Taken from the book "Leadership for Differentiating Schools and Classrooms" by Carol Ann Tomlinson and Susan Demirsky Allan
What is differentiation?
It refers to a teacher's reacting responsively to a learner's needs. Understanding the students' needs to express humor, or work with a group, or have additional teaching on a particular skill and many other needs (esp looking at the many learning styles which students have). The whole idea of differentiation is to maximise students' understanding and individual success and gradually applying the knowledge to their life.
The book listed out many principles that eventually builds up on the concept of differentiation and apparently, it's not just lessons, but involved the teachers (in attitudes and teaching methods) and even the supporting education staff and the environment (public/parents) which can be directly/ indirectly involved. All in the name of providing the best education for students!
(i) Student Characteristics for which teachers can differentiate
Students' Readiness, Interest and Learning Profile
(ii) Characteristics of High-Quality Curriculum and Instruction
- Is clearly focused on the essential understandings and skills of the discipline that a professional would value.
- Is mentally and affectively engaging to learners.
- Is joyful- or at least satisfying.
- Provides choices.
- Is clear in expectations.
- Allows meaningful collaboration.
- Is focused on products that matter to students.
- Connects with students' lives and world (isn't this what aL.I.V.E. is all about?:))
- Is fresh and surprising.
- Seems real to the student.
- Is coherent (organized, unified, sensible) to the student.
- Is rich, deals with profound ideas.
- Stretches the students.
- Calls on students to use what they learn in interesting and important ways.
- Involves the students in setting goals for their learning and assessing progress toward those goals.
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