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Reading Rockets: Tomlinson
Page 1 of 2
What Is Differentiated Instruction?
By: Carol Ann Tomlinson (2000)
Differentiation means tailoring instruction to meet individual needs. Whether teachers differentiate content,
process, products, or the learning environment, the use of ongoing assessment and flexible grouping makes this a
successful approach to instruction.
Find this useful? Learn more in our Differentiated Instruction section.
At its most basic level, differentiation consists of the efforts of teachers to respond to variance among learners in
the classroom. Whenever a teacher reaches out to an individual or small group to vary his or her teaching in order
to create the best learning experience possible, that teacher is differentiating instruction.
Teachers can differentiate at least four classroom elements based on student readiness, interest, or learning
profile:
z
Content – what the student needs to learn or how the student will get access to the information;
z
Process – activities in which the student engages in order to make sense of or master the content;
z
Products – culminating projects that ask the student to rehearse, apply, and extend what he or she has
learned in a unit; and
z
Learning environment – the way the classroom works and feels.
Content
Examples of differentiating content at the elementary level include the following:
1. Using reading materials at varying readability levels;
2. Putting text materials on tape;
3. Using spelling or vocabulary lists at readiness levels of students;
4. Presenting ideas through both auditory and visual means;
5. Using reading buddies; and
6. Meeting with small groups to re-teach an idea or skill for struggling learners, or to extend the thinking or
skills of advanced learners.
Process
Examples of differentiating process or activities at the elementary level include the following:
1. Using tiered activities through which all learners work with the same important understandings and skills,
but proceed with different levels of support, challenge, or complexity;
2. Providing interest centers that encourage students to explore subsets of the class topic of particular interest
to them;
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7/20/2010
Reading Rockets: Tomlinson
Page 2 of 2
3. Developing personal agendas (task lists written by the teacher and containing both in-common work for the
whole class and work that addresses individual needs of learners) to be completed either during specified
agenda time or as students complete other work early;
4. Offering manipulatives or other hands-on supports for students who need them; and
5. Varying the length of time a student may take to complete a task in order to provide additional support for
a struggling learner or to encourage an advanced learner to pursue a topic in greater depth.
Products
Examples of differentiating products at the elementary level include the following:
1. Giving students options of how to express required learning (e.g., create a puppet show, write a letter, or
develop a mural with labels);
2. Using rubrics that match and extend students' varied skills levels;
3. Allowing students to work alone or in small groups on their products; and
4. Encouraging students to create their own product assignments as long as the assignments contain required
elements.
Learning environment
Examples of differentiating learning environment at the elementary level include:
1. Making sure there are places in the room to work quietly and without distraction, as well as places that
invite student collaboration;
2. Providing materials that reflect a variety of cultures and home settings;
3. Setting out clear guidelines for independent work that matches individual needs;
4. Developing routines that allow students to get help when teachers are busy with other students and cannot
help them immediately; and
5. Helping students understand that some learners need to move around to learn, while others do better
sitting quietly (Tomlinson, 1995, 1999; Winebrenner, 1992, 1996).
References
Excerpted from: Tomlinson, C. A. (August, 2000). Differentiation of Instruction in the Elementary Grades. ERIC
Digest. ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education.
Browse in : > Topics A-Z > Differentiated Instruction (18)
> Topics A-Z > Teaching Strategies (105)
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© Copyright 2008. All rights reserved. Reading Rockets is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of
Education, Office of Special Education Programs. Reading Rockets® is a registered trademark of WETA.
Stay informed! Subscribe to our e-mail newsletters.
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7/20/2010
Using Multicultural Literature in Gifted Education Classrooms
Page 1 of 7
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The following article has been excerpted from Language Arts for Gifted Students,
one of six exciting books in the Gifted Child Today Reader Series. This series brings
together the best articles published in Gifted Child Today, the nation's most popular
gifted education journal. Each book in the series is filled with exciting and practical
classroom ideas, useful summaries of research findings, and discussions of
identification and classroom management, and informed opionion about educating
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Today’s classrooms are very different from classrooms of a decade ago. Today, teachers work in
classrooms of unparalleled diversity. Students differ in terms of ability, race or ethnicity, socioeconomic
status (SES), and many other variables. Thus, teachers are constantly searching for instructional
strategies and curricula to meet diverse cognitive, academic, and affective needs.
The search for materials and strategies to challenge gifted students will often lead to the works of
Joyce VanTassel-Baska, June Maker, Carol Tomlinson, Joseph Renzulli, Benjamin Bloom, and others
who have created guidelines, strategies, and materials that target the cognitive and academic needs of
gifted students. Similarly, teachers can rely on the works of Banks (1994), Grant and Sleeter (1998),
and other multicultural educators when seeking materials and strategies that meet the needs of racially
and culturally diverse students.
However, when searching for resources to understand and meet the needs of students who are gifted
and minority, teachers may be less successful. Likewise, it is difficult to find multicultural materials that
challenge advanced learners, regardless of race or culture. This chapter addresses this void by
presenting a framework (based upon Multicultural Gifted Education, Ford & Harris, 1999; the actual
model is called the “Ford-Harris Matrix”) that teachers can use to create a curriculum that
z
z
z
challenges gifted students because it promotes critical thinking;
meets the needs of minority students because it is multicultural; and
exposes White students to quality multicultural literature and important multicultural concepts
and issues.
The first goal is addressed using Bloom’s (1956) cognitive taxonomy, while the last two goals are
addressed using Banks’ (1994) multicultural education model. In the following sections, we present a
rationale for infusing multicultural education into school curricula, briefly review Bloom’s cognitive
taxonomy, and explain Banks’ multicultural model. Finally, we present a literature-based lesson using
the framework presented in this chapter and elsewhere (Ford & Harris, 1999). Our motive in writing this
chapter and creating the framework is simple: We are targeting the question “How can educators
create curricula and learning experiences that promote higher levels of thinking and higher levels of
multicultural learning?”
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Using Multicultural Literature in Gifted Education Classrooms
Page 2 of 7
Multicultural Education: An Overview
The title of Learning in Living Color (Valdez, 1999) succinctly reflects the racial demography of
classrooms in many school districts. In virtually every school building, one is likely to find students of
color, and this diversity is increasing each day. Therefore, teachers in contemporary classrooms must
reexamine their curricula and instructional strategies to meet the needs of these students. For
example, Shade, Kelly, and Oberg (1997), Ladson-Billings (1990), and many other minority scholars
have called upon educators to create “culturally responsive” classrooms that help students understand
and negotiate differences across cultures. Teachers in culturally responsive classrooms emphasize
that students can learn to become pluralistic in their thought, behavior, and affect. Teachers ask
questions, for example, that promote higher level thinking about multicultural topics, concepts, issues,
and groups, and they create learning experiences that promote cultural empathy.
Multicultural Education Goals
Multicultural education has several goals. It endeavors to ground students with multicultural
knowledge, to adopt educational equity and cultural pluralism as philosophies, to empower students
and promote student social action, and to teach from a multicultural perspective.
