Summary: educators have students in their classrooms who struggle academically and others who learn at an advanced level and accelerated pace. Teachers understand that differentiating instruction is a must if their goal is to help students learn. The author combines theory and practical examples to help educators understand varying techniques of differentiation. The author discusses theories held by lev vygotsky, eric jenson, robert sternberg, and howard gardner. Descriptions of the typical struggling, on target, and advanced student as discussed. The author then defines the most common ways a teacher may differentiate in his/her classroom. She explains how the strategy is supported by research, and offers practical strategies, lessons, and model units to use in the classroom to support that particular strategy.

Differentiation can seem to be very overwhelming, especially for beginning professionals. Sometimes, even veteran teachers and administration misunderstand the concepts of differentiated instruction. A beginning professional will be able to quickly look up, define, and understand the typical jargon of differentiated instruction. This book includes complete language arts, science, and social studies sample units with model sets of tiered task cards. High level thinking graphic organizers and key words and phrases that promote complexity and depth to challenge all students are provided for educators. By offering both examples and non examples of when to use the various strategies, the author makes it easier for a teacher to decide which strategy to use.

This book would assist an administrator who needs to explain and coach a classroom teacher through a differentiated lesson. Summary: all teachers, both veteran and beginning professionals understand the difficulty of dividing their time, resources, and efforts to effectively instruct students of diverse backgrounds and interests, as well as skill and readiness levels. The author, carol ann tomlinson, describes a way of looking at teaching and learning that will help guide all aspects of how a classroom educator should approach their students and classroom. She looks at the latest research on learning, education, and change for the theoretical basis of differentiated instruction and why it's so important to today's children. She provides real life examples of teachers and students using and benefiting from differentiated instruction.

Online Writing Collaboration

The author devotes three chapters of the book to describe actual lessons, units, and classrooms with differentiated instruction in action. There are examples of both elementary and secondary classrooms in nearly all subject areas to show how manage a differentiated classroom into a reality. Critique: differentiating curriculum is one of the most, if not the most, important skills for teachers to master in order to help all kids reach their full potential. New professionals often become confused as to what differentiation is and what it is not. There is confusion among beginning teachers that differentiation implies individualization. This idea may cause a new teacher to hesitate in attempting to try implementing a differentiated approach. Tomlinson supplies the reader with several examples that can be applied immediately in a classroom.

However, the examples of real life lessons, units and teacher classrooms offer more support to the research the author quoted. The second classroom was a traditional classroom where the teacher used a stand and deliver method of instruction. Students were scolded frequently by the teacher for talking, moving about, or not following instructions. The center based classroom had students that seemed to be very engaged with the content.

Critique: there are many reasons why educators of young children recommend the use of learning centers in the classroom. Centers provide children with opportunities for making choices, learning from peers, being involved in hands on activities, and becoming fully engaged in learning. In contrast, traditional classroom formats, in which children must remain quiet and at their individual desks for most of the school day, may discourage children's active engagement in learning, prevent them from taking responsibility for their behavior, and cause major frustration with school which will follow them throughout their academic careers. This action research shows the importance of having children actively participating in their own education.

College Acceptance Papers

Center based teaching and children's learning: the effects of learning centers on young children's growth and development. Summary: differentiation is an approach to teaching which allows teachers to enhance learning by matching student characteristics or readiness to instruction and assessment. Math instruction can be differentiated to allow students to work on skills appropriate to their readiness level and to explore mathematics applications. Before planning a di lesson a teacher needs to know the readiness, interests, and learning styles of the students. Centers are set up so that learning experiences are directed toward a specific learner interest. One student may explore a concept using manipulatives, while another student collects information from the web. Interest centers are work stations that are usually used with younger students and interest groups are those that are usually used with older students.

Interest centers focus on specific math skills, such as addition, and provide activities that are high interest, such as counting jelly beans or adding the number of eyes on two aliens. Students can work in small peer groups to research a math topic of mutual interest, such as how geometry applies to architecture or how math is used in art. The group members are chosen by the students and the topic of interest is chosen by the students.

The teacher may suggest a strand of interest or even provide a menu of suggested strands. Critique: the author provides a concise definition and overview for what differentiated instruction is and what the teacher needs to know in order to plan a differentiated lesson for the students. The author specifically mentions work stations and shows the difference between using this strategy with younger children as well as the evolution of this strategy for older students. Retrieved june 1, 2008, from the access center: improving outcomes for all students k8: w.k8accesscenter.org summary: mathematics is a content area that frightens many, students and teachers alike. Teachers should be aware that their beliefs about teaching and learning mathematics will affect their students rsquo ability to learn the content.