I really enjoyed this weeks readings. The topic of differentiation is dear to my heart. I have worked in special education as a para for over 10 years and have seen the best strategies and the worst strategies when it comes to differentiation. The first reading really breaks it down in defining what DI is not. It does seem overwhelming to think that teachers must differentiate according to all of their students needs. The first point iit makes is that DI is not individualized instruction for all students. We do recognize that in DI, teachers do work in whole groups, small groups and sometimes with individual students. The second point that this article makes is that DI is not chaotic. Instead of visualizing many things happening at once within the classroom, picture the teacher as a facilitator like a conductor in the opera. the teacher guides and facilitates all of the students. There is a lot going on but if it is well structured it will be what the text called "Orderly Flexibility." I like that DI is not homogeneous grouping and the students can benefit from each others strengths. Di is not a tailoring of the same suit of clothes. DI gives students of expressing themselves according to their own skill sets and talents. DI benefits all students not just the outliers.
The Edutopia article was very informative. It talked about the 3 ways to differentiate. I am very familiar with the common one, which is differentiating the product. As I read about the the other 2 ways of differentiating I was quickly reminded of the Undiversal Design for Learning. It is very similar.
- Differentiating the content includes various delivery formats such as video, readings, lectures and audio.
- Differentiating the process is about how the students reflect on what is being taught. This includes strategies like think/pair/share, journaling and literature circles.
- Differentiating the product allows the students to show what they learned through a format that is preferred by the student.
In Universal Design for Learning (UDL) there are also 3 similar points which are:
- Multiple means of representation (how students acquire information).
- Multiple means of expression ( product).
- Multiple means of engagement (interest, challenge and motivation).
Relating to UbD was a great connection. I'm in the thick of a Unit plan and am fully immersed in thinking about these concepts so I'm having a missing the forest for the trees moment. With UbD you can plan your differentiation options at the outset, making it easier to adapt from the get go and reducing the stress of trying to adjust on the fly. Loading the planning at the front end makes the long game less chaotic and less intimidating. This reinforces the ideas of preparedness but also of flexibility since one can plan a myriad of activities at the outset and use what works or switch it up if need be. UbD can have a profound affect on one's mindset regarding differentiation.
ReplyDeleteI think differentiation is one of the scariest concepts a teacher (new or veteran) has to think about and implement. My district has had multiple PD's on this and everyone thinks of it a little differently. But mainly, we all need to realize that we are NOT creating a separate lesson plan for every single student in our room. Instead, and with all this technology nowadays, differentiation should be looked at as groupings of children with similar learning styles, levels, etc. and giving them exactly what they need to be challenged yet also still succeed.
ReplyDeleteWith technology being mentioned, please look into Apple Classroom and let me know what you think. It is relatively new to the Apple world, different from Google classroom, but takes the guessing game out of how to group kids and how to let them know what group they are in without giving it away!