1. Multicultural knowledge increases students’ sense of self-worth and belief that they have a
chance for a successful future. Multicultural knowledge lays the foundation for developing
cultural pluralism, intergroup harmony, and the ability to think, work, and live with a multicultural
perspective.
2. Educational equity has three fundamental conditions: (a) an equal opportunity to learn; (b)
positive educational outcomes for both individuals and groups; and (c) equal physical and
financial conditions for students to grow to their fullest potential cognitively, academically, and
affectively.
3. Working with cultural pluralism in mind, educators modify fundamental educational conditions to
promote equitable learning. When school personnel support cultural pluralism, they ask
themselves the important question: How can I help my students develop understanding,
respect, and appreciation for individuals who are culturally different from themselves?
4. Empowerment helps students become independent and interdependent learners.
Empowerment connotes social action; it helps students take an active role in improving the
quality of their (and other) communities.
5. Social action promotes intergroup and intragroup harmony. Thus, educators provide knowledge,
skills, and a classroom environment that prepare students to live and work with members of
their own cultural groups and members of other cultural groups. Instruction includes
opportunities for students to work together, to learn from each other, and to rely on each other.
6. Teaching with a multicultural perspective means that teachers see that culture, race, gender,
religion, SES, and ability are powerful variables in the learning process and that important ideas
about teaching can be gained from studying cultural systems. When teaching from a
multicultural perspective, educators challenge assumptions and stereotypes; they examine
curricula from a broader point of view and in an assertive, proactive manner. Essentially,
educators endeavor to promote cultural continuity between the home and school of minority
students and attempt to eliminate culturally assaultive classrooms.
Infusing Multicultural Content Into Gifted Education
One of the most prolific scholars in multicultural education is James Banks. Banks’ model presents four
levels of ways to integrate multicultural content into the curriculum (see Figure 3.1). These levels rely
heavily on one’s philosophy about and experiences with multicultural education. For example, at the
lowest two levels, teachers may have little preparation in multicultural education; hence, they are
unable to teach at higher levels. Further, teachers who do not hold strong values about multicultural
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Using Multicultural Literature in Gifted Education Classrooms
Page 3 of 7
education may, if focusing on a multicultural concept or topic, choose to work at the lowest levels.
View Detail
At the lowest level, the Contributions Approach, educators focus on heroes, holidays, and discrete
elements. This is the most frequently adopted and extensively used approach to multiculturalism in the
schools, yet it is the most simplistic. In this approach, the traditional ethnocentric curriculum remains
unchanged in its basic structure, goals, and salient characteristics. Frequently, cultural traditions,
foods, music, and dance may be discussed, but little or no attention is given to their meaning and
significance to minority groups. Although ethnic content is limited primarily to special days, weeks, and
months related to minority groups, students learn little to nothing about the occasion, group, or
individuals being “celebrated.” The Contributions Approach is cosmetic; it provides teachers with a
quick, nonthreatening way to “integrate” the curriculum, and teachers can adopt this approach without
knowing much about racially and culturally diverse groups. It often reinforces stereotypes about
minority groups, while using safe, nonthreatening heroes found acceptable to the mainstream.
In the second level, the Additive Approach, the content, concepts, themes, and perspectives of
minority groups are added to the curriculum, but without being integrated throughout the curriculum.
Thus, the basic curricular structure remains unchanged. For instance, teachers may add a multicultural
book or unit to one particular course, but not to another. This piecemeal approach does not help
students understand multicultural concepts, issues, and groups in a coherent or systematic way. That
is, while the content changes slightly, there is little restructuring of the curriculum relative to purposes
and characteristics. Minority students still learn little of their own history, and White students learn little
of the history and contributions of other racial and cultural groups to American society. This approach
requires little time, effort, training, and rethinking of curriculum and instruction.
The third level is the Transformational Approach. At this level, two transformations occur. First, the
structure of the curriculum changes so students are given opportunities to view concepts, issues,
events, and themes from the perspectives of minority groups. Second, there are changes relative to
the fundamental assumptions, goals, nature, and structure of the curriculum. These two
transformations provide students with a critical awareness of, understanding of, and respect for
multicultural concepts, events, and people.
The Social Action Approach is the highest level. Here, students make decisions on important social
issues and take action to help solve them. Students are not socialized to accept mainstream
ideologies, practices, and institutions. Instead, they feel empowered and are proactive; they participate
in social change because they have the knowledge and perspective to do so. Student self-examination
becomes central in this level because of attention to value analysis, decision making, problem solving,
and social action. For example, students examine issues surrounding prejudice and discrimination and
develop ways to improve race relations. This approach is least likely to be adopted by educators
primarily because they lack formal training, experience, understanding, and personal knowledge of
other racial and cultural groups (e.g., histories, values, beliefs, customs). This approach and the
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Using Multicultural Literature in Gifted Education Classrooms
Page 4 of 7
Transformation Approach require substantive preparation, as well as time and commitment.
Developing Multicultural Gifted Education Experiences: A Framework
Elsewhere, we have provided detailed strategies for partnering multicultural education and gifted
education (Ford & Harris, 1999). One such strategy is to blend the works of Banks (1994) and Bloom
(1956) to create what we call “multicultural gifted education.” This framework uses the Ford-Harris
Matrix, which is described in Figure 3.2. The framework and matrix are a guide for helping educators
(1) promote higher level thinking based on Bloom’s cognitive taxonomy (knowledge, comprehension,
application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation) and (2) promote multicultural thinking based on the
four levels presented by Banks. Figures 3.1 and 3.2 can help educators develop questions and
learning experiences that are challenging, rigorous, and multicultural. Educators are able to monitor
the extent to which they are asking questions, providing experiences, and so forth at the higher levels
using the models of Bloom and Banks.
View Detail
Specifically, when teaching at the lowest levels of the Ford-Harris Matrix (i.e., knowledge-contributions,
comprehension-contributions, knowledge-additive, comprehension-additive, application-contributions,
application-additive), teachers target fact-based questions, statements, and activities that do not
promote substantive thinking about multicultural concepts and events. Specifically, at the knowledgecontributions level, students are taught and know facts about cultural artifacts, events, groups, and
other cultural elements. At the comprehension-additive level, students are taught and can understand
cultural concepts and themes.
Conversely, at the highest levels of the matrix, students think critically about and take action on
multicultural topics, concepts, material, and events (i.e., analysis-transformation, analysis-social action,
synthesis-transformation, synthesis-social action, evaluation-transformation, and evaluation-social
action). It is at these higher levels that educators are able to meet the goals and objectives of
multicultural education, as described earlier. Similarly, at these higher levels, gifted students are
challenged cognitively—a primary goal of gifted education.
Applying the Framework Using a Literature-Based Example
One of the most popular multicultural books for grades 2–3 is Amazing Grace (Hoffman, 1991).
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Using Multicultural Literature in Gifted Education Classrooms
Page 5 of 7
Because of its focus on strong family values and gender and racial equity, it is a timely book, one that
can address many objectives. It also meets many of the criteria for high-quality multicultural literature.
