Differentiated Instruction

The problem I continue to face it that there is not enough time in the day. I truly believe in the importance of differentiated instruction. I usually have my students work in leveled groups and set up various stations throughout the classroom. Most of the work station must be kid-friendly so that my students can work independently. My issue is, how do I create lesson activities that are easy to assemble, break-down, and clean-up while still maintaining a level of difficulty and interest for my students?

My students usually work in level-based groups and participate in various work station activities throughout the day. How can I develop new and more engaging activities and are easy to assemble and clean-up, yet still provide a level of difficulty and interest?

Karen,
One way in which I differentiate writing is to have differentiated criteria sheets. I have either 3 or 4 ability groups within my classroom. Whatever is expected of them on their criteria sheet is what I give for a small group mini lesson. For example, a mini lesson I might give to a low group might be using words other than "said". While my higher group may get a lesson on using introductory clauses. When we recently wrote our Tall Tales, my lower group was expected to have time and place when they created their setting, while the middle group needed to have time, place and atmosphere and the high group had to have all 3 elements and it needed to be sprinkled throughout their story like published authors do. For this I gave different mini lessons and I created differentiated graphic organizers.

Amber, is the Power Teaching program you use through the Success For All Foundation?

Both the “what and how” of differentiated instruction instruction are crucial to successful implementation of DI in the classroom; however, the “how” must be teacher-directed and make pedagogical sense. Check out Differentiated Instruction-the What and How
to read this important dialogue between DI authors Mark Pennington and Rick Wormeli.

Both the “what and how” of differentiated instruction instruction are crucial to successful implementation of DI in the classroom; however, the “how” must be teacher-directed and make pedagogical sense. Check out Differentiated Instruction-the What and How
to read this important dialogue between DI authors Mark Pennington and Rick Wormeli.

Our school system started using Thinkgate this year. Can you tell me how it is used in kindergarten?
Thanks

Our school system started using Thinkgate this year. Can you tell me how it is used in kindergarten?
Thanks

Hi Lauren R,
I just came upon this so my thoughts may be way too late. I too handle lots of students for a short time. (I teach highschool chemistry)Three things I do to cope:
1. survey their fav ways of learning when I meet them and use it so get the kinesthetic kids to model stuff, and point out during lesson that this bit is for the visual kids, this bit is for the linguistic...
2. begin each lesson with a check and they're required to master it
3. I write three versions of the lab instruction sheet
Jane Altemen
United Nations International School of Hanoi
Vietnam

How I cope:
1. survey their fav learning tricks and use them
2. begin each lesson with a check of understanding that they can master
3. I write three versions of the lab report instruction sheet