Why is Differentiated Instruction such a hot topic?
It is THE bridge from Content to Learner.
- Educators need many Pieces - different kinds of instructional and assessment strategies and a variety of differentiated resources that address the
wide range of knowledge, ability levels, interests, and learning styles students bring to the classroom.
- Teachers require a variety of research-based instructional strategies and resources for all students in order to meet benchmarks, Common Core
standards, and to provide interventions, enrichment, and acceleration.
- Strategies and materials must support the accountability component of educating students.
What are Research-Based Differentiation Strategies?
Accountable, teacher-tested instructional strategies that address a variety of student characteristics and promote student achievement.
- One of the Pieces is Research-Based Instructional Strategies. These strategies differentiate Content, Process, and/or Product.
- After pre-testing, Content may be remediated, accelerated, or enriched using basic or more complex resources. Examples of strategies are acceleration,
compacting, flexible pacing, and introduction of more complex concepts.
- Process is differentiated by addressing different learning styles, levels of thinking, and kinds of thinking. The content is not different. Teachers
may use Bloom’s Taxonomy, Higher Level Questioning, CPS, Williams’ Taxonomy, etc.
- Product is differentiated by addressing different learning styles and by providing choice in variety and different levels of complexity of
products.
- Other Differentiation Strategies
What are Differentiated Resources?
They are resources that address the wide range of knowledge, ability levels, interests, and learning styles students bring to the classroom and that address different instructional
strategies.
One of the Pieces offered by Pieces of Learning is a wide selection of differentiated resources especially designed for the Differentiated Classroom
including:
Once I have the Strategies for Differentiated Instruction and Differentiated Resources – Where is the
“How-To”?
Pieces of Learning’s Professional Development Presenters
Other Differentiation Strategies
| Acceleration | Curriculum Compacting |
| Flexible Grouping | Literature Circles |
| Mentoring | Contracting |
| Independent Study | Telescoping |
| Problem-Based Learning | Learning Centers |
| Tiered Instruction | Tic-Tac-Toe Choices |
| Differentiated Assessment | Brain Compatible Learning |
| Collaborative Learning | Project Based Learning |
| Inquiry Based Learning |
Creative Problem Solving
|
- Differentiating the Process: Our Math Rules! series seeks right
answers, but the focus is the differentiation of the process to arrive at the right answer as well as enriching the content.
- Differentiating the Content for Primary High Ability Thinkers:Our P.E.T.S.(TM) (Primary Education Thinking Skills)
series presents activities to teach different kinds of thinking skills to young students; the content is differentiated for high ability thinkers and various instructional
strategies including Telescoping and Enrichment are used. Another practical resource: Demystifying Differentiation in Elementary School
- Differentiating
the Content and Process Through Questioning: Our Thinking Skills series includes Asking Smart
Questions, Questioning Makes the
Difference, Active
Questioning, and The Quick Question
Workbook, all presenting Questioning strategies to use with any content area, thus differentiating the content and process.
- Differentiating Using
Various Research-Based Strategies: Our Postscards From ... series uses Bloom’s Taxonomy, Williams’ Taxonomy, SCAMPER, Tic-Tac-Toe, Choice, and Creative Problem Solving Strategies to differentiate process. More practical
resources: Demystifying Differentiation in Middle
School, Demystifying Differentiation in Elementary
School
- Bloom’s Taxonomy: Bloom's & Beyond , Bloom's Differentiated Enrichment Units,
and Differentiating Lessons Using Bloom’s Taxonomy.
- Assessment: To
address Instructional Strategies (Tic-Tac-Toe, Individual Lesson Plans, and Tiered Assignments) and Assessment in a variety of ways is our Best Sellers Activities & Assessments for the Differentiated Classroom
, Successful Teaching in the Differentiated
Classroom, Differentiating
Activities and Assessments Using the Common Core Standards
- Rubrics: The Products Tool Bag
series and Solving the Assessment Puzzle:
Piece by Piece provide rubrics for 100s of products. Use the Product Criteria Cards to create
rubrics.
- TWO Essential
Resources for new and experienced educators: Teaching Tools for the 21st Century & Successful Teaching in the Differentiated
Classroom assist teachers as they begin their journey into Differentiation. It puts theory into practice that you can use tomorrow. The author addresses and
illustrates Differentiation in a standards-based world.
More Differentiated Resources
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Division of Creative Learning
Consultants, Inc.