For instance, people of color are depicted positively and nonstereotypically (in terms of pictures and
storyline), it focuses on an important multicultural concept or issue, and the situation is authentic.
In this brief lesson, we first present questions and experiences using Bloom’s taxonomy. Next, we
present questions and experiences using the Ford-Harris Matrix.
Book Summary
Grace, a Black female, wants to play the part of Peter Pan in a school play, but classmates say that a
girl cannot play the role of a boy. Grace is persistent, and with her family’s support, she auditions for
the part and gets it.
Objectives
Students will focus on important concepts such as persistence and having faith. They will also be
introduced to important multicultural concepts such as stereotyping and discrimination. Students will
explore and understand the effects of gender and racial stereotyping. They will develop strategies for
dealing with situations that are unfair or violates someone’s rights.
Only a few objectives have been listed here. However, Amazing Grace also lends itself to discussions
of strong family values and relationships.
Guiding Questions/Experiences Using Bloom’s Cognitive Taxonomy
The following questions and activities are based on Bloom’s (1956) cognitive taxonomy. Questions and
activities are arranged from the lowest to highest levels:
Knowledge Level
z
z
z
z
Who was Peter Pan?
Who was the main character in the book?
What did students have to do to get the part of Peter Pan?
What advice did Grace’s mother give her?
Comprehension
z
z
List some positive characteristics about Grace that made it possible for her to play Peter Pan.
What is the main idea or message of the book?
Application Level
z
z
z
Write a letter of support to Grace about being persistent.
Find another book that focuses on persistence and believing in yourself. Tell three ways in
which the main character in this book is similar to and different from Grace.
Find a poem or song that focuses on persistence. Share it with a classmate.
Analysis Level
z
z
z
z
How important are effort (working hard) and motivation to success?
If you were Grace, how would you have handled the peer pressure (e.g., students’ comments)?
Compare Amazing Grace to The Little Engine That Could. What do they have in common?
Why is the book called Amazing Grace? What does “amazing” mean and how does Grace fit
this description?
Synthesis Level
z
z
Write a story, poem, or song about being persistent. Dedicate it to Grace.
Write a letter to Grace; tell Grace why you admire her.
Evaluation Level
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Using Multicultural Literature in Gifted Education Classrooms
z
z
z
z
z
Page 6 of 7
In your opinion, is it okay for Grace to play Peter Pan? Explain your response.
What did you like or dislike about the book? Why?
Do you think Grace is a role model? Explain.
Would you recommend this book to other students? Why?
Evaluate the statement: “Don’t judge a book by its cover.”
Guiding Questions/Experiences Using the Ford-Harris Matrix
The questions and activities Figure 3.3 are based on the Ford-Harris Matrix. We do not expect
teachers to address every item (question, statement, and activity) in the matrix. The examples in each
cell serve as a guide for teachers; additional questions, statements, and activities can be added to
meet the goals and objectives of each classroom. That is, teachers should select those questions,
statements, and activities that meet their particular goals and objectives. However, every effort should
be made to address higher levels of the matrix when working with gifted students.
View Detail
Summary and Conclusions
The need for educators to create educational experiences that challenge gifted students in general and
gifted minority students in particular is clear. Too often, teachers who wish to teach gifted students
have not been formally prepared to do so; similarly, those who work with students of color may know
little about multicultural education. In both instances, teachers run the risk of miseducating students.
For instance, we recently read a lesson by a teacher who stated that “American Indians were the only
group who did not immigrate to the United States. All other people in America are immigrants.” Of
course, this is inaccurate because slaves (that is, Blacks) were not immigrants.
The framework/matrix presented in this chapter and described in more depth elsewhere (Ford & Harris,
1999) provides educators with a resource—a model—for developing strategies and learning
experiences that meet two important educational goals: (a) challenging students cognitively and
academically and (b) preparing students for an increasingly diverse society. Similarly, by focusing on
multicultural content, concepts, and issues, the framework gives minority students opportunities to see
themselves reflected in the curriculum. It also gives other students ongoing opportunities to see
culturally diverse students reflected in the curriculum. Diversity abounds in school settings. Educators
must be prepared to work proactively with their students.
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Using Multicultural Literature in Gifted Education Classrooms
Page 7 of 7
References
Banks, J. A. (1994). An introduction to multicultural education. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Bloom, B. (Ed.). (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives. Handbook I: Cognitive domain. New
York: Wiley.
Ford, D. Y., & Harris III, J. J. (1999). Multicultural gifted education. New York: Teachers College Press.
Grant, C., & Sleeter, C. (1998). Turning on learning: Five approaches for multicultural teaching plans
for race, class, gender, and disability (2nd ed.). Columbus, OH: Merrill.
Hoffman, M. (1991). Amazing grace. New York: Dial.
Ladson-Billings, G. (1990). Culturally relevant teaching. College Board Review, 155, 20–25.
Shade, B. J., Kelly, C., & Oberg, M. (1997). Creating culturally responsive classrooms. Washington,
DC: American Psychological Association.
Valdez, A. (1999). Learning in living color: Using literature to incorporate multicultural education into
the primary curriculum. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
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Hoagies' Gifted: Myths, Arguments and Red Herrings...
Page 1 of 8
Sea
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Myths, Arguments and Red Herrings...
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"Myth #1: They are aloof, proud of their own abilities, and care little for others.
Reality: Just like their non-gifted peers, some gifted children display these
characteristics and some do not. This myth generally springs from the fear of the
idea that if gifted children learned together, they would develop an attitude of
elitism, superiority or condescension. However, gifted students who are grouped
together in learning environments typically learn that they may understand some
academic topics better than their peers than other topics (Fiedler, Lange &
Winebrenner, 2002). Gifted students may find that learning together is a more
humbling experience than learning in their typical classroom as they discover a
more realistic assessment of their own abilities when compared to others of
similar ability, and acknowledge that there are some students who are just as
knowledgeable and experienced in topic areas or more so than they are" Joyce
VanTassel-Baska, Myths about Gifted Students
Select your myth...
Myths of Giftedness
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The Bell Curve
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Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
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The Hurried
Child
Multiple Intelligences
Hothouse Kids
Myths of Giftedness
Distinguishing Myths From Realities: NRC/GT Research
by Marcia Gentry and Karen
Kettle
This quick summary dispels, with research citations, many of the major myths about
educating gifted children!
All Children Are Gifted
by Michael C. Thompson
The title pretty much says it all... but read on! Also read his speech to the Indiana
Association for the Gifted (IAGC) 1998 Annual Conference A Response to the "All
Children are Gifted" Comment...
Common Gifted Education Myths National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC)
The most common myths, and the facts to match! about gifted children... slightly
different myths than the ERIC Fact Sheet below
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Hoagies' Gifted: Myths, Arguments and Red Herrings...
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Page 2 of 8
Common Myths About Gifted Students (ERIC Fact Sheet)
The most common myths, and the facts to match! about gifted children...
Competing with myths about the social and emotional development of gifted students
by
Tracy Cross
As a wise person (Lao Tsu) once said, "Nothing is more difficult than competing with a
myth." Doing so, however, can create tremendous opportunities for people. Myth 1.
