What the literature says about differentiation.
Differentiation is a strategy that can be used in any learning environment. Traditionally, differentiated instruction was a technique used in special education classrooms, but has transitioned to the regular classrooms as well (Santamaria, 2009). There are no limits on the content or age-level of the differentiated classroom – rather differentiation is a strategy that is appropriate for all classrooms. Differentiated instruction is a way of addressing the individual strengths of each student in a classroom (Tomlinson, 2003; Tomlinson & Imbeau 2010). In a differentiated classroom, students are often seated in flexible learning groups and individual students may or may not be working on the same assignment. Some days the students could be grouped by ability, other days be interest and even other by assignment choice.
Differentiation provides the flexibility to allow each student to work on assignments that address their particular strengths and interests. According to Huebner’s (2010) research on differentiated instruction, the hallmarks of effective differentiation include good classroom management, engaged and motivated students, constant formative assessments and responding to those assessments, and knowledge of student learning styles. Differentiation can take the form of different assignment or different assessments. Content, resources, assignment length, assignment type, individual versus group assignment, learning environment and assessment types can all be differentiated. One of the most important aspects of differentiation is that teachers know their students’ backgrounds and their learning styles (Heacox, 2012; Tomlinson, 2003; Tomlinson & Imbeau, 2010). Obviously, if a teacher is going to create assignments that appeal to a student’s interests or group students according to learning style, it’s imperative that the teacher knows what those things are.
Differentiation does not imply a lessening of standards. State and national standards should be the drivers for all strategies used in a classroom. Thus standards and differentiation can easily coexist in the classroom (Proteroe, 2007). All students are accountable for the same standards, but how each student demonstrates mastery can be different (McTighe & Brown, 2005; Tomlinson & McTighe, 2006). Differentiation can mean different outcomes or projects, but those outcomes or projects should all link back to the same standards. Think of standards as a destination and differentiation as the various routes to reach that destination – everyone ends up at the same place, but they all got there differently. Just as there is more than one way to reach a destination, there is more than one way to show mastery of a standard. Differentiation allows each student to choose a more personalized route towards mastery.
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Differentiation provides the flexibility to allow each student to work on assignments that address their particular strengths and interests. According to Huebner’s (2010) research on differentiated instruction, the hallmarks of effective differentiation include good classroom management, engaged and motivated students, constant formative assessments and responding to those assessments, and knowledge of student learning styles. Differentiation can take the form of different assignment or different assessments. Content, resources, assignment length, assignment type, individual versus group assignment, learning environment and assessment types can all be differentiated. One of the most important aspects of differentiation is that teachers know their students’ backgrounds and their learning styles (Heacox, 2012; Tomlinson, 2003; Tomlinson & Imbeau, 2010). Obviously, if a teacher is going to create assignments that appeal to a student’s interests or group students according to learning style, it’s imperative that the teacher knows what those things are.
Differentiation does not imply a lessening of standards. State and national standards should be the drivers for all strategies used in a classroom. Thus standards and differentiation can easily coexist in the classroom (Proteroe, 2007). All students are accountable for the same standards, but how each student demonstrates mastery can be different (McTighe & Brown, 2005; Tomlinson & McTighe, 2006). Differentiation can mean different outcomes or projects, but those outcomes or projects should all link back to the same standards. Think of standards as a destination and differentiation as the various routes to reach that destination – everyone ends up at the same place, but they all got there differently. Just as there is more than one way to reach a destination, there is more than one way to show mastery of a standard. Differentiation allows each student to choose a more personalized route towards mastery.
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