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All AboutDifferentiating

When we differentiate, we simply offer students opportunities to think at a level appropriate to their ability - not their age nor their grade level.

Creating A New Creature

We’re not doing a fluffy art project here. Kids are developing a realistic, made up creature that could have actually lived in a particular biome.

The Surprises Within a Triangle’s Angles

Discovering what is interesting and unexpected about a triangle’s angles. What twists have I unintentionally spoiled for my students over the years?

Make A *Better* Calendar!

The calendar is a source of fantastic factoring problems with many social studies add-ons. Why 12 months? Why 30 (or 31 or 28) days? Why are weeks 7 days long? Why don’t they fit into the months (or the year!)? Why did we do this to ourselves!?

Differentiate Math: Getting Started

Working with a student who is bored in math? Quickly finishing lessons? Needs something more? Here are three ways you can get started differentiating in math.

Acceleration – The Simplest (but Least Used) Differentiation Technique

Acceleration is a cheap and simple way to differentiate for students who are ready for something more. It can mean skipping a whole grade but is more commonly accomplished through subject-specific acceleration. Lots of people have weird arguments against acceleration, but the research shows that it works (when done well).

Choice Menus: Quality or Mere Quantity?

I used to create extension menus, thinking they were an essential tool for differentiation. Overtime, I’ve changed my thinking. Here’s why.

Moving Between the Specific and Abstract

When differentiating, it’s helpful to note where on the “spectrum of abstraction” your content lies. Then, see what happens when you move that content to be more abstract or more specific. It often unlocks lots of new opportunities for thinking.

How many students are already ready (already) for next year?

In a climate where we focus on who’s below-level, how many students are already ready for next year (and beyond)? Research from Johns Hopkins sheds light on the (truly) shocking number of above-level kids out there.

Why I Had “Early Finishers”

Wondering what to do with your early finishers? This is probably the wrong question!

Raising Ceilings For One, Raise Ceilings For All

When we create tasks designed to meet the needs of our most obviously talented students, we make it possible for other students to rise up as well. This, except using basketball as a metaphor.

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