Gifted students should be with students their own age...
The Concept of Grouping in Gifted Education In Search of Reality: Unraveling the Myths
about Tracking, Ability Grouping and the Gifted
by Ellen D. Fiedler, Richard E. LAnge
and Susan Winebrenner, in Roeper Review (available from Highbeam.com, by subscription,
or free trial)
Research offers answers to many common myths. Myth #2: Ability grouping is elitist.
Myth #3: Ability grouping inevitably discriminates against racial and ethnic minority
students. Myth #4: Gifted students will make it on their own; grouping them by ability
does not result in improved learning or achievement for them. Myth #6: Assuring that
there are some gifted students in all classrooms will provide positive role models for
others and will automatically improve the classroom climate...
Developing Mathematical Talent: They Don't Have to Be Bored to Tears by Ann LupkowskiShoplik, director of the Carnegie Mellon Institute for Talented Elementary and Secondary
Students (C-MITES)
Beginning with the common myths, and moving to identification and programming,
Lupkowski-Shoplik offers a comprehensive in-service for teachers of math-gifted
students K-12... (requires Adobe Reader) Watch and listen to Dr. Shoplik's entire
presentation "live" via Illuminate Live! Visit PAGE online professional development...
Home Room: Debunking the myths of home schooling by Lisa Rivero
There is much more to the home schooling story than the mainstream media is telling
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In search of reality: unraveling the myths about tracking, ability grouping, and the gifted by
Susan Winebrenner, Roeper Review (available for a fee from Highbeam.com)
The antitracking movement has suddenly become anti-ability grouping, resulting in
serious side-effects for gifted students who currently are being served effectively in
ability-grouped programs that consistently meet their needs. Closer scrutiny of the
research frequently cited reveals commonly-held misinterpretations and
misconceptions...
Myths about Gifted Students
by Joyce VanTassel-Baska
Top ten myths and their realities, including references and resources. #1 They are
aloof, proud of their own abilities, and care little for others. #3 They do not need
special programs as they will be able to perform at high levels regardless. #5: They
benefit from being the second teacher in the room, tutoring others in greater need than
themselves. And, Myth #6: They work well in randomly assigned groups to ensure that
the work gets done correctly... (requires Adobe Reader)
The Myths of Gifted Education: A Contemporary View
an issue of NAGC's Gifted Child
Quarterly (FREE for a limited time)
More than 25 years after myths about gifted education were first explored in GCQ, all
15 myths of 1982 are still with us and new ones have been added. ...
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Hoagies' Gifted: Myths, Arguments and Red Herrings...
Page 3 of 8
The Ridiculous Things I Heard Today
collected by Carolyn K.
And a very positive response... One Thing We'd Like To Tell The Teachers Of Our
Gifted Children...
The Bell Curve
The Bell Curve: Intelligence and Class Structure in American Life by Richard J. Herrnstein
Offering a startling perspective on the social and economic problems of contemporary
America, a controversial study examines the relationship between ethnicity and
intelligence.
While this book and others like it are often used to 'prove' that so many gifted, highly
gifted, and profoundly gifted kids cannot exist, this book, and its underlying premise of
a Bell Curve distribution for intelligence, is not borne out in research. A trimodal
distribution, with secondary curves at both ends of the spectrum, appears more likely,
according to many researchers. And study after study show that wealth and social
background have nothing to do with intelligence, as The Bell Curve implies and states.
In fact, gifted children, gifted people, occur in all sectors of the population, and occur
more often in the larger middle and lower class sectors, than the supposedly privileged
upper class described in The Bell Curve.
Differentiation: Where's the research?
Former U. S. Commissioner of Education Sidney P. Marland, Jr., in his August 1971 report to
Congress, stated,
"Gifted and talented children are those identified by professionally qualified
persons who by virtue of outstanding abilities are capable of high performance.
These are children who require differentiated educational programs and/or
services beyond those normally provided by the regular school program in order
to realize their contribution to self and society" (Marland, 1972).
And the race was off... but... as a favorite commercial from the 70's asked "Where's the
Beef?" we ask... Where's the research?
Differentiating Curriculum for Gifted Students (ERIC Digest #510) by Sandra Berger
Appropriately differentiated curriculum produces well-educated, knowledgeable
students who have had to work very hard, have mastered a substantial body of
knowledge, and can think clearly and critically about that knowledge (but no research)
Differentiated Instruction by Tracey Hall, CAST National Center on Accessing the General
Curriculum
Differentiated Instruction is a teaching theory based on the premise that instructional
approaches should vary and be adapted in relation to individual and diverse students in
classrooms... (other links in article, but not to research)
Differentiating Instruction for Advanced Learners in the Mixed-Ability Middle School
Classroom (ERIC Digest #536) by Carol Ann Tomlinson
Key principles for differentiating instruction, with an emphasis on the learning needs of
academically advanced learners (but no research)
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/arguments.htm
7/20/2010
Hoagies' Gifted: Myths, Arguments and Red Herrings...
Page 4 of 8
Preparing Teachers for Differentiated Instruction What the Research Says by John H.
Holloway
How can teachers be helped to acquire these skills and implement them in their
classrooms? Problems with Preservice Training... The Importance of Training and
Support... (but no research)
Research Evidence for Differentiation by Carol Ann Tomlinson
Recent studies of a model of differentiation that employs attention to readiness, interest
and learning profile also point to positive achievement results for students taught with
the model when compared to students not taught by the model. In the end, however, it
is always critical to note there is little magic in a word, including “differentiation...”
Now here's some research! Bored? by Anna Gosline, in Scientific American
Boredom is not merely an inherent property of the circumstances, researchers say.
Rather this perception is subjective and rooted in aspects of consciousness. Levels of
boredom vary among people: some individuals are far less prone to ennui than others—
and some, such as extroverts, are more susceptible to this feeling... Battling boredom,
researchers say, means finding focus, living in the moment and having something
to live for!
Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ by Daniel P. Goleman
Everyone knows that high IQ is no guarantee of success, happiness, or virtue,
but until Emotional Intelligence, we could only guess why. Amazon.com link
While Goleman claims his theories are all based on research, this expose of his book
shows that the researchers who came up with the idea of Emotional Intelligence were
talking about something completely different than what Goleman has turned it into:
Promotional intelligence by Annie Murphy Paul, in Salon.com
When the two scientists who invented the concept of emotional intelligence loaned the
idea to New York Times science writer Daniel Goleman, they never dreamed it would
become a cottage industry.
If its author was surprised by the success of "Emotional Intelligence," the original
researchers were amazed. But their initial thrill at the book's celebrity soon gave way to
dismay. Goleman had distorted their model in disturbing ways... Upon seeing the book,
and especially the comparison to IQ, Mayer says that his first reaction was: "This is not
the case, this isn't true." "The claims made for emotional intelligence were unrelated to
anything we have ever claimed," Mayer states flatly. In particular, the assertion that
emotional intelligence is more valuable than IQ in predicting success "is nothing that
you will ever find in anything we wrote."
The Flynn Effect
How legitimate is the Flynn effect for the gifted?
