I read this blog post and thought that others may find it interesting. Goes along with a lot of the conversations we have had lately.
10 Ways to Differentiate Learning
Here's the gist from "What Ed Said" about differentiating.
1. Let Go
2. Change Your Expectations
3. Change the Sequence
4. Use Technology Creatively
5. Care about What Matters to Them
6. Assess for Learning
7. Embrace Inquiry as a Stance
8. Don't be the Only Teacher
9. Focus on Learning, Not Work
10. Encourage Goal Setting & Reflection
I think he is on the same page with Alan November's philosophy and I agree that schools need to change to accomodate todays society. "Ed" does, however, take it one step further than Alan November and addresses other issues beside technology. I especially agree with the statement that we need to know our students' stories and what makes them who they are. Many of our students come to school dealing with a variety of issues at home, as teachers we need to understand and support our students and provide a learning environment in which they can thrive in. If students do not feel valued and represented in the classroom, then true learning experiences can not happen. Knowing about students' personal lives also allows us to "hook" them into our lessons. If children are not "hooked" all of the hours we spend planning and using innovative technologies will be wasted.
Some thoughts that I am having regarding this...
Do you agree or disagree with "What Ed Says"? Are you reminded of Alan November? Do you have a way you differentiate learning that has worked for you and your students? Is this really "differentiation"? How did you react to the statement that we teach people not subjects? Share your thoughts!
Hi Kelly. I like the list, thanks for posting it. I agree with what you said about knowing your students' stories. That has definitely been an underlining theme in all of our courses. Your question asking if this is really "differentiation" was exactly what I was thinking... I learned to differentiate, modify the concent, the process, and/or the product. However, these 10 ways are a different way of thinking. Although, looking back over them, each one probably could be sorted into 1.Content, 2.Process, or 3.Product. Hum, some interesting food for thought...
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