Differentiated Instruction
Thu, 09/30/2010 - 11:49 — Lara
Differentiated Instruction is a mindset that requires teachers to help ALL students meet and exceed the standards and expectations for achievement. When adopting this philosophy, we take into consideration what each individual student brings to the learning situation (i.e. prior knowledge, learning modalities and strengths, interests) and provide them with the appropriate amount of challenge and assistance to help them achieve.
Implementing DI strategies, however, can be a major change that does not necessarily come easily. As you consider, plan for, and implement DI in your classroom, use this discussion forum to ask questions, share successes, and discuss your challenges with others who are attempting to do the same.
Often, as teachers, we sit
Often, as teachers, we sit through long institute presentations and wonder why we are being lectured at for hours on end by experts when we know this is not the most effective route to learning. In our Induction and Mentoring course at NIU, we have spent some time discussing differentiation for mentees. Not all of our "new teachers" are truly brand new to teaching, even though they may all be brand new to the school. In a day and age in which educators come from a variety of backgrounds including the private sector, other previous education experience, or never having taught before, there is a need for differentiation when mentoring teachers as much as there is for teaching a variety of different students. Does anyone have any examples of how their school has used differentiation in its induction program?