University
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/arguments.htm
by John D. Wasserman, George Mason
7/20/2010
Hoagies' Gifted: Myths, Arguments and Red Herrings...
Page 5 of 8
Flynn effect has not yet been adequately demonstrated for all levels of ability; there is
some support for its validity with low ability individuals (e.g., those with intellectual
disabilities or learning disabilities) but there is no substantive evidence for its validity
with high ability individuals (particularly those who are intellectually gifted)... Also
read We are about as smart as we're going to get, says IQ pioneer by Flynn himself...
Rising Scores on Intelligence Tests
American Scientist article explains the Flynn Effect of rising IQ scores (1997)
Smart as We Can Get?: Gains on certain tests of intelligence are ending in some places
David Schneider, American Scientist
Psychometricians have long been aware of a phenomenon called the Flynn effect—a
widespread and long-standing tendency for scores on certain tests of intelligence to rise
over time. And now they have another curiosity to ponder: The tendency for
intelligence scores to rise appears to have ended in some places. Indeed, it seems that
some countries are experiencing a Flynn effect with a reversed sign...
Grouping and Tracking
Using Current Research to Make Good Decisions About Grouping
by Karen B. Rogers, in
NASSP Bulletin - no longer available free, but available for a fee from Sage Publications
High-ability and gifted students tend to benefit most from like-ability grouping,
because the strategy provides them with the opportunity to access more advanced
knowledge and skills and to practice deeper processing. Guidelines include:
• Group gifted students by their ability or achievement levels for the majority of
their school day in all academic core areas.
• Provide enrichment opportunities, carefully differentiated learning experiences,
and acceleration opportunities to gifted students; Grouping alone does not
produce a substantial achievement effect
• Use whole group and mixed-ability group methods (such as cooperative
learning) sparingly and perhaps only for socialization purposes. There is no
well-controlled research evidence to suggest any achievement effect for this
form of grouping with either highly able or gifted students.
Promoting 'relational equity' and high mathematics achievement through an innovative mixed
ability approach by Jo Boaler, Stanford University
An interesting study, but with many fatal flaws... like having the good teaching
methods used only in the non-ability-grouped classroom... Read Does Ability
Grouping Harm Students? by Laura Vanderkam for an explanation of the flaws...
Tracking by Robert E. Slavin
Slavin's research is often thrown up as a red herring, but those who do this fail to
mention (or are unaware themselves of) a few details about his work:
• Slavin not only didn't study ability grouping in his big landmark research
projects, he never studied gifted kids at all. The top and bottom percentiles of the
student population were excluded from the research. So were most of the real
problem kids who are now mainstreamed.
• When Slavin talks about "high ability" students in his research, he's talking
about the entire upper third of the kids in a school MINUS the top 2-3%, i.e. high
achieving but not gifted!
• Slavin, in later writings, favors subject and grade-level acceleration for gifted
kids.
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/arguments.htm
7/20/2010
Hoagies' Gifted: Myths, Arguments and Red Herrings...
Page 6 of 8
These are rough, though accurate, notes. I'll add direct quotes from Slavin's research,
and web references if I find them, when I have a chance. Carolyn K.
The Tracking and Ability Grouping Debate by Tom Loveless, Thomas B. Fordham
Foundation
Slavin and Kulik agree that studies of within-class ability grouping are positive. They
also agree that cross-grade ability grouping boosts achievement in elementary schools.
In short, Slavin and Kulik validate the most widely used forms of ability grouping at
the elementary level. Ability grouping promotes achievement, and no particular group
of children—high, middle, or low ability—misses out on the gain.
The analysts diverge on between-class grouping, or tracking. XYZ studies show no
difference between ability grouped and ungrouped students. But since all levels of
XYZ typically studied an identical curriculum, Kulik argues that its negligible effect on
achievement is not surprising. When the curriculum is altered, tracking appears to
benefit high ability students. Heterogeneous classes appear to benefit low ability
students but may depress the achievement of average and high achieving students.
Does tracking harm black students? A telling answer is found in African-American
parents’ attitude toward tracking. A study conducted by the Public Agenda Foundation
found that "opposition to heterogeneous grouping is as strong among African-American
parents as among white parents, and support for it is generally weak." If tracking
harmed African-American students, one would not expect these sentiments.
The Tracking Wars: State Reform Meets School Policy by Tom Loveless
Past condemnations are easy to understand, but today's tracking functions differently.
Grouping takes place within each subject, not across an entire regiment of academic
courses. Track assignments are guided by successful completion of prerequisite
courses, not by IQ tests...
The Hurried Child
The Hurried Child: Growing Up Too Fast Too Soon by David Elkind
Elkind calls attention to the crippling stresses on children forced to grow up too
fast, children mimicking adult sophistication while secretly yearning for innocence.
This resource is not available to read on the Internet; the link points to
Amazon.com, where you can order a copy of this book, or collect information for
inter-library loan
Many professional educators cite David Elkind's book as reasoning against allowing
gifted children to learn at their own pace, often wrongly assuming that our children's
learning pace is somehow a result of parental pressure. But Dr. Elkind himself speaks
out against this application of his work, in his article Acceleration :
"Promotion [in grade placement or subject matter] of intellectually gifted
children is simply another way of attempting to match the curriculum to
the child's abilities, not to accelerate those abilities. Accordingly, the
promotion of intellectually gifted children in no way contradicts the
accepted view of the limits of training on development, nor the negative
effects of hurrying. Indeed, the positive effects of promoting intellectually
gifted children provide additional evidence for the benefits of
developmentally appropriate curricula." Elkind, David (1988) Acceleration
. [Full text right here on Hoagies' Page, kind thanks to Dr. Elkind!]
Young Children, 43(4),2.
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/arguments.htm
7/20/2010
Hoagies' Gifted: Myths, Arguments and Red Herrings...
Page 7 of 8
Yardsticks: Children in the Classroom Ages 4-14 : A Resource for Parents and Teachers by
Chip Woods
Yardsticks provides easy reference to expectations about children's growth and
development in the classroom, and is used as "evidence" against acceleration. But in a
very small note on a single page, Yardsticks suggests that kids do not all pass through
these stages at the same time...
Multiple Intelligences
Applying Multiple Intelligences To Gifted Education: I'm Not Just an IQ Score! by Colleen
Willard-Holt and Dan Holt
Demonstrates how to apply Professor Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences (MI)
Theory to educating gifted children
"Much nonsense has been written about multiple intelligences theory in
general, and about its relation to gifted education, in particular. This book
is serious and sensible; it helps in the effort to use ideas of multiple
intelligences constructively in an important and contentious area of
education." Professor Howard Gardner of Harvard University
Recounting Multiple Intelligences by Howard Gardner
An Excerpt from a Speech by Hobbs Professor Howard Gardner, Harvard Graduate
School of Education, October 1, 2003
“Multiple intelligences” should not in and of itself be an educational goal.
I can say with equal confidence that in light of the findings of the last two decades, the
biological basis of MI theory needs urgently to be brought up to date. It is time to
revisit the issue of the relationship between general and particular intelligences.
