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.
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.
What Differentiation Does NOT Look Like
There’s lots of faux-differentiation out there. In this article, I catalog a few anti-patterns: tactics that look like differentiation, but are actually quite the opposite.
What Textbooks Think “Differentiated Instruction” Looks Like
In a time when teachers feel prohibited from writing their own lessons, many are limited by what their textbooks offer. So what, exactly, do textbooks offer in terms of differentiation for gifted learners?
Becoming A Meddler In The Middle
Here’s a reading assignment: Erika McWilliam’s “From Sage to Guide to Meddler.” This paper discuses how we can get in the middle of our students’ learning, creating productive struggle by allowing kids to sit in their own confusion longer than they might like.
Thinking From Anything’s Perspective
How a small change, with very little effort on the teacher’s part, leads to a delightfully complex task that can will get students thinking.
Aim for High Ceilings and Low Floors
To differentiate, aim for one complex task that is well-scaffolded, not three completely different tasks. Aim high and scaffold down.
Practical Tips For Pre-Assessments
I get a lot of questions about the practical details of running pre-assessments and setting up multiple groups in a classroom. I brainstormed a big ol’ list of tips I learned from my own experiments and those of my colleagues.
7 Ways To Add Complexity
Adjusting a task’s complexity to match a student’s skill is key to success in the classroom, but how can you change the level of complexity?
Small Groups Aren’t Just For Struggling Students
Small groups can both add and reduce complexity to a task. I know that I always let my advanced students just “work on their own.” But think about the power of bringing your five top kids together (even for ten minutes a week) and pushing them a little.
Bad Behavior or Lack of Complexity?
Differentiation means being aware of both a student’s skill and the complexity of a task. And it’s easier to adjust a task in the short term than to change a student’s skill.