Practical Differentiation

1
Practical Differentiation

• Tiered Tasks

2
Overview of Learnings

• What is differentiation?
• Explicit tiered tasks.

3
So, what is so interesting about this session?

• THE HOOK-
• DIFFERENTIATION
• Differentiation
• Differentiation.
• But what does that mean to us?

4
Differentiation means..

• Recognising the learning diversity in the
  classroom.
• Affirming that students have different learning
  needs.
• Increasing the variety in teaching, learning and
  assessment in order to reach more students.
• Acknowledge what students already know and can do
  (prior knowledge).

5
Differentiation means..

• Recognising that not all students need to do the
  same work in the same way.
• Diagnosing student needs and prescribing tasks
  that better match these needs.
• Nurturing and providing opportunities for
  students to make appropriate choices.
• Designing tiered tasks that better respond to
  students needs.
• Creating fair and equitable processes for
  authentic assessment and reporting.

6
In plain terms.

• Adapting the pace, level or kind of learning you
  provide in response to learners needs, styles
  and interests.
• But why use this in favour of other methods?
• It can provide the opportunity for all learners
  needs to be provided for in the mixed ability
  classroom.

7
Where does differentiation fit into the planning
cycle?

• After your planning group or you have
  considered-
• The outcomes
• The curriculum intent and the
• Assessment and reportingthis is the do part!

8
One of my favourites in differentiation.

• This is -
• Tiered tasks.

9
Tiered tasks.

• These are great for providing-
• Challenge
• Choice
• Levelling
• Negotiation
• Let us look at a practical example.

10
The Practical Example-tiered tasks

• Look at the handout with the challenge levels
  (page 1).
• Have a look at the tiered examples (pages2- 5).
• Could you develop a simple tiered task for
  tomorrow? Use the challenge questions as a guide.

11
Where to from here?

• Well, all teachers can take these ideas on board
  without too much angst.
• Differentiation can ensure that teachers are
  beginning to meet the needs of diverse learners
  in their classroom.
• However, it must be taken on in the context of
  the planning and reflective cycle, otherwise it
  is not sustainable.

12
Thank-you

• Jules Maat
• Project Officer and Enrichment Coordinator
• Gifted Education
• My contact number is-
• 36371111 (m,t and w)
• 33507875 (Th and F)
• Or julie.maat_at_qed.qld.gov.au