...there may be evidence for genes that contribute to unusually high IQ, as there clearly
are genes that cause retardation. And our own case studies of unusually high
performances suggest a distinction between those who (like musicians or
mathematicians) are outstanding in one area, as opposed to those generalists (politicians
or business leaders) who display a relatively flat profile of cognitive strengths.
...I would like to rethink the nature of intelligence with respect to our new biological
knowledge...
(Full speech available, click for Adobe Reader)
Reframing the Mind by Howard Gardner
In the end, Gardner’s theory is simply not all that helpful. For scientists, the theory of
the mind is almost certainly incorrect. For educators, the daring applications forwarded
by others in Gardner’s name (and of which he apparently disapproves) are unlikely to
help students...
Hothouse Kids
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/arguments.htm
7/20/2010
Hoagies' Gifted: Myths, Arguments and Red Herrings...
Page 8 of 8
Hothouse Kids: The Dilemma of the Gifted Child by Alissa Quart
Quart's follow-up to Branded shifts her focus from rapacious companies to parents,
whose obsession with "creating" or "nurturing" giftedness, she argues, has led to a fullblown transformation of middle-class childhood into aggressive skill-set pageantry.
Quart shows how gifted childhood—relentlessly tested, totally overscheduled and
joylessly competitive—is being created by striving parents of all stripes...
The Dilemma of the Instant Expert: Or, how a childless writer with no experience as an
educator nevertheless decides to tell parents of gifted children where they've gone wrong a
critique by Sarah Garrison
The growing gap between the haves and the have-nots, and the sorry state of public
education, are huge topics meriting careful examination and exploration. While such an
exploration could have been the focus of Quart’s new book, the author chooses instead
to attack modern parents – especially white, upper-middle-class parents – for what she
seems to view as their responsibility for the children who are being left behind as well
as those who are being pushed to get ahead.
Vilifying the segment of society that is most able to mobilize and advocate for the
benefit of all children serves no purpose and is of no benefit. As the author is wellaware, gifted children are seen as undeserving of assistance, and her castigation of the
more well-off families merely perpetrates that myth, despite her intentions to raise up
the under-privileged...
Last updated July 05, 2010
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whatisdifferentiation
Page 1 of 3
Delving Into Differentiation
in Middle School
What is differentiation?
The following definitions provide varying viewpoints about differentiation as
defined by various authors in educational settings.
According to Pettig (2000) Differentiation has multiple faces depending on the
teachers and students involved, the outcomes of learners, and the structure of the
classroom environment (p. 14).
Dinnocenti sites Riley who stated that in providing differentiated instruction,
different methods of evaluation should include rubrics, portfolios, and checklists
based on the products created (Dinnocenti, 2000, Differentiation Defined section,
para. 2)
Traditionally three aspects of differentiated instruction are addressed content,
process, and product. Dinnocenti sites Renzulli's Five Dimensions of
Differentiation which include goals related to the five dimensions as defined for
gifted and talented students. "These five dimensions are content, process,
product, and teacher.
content - put more depth into the curriculum through organizing the curriculum
concepts and structure of knowledge;
process - use many instructional techniques and materials to enhance and
motivate learning styles of students;
product - improve the cognitive development and the students' ability to express
themselves;
classroom- enhance the comfort by changing grouping formats and physical area
of environment;
teacher- use artistic modification to share personal knowledge of topics related to
curriculum as well as personal interests, collections, hobbies, and enthusiasm
about issues surrounding content area." (Dinnocenti, 2002, Definition Defined
section, para. 3)
Differentiation is...
http://www.mamleonline.org/resources/differentiation/whatisdifferentiation.htm
7/20/2010
whatisdifferentiation
Page 2 of 3
"...a way to get students to "wrestle with profound ideas, call on students to use
what they learn in important ways, helps students organize and make sense of
ideas and information, and aids students in connecting the classroom with the
wider world."
-Carol Ann Tomlinson
"...changing the pace, level or kind of instruction in response to learners needs,
styles, and/or interests."
-Diane Heacox
"A differentiated classroom offers a variety of learning options designed to tap
into different readiness levels, interests, and learning profiles. In a differentiated
class, the teacher uses (1) a variety of ways for students to explore curriculum
content, (2) a variety of sense-making activities or processes through which
students can come to understand and "own" information and ideas, and (3) a
variety of options through which students can demonstrate or exhibit what they
have learned" (Tomlinson, 1995, What Differentiation Is--And Is Not section,
para. 1).
"Brain research suggests three broad and interrelated principles that point clearly
to the need for differentiated instruction, that is, classrooms responsive to
students' varying readiness levels, varying interests, and varying learning
profiles." (Kalbfleish, M.Layne and Carol Ann Tomlinson. Teach me, teach my
brain: a call for differentiated classrooms, Educational Leadership, November
1998, pp. 52-55).
"What we share in common makes us human. How we differ makes us
individuals. In a classroom with little or no differentiated instruction, only student
similarities seem to take center stage. In a differentiated classroom, commonalties
are acknowledged and built upon, and student differences become important
elements in teaching and learning as well....students have multiple options for
taking in information, making sense of ideas, and expressing what they learn. In
other words, a differentiated classroom provides different avenues to acquiring
content, to processing or making sense of ideas, and to developing
products." (Tomlinson, Carol Ann. How to differentiate instruction in mixedability classrooms, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development,
1995.)
Table of Contents
Why is differentiation developmentally
appropriate?
How to implement differentiation
Introduction
Standards and
Differentiation
Examples of Differentiation
http://www.mamleonline.org/resources/differentiation/whatisdifferentiation.htm
7/20/2010
whatisdifferentiation
Page 3 of 3
Article Annotations
Website Annotations
Contact Us
Book Annotations
Misconceptions and
Obstacles
Resources
Created by: Students at the University of Maine at Farmington
Carolyn Shorey:carolynshorey@hotmail.com
Sarah Olmsted:omisj@hotmail.com
Becky Waugh:waughb42@aol.com
Eric Feeney:efeene@hotmail.com
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classroom
Page 1 of 3
Return to A Different Place
Home
How To Use This Site
Historical Perspective
Giftedness Defined
Equal Educational Opportunity
Purpose of Gifted Services in
Kansas
Characteristics of Giftedness
Bright Child/Gifted Learner
General Education Interventions
Differentiated Curriculum
Differentiated Classroom
Individualizing the Curriculum
Modifying Content, Process and
Product
Types of Products
Multiple Intelligences Products
Curriculum Assessment
Using Rubrics to Guide Evaluation
Rubric Examples
Teacher Resources
Internet Gifted Resources
A Differentiated Classroom
High Level vs. Low Level Preparation Chart
Flowchart Differentiation of Instruction
In a differentiated classroom, teachers differentiate content,
process and product according to a student's readiness,
interest and learning profile.
z
z
z
z
z
Content- what the teacher wants the student to learn and the
materials or resources through which that is accomplished
Process- activities designed to ensure that students use key
skills to make sense out of essential ideas and information
Products- vehicles through which students demonstrate and
extend what they have learned
Readiness- a student's entry point relative to a particular
understanding or skill
Learning Profile- how an individual student learns
In differentiated classrooms, students demonstrating a
need for instruction beyond that of the general education
curriculum should be offered a range of instructional and
management opportunities such as:
Compacting- students are allowed to demonstrate proficiency in
curriculum outcomes, units or courses and progress to more
appropriate/challenging instruction. This reduces redundancy and
allows for advanced programming.
