Differentiated Ideas for the Classroom

Meltdown anyone??

What happens when you don’t differentiate?

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

www.pppst.com Edhelper-must have a subscription Discovery Education Promethean Planet

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 cardsGroups of four-Students who have the same

numberPairs- 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

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