Differentiation Is... So, how would you define differentiated instruction? In her newly revised book, The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners, 2nd Edition, Carol Ann Tomlinson discusses the meaning of differentiation and how teachers can modify their instruction to engage all students. The book highlights key principles of differentiation, including: An invitational learning environment that encourages and supports learningQuality curriculumAssessment that informs teaching and learningInstruction that responds to student variance Take a look at the infographic below that highlights some of the best and worst practices for differentiation in today’s classrooms. Post it in your office and share it with your colleagues as a reminder to refine your teaching strategies to meet the learning styles of all students. Want to read more?
There's No Time to Differentiate: Myth-Busting DI, Part 2 The microwave oven is a great timesaver for getting any food on the table. Yet it's a taste killer. The more I use the grill and oven to cook meals for my family, the more I experience the diversity of tastes that come from grilled or baked salmon, chicken, and burgers, plus sautéed vegetables. A microwave oven dries everything out, and thus limits the tastes. There are days when I get home exhausted with work still to be completed, but I bypass the microwave most times. I value my family's need for flavorful meals over dried-out, tasteless food that I nuked just to check off a chore. So why would I not do the same for my students by differentiating based on their needs, instead of using one-size-fits-all methods? Does one-size-fits-all really save time if students haven’t learned? In an earlier post, I looked at a few common differentiated instruction myths. Myth #1 I teach 180 students across five classes. The greater number of students means there is a higher urgency to differentiate.
How to Plan Lessons to Engage 21st Century Students About ETR Community EdTechReview (ETR) is a community of and for everyone involved in education technology to connect and collaborate both online and offline to discover, learn, utilize and share about the best ways technology can improve learning, teaching, and leading in the 21st century. EdTechReview spreads awareness on education technology and its role in 21st century education through best research and practices of using technology in education, and by facilitating events, training, professional development, and consultation in its adoption and implementation.
List of Great Tools for Different Kinds of Learners About ETR Community EdTechReview (ETR) is a community of and for everyone involved in education technology to connect and collaborate both online and offline to discover, learn, utilize and share about the best ways technology can improve learning, teaching, and leading in the 21st century. EdTechReview spreads awareness on education technology and its role in 21st century education through best research and practices of using technology in education, and by facilitating events, training, professional development, and consultation in its adoption and implementation.
Digital Differentiation This is part of a Digital Differentiation model, my way i of weaving a web of flexible tools together for teaching and learning. To keep the model relevant, frequent updates are required, as new tools and trends emerge. To access the most current resources, please click on the tab at the top of this blog: Digital Differentiation - Current Updating Ten months ago I published a Digital Differentiation model on this blog. Technology is a tool that can be used to help teachers facilitate learning experiences that address the diverse learning needs of all students and help them develop 21st Century Skills, an idea supported by the Common Core. At it's most basic level, digital tools can be used to help students find, understand and use information. The goal is to design student-driven learning experiences that are fueled by standards-based Essential Questions and facilitated by digital tools to provide students with flexible learning paths. 3 Components: Essential Questions Flexible Learning Paths
Parents' Phone Use Is Taking a Toll on Their Children's Development We see parents on their phones at playgrounds, at restaurants, in cars, seated around dinner tables, on mass transit, on vacation—everywhere. For about five years, I've researched what happens when parents are on their phones, with findings that you might expect: When parents' attention is directed at a smartphone, we talk to our children less, miss their bids for attention, overreact to their annoying interruptions, and think less clearly about what their behavior means. Some cities and municipalities have begun public-service campaigns to increase parents' awareness of the toll their heavy technology use may be taking on child development and well-being. A German boy even organized a rally to protest modern parents' preoccupation with technology. There's good reason to want parents to talk, play, and relate to their children more positively and sensitively. Yet many still felt compelled to dive back into their devices. As parents, we can act, for our own good and as role models.
