Talking to the Kids about Differentiation

I am still thinking about differentiation.  All of the big ideas it pulls together and connects.  Thanks to Carol Tomlinson, I believe I am seeing it with greater clarity than I have before.  I am also thinking about what I would do in my classroom... if I had a classroom.  Maybe you could help me with that part.

When I did have a classroom, I talked to my students about multiple intelligences and learning styles.  I taught them about their brains and showed them how to think about themselves as learners.  We graphed our various intelligences, wrote about our strengths as learners and discussed how we were all different.  All good things.  On occasion, we even talked about why.  Why we didn't all do the same thing.  Why it was important for me to provide more than one way in.   Still good things... but  not enough.  Tomlinson  raises the bar.  She says that we need to:

"make sure the kids share our vision, are on board and contributing."

Further, that we should:

"help kids understand and contribute to differentiation as a way of life in the classroom."

If I am really honest with myself, I think that I saw differentiation as my responsibility, my vision. I shared that vision, but perhaps not in the explicit way Tomlinson is talking about. She recommends approaching it openly and directly with students, asking questions like:

WHAT DOES FAIR MEAN IN OUR CLASS?

... and talking about it in ways that help kids to understand that it really means each learner getting the support and challenge that he/she needs to succeed.

WHY WOULD WE CREATE A DIFFERENTIATED CLASS?

* To grow
* Because we are all unique
* Because each one of us has strengths and areas to develop
* We have different interests, talents and learning styles


WHAT WILL IT LOOK LIKE?

• Sometimes we might have different books, questions, tasks
• We might work at something for different lengths of time
• Working in various group sizes and combinations
• Different ways of getting help
• Keeping records 
• Setting goals

 These questions came up in my classroom but not in a proactive, "let me share my vision for our learning community" kind of way


I didn't think of it as something the students could contribute to.   But I am now.  What about you?


New Books....

Thanks to my book buddies (I have them everywhere!) at Polson (Laurie),Hampstead (Jen and Jeanine), and Emerson (Michelle), I have some new picture books.  They are available for borrowing... look for the NEW books on my shelf.