Differentiate Every Day
Differentiated InstructionActions for Differentiated Instruction
I came across a comic that highlighted the importance of differentiated instruction.
“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
-Albert Einstein
As this comic shows, students are not the same as one another – they learn differently and they have different talents and interests. They also come into the classroom with different experiences and knowledge. Thus, they cannot be taught the same way or only one way. We must tap into their talents and potential to bring out the best in them.
This is especially true for students with special needs, English Language Learners, and students who are struggling in our classrooms. If we do not highlight their talents, they may continue to feel unsuccessful.
This comic also brings up the issue of rich tasks. In order to tap into the genius of all students, we cannot use the same form of assessment every time. It is important for students to have a variety of ways to demonstrate their thinking. This helps to target students' multiple intelligences. Allowing them to do a presentation, or create a skit, or sing a song allows them to use something they are good at to show what they have learned.
Furthermore, we need to teach students to become critical thinkers. To do this, the tasks we set must involve higher order thinking questions. When looking at Bloom's Taxonomy, we see that when students complete tasks that involve analyzing, evaluating, and creating, they are using higher level thinking. When students are merely completing a test, they are usually using the lower forms of thinking such as knowledge or understanding.
When creating a task, ask yourself:
- Do students have choice in how to demonstrate their thinking?
- Are you targeting all the learning styles through your lesson?
- Is the task promoting higher level thinking?
By engaging in reflective practice, teachers can ensure that all students are being reached. They can make school a comfortin