What student-centered approaches or techniques can you use to address differentiation?

"DIFFERENTIATION is not an instructional strategy, a collection of strategies, or a teaching model. It’s a way of thinking about teaching and learning that advocates beginning where individuals are rather than with a prescribed plan of action that ignores student variance."

Carol Tomlinson (2014) The Differentiated Classroom (2nd. Ed.) (Tomlinson, 2017)

Differentiation in a student-centered classroom allows for students to work at their own pace and in a method that is suited to their own strengths and interests. It allows students to work through a specified content not only at their own pace, but the modality which is most effective for them and provides students with more responsibility over their own learning. 

Personalized learning has been employed at schools like New York’s school of one with notable success. (School of One, 2015) 

Differentiation in Process

Allowing differentiation in the process of learning new material allows for students of different levels to learn at their own pace. For example, students could have differentiated reading assignments based on their own abilities. Students unfamiliar with a lesson could be required to complete lower level tasks such as remembering and understanding, while students who demonstrate higher levels of mastery on the assignment could be asked to complete tasks where they apply and analyze the content. For example, a lower level student could be matching vocabulary words to definitions in a given reading, while another student could be answering comprehension questions. Someone with even higher levels of mastery of the reading could be discussing the author’s intent or viewpoint on the reading.  (Weselby, 2017)

Differentiation in Content

The process for the delivery of material could also differ from student to student. For example, students could choose between a reading with visual aids, an audio recording/audio book, or an online interactive assignment. This way, you can accommodate for visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learners. (Weselby, 2017) This allows for content to be created for students that is more personal to them, based on their interests. In a student-centered classroom with student centered content, student-led discussions, small-group work, and individual projects may overshadow the once dominant voices of teachers and a few students. (Richmond, 2014)

Differentiation in Product

Students could also be given choices about the product the students create at the end of the lesson to demonstrate mastery of the content. It could be a book report, a graphic organizer, an oral report, or other ideas based on the student’s interests and strengths. (Weselby, 2017)

Another student-centered content strategy, is a workshop model. A workshop model allows students to make choices about content, which still achieve the same curriculum goals or refine targeted skills. Students may be allowed to choose from a variety of topics or agree upon an “other” topic with the teacher. Surveys may also be used to to allow students to choose content. This allow students to share their voice and their interests. (McComb)

References

Foundations of Education and Instructional Assessment/Curriculum/Controversy. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Foundations_of_Education_and_Instructional_Assessment/Curriculum/Controversy

LEARNING IS STUDENT-DRIVEN. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.nmefoundation.org/our-vision/student-driven

Ark, T. V. (2017, August 03). Content-Centered to Student-Centered: A Taxonomy of Personalized Learning. Retrieved from http://www.gettingsmart.com/2017/08/content-centered-to-student-centered-a-taxonomy-of-personalized-learning/

School of One in New York City: An Implementation Guide. (2015, November 23). Retrieved from https://www.slideshare.net/iZoneNYC/school-of-one-in-new-york-city-an-implementation-guide

Richmond, E. (2014, October 24). What Happens When Students Control Their Own Education? Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/10/what-happens-when-students-control-their-own-education/381828/ 

McComb, S. Making Learning Personalized & Customized. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/workshop-model-customized-learning

Weselby, C. (2017, November 20). What is Differentiated Instruction? Examples of Strategies. Retrieved from https://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/classroom-resources/examples-of-differentiated-instruction/

Tomlinson, C. (2017, March 27). Student Centered Learning: Planning for Student Success. Retrieved from http://www.caroltomlinson.com/Presentations/ASCD17%20Student-Centered%20Learning%20Tomlinson.pdf