Our first topic is DIFFERENTIATION. I know you have heard about "it", read about "it", and probably had panic attacks about "it". "It" is also a TKES standard that impacts your evaluation, so how do you differentiate?? There are so many ways. SHARE, SHARE, SHARE, & spread your differentiation knowledge. I noticed Will Queen using tiered differentiation during one of his lessons. It's a great way to reach all learning levels. What is "Tiered Differentiation"?
SHARE HOW YOU DIFFERENTIATE! If you have an assignment, give/email it to me so I can post!
35 Comments
Drew Smythe
12/5/2014 06:31:16 am
I use the Tic-Tac-Toe to allow students to differentiate the product they give to me. Students choose from a variety of things (illustrating the meaning of the word, paraphrasing, using the word in the sentence, creating a test, flipbook etc.) This is a great way to allow students to choose what interests them and to learn the material at the same time. I have seen grades become better on quizzes/tests since I began using this.
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Andrea Morrow
12/5/2014 07:36:04 am
Drew...I agree with you - the Tic-Tac-Toe board is a great way to differentiate based on student interest. Students do learn better when they enjoy the activity &/or are interested in the topic.
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Kristle Holcomb
12/5/2014 06:39:56 am
I am unable to differentiate the Fast ForWord program for my students but I do differentiate my intervention strategies. Some student's only need to talk to me about the things that are hard for them (what is a noun, verb, adjective, etc.) in Fast ForWord while other students need me to do exercises with them off of the computer. Many times, I even plug in a headphone splitter and actually work with them on the program.
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Andrea Morrow
12/5/2014 07:42:45 am
Kristle...you definitely have to be more inventive when differentiating in Fast Forward. I applaud the ways you have individualized helping students.
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Zach Talley
12/5/2014 06:47:41 am
Like Mr. Smythe, I use the vocabulary TicTacToe. I also differentiate by allowing students to select from a variety of choices on how to execute a particular objective. Two weeks ago, I grouped students heterogeneously (different achievement levels within each group) to produce a plan of action to create balloon rockets and explain why they worked (or didn't) based on Newton's Laws of Motion. The process of engineering to accomplish the same task and the product itself were differentiated.
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Andrea Morrow
12/5/2014 07:47:13 am
Zach...Good idea to give students a choice when selecting a strategy to execute an objective. Strategies/Methods can be preferential.
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Brittney Adams
12/5/2014 06:52:59 am
I have used the "speed dating" activity in my class. I put the desk in a circle and have the students facing each other. Each "set of desk" have a problem. The students work the problems then rotate in opposite directions. This allows the students to work with a different person each time. So they get a lot of practice but also can practice helping one another! I have many students that like taking on the role of the "teacher."
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Andrea Morrow
12/5/2014 08:05:23 am
Brittney...I love that strategy. Very creative way to differentiate the process. I bet the students stay engaged.
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Katie Lents
12/9/2014 12:08:17 am
I really like this idea! I can already think of several ways that I can use this!!
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Joshua Stanley
12/5/2014 07:47:20 am
A lot of my assignments that I differentiate are done through scores on tests and quizzes. I will develop a higher order thinking assignment for those students who seem to master the material. The average students in the class will be working on an assignment to help concrete the material and the lower students will be working with me to help clear up any confusion or questions they may have.
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Andrea Morrow
12/5/2014 08:09:16 am
Josh...Using assessment data to determine the need & types of differentiation is excellent!
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Debbie Hahn
12/7/2014 01:29:25 pm
Andrea, my 5th pd course is total differentiation because of the design of the course. The course is Allied Health-General Medicine and students "tailor make" their pathway completion experience. They choose a primary career focus and work on the standards for that choice. They can also choose to do job shadows, internships, labs in the classroom, or capstone projects to showcase their career choice.
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Andrea Morrow
12/8/2014 07:16:36 am
Deb...thank you for sharing. An individualized course tailored to the needs & preferences of the student is a good example of differentiation.
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Sandra Johnston
12/7/2014 11:58:53 pm
In Archery the students who struggle with steps I stand beside and give them step by step instruction to ensure safety.
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chad brewer
12/8/2014 12:29:33 am
Differentiation in weight training happens daily. We always adjust our weight used during lifts. We have a weight "chart" for some specific lifts that determines what weight to use based on previous max results (data).
