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What is Differentiated Learning?

Today, you will learn one of the things I have learned about teaching: A Teacher’s Guide for Differentiated-Based Learning. Have you ever felt like you are teaching the same thing to everyone, but only some are getting it? How about reaching those students who seem bored, frustrated, or confused? Have you ever wished you could make your lessons more fun, engaging, and meaningful for all your students?

If yes, try differentiated learning. Differentiated learning is a way of teaching that gives your students different options and experiences for learning new things. It helps you adapt your method to your student’s needs, such as what they already know, how they like to learn, what interest them, and how they understand the topic.

Differentiated learning is the idea that every student is unique in his or her way. Teaching them all the same way is ineffective because they have different strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes, backgrounds, and goals. They also learn at different speeds and in different ways.

In addition, differentiated learning lets you change four things in your classroom to suit your students’ needs. These things are the following;

Content. First, the lesson that you want your students to learn.
Process. Second, the ways that your students learn the lesson.
Product. Third, the things that your students make or do to show what they learned.
Learning environment. Fourth, the place and mood where your students learn.

By changing these things, you can give your students different choices and paths for learning that fit their needs. For example, you can change the content by making it easier or more complex, more or less detailed or supported. Moreover, you can change the process by using different ways of teaching, such as telling, showing, asking, or doing. Besides, you can change the product by letting your students pick from various formats, such as writing, speaking, drawing, or singing. Furthermore, you can change the learning environment by making it cozy, friendly, and supportive so your students feel happy and safe.

Why is Differentiated Learning Awesome?

Differentiated learning is fantastic because it shows you care about your students. Similarly, it shows that you respect their differences and value their opinions. It also helps them learn better and faster. By differentiating your teaching, you can:

First, meet the different needs of all your students in your classroom.
Second, give each student the right amount of challenge and support.
Third, make your students more excited and curious about learning.

Students engaged in different learning activities with a teacher providing support. — Differentiated learning meets diverse classroom needs.

Fourth, help your students take charge of their learning.
Fifth, boost your students’ skills and knowledge.
Sixth, spark your students’ creativity and imagination.
Seventh, make your students more confident and proud of themselves.
Lastly, build positive relationships among your students and with you.

How to Do Differentiated Learning in Your Classroom

Doing differentiated learning in your classroom may sound hard at first, but it’s easy and fun once you get the hang of it. Some basic steps you can observe to begin differentiating your teaching are as follows:

Know your students.

First is to find out more about your student’s readiness levels (how much they know and can do), interests (what they like and care about), and learning profiles (how they prefer to learn). In addition, you can use different ways to get this information, such as asking them questions, giving them quizzes, watching them work, looking at their work, or listening to them talk. Likewise, you can use this information to group students based on their learning styles or interests.

A teacher observing students and taking notes to understand their learning needs. — Understanding students is the first step in differentiated teaching.

Understand your content.

The second is to identify the learning goals for your lesson or unit. Undoubtedly, the curriculum standards can help you identify the essential content and skills your students need to learn. You can also use different levels of thinking or difficulty to plan for different kinds of learning.

Be aware of your options.

Next is to think of the different ways you can change the content, process, product, and learning environment for your students. Of course, you can use a lot of strategies, such as:

Content. Making it easy or difficult, more or less detailed, more or less supported, using different sources of information, pictures, words, or symbols, breaking it down or putting it together, giving them choices or options.
Process. Using different ways of teaching, such as telling, showing, asking, or doing; using different kinds of activities, such as experiments, games, puzzles, or stories; using various tools or resources, such as computers, toys, or music; giving them choices or options.
Product. Additionally, using different kinds of assessments, such as tests, quizzes, essays, portfolios, or presentations; using various formats of evaluations, such as words, pictures, sounds, or actions; using different criteria or rubrics for assessments, such as content, process, or product; giving them choices or options.
Learning environment. You are creating a positive classroom vibe, such as setting clear rules and routines, making it fun and exciting, giving feedback and compliments, celebrating differences and achievements, and giving them choices or options.

A supportive classroom with clear rules, a celebration board, and a teacher giving feedback. — Creating a positive environment for effective learning.

Realize your plan.

Then, the final step is to plan your lessons. Be creative and flexible when planning your lessons and units, and be willing to adapt them as needed. You can use different templates or models to organize your differentiated teaching, such as the Universal Design for Learning (UDL), the Differentiated Instruction Planning Model (DIPM), or the Layered Curriculum Model (LCM). You can also use different tools or resources to help you with differentiated teaching, such as online platforms, apps, websites, or software.

Example of Differentiated Learning in Teaching English to High School Students

To better understand how differentiated learning works in practice, here are some examples of how you can apply it to teaching English to high school students. These examples are based on a grammar lesson on verb tenses.

Content. Firstly, you can differentiate the content by providing your students with different difficulty levels and support. For example, you can:

Give some students a list of verbs and ask them to identify their tenses.
Offer them a paragraph and ask them to underline the verbs and label their tenses.
Give some students a paragraph with missing verbs and ask them to fill in the blanks with the correct tense.
Also, you can allow some students to correct a paragraph with incorrect verbs.

2. Process. Next, you can differentiate the process by using different ways of teaching and learning. For example, you can:

Explain the rules and measures of verb tenses to some students using a PowerPoint presentation.
Show some students a video clip of a conversation and ask them to notice the verb tenses used by the speakers.
Ask some students to work in pairs or groups and create sentences using different verb tenses.
Let them work individually and complete an online quiz on verb tenses.

3. Product. Then, use various assessment methods to assess different learning styles and abilities. For example, you can:

Let them write a short story using different verb tenses.
Ask some students to record a podcast or a video using different verb tenses.
Let them create a poster or a comic strip using different verb tenses.
Ask some students to make a song or a rap using different verb tenses.

4. Learning environment. Lastly, create a positive and supportive atmosphere. For example, you can:

Set clear expectations and goals for the lesson and the assessment.
Enhance the class with humor, stories, or games to make it more fun and memorable.
Please provide feedback and praise to your students for their efforts and achievements.
Celebrate diversity and differences by allowing your students to express themselves in their own ways.

A collage of differentiated learning activities like poster-making, computer work, essays, and presentations. — Tailored learning activities for diverse learners.

Conclusion

Altogether, differentiated learning is one of the effective ways of teaching that can help you make your method fit your students like a glove. By changing the content, process, product, and learning environment, you can give your students different and personalized chances that match their readiness, interests, and learning profiles. Hence, you can make your students happy, interested, skilled, and intelligent!

If you have any questions or comments on A Teacher’s Guide for Differentiated-Based Learning, feel free to leave them below. Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you at the next one!