obligation as educators? To reflect on how our students – all of them – learn best. To re-examine curriculum outcomes. To strengthen and find alternate ways to reach objectives. To embrace flexibility in our classrooms. To differentiate instruction and assessment.
Write a definition of differentiation that clarifies its intent, elements, and principles. In other words, write a definition of responsive teaching. Explain to a new teacher what differentiation is in terms of what he/she would be doing in the classroom – and why. In other words, describe responsive teaching in action. Develop a metaphor, analogy, or visual symbol that you think represents what is important to understand about differentiated instruction.
Put simply, it is shaking up what goes on in the classroom so that students have multiple options for: Taking in information; Making sense of ideas, and; Expressing what they learn. It is responsive (and responsible) teaching.
What do I want to know about my students as individuals? As a group? What do I already know? How well do they read & write? How well do they understand when they listen? What’s the hardest for them in school? What do they already know about what I’m planning to teach? How do they feel about their peers? How do their peers feel about them? How does their culture and gender affect their learning? What are their dreams? What are their interests? How do they work best? What experiences do they have that relate to what we’re studying? What attitudes do they have about learning? About schools? What kinds of adult supports do they have?
The following exercise can be used to group students according to their learning profiles. It is a great way to gain some insights into the interests of students and the way they learn. It was developed by a grade five teacher in Virginia as a pre- assessment activity at the beginning of the school year, but is transferable to any group.
Favorite subjects in school are indicated by head color and body color: Math: Purple Science: Red Language Arts: Blue Social Studies: Orange Physical Education, French, etc. Least favorite subjects in school are indicated by hair color (you can design fun hair). If you are a boy, use shorts. If you are a girl use the pants. Make the color pants with your favorite color.
Strongest intelligence area (using Sternberg model) is indicated by the shirt color: Analytical = Green Creative = Red Practical = Blue These could also be grouped by multiple intelligence areas (intrapersonal, interpersonal, musical, kinesthetic, logical mathematical, verbal/linguistic, visual/spatial, naturalist). Learning preference is their shoe color: Visual = white Auditory = black Kinesthetic = brown
If you prefer to work alone on project, put on stripes. If you prefer to work in groups, draw polka dots on your shirts. If you like to be challenged and learn new and difficult things, design a hat for yourself.
Contact: Ian Coffin Secondary Curriculum Consultant Eastern School District esdlab.pbworks.com ( Differentiated Instruction )