Enrichment Clusters- students are grouped according to ability
for instructional purposes. Enrichment clusters stress student
choice and students as producers of useful products.
Interest Centers- a center within the classroom that links
curriculum topics to areas of student talent and interest in depth
and breadth.
Tiered Assignments- assignments designed for varying ability
levels. More complex assignments better meet the needs of highability learners.
Tiered Products- products specially designed to demonstrate
understanding of a topic in a more in-depth manner.
Graduated Rubrics- the standard and level of student proficiency
and accomplishments designed for students and teachers to
measure learning outcomes. Graduated rubrics offer clear
expectations for quality and levels of excellence to encourage
among high-ability learners.
http://www.adifferentplace.org/classroom.htm
7/20/2010
classroom
Page 2 of 3
Independent Study- topics selected by students for in-depth
study including a statement of student objective, research, and
planned presentation. Students design products to demonstrate
their understanding of a topic. Independent study encourages
student autonomy in planning and problem solving.
Alternative Assessments- students are offered opportunities to
demonstrate their understanding of material learned in "realworld" ways.
There Are Lots of Ways to Differentiate....
High Preparation
Differentiation
Low Preparation Differentiation
Choice of Books
Tiered Activities
Homework Options
Tiered Products
Use of Reading Buddies
Independent Study
Various Journal Prompts
Multiple Texts
Varied Pacing with anchor options
Multiple Testing Options
Student/Teacher Goal Setting
Alternative Assessments
Work Alone or Together
4-MAT
Flexible Seating
Course Compacting
Varied Computer Programs
Spelling by Readiness
Design-A-Day
Varying Organizers
Varied Supplemental Materials
Community Mentorships
Options for Varied Modes of Expression
Tiered Centers
Varied Scaffolding
Interest Centers
Computer Mentors
Stations
Think-Pair-Share by Readiness, Interest, Learning
Profiles
Group Investigations
Open-ended Activities
Choice Boards
Explorations by Interest
Think-Tac-Toe
Options for Competition
Simulations
Flexible-Learning Groups by Readiness, Interest,
Learning Profile
Students Are Assessed in Multiple
Ways
Differentiation of Instruction
Is a teacher's response to learners' needs
Guided by general principals of differentiation
(e.g)
on-going
assessment
and
adjustment
respectful
tasks
flexible grouping
etc
teachers can differentiate
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Page 3 of 3
CONTENT
PROCESS
PRODUCT
According to students'
READINESS
INTEREST
LEARNING
PROFILE
Through a range of instructional and management strategies.
There are numerous strategies general education teachers can
use to differentiate the curriculum for students. Link to Carol
Ann Tomlinson chart that summarizes some of the major
strategies used and includes a description of the strategy,
rationale for its use, and general guidelines for each strategy.
Please e-mail me with your feedback and let me know
how you have used this site.You may also suggest
activities that you have found to add to A Different
Place. Thanks for visiting.
Nancy Bosch
Do you have any questions? Comments?
E-mail Nancy Bosch
nbosch@aol.com, web editor
Last update 09/19/08 01:39 PM
Copyright © 1997-2008 Nancy Bosch
(excluding "Effective Practices for Gifted Education in Kansas")
Also Visit
The Broken Arrow Enhanced Learning Center
http://connections.smsd.org/el
http://www.adifferentplace.org/classroom.htm
7/20/2010
resources
Page 1 of 4
Return to A Different Place
Home
How To Use This Site
Historical Perspective
Giftedness Defined
Equal Educational Opportunity
Purpose of Gifted Services in
Kansas
Characteristics of Giftedness
General Education Interventions
Differentiated Curriculum
Differentiated Classroom
Individualizing the Curriculum
Modifying Content, Process and
Product
Types of Products
Multiple Intelligences Products
Curriculum Assessment
Using Rubrics to Guide Evaluation
Rubric Examples
Teacher Resources
Internet Gifted Resources
Teacher Resources: Units, Lesson Plans, Activities
There are some units/lesson plans that are good for gifted and high
ability students that are not self directed lessons for students to
complete on computer. You will need to print these units for
children or use them for your class in the computer lab.
The web also contains thousands of excellent lesson plans that can
be used all students including high ability and gifted students.
Think about using these lessons with your class. You can find those
resources here.
You will see this symbol when the lessons use a computer or the Internet
Math
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words (grades 5-8) using the internet to
study charts and graphs.
Exploring The Smithsonian (5-8) use the Smithsonian to practice basic
math computations and percents.
Growing, Growing Graphing (7-12) a study of Chinese population growth
Virtual Polyhedra and the World (7-12) "Using Web resources, students
will study the complex geometric structures that are called polyhedra.
Students will examine online models, create three-dimensional paper models,
and view photographic, graphic, and animated examples of polyhedra."
More Math Activities from wNetSchool
MathStories.com (K-8) For $12.00 a year you can have access to 5,000 story
problems.
Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (K-12) The electronic
resources on this site are marvelous. You can teach many math principles
from describing and analyzing patterns (Pre K-2) to learning the properties of
vectors (9-12) by using these online tools.
Literature
http://www.adifferentplace.org/resources.htm
7/20/2010
resources
Page 2 of 4
Literature Studies to Foster Critical Thinking (1-4) A class of gifted students
wrote high level book studies for primary children. You can find resources
for the following books: Ellen Tebbits, Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, Freckle Juice, The
Real Thief, Russell and Elisa, The Secret of the Seal, The Stories Julian Tells,
Aliens for Breakfast, and Cam Jansen. You will need to save these zipped
files and unzip them using WinZip. If you don't have it on your computer
you can get it here.
English Language Arts Activities from wNetSchool
Science
Fabulous Funnels (7-12) learn all about tornadoes using the Internet
How Big? How Small? (7-12) "Using a variety of Web resources relating
to the solar system and microworlds, students will explore the Internet and
note occurrences of objects and measurements that are very, very small and
very, very large."
Ah Choo! (5-8) "Students use the Internet to find and compare illnesses
that they have had or that they have heard about in the media."
Other Science Activities from wNetSchool
Economics
Living on Your Own--Let's Estimate the Cost! (7-8) "This lesson is a fun
way to review basic math skills, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication,
division, finding averages, and working with percentages. More importantly,
it shows how these skills are applied to real-life situations that are of
particular interest to this age group."
Social Studies/History
Stonehenge: Solving Ancient Mysteries (7-12) "Students learn about
archeologists and anthropologists and the tools and methods they use to
gather and interpret scientific evidence."
