Differentiated Ideas for the Classroom

Teachers DO:  Provide several learning options, or different paths to learning, which help students take in information and make sense of concepts and skills.  Provide appropriate levels of challenge for all students, including those who are behind, those who are advanced, and those right in the middle.

Teachers DON’T:  Develop a separate lesson plan for each student in a classroom.  "Water Down" the curriculum for some students.

Questions to ask yourself  Are you conscious of the efforts you make to meet the needs of all your students?  Do you keep track of the ways you address individual learning styles and preferences?  Do you arrange classrooms and structure lessons to increase student motivation?

Questions…  Whenever possible, do you provide students with options and choices regarding how they are going to learn and how they are going to show their learning?  Do you vary the ways in which you assess student learning?  Do you use cooperative learning and grouping strategies to increase student participation?

Factors to think about in the classroom environment  Be flexible when you are grouping students. You probably are going to have that one student who does not want to work with certain students. If it doesn’t work out then you know what to do next time.  Always have the steps where students can see them.  Be very cautious about how you make your seating arrangements during the year.

Factors……  Display posters and other information about the topics you are teaching. This reinforces learning. The students really do pay attention to this.  Set up your “centers” or “stations” where the students can get to them easily. Make sure the students can comprehend when to transition.

Content  Differentiated means different levels of difficulty. Examples include leveled readers, SRA (Science Research Associates) kits, Below, On, and Above level practices.

Content…..  Use a variety of methods to teach the standards  Powerpoints-Pete’s Powerpoint station  Edhelper-must have a subscription  Discovery Education  Promethean Planet

Content….  Don’t be boring and just use the textbook! Branch out! Get out of the comfort zone.  Use models-works great in science related topics

Content….  Using a KWL chart for subjects such as science and social studies will assess prior knowledge. What I Know, What I Want to Know, and What I Learned.

Content  MODEL! I can’t say this enough. Show students how before asking them to do a task.  Cruise the classroom during activities to see if students are comprehending the lesson and working well with classmates.  Try to provide extra activities for your high students.

Content  Allow your assessments to show student strengths (ex: An artistic student may be able to draw and label parts of a plant rather than write a paragraph about it.) Both students understand the content but are able to explain it in a DIFFERENT WAY!

Ideas when using groups/partners  You can use a deck of playing cards and hand each student a card. You may use them to group the students in many ways. Two groups-red cards and black cards Groups of four-Students who have the same number Pairs- Students who have the same number and same color

Cards  Small Groups-Students who have 7’s join the students with 3’s, etc

Popsicle sticks  Using popsicle sticks with names of each student on them always makes for an interesting way to pair groups up. You can also use them during lecture. This really keeps the students attention because they never know whose name is going to be drawn to answer the question.

Ideas to use in the classroom  CLOCK PARTNERS

Four Corners  Asks students to make a decision in regards to a question asked or a problem presented.

I Have….Who Has??

Inner/Outer Circles  This technique can be used to develop students’ understanding of concepts while practicing higher-level questioning. This method gives students the responsibility for running a structured classroom discussion.

Gallery Walk  Gets students out of their chairs and actively involves them in synthesizing important concepts, in consensus building, in writing, and in public speaking. In Gallery Walk teams/individuals rotate around the classroom, composing answers to questions as well as reflecting upon the answers given by other groups. Questions are posted on charts or just pieces of paper located in different parts of the classroom. Each chart or "station" has its own question that relates to an important class concept. The technique closes with an oral presentation or "report out" in which each group synthesizes comments to a particular question.

Jigsaw  Just as in a jigsaw puzzle, each piece-- each student's part--is essential for the completion and full understanding of the final product. If each student's part is essential, then each student is essential; and that is precisely what makes this strategy so effective.

Parking Lot  I think it is a good tool ONLY if you actually take time to discuss the questions asked. Classroom discussion is vital and can be a wonderful tool as long as the teacher establishes discussion guidelines that are designed to keep the class on task.

Tic-Tac-Toe

Finally….some words of wisdom