Learning Enhancement
Differentiation: The Final HIT: #10
Of all the high impact teaching strategies identified through the findings of tens of thousands of studies of what has worked in classrooms across Australia and the world by education experts such as John Hattie and Robert Marzano, differentiation is the one most discussed in professional learning communities. The question often in teachers heads throughout their planning time and throughout each lesson is ‘how do I best meet the needs of this student right now?’ Some circumstances call for immediate differentiation, while many others are planned in advance and developed alongside colleagues and the leadership team.
So, what is it? Differentiated teaching refers to methods teachers use to extend the knowledge and skills of every student in every class, regardless of their starting point. The objective is to lift the performance of all students, including those below and those ahead of year level expectations. Differentiated teaching provides appropriate challenge and support for all students in a class. It does so by responding to student differences in readiness, interest and learning profile.
To ensure all students master objectives, effective teachers plan lessons that incorporate adjustments for content, process (how students make sense of content), and product (how students demonstrate what they know and understand). Teachers use assessment strategies to monitor student learning readiness and learning progress. They apply targeted interventions as differentiation.
How effective is it? Differentiated teaching strategies, consistently applied, offer foundations on which all students can build meaningful learning. Research shows a remarkable effect on student outcomes, whether formalised in a PLP, noted in a unit plan following a pre-assessment, or the teacher differentiating for a student in the teaching moment.
Differentiated teaching involves teachers supporting students to achieve success as they move through the learning process. It recognises that all students have different abilities. It acknowledges and values the effort each student puts into improving their work. Teachers who differentiate effectively call on information that pinpoints what students know now, and what they are ready to learn next. They use formative assessment to monitor learning, and to guide the targeted interventions that match with individual needs.
Teachers implement interventions using fluid groupings to address students’ current needs. As students gradually master the required skills teachers adjust groupings and change or cease interventions.
This strategy is demonstrated when students: work at a level based on agreed goals; are assessed against their prior achievements rather than against other students’ work; are supported and challenged to reach their learning potential.
Magnify Sandhurst recognises the significance of differentiation. With the introduction of an explicitly taught literacy program based on the science of learning for Foundation, Year 1 and Year 2 students, regular formative assessment and teacher judgement ‘in the moment’ allows each student to move forward by receiving the differentiated teaching and learning they need.
regards
Jen McKillop
Eloise Liddell
Jess Moodie
Library News
It's coming up to that time of the year where we start to ask students to return ALL library books. We have over 260 books out on loan and last year it took many weeks to get these books back. As of Monday 25th November, students will no longer be able to borrow books from the library so that we can begin our return and audit process. Could you please have a good look at home for any books that need to be returned to school.
Book Club
Issue #8 of Scholastic Book Club orders have been sent home with the students this week. Orders close Monday 25th November. This is the last edition for the year. There are some wonderful books available, which could be purchased for Christmas presents!
All payments are to be made online via Loop. To make payments, visit scholastic.com.au/LOOP or download the LOOP app. If you require your order as a gift, you can select this option when ordering and it will be held at the office for collection.
If you require assistance with this please let us know so we can help you. Every order earns FREE books and learning resources for our school.
Nicole Keenan
