(compiled from notes taken at Caroline S. Cohen's class at Confratute 2003)

1. Differentiation is NOT individualized instruction. Students fall into naturally occurring clumps of readiness, mastery, ability, and interest. Using these commonalities to the teacher's advantage makes teaching more effective and efficient.
2. It is NOT a new innovation. Good teachers already use strategies that fall within this philosophy, and these strategies have always been used in the one-room schoolhouse and multi-age classrooms.
3. Differentiation is a philosophy with a "wide repetoire of strategies for helping diverse students reach similar destinations though the use of alternative pathways and vehicles." These destinations are the standards set by the State Department of Education.
4. There is no one model. The variety of strategies and pathways are used to create a match between curricular expectation and the learner's readiness, ability, experience, interest, and style.
5. It is NOT only for the gifted student. In fact, the current movement in differentiated instruction began in the Special Education field.
6. It is NOT an additional thing to do on top of everything else. It is only implemented when it is needed. There are times in the classroom when it is appropriate for everyone to be involved in the same activity, and times when it is not.
7. It does not take more time, just a different use of time. It is planned proactively, in anticipation of differences in student's learning profiles. Be prepared for different speeds and levels of mastery.
8. It is provided reactively, in response to the learners' differences, to increase the opportunities for all students to be successful within the curriculum.
9. A student who has mastered a goal or standard at the expected level should NOT be required to repeat instruction and drill practice. Differentiation strategies helps the teacher to provide activities at appropriate challenge levels.
10. Interest and motivation are key to success in school. Give the students meaning for why the standards are important, and take student interests and learning styles into consideration while planning.
11. Appropriate + Equivalent = Fair Education     This DOES NOT mean identical education for all students.

Why do it?  So students can learn and be successful in meeting the standards, as well as becoming self-directed, motivated learners.

Differentiated Instruction is based on the following beliefs:

• Students differ in their learning profiles.
• Classrooms in which students are active learners, decision makers and problem solvers are more natural and effective than those in which students are served a "one-size-fits-all" curriculum and treated as passive recipients of information.
• "Covering information" takes a backseat to making meaning out of important ideas.

The key to a differentiated classroom is that all students are regularly offered CHOICES and students are matched with tasks compatible with their individual learner profiles.

Curriculum should be differentiated in three areas:

1. Content: Multiple options for taking in information

2. Process: Multiple options for making sense of the ideas

3. Product: Multiple options for expressing what they know

DIFFERENTIATION FOR ADVANCED LEARNERS

Differentiation for the advanced learners involves the adjustment of curriculum and instruction by using one or more of the following four dimensions:

1. Depth

Depth refers to the concept of challenging learners by enabling them to venture further, deeper, and more elaborately into the area under study. Questions related to the dimension of depth: What details further the understanding of this area of study (i.e., theme, concept, topic, generalization, issue, theory, or principle)? How can study of the known be directed towards the unknown, the concrete directed towards the abstract, and the familiar directed towards the unfamiliar? What facts, concepts, generalizations, principles, and theories are related to the area of study? What patterns and/or trends exist within the area of study? What structure(s) and rule(s) characterize the area of study?

2. Complexity

Complexity refers to the concept of broadening the learner's understanding of the area or areas under study by asking him/her to make connections, relationships, and associations between, within, and across subjects and disciplines. Questions related to the dimension of complexity: What new relationship can be made within, between, or among the area of the study and any other areas of study? How can this subject be viewed from many and varied perspectives? What are the problems and issues within this area of study? What might be multiple solutions to a problem identified within the area of study? What are the prevailing themes related to the area of study? What influence has "time" had on knowledge related to the area of study?

3. Novelty

Novelty refers to the concept of gaining a personal understanding of the area under study or constructing meaning of knowledge in an individualized manner. Questions related to the dimension of novelty: How can knowledge in the area of study be interpreted personally? How can one restate or express in personally important ways knowledge from this study? What type of investigation or experiment can be designed to learn more about the area of study? What type or original investigation or experiment can be developed to prove or disprove an idea about this area of study?

4. Acceleration or Pacing

Acceleration refers to the concept of altering the pace or speed of learning and providing more sophisticated resources for learning in order to challenge learners. Questions related to the dimension of acceleration: What advanced resources can be used to enhance understanding of the subject under study? What are the strategies needed to study the subject at a more sophisticated level?

source:http://www.scusd.edu/gate_ext_learning/differentiated.htm

(from class notes of Caroline S. Cohen at Confratute 2003)

Many teachers use some of these already, but call them by different names.  Remember that the key to successful differentiation is how it is planned and implemented.

1. Cycles of Working Arrangements: whole class, small groups, pairs, individuals
2. Flexible Grouping :

   same ability/readiness shared interest or questions similar learning or processing style similar product style

   mixed ability/readiness diverse interst or questions diverse learning or processing style diverse product style

   Group Formation: teacher-selected student-selected purposeful or random

3. Pre-Assessment, Entry Points, Exit Points
4. Adjusted Questions
5. Tiered Assignments
6. Curriculum Compacting
7. Open-Ended Assignments, Divergent Thinking
8. Depth and Complexity
9. Scaffolding, Relative Independence
10. Choice, Menus
11. Contracts
12. Rubrics
13. Alternative Assessment
14. Interest and Learning Centers
15. Independent Study
16. Mentorships, Apprenticeships

(from class notes of Caroline S. Cohen at Confratute 2003)