The Learning from Books I Read
Book Title: DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION, Making It Work.
Author: Patti Drapeau
Publisher: Scholastic, 2004
WHAT DIFFERENTIATION IS NOT
· Is not just about leveling children by their scholastic ability. Differentiation is about matching the academic, social and emotional needs of the students with effective instruction.
· Is not synonymous with individualized instruction. Provides groups for students. The teacher does not meet with each students individually unless there is only one student working on a particular skill.
· Does not mean lines of students waiting for help from the teacher. Teacher acts as facilitator in groups. Not spend most of her time in whole group instruction.
· Does not mean it is hard to keep track of what students know. Teachers are encouraged to use a class record form, to keep students’ progress on track.
· Is not just about modifying the amount of work students do. Don’t give a “penalty” by giving extra work for the first finishers. Differentiate the challenge, something different, not only “more”.
· Is not just allowing students a choice of products. It is only one type of differentiation and should not be the only way for differentiation. Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences can be a reference.
· May not just be about student choice. The follow-up activities should give us information on how well the students understand a particular topic with more challenging task.
This is the book that I read this July holiday (2013).
We put this on our presentation during New Teachers’ Induction, July 2013.
Author: Patti Drapeau
Publisher: Scholastic, 2004
WHAT DIFFERENTIATION IS NOT
· Is not just about leveling children by their scholastic ability. Differentiation is about matching the academic, social and emotional needs of the students with effective instruction.
· Is not synonymous with individualized instruction. Provides groups for students. The teacher does not meet with each students individually unless there is only one student working on a particular skill.
· Does not mean lines of students waiting for help from the teacher. Teacher acts as facilitator in groups. Not spend most of her time in whole group instruction.
· Does not mean it is hard to keep track of what students know. Teachers are encouraged to use a class record form, to keep students’ progress on track.
· Is not just about modifying the amount of work students do. Don’t give a “penalty” by giving extra work for the first finishers. Differentiate the challenge, something different, not only “more”.
· Is not just allowing students a choice of products. It is only one type of differentiation and should not be the only way for differentiation. Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences can be a reference.
· May not just be about student choice. The follow-up activities should give us information on how well the students understand a particular topic with more challenging task.
This is the book that I read this July holiday (2013).
We put this on our presentation during New Teachers’ Induction, July 2013.