Explaining differentiation to parents can be tricky. As a society, we value fairness above almost all things, and a differentiated classroom can look unfair from the outside if the definition of fairness is “sameness.” One important step teachers should take in the beginning of the year is to share their differentiation philosophy and practice in […]
The Problem with Reading Logs: Reader Q & A
There is a problem with reading logs that students are expected to keep for school. There is more than one problem, actually, but I’m focusing on one. I’m giving solutions, too, so hold tight. Reader Q: This is part of my Reader Q & A series, and this question comes from a parent in […]
Differentiation Gone Wrong: A Worksheet Nightmare
Differentiation Gone Wrong: I’m a big believer in differentiation. I mean huge. I often explore the internet looking for good examples of differentiation. And sometimes, I find examples of differentiation gone wrong. Here’s one such example: I don’t whether it’s nice to say where I got this or not, so I won’t, but it’s from […]
Differentiation on Demand: High School Biology
In this episode, I take a real, live high school biology lesson and suggest ways in which I’d approach differentiating it for high level learners. The Backstory I received an email asking me to give suggestions for how to differentiate this DNA structure lab. I decided to take a stab at it, and I found […]
What Teachers Need Parents to Know about Differentiation
There are a number of things that teachers need parents to know about differentiation. In fact, I’ve got a list for you. Where did the list come from? The teachers at Hulstrom K-8 in the Adams 12 Five Star School District in Northglenn, Colorado crowdsourced this post. After an entire day of differentiation exploration and […]
Differentiation Intervention: A Case Study
I received an email about a differentiation issue, and decided it was worth doing an entire case study on the problem this parent is facing. I’ve crowdsourced it with some awesome teachers from the Bullitt County School District in Kentucky (near beautiful Louisville). We sat down one afternoon and hashed out ideas. We’re sharing them […]
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