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Andrea Morrow
12/8/2014 07:19:23 am
Sandra and Chad... Your courses are like Mrs. Hahn's - student choices and ability/talent levels individualize your courses. Thanks for sharing!
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Lisa Winters
12/8/2014 01:26:13 am
The POWER Program focuses on work-related skills when we are completing jobs. After figuring out where the students' comfort zones were on the machines in the room, we are requiring them to do the jobs they aren't familiar with. We are also requiring them to teach each other the skills they have developed to the others in the group.
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Andrea Morrow
12/8/2014 07:23:10 am
Lisa...although it might "look" different - differentiation is happening in your classroom with the POWER students. Good job!
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Whitney Wilkie
12/8/2014 01:50:45 am
This week, my students are taking the Gardner Multiple Intelligence test online to determine his or her learning style. Then, they will choose a project to complete on the memoir we read that is specific to his or her learning style. For instance, my students may choose to write a song or perform a scene from the memoir for the class to show comprehension of theme, symbol, mood, and diction.
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Andrea Morrow
12/8/2014 07:38:19 am
Whitney...that test will produce great data to share with the students! Let me know their reactions when they found out their learning styles - do they appreciate created assessments based on learning styles?
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Andrea Morrow
12/8/2014 07:42:01 am
Sorry about the typos...harder to respond on an I pad :)
Kim Richards
12/8/2014 03:02:16 am
I give my students a scenario and allow them to chose their end product.
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Andrea Morrow
12/8/2014 07:40:37 am
Kim...do you notice better results on your assessments when you give students a choice?
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Wendy Owens
12/8/2014 05:47:31 am
I love to do tiered lessons. It is a very good way to differentiate without the students knowing which group is the high (or low) group. The standard/s are the same, but the students are completing different activities/tasks. Students who are more mechanically-minded could do one task while artistic students could do another task... and so on. Tiered lessons are great culminating activities.
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Andrea Morrow
12/8/2014 07:51:53 am
Wendy...I agree - great culminating activity. Tiered differentiation takes more time to plan and is a more intensive, individualized type of instruction - so it is a great way to tailor a summarizing/culminating activity. Please share a hard copy example with me.
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Randy Baggett
12/8/2014 09:59:57 am
Mr. Queen's tiered instruction looks like something I may try with my resource classes.
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Andrea Morrow
12/9/2014 02:53:13 am
Randy...let me know how it goes when you try or if you have any questions.
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Jeff Williams
12/8/2014 11:21:15 pm
In my Jeopardy review game students get to choose from a range of questions - $100 (easier/DOK #1) to $500 (harder/DOK #2 & #3).
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Andrea Morrow
12/9/2014 02:56:03 am
Jeff...I love how you are incorporating all DOK levels in the game. That does make it easier for struggling students to participate.
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Angie Greeson
12/9/2014 02:30:22 am
All of the students in my piano classes are at a different level in their learning, so I differentiate in every class. Students choose music for performance assessment based on their individual level of learning.
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Andrea Morrow
12/9/2014 03:05:57 am
Angie...piano classes are a great example of "natural" differentiation.
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Anita Scott
12/9/2014 03:21:01 am
I use centers in my resources classes quite a bit. Since the ability levels in those classes cover a wide range, I include a challenge question at some of the stations for students I know will finish early. Those students are able to cover more material at their own pace, but learners who are still struggling have appropriate material to challenge them as well. I also scaffold the creation of Thinking Maps for students who struggle with organization, and I use task cards to vary the amount/type of problems students work they can work at their own pace.
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Melissa Adams
12/9/2014 08:29:35 am
I like Britney Adams's activity also. I can think of a couple of ways to use it in my English classes.
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Avery Hamilton
12/9/2014 11:51:08 pm
I like using think-tac-toe boards to summarize a unit. It requires students to access prior knowledge and apply different writing styles and perspectives to an essay. The best part about the assignment is that you do not have to continually read the same piece of writing.
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Lori Townsend
12/12/2014 08:46:25 am
In Entrepreneurship, next week we are going to study the layout of a retail business. Students will draw their own layout (floor plan) of their business on small posters. They will have to consider all the items discussed such as window displays, location of cash register, aisle space, shelving, racks, etc. I will then place them in groups of 3-4 (based on different achievement levels) to work together to give each other suggestions as they draw their layouts.
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