Best Practice Teaching Linked with Differentiation By: Dr. Georgann Toop & Dr. Jennifer Scrivner

Best Practice Teaching Linked with Differentiation Best Practices (Brandt, 1998) Differentiation (Tomlinson, 2001) Students learn best because… what they learn is personally meaningful We need to attend to student differences because… they have different backgrounds and interests; there is no guarantee that they will all find the same things personally meaningful

Students learn best because… what they learn is challenging and they accept the challenge We need to attend to student differences because… they learn at different rates; a pace, text or task that challenges some will frustrate or bore others

Students learn best because… what they learn is appropriate to their developmental level We need to attend to student differences because… at any time some will think more concretely and some more abstractly, some more dependently and others more independently

Students learn best because… they can learn in their own way, have choices, and feel in control We need to attend to student differences because… it is a sure bet they will not all opt to learn in the same way, make the same choices, or feel in control with the same parameters

Students learn best because… they use what they know to construct new knowledge We need to attend to student differences because… they do not all know the same things at the same degree of competency; students will construct knowledge differently

Students learn best because… they have opportunities for social interaction We need to attend to student differences because… they will vary in the amount of collaboration they need and the sorts of peers with whom they work best

Students learn best because… they get helpful feedback We need to attend to student differences because… what is helpful feedback for one may not be for another

Students learn best because… they acquire and use strategies We need to attend to student differences because… each one needs to acquire strategies new to that student and use them in ways that are personally helpful

Students learn best because… they experience a positive emotional climate We need to attend to student differences because… classrooms that are quite positive for some are distinctly not so for others

Students learn best because… the environment supports the intended learning We need to attend to student differences because… they will need varied scaffolding to achieve both common and personal goals