Methods+and+Strategies+for+differentiating+instructions


 * Methods of differentiating instruction**

Many educators have this misconception that differentiation means teaching their lesson in three or four different ways. This is not practically possible, nor is it real differentiation. If you watch any effective teacher teaching his/her class, you will find that he/she differentiates instruction all the time. A teacher who pushes the thinking of an advanced learner during whole-class discussion is differentiating instruction, as is a teacher who conjures up an example matched to a student's cognitive level. Let's learn the three different methods of differentiating instruction and few strategies that are very helpful in doing so.

Figure: Learning Cycle and Decision Factors Used in Planning and Implementing Differentiated Instruction

Tomlison(2001) identified **three elements of the curriculum** that can be differentiated:

a. __Content__- It is **what** the learners learn.

Several elements and materials are used to support the instructional content. Tasks and objectives are aligned to the learning goals and instructional concepts are broad based. The content of the lesson is differentiated on the basis of prior knowledge of students. The teachers can differentiate the content for the students by designing activities that cover different areas of [|Bloom's taxonomy]. All students work at their own level and progress towards a common standard/ objective.

b. __Process__- It is **how** the learners make sense of the information.

This method involves differentiation of instruction on the basis of learning style of the learners. Teachers use areas of [|Multiple Intelligences] to provide learning opportunities. Since learners are expected to interact in order to develop the knowledge of new concept therefore flexible grouping is an essential feature of differentiated instruction. An organized and well managed class also help in effective delivery of instructions.

c. __Product__- It involves how learners **demonstrate** their learning.

When teachers differentiate by 'product' they allow learners various ways to show their mastery of concept. Learners display what they learned based on their learning preferences, interest and strength. Pre-assessment and on going assessments help in effective differentiation as they provide the necessary information to the educator. Then the teacher can provide variety of choices, scaffolds for the varying needs, interests and abilities of the learners.

If you wish to read these three 'methods' in greater details then please go to [|Differentiated Instruction with UDL]


 * Strategies:**

Scaffoldings are temporary supports that help a learner bridge the gap between what he or she can do and what he or she needs to do to succeed at a learning task (Graves and Braaten,1996). Any good lesson must contain some kind of scaffolding. It provides needed support for students to master challenging assignments and maximizes efficiency in finding, recording and examining what's important. It also helps prevent students from getting distracted by details or going off track and thereby wasting time. It points students right to where they should go and what they should do.
 * A. Scaffolding:**

a. Gives clear directions. b. Asks essential questions. c. Guides work and minimizes nonessential work. d. Keeps students on task. e. Provides clear expectations of quality. f. Points out sources of information and help. g. Reduces uncertainty, surprise and disappointment as to successful completion of the assignment.
 * Characteristics of good scaffolding activity**:

Study guides, checklists of tasks, Graphic organizers, Modeling, reading buddies, writing buddies, gearing reading to the student reading level, cornell note taking, manipulatives etc.
 * Examples of scaffolding:**

There are four ways to tier a lesson. They are: by resources, by outcomes, by process and by product. The focus of a tiered assignment is for all students to achieve the same essential skills and understandings but at different levels of complexity and abstractness. Tiered lessons are multiple menu lessons or layered curriculum.
 * B. Tiered assignments:**

At the beginning of the chapter, the teacher gives the final test for that unit to the entire class. The students who demonstrate competency on the test are allowed to choose and design an independent investigation or project to work on while other continue the unit. Few days later the teacher gives the remaining students another chance to compact out. When the other students have completed the chapter, all students, including those who compacted out, do a mixed group review and re-take the end of the unit test to ensure everyone stays fresh in the skills.
 * C. Compacting**:

Read on Leveraging TECHNOLOGY to differentiate instruction for the Digital Natives or go back to home page.