"So many students are physically present and psychologically absent. About 40% of students go through the motions, neither trying hard nor paying attention. So many cut class and are truant, so many admit to cheating to get through, so many loose interest because they cannot keep up, and so many are bored by the lack of appropriate challenge. So many do not learn that ability is not enough and effort is crucial. About half of the students who drop out say their classes were not interesting, and about two-thirds say not one teacher cared about their success on learning at school. Not all is rosy with teachers, teaching, and school."
~By Carol Ann Tomlinson, Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners~
~By Carol Ann Tomlinson, Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners~
What is differentiation in teaching?
Differentiation is modified teaching, that helps students with diverse academic needs and learning styles, master the same challenging academic content. Although it might seem like a daunting task, designing and applying a variety of strategies within one classroom can be done at a variety of levels. Teachers can differentiate instruction with an individual student, within a small group, or with a whole class. Differentiating does not mean providing separate, unrelated activities for each student but does mean providing interrelated activities that are based on student needs for the purpose of ensuring that all students come to a similar grasp of a skill or idea (The Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement, 2014)). It is a teaching approach that is adapted to take into account the wide range of individual differences and needs of students in any one classroom. The teacher pro-actively plans varied approaches to what students learn, how they will learn it, and/or how they can express what they have learned in order to enable each student to learn as much and as effectively as possible (Parker. K, date unknown).
In a large class, differences between students, may on the face of it, seem too numerous to be quantified, but differentiation works on 3 key aspects which can be summed up as follows:
In a large class, differences between students, may on the face of it, seem too numerous to be quantified, but differentiation works on 3 key aspects which can be summed up as follows:
- Readiness to learn
- Learning needs
- Interests
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Categories of differentiation:
There are 3 categories of differentiation:
Differentiation in the classroom is all about understanding that we are dealing with a group of diverse individuals, and adapting our teaching to ensure that all of them have access to quality learning. It should be an on-going and flexible process, which not only profiles students initially but also recognizes progress, and areas for improvement and adjusts accordingly, to ensure learning needs continue to be met. In short, it shifts the focus from teaching a subject to teaching the students (BBC Active, 2010).
- differentiation by task, which involves setting different tasks for pupils of different abilities
- differentiation by support, which means giving more help to certain pupils within the group
- differentiation by outcome, which involves setting open-ended tasks and allowing pupil response at different levels.
- Task - one of the core methods of differentiation is differentiation by task. It involves setting different tasks for students based on their abilities. One way to achieve this may be by producing different sets of worksheets or exercises based on students’ abilities. Although, some teachers loath to employ this method because of both the social implications and the additional planning it entails. An alternative method is to use a single worksheet comprised of tasks which gets progressively harder. The gifted students will quickly progress to the later questions whilst the less able can concentrate on grasping the essentials.
- Grouping - working in a collaborative learning group has many well-documented benefits such as; enabling shy students to participate more confidently in class, but it’s also a useful differentiation method. Small, mixed-ability groups allow below-level students to take advantage of peer support whilst gifted students gain the opportunity to organise and voice their thoughts for the benefit of the whole group (known as peer modelling). Grouping also allows roles to be allocated within the team which caters for each member’s skill set and learning needs.
- Resources - this method allows students to work with more advanced resources than others, and it allows the use of multiple materials in order to approach a topic from different angles. This means that while some may require quite basic texts with illustrations, others can work with more advanced vocabulary and complex ideas. Differentiation of this kind permits a wide spectrum of materials to be used to attain a single learning outcome. It’s a method that is greatly assisted by advances in technology, and the use of educational videos in the classroom, which is why it is becoming more prevalent.
- Pace - in a traditional classroom, activities are completed within a single time frame, irrespective of the level of difficulty for some students. The result is that gifted learners can be held back to the speed of below-level students, and at the other end of the scale, some may simply find it impossible to keep up. When differentiation is used in lesson planning, the available time is used flexibly in order to meet ALL students’ needs. Students who quickly grasp core activities need not be held back because their classmates need to spend more time on the fundamentals of a topic. They can instead be allocated more challenging extension tasks in order to develop a more rounded understanding of the subject matter or even to progress through the set course more quickly.
- Outcome - differentiation by outcome is a technique whereby all students undertake the same task but a variety of results are expected and acceptable. For example, the teacher sets a task but instead of working towards a single ‘right’ answer, the students arrive at a personalised outcome depending on their level of ability. It’s a method about which some teachers have reservations as there is a risk that the less able students will fall below an acceptable level of understanding, however that risk can be mitigated somewhat by establishing a clear set of guidelines that apply to all students, and it does offer one clear advantage in that no prior grouping is necessary.
- Dialogue and support - differentiation by dialogue is the most common type of differentiation in the classroom. With this technique, the emphasis is on the role of the teacher, who facilitates problem solving by identifying which students need detailed explanations in simple language and which students can engage in dialogue at a more sophisticated level. The teacher also employs targeted questioning to produce a range of responses and to challenge the more able students. Verbal support and encouragement plays a vital part in this technique.
- Assessment - in the differentiated classroom, rather than assessment taking place at the end of learning, students are assessed on an on-going (formative) basis so that teaching, and indeed the other methods of differentiation, can be continuously adjusted catering to the learners’ needs.
Differentiation in the classroom is all about understanding that we are dealing with a group of diverse individuals, and adapting our teaching to ensure that all of them have access to quality learning. It should be an on-going and flexible process, which not only profiles students initially but also recognizes progress, and areas for improvement and adjusts accordingly, to ensure learning needs continue to be met. In short, it shifts the focus from teaching a subject to teaching the students (BBC Active, 2010).
Why differentiate?
The following video is an interview clip of Carol Ann Tomlinson, in which she explain the importance of differentiating teaching.
Here are links to a few videos that will help you kick start 'differentiation' in your teaching practices:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGYa6ZacUTM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMvCd5Xafag
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xH0K3Z-dbo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OyfG6L67oA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLzCqoPFxRw
Aim of this website
The primary focus of this website is differentiating by 'open-ended tasks'. Reason for this is because open-ended tasks give students the freedom to express themselves as well as learning at there level. Open-ended tasks also engages students and also saves planning time for teachers, as they would only need to plan one activity that caters for all students. This website is aimed at initial teachers, as a resource that helps in defining differentiation and starting points will assist them in their education as a teacher. This website is a head start for beginning teachers and will provide them with theory, solutions and a tool kit, which will help save their time, as well as lead them in the right direction.