“Winnie” is my metaphor for showing the overall concept of Differentiation and the six guiding principles. I used the witch to remind myself of the overall message from “Winnie the Witch” by Valerie Thomas and Korky Paul – change the house (planning the ‘environment’), not the cat (diverse students)!
However, it is important to know that “Winnie” makes sense to me because I created her. In order for individual learners to internalize the concept, it would be important for him/her to create their own personal metaphor. {Take the information and ‘process’ it (analyze, synthesize, and evaluate it). How? Read the information, pick out the main ideas, summarize it, and then apply it in a metaphor}.
The CONCEPT of DIFFERENTIATION
is
PLANNING for the Diverse NEEDS of LEARNERS.
PLANNING – GUIDED BY:
1. CONTENT & RESPECTFUL WORK
What should ALL learners UNDERSTAND? {CONCEPTS/BIG IDEAS/STANDARDS}
What do ALL learners have to KNOW/BE ABLE TO DO? {OBJECTIVES/BENCHMARKS}
AND Why is it important to ALL learners?
Teaching kids what they need to know AND why they need to know it!
We HAVE to be clear about the CONCEPTS/Essential Understandings/ Standards/ Benchmarks/Objectives/WHATEVER you call it – it is the CONTENT.
AND - We HAVE to make it meaningful/interesting/engaging and challenging for ALL learners.
It doesn’t matter how important ‘we’ think it is; it matters how important ‘they’ think it is!
2. FLEXIBILITY
Of course, kids are different - different needs, and wants, and personalities, and abilities, and experiences, and so on…..BUT they ALL need #1 so…
Teaching kids when they need to know it and how they are going to get it!
Know who is ready for it/who is past it/who isn’t even close… {Readiness)
Know who is intrinsically motivated (& who needs to be extrinsically motivated) to learn. {Interest}
Know who learns in what ways. {Learning & Personality Styles}
3. ASSESSMENT & INSTRUCTION
HOW we will know WHO needs WHAT and WHEN and WHERE and HOW and WHY!!!
AND HOW we will know if they GOT IT!
OUR ULTIMATE GOAL? STUDENT LEARNING!!!!
Learning is a PROCESS
(Taking information and making sense of it – transforming knowledge into understanding).
Learning happens BECAUSE of THINKING!!!!.
Thinking IS Processing Information in Different Ways!
