Differentiation at Wrightstown Middle School

DIFFERENTIATION AT WRIGHTSTOWN MIDDLE SCHOOL

Brainstorm from November Staff Meeting

1. Active Learning Strategies/Best Practices

*ABC Blocks

*Mind Maps

*Who Am I?

*Inside/Outside Circles

*Think-Pair-Share

*Question, Question, Trade

*Exit tickets

*Clock Partners

*KWL and other graphic organizers

2. Flex-grouping (scheduling for an entire class using MAP data and pre-testing)

*support class co-taught with Jane, Marsha, Elizabeth, Michelle, or Julie

*accelerated class that moves at a faster pace

3. Lit Circles

*with novels in Language Arts

*using Leveled Readers in 5th grade Reading and Social Studies

4. Independent or Small-group Projects differentiated by difficulty

*example: project using a chapter not covered in class

5. Technology Activities and Projects

*Moodle

*PhotoStory

*Study Island

*MicroType

6. Pre-testing

7. Service Learning

*Letters to vets

8. Book Character Day

9. Competition

10. Developing Leadership Skills

11. Accelerated/Compacted Curriculum

12. Tiered/Leveled Lessons, Daily Assignments, Projects

13. Choice/Menu/Open-ended Projects… by Interest Level and ability

*Kids decide how to present what they know

*Use their strengths

*Push the high-ability kids

*Support the struggling learners

14. Book Choice

*by interest

*by reading level (consider Lexile score given in MAP Testing data)

15. Scaffolded Writing Assignments

*vary the amount of support depending on what the student needs

16. Address a variety of Learning Styles and Multiple Intelligences

*allowing kids to use their strengths

17. Research Projects

* in music class

*Science Fair (8th grade science)

*Wonder of the World (8th grade social studies)

18. Creative thinking

*inventions for music class

*science fair experiment

19. Offering extra credit

*when struggling learners do extra practice (not necessarily offered to everyone)

*when students are willing to go above and beyond the expectations

20. Differentiated reading goals

21. Allowing kids to re-do assignments and re-take tests

22. Modify/scaffold writing

*length

*complexity

*offering “support” outlines with sentence starters and more examples

23. Scaffolded/Guided Note-taking

*on your own

*rough outline

*detailed outline with fill in the blanks

24. Academic and Behavior charts with rewards and consequences

25. Higher-Level Thinking questions during discussions, on assignments, and on tests

26. P.O.W. (problem of the week)

27. Modified assignments and tests for struggling learners

28. Cooperative Learning Groups

*with similar ability learners

*balance of high, medium, struggling learners

*by interest

*note: sometimes let kids choose their own groups/partner

29. Alternative assignments

*when demonstrated proficiency on a pre-test

*for students struggling with the material

30. YOGI (your own great idea)

31. 21st Century Skills

32. Respectful Tasks