Washington and Lee University

Teacher Education

Differentiation

Differentiation is a philosophy by which educators look at teaching and learning. A differentiated classroom is child-centered and is based on well-defined individual strengths and needs. Differentiation begins with a well articulated curriculum based on standards and research-based teaching strategies to increase and enhance student achievement as well as engagement.

The following links provide additional resources about differentiation.

Information

• Finding Manageable Ways to Meet Individual Needs - This article details numerous instructional strategies that will help you differentiate instruction.
• Learning Styles - This site provides several links to materials on learning styles. Click here for additional information.
• How to Differentiate Instruction - At this site, you can find a planning tool geared toward those working in the elementary school setting.

Curriculum Approaches and Adjustable Assignments

• Centers - A center is a collection of material designed for hands-on experience related to a particular learning goal. This site provide an overview of centers used in classrooms.
• Cooperative and Collaborative Learning - A technique tutorial available through Thirteen Ed Online.
• Curriculum Compacting - This strategy is designed to make the appropriate curriculum adjustment for all students.
• Inquiry based Learning - A technique tutorial available through Thirteen Ed Online.
• Multiple Intelligences - An online tutorial from theory to classroom application can be found at this site. Click here for a multiple intelligences survey.
• Problem Based Learning - This site provides an overview of problem based learning.
• Project Based Learning - This site provides checklists for project work, ways to increase student motivation, and ways of using multiple intelligences with alternative assessment.

Resources

• A Different Place - This site has differentiated activities in all content areas.
• Anchor Activities - This is a fourth grade site with a set of 150 anchor activities already created and ready for use.
• Brain Research and its impacts on classroom environment
• Differentiated Lesson Examples
• Informational resources on working with children living in poverty
• The North Star - A site that believes every learner is unique and provides stories, puppets, and more for you to use for differentiation. Free posters can be downloaded and printed from here.
• Rubristar - Rubrics created online can be done at this site.
• Science Examples of Differentiated Learning - This site offers some examples of differentiation for the elementary science classroom. Click here for a Powerpoint presentation illustrating using science standards with differentiation.
• TeAch-nology - Another location for rubric examples and source to create your own rubrics.

Strategies

• 4MAT - This strategy allows for instruction to be tailored to four types of students using a natural cycle of learning to introduce, reinforce, and reflect on the content presented. Another resource can be found here.
• Jigsaw - This site will provide up-to-date information on this cooperative learning technique.
• Layered Curriculum - Based on current brain-imaging information, Layered Curriculum^TM is a student-centered teaching method using a 3 layer model to encourage complex thinking and hold students accountable for their learning.
• Literature Circles - Several sites are located here giving more information and examples of using literature with small groups of students. Good overview and materials can be found here.
• Math Stations - A strategy where students are working on various tasks simultaneously and the tasks are linked.
• Questioning to Promote Higher Order Thinking
• Think, Pair, Share
• Tiered Lesson - An explanation of what a tiered lesson can be found at this site. Here is a good overview about tiered lessons. Grades K - 2 example (scroll down); Grade 3 - 5 example; Grade 6 - 8 example; Grade 9 - 12 example Slidehow on tiered instruction   More K - 12 Examples with rubric; Kindergarten example; example of Social Studies plan
• Additional strategies for differentiation. Click here for materials from Middleweb.

Technology Resources

• Enhance Learning Through Technology - An overview of how to use technology with differentiation.
• Filamentality - A resource that is quick and easy to use to organize web sites for instructional purposes. To see an example, click here. Examples of RAFTs can be found at the bottom.
• Inspiration and Kidspiration - This is a software webbing tool for your visual learners. Inspiration ideas (grades 3 - 12) and Kidspiration ideas (PreK - 4) are presented at this site.
• Powerpoint Presentation on Differentiating Math
• Technology and Differentiation
• WebQuest Resources - Kathy Shrock provides a set of links about an inquiry based online tool for student and teacher use developed by Bernie Dodge, San Diego State University.

Practicum - Winter Term 2005 - W & L students participating in the Differentiation Practicum will use this site to display some of their created materials from the course work.

Practicum - Fall 2004 - W & L students participating in the Differentiation Practicum will use this site to display some of their created materials from the course work.

Teacher Education
Washington and Lee University
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