Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Understanding Differentiation

What is differentiation? 
Differentiation involves modifying instruction to support the wide spectrum of learners in the mainstream classroom [1]. Learners can differ in many ways, including:
·      Cognitive abilities
·      Background knowledge
·      Learner profile
·      Level of motivation
·      Interests
·      Talents


Why do we need to differentiate? 
Extensive research within the field of education has proven that students benefit more from individualized instruction rather than a “one size fits all” approach [2] .The mainstream classroom is a diverse environment in which you will need to cater to the needs of gifted learners as well as students with specific learning difficulties. 

How can we differentiate?

There are three main aspects of instruction that teachers should consider before differentiating. Teachers can choose to differentiate the content, process or product [3]. Accordingly, these areas should be differentiated depending on the student’s readiness, interests or learning profile. The model below outlines the possibilities for differentiating the curriculum:


Figure 1.0
Concept map for differentiation





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