What is Differentiated Instruction? | Differentiation Central Differentiation is responsive teaching rather than one size fits all teaching (Tomlinson, 2005). This means that teachers proactively plan varied approaches to what students need to learn, how they will learn it, and/or how they will show what they have learned in order to increase the likelihood that each student will learn as much as he or she can, as efficiently as possible (Tomlinson, 2003). Students come to our classrooms with unique differences as people and therefore as learners. Our students have varied degrees of background knowledge and readiness to learn, different life experiences, cultural orientations, languages, interests, and preferences for how they learn best, and different feelings about themselves as learners and about school. Just as medical doctors don’t prescribe the same medications for every one of their patients, teachers who differentiate instruction are mindful of the varied learning needs of their students and plan instruction accordingly. Respectful Tasks
10 Assessments You Can Perform in 90 Seconds 10 Assessments You Can Perform In 90 Seconds by TeachThought Staff Good assessment is frequent assessment. Any assessment is designed to provide a snapshot of student understand—the more snapshots, the more complete the full picture of knowledge. On its best day, an assessment will be 100% effective, telling you exactly what a student understands. This makes a strong argument for frequent assessment, as it can be too easy to over-react and “remediate” students who may be banging against the limits of the assessment’s design rather than their own understanding. It is a huge burden (for both teachers and students) to design, write, complete, grade, and absorb the data into an instructional design sequence on a consistent basis. Simple Assessments The word “simple” here is misleading. Then, due to their brevity, they’re simple to grade–in fact, you can grade them as exit slips–which makes taking the data and informing instruction (the whole point of assessment) a much simpler process as well.
Why students should study sign language | IB Community Blog It is a common misconception that there is only one universal sign language. In fact, there is an estimated 144 different signed languages, according to the Ethnologue. American Sign Language (ASL), for example, is quite different from British Sign Language (BSL), despite the fact that English is spoken in both countries. Sign languages are as rich, complex and creative as spoken languages, and are composed of hand movements, facial expressions and body language. Learning sign language at school gives students the chance to explore a rich aspect of the cognitive, creative, linguistic and cultural diversity of humanity.
Multiple Intelligences: What Does the Research Say? Many educators have had the experience of not being able to reach some students until presenting the information in a completely different way or providing new options for student expression. Perhaps it was a student who struggled with writing until the teacher provided the option to create a graphic story, which blossomed into a beautiful and complex narrative. Or maybe it was a student who just couldn't seem to grasp fractions, until he created them by separating oranges into slices. Because of these kinds of experiences, the theory of multiple intelligences resonates with many educators. It supports what we all know to be true: A one-size-fits-all approach to education will invariably leave some students behind. Howard Gardner's Eight Intelligences The theory of multiple intelligences challenges the idea of a single IQ, where human beings have one central "computer" where intelligence is housed. The Difference Between Multiple Intelligences and Learning Styles References Tomlinson, C.
Book Trailers and the Common Core Standards --------- Students use technology & digital media strategically and capably.-- Common Core Standards. From the Common Core Key Points on Media and Technology: "Just as media and technology are integrated in school and life in the twenty‐first century, skillsrelated to media use (both critical analysis and production of media) are integrated throughout the standards"How To Make A Book Trailer Book Trailer Presentation [ used at FAME Conference] Thinking Routines in the Classroom Today Karen Voglesang @NBCTchr teaches children to use thinking routines in her classroom. After participating in Harvard’s Project Zero, she is applying and using the methods in classrooms and with teachers. Learn some thinking routines and how to apply these valuable techniques in your classroom. Karen was the 2015 Tennessee State Teacher of the Year and I interviewed her at the NNSTOY Conference in DC this summer. Listen Now How to Teach Thinking Routines in the Classroom What are thinking routines? 00:09 Vicki: Today we are with Karen Vogelsang or Ms V from Tennessee. 00:39 Karen V: Thinking routines are really an opportunity to allow students to ask questions and really give teachers an opportunity to deepen their understanding of different content knowledge. Karen included photos of students using thinking routines for this post. The “Compass Points” thinking routine is a great way to open up a school year1 01:01 Vicki: So give me an example of how it’s used in your classroom.
How to Spot Fake News The problem of fake news came to a dizzying head in 2016 when a man fired a shot in a family pizzeria as he “self-investigated” a false report of a child abuse ring led by top democrats. A BuzzFeed report confirmed that fake news stories, such as the one that claimed Hillary Clinton sold arms to ISIS, were actually viewed more times than articles from established and legitimate news sources. Did fake news have an impact on the election? How do we address the problem from here? This lesson plan features a Channel One News report on the problem. Then, students analyze the problem and consider steps media outlets and individuals need to take to prevent the viral spread of propaganda. Opening Activity Warm up: Ask students: How do you get your news? Words in the News: Review this word prior to viewing the video. propaganda (noun): Information that is often exaggerated or false and spread for the purpose of benefiting or promoting a specific individual or cause. Discuss Take a Survey Write