Differentiation is NOT "Individualized Instruction" of the 1970's
Differentiated instruction offers several avenues to learning, it DOES NOT assume a separate level for each learner. It focuses on meaningful learning or powerful ideas for ALL students.
Differentiation is NOT chaotic.
Effective differentiated classrooms include purposeful student movement and some purposeful student talking. They are not disorderly or undisciplined. Teachers who differentiate instruction quickly point out that, if anything, they exert more leadership in their classrooms, not less.
Differentiated instruction is NOT just another way to provide homogeneous grouping
A hallmark of an effective differentiate classroom is the use of flexible grouping, which accommodates students who are strong in some areas and weaker in others. The teacher uses many different group configurations over time, and students experience many different working groups and arrangements.
Differentiated Instruction is NOT just "tailoring the same suit of clothes."
Many teachers think that they differentiate instruction when they ask some students to answer more complex discussion or to share advanced information on a topic, grade some students a little harder or easier on an assignment in response to students' perceived ability and effort, or let students select which questions to answer or skip on a test. In sum, trying to stretch a garment that is far too small or attempting to tuck and gather a garment that is far too large is likely to be less effective than getting clothes that are the right fit at a given time.
Differentiated instruction offers several avenues to learning, it DOES NOT assume a separate level for each learner. It focuses on meaningful learning or powerful ideas for ALL students.
Differentiation is NOT chaotic.
Effective differentiated classrooms include purposeful student movement and some purposeful student talking. They are not disorderly or undisciplined. Teachers who differentiate instruction quickly point out that, if anything, they exert more leadership in their classrooms, not less.
Differentiated instruction is NOT just another way to provide homogeneous grouping
A hallmark of an effective differentiate classroom is the use of flexible grouping, which accommodates students who are strong in some areas and weaker in others. The teacher uses many different group configurations over time, and students experience many different working groups and arrangements.
Differentiated Instruction is NOT just "tailoring the same suit of clothes."
Many teachers think that they differentiate instruction when they ask some students to answer more complex discussion or to share advanced information on a topic, grade some students a little harder or easier on an assignment in response to students' perceived ability and effort, or let students select which questions to answer or skip on a test. In sum, trying to stretch a garment that is far too small or attempting to tuck and gather a garment that is far too large is likely to be less effective than getting clothes that are the right fit at a given time.