This Just In! Niles Network News Update (4-6) "Students will conduct
research on the large number of engineering, scientific, architectural and
http://www.adifferentplace.org/resources.htm
7/20/2010
resources
Page 3 of 4
artistic contributions of the ancient Egyptians. They will share their findings
by producing a TV news broadcast presentation."
More Social Studies Activities from wNetSchool
Technology Education Activities from wNetSchool
National Geographic Xpeditions You can find great activities here
meeting all social studies standards. Some of the self directed ones will be
found in the students section of a different place.
S.C.O.R.E History/Social Science WebQuests (example: Fixitup Faucet
Company's Overseas Move, Show Me The Money)
Fun Activities
I Spy Students can use I Spy online to improve their attention
to detail.
If you don't have Macromedia's Flash, a plugin that allows you to
watch movies and animations, you will need it. Ask your teacher/parent to help
you download it.
If you don't have Macromedia's Shockwave, a plugin that allows
you to watch movies and play multimedia games you will need it. Ask your
teacher/parent to help you download it.
Puzzlemaker With Puzzlemaker teachers and students can
make all kinds of puzzles.
Cool Math 4 Kids Fun games and activities!
Please e-mail me with your feedback and let me know how you have used
this site. You may also suggest activities that you have found to add to
A Different Place. Thanks for visiting.
Nancy Bosch
Do you have any questions? Comments?
E-mail Nancy Bosch
nbosch@aol.com, web editor
Last update 09/19/08 01:36 PM
Copyright © 1997-2008 Nancy Bosch
(excluding "Effective Practices for Gifted Education in Kansas")
Also Visit
http://www.adifferentplace.org/resources.htm
7/20/2010
resources
Page 4 of 4
The Broken Arrow Enhanced Learning Center
http://connections.smsd.org/el
http://www.adifferentplace.org/resources.htm
7/20/2010
modifying
Return to A Different Place
Home
How To Use This Site
Historical Perspective
Giftedness Defined
Equal Educational
Opportunity
Purpose of Gifted Services in
Kansas
Characteristics of Giftedness
Bright Child/Gifted Learner
General Education
Interventions
Differentiated Curriculum
Differentiated Classroom
Individualizing the
Curriculum
Modifying Content, Process
and Product
Types of Products
Multiple Intelligences
Products
Curriculum Assessment
Using Rubrics to Guide
Evaluation
Rubric Examples
Teacher Resources
Internet Gifted Resources
Page 1 of 3
Modifying Content, Process, and Product
Content for gifted learners must be enhanced through depth, complexity,
novelty, and acceleration. Depth will include the language of the discipline,
understanding of the rules that govern the discipline, and understanding the
generalizations,m theory and principles of the information. Complexity will
include seeing information over time or from another point of view, seeing it
from different perspectives, and seeing it in a disciplinary way. Novelty includes
research, real problems, and primary sources. Acceleration means individual
pacing, adjustment in time, and more advanced resources and experiences to
the gifted learner.
Process is cognitive and affective thinking skills, learning how to learn, research
and reference skills, and written, oral and visual communications skills.
Products are the results of the content and the process. Products and
performances should be assessed for student learning.
Content
Content consists of ideas, concepts, descriptive information, and facts, rules and
principles that are presented to the learner. Content modifications include the
use of:
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Acceleration- Providing the opportunity for students to move more rapidly
through a particular curricular sequence without regard to age or setting.
Compacting- Adapting the regular curriculum by either eliminating work
that has already been mastered or streamlining work that may be
mastered at a quicker pace.
Variety-Ideas and content areas should be extensions of the regular
curriculum.
Reorganization- Selecting new arrangements of content e.g., functional
similarities, categorical groups, descriptive similarities, in place of the
typical chronological organization.
Flexible pacing- Allowing for individual characteristics to determine the
pace.
Use of more advanced or complex concepts, and materials- Posing more
challenging questions or situations that force the learner to deal with the
intricacies of the content. Using novel and sophisticated content.
Use of abstractions-Going beyond the facts and the obvious to the
conceptual framework, underlying ideas, symbolism, and hidden meaning
of the content.
Additional suggestions:
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When possible, students should be encouraged to move through content
areas at their own pace. If they master a particular unit, they need to be
provided with more advanced learning activities, not more of the same
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activity. Thematic, broad-based and integrated content, rather than singlesubject areas in isolation best serve their learning characteristics. In
addition, such concept-based instruction expands opportunities to
generalize and to integrate and apply ideas.
Middle and secondary schools are generally organized to meet student
needs within content areas. Providing an interdisciplinary approach is
another way of modifying curriculum. Jacobs and Borland (1986) found
that high ability learners benefit greatly from curriculum experiences that
cross or go beyond traditional content areas, particularly when they are
encouraged to acquire an integrated understanding of knowledge and the
structure of the disciplines.
Testing out and compacting of required curriculum. (KAR 91-40-3 (g))
Dual credit can also be given for college courses taken at the high school
level. (KAR 91-40-3 (h))
Process
Process is the presentation of content, including the learning activities for
students, the questions that are asked, as well as the teaching methods and
thinking skills that are used.
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Higher Levels of thinking- Emphasizing questions that enable the learners
to analyze synthesize, or evaluate.
Open-endedness- Asking questions that promote critical and creative
thinking.
Inquiry and discovery- Providing opportunities for the learner to arrive at
self-drawn conclusions or generalizations.
Active exploration- Providing opportunities for movement and learnerdriven exploration.
Inductive and Deductive reasoning- Asking the learner to cite the sources,
clues given, and logic used in drawing conclusions.
Freedom of choice- Providing opportunities for self-directed activities such
as independent study.
Group interactions/simulations- Using structured simulations for group
problem solving.
Variety- Encouraging a variety of teaching strategies.
Pacing- The rapidity with which content is presented; the extension of time
and deadlines so that further integration of ideas may take place; and/or
flexibility in time allowance.
Although instructional strategies depend on the age of the students and the
nature of the disciplines involved, the goal is always to encourage students to
think about subjects in more abstract and complex ways. Activity selection
should be based on student interests, and activities should be developed in ways
that encourage self-directed learning. Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational
Objectives (1956) offers the most common approach to process modification.
Products
Products are the outcomes of instruction that consolidate learning and
communicate ideas. Modifications in products should:
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Possess characteristics that are professional in nature.
Address real problems, audiences, and concerns.
Synthesize rather than summarize information.
Include a self-evaluation component.
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All italicized text is from "Effective Practices for Gifted
Education in Kansas" manual. You will be able to access the
document in its entirety at the Kansas State Department of
Education (Handbook is out of date and is no longer available
online)
Permission granted for use by Bruce Passman, State Director, Kansas State
Department of Education 120 S.E. 10th Avenue, Topeka, Kansas 66612
Please e-mail me with your feedback and let me know how you
have used this site. You may also suggest activities that you have
found to add to A Different Place. Thanks for visiting.
Nancy Bosch
Do you have any questions? Comments?
E-mail Nancy Bosch
nbosch@aol.com, web editor
Last update 09/19/08 01:37 PM
Copyright © 1997-2008 Nancy Bosch
(excluding "Effective Practices for Gifted Education in Kansas")
Also Visit
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