Differentiated Instruction


What Is "Differentiation"
A BIG word for a simple concept: providing instruction that meets the differing needs of all students, through the following measures:

  • Providing multiple assignments within each unit, tailored for students of different levels of achievement, interest, and/or learning styles. For example, students with advanced reading levels use material that is on the same topic, but more difficult, challenging or complex.

  • Allowing students to choose, with the teacher's guidance, ways to learn and how to demonstrate what they have learned. For example, in a unit on Ancient Greece, some students might write a play illustrating what they have learned; others might create a mural.

  • Permitting students to opt out of material they can demonstrate they know and to progress at their own pace through new material. For example, students who have mastered certain math concepts may be permitted to move beyond that material; students who need more time to master a subject area are permitted to move at a slower pace.

  • Structuring the class assignments so they require high levels of critical thinking but permit a range of responses. For example, students may be asked to speculate on the nature of the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, explain cause and effect, justify their ideas, and anticipate alternative viewpoints.

  • Having high expectations for all students allows teachers to provide instruction aimed at a high level of understanding; all students are expected to achieve at optimal levels.

  • Implementing flexible grouping strategies that cluster students by achievement in a particular subject area, interest, learning style, personal choice, and ability.

  • Creating learning centers with activities geared to different learning styles, levels of thinking, levels of interest, and levels of achievement

  • Providing students with opportunities to explore topics in which they have strong interest and find personal meaning. For example, individual and small-group investigations of real problems are an option for students who have mastered curriculum goals or an activity for all students.

  • Additional challenge - Web-based search

Brain Boosters
This Web site ties brain-compatible instruction and math together and presents a large number of mathematical brainteasers.  Each presents a problem as number play.  In using this site, some math teachers have presented a brain teaser  at the beginning of each period, as students are coming into the classroom, and have had studetns share their answers as they finish the period.
http://school.discovery.com/brainboosters

Dare to Differentiate
http://daretodifferentiate.wikispaces.com/

WordQ
http://www.wordq.com/

Factmonster
http://www.factmonster.com/

How the Brain Works
The brain is a powerful complex organ. This site helps to understand how the brain works and how it works in order to learn.
http://go.webassistant.com/wa/upload/users/u1000057/1000313/flow_3418.html

Mind Mapping
This site gives you step by step instructions how to teach mind maps.
http://resistancetraining.wordpress.com/2006/12/31/mind-mapping/

Interest Surveys
http://www.teachingwithpurpose.com/differentiated_instruction.htm

New Horizons For Learning
Here are tons of brain based articles realated to how we learn.
http://www.newhorizons.org/neuro/front_neuro.html

Picture It
http://www.slatersoftware.com/

 

Questions by Blooms

http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/researchskills/dalton.htm

Questioning Toolkit
http://questioning.org/Q7/toolkit.html

Read Please
www.readplease.com

Roger Tayor
Dr. T. Roger Taylor, in his 35 years as a classroom teacher, administrator, professor and internationally-known educational consultant, has authored/co-authored thousands of integrated, interdisciplinary thematic curriculum units. Roger specializes in curriculum design of differentiated curriculum for the special needs learner as well as the highly gifted student. Just go to the "resources" tab
http://www.rogertaylor.com/

Teaching with Passion
The strategies that fall under the paradigm of differentiated instruction provide many innovative and purposeful techniques for helping teachers reach ALL students. Included below are some resources to help the teacher in understanding how to make this happen.
http://www.teachingwithpurpose.com/differentiated_instruction.htm

Teachley's Amazing Talking Brain
This is a great overview of the brain and how we think.
http://www.ncwiseowl.org/Kscope/TeacherHut/Teachley/index.html

Tiered Instruction:   Beginning the Process by Bertie Kingore, PhD.
http://www.bertiekingore.com/tieredinstruct.htm

Tiering and Low prep ideas
http://www.wilmette39.org/DI39/iagc05.html