“Differentiation” the goal for the year
~by Lora Koch, The Scranton Journal
During a recent Wednesday early out day, Greene County Community School District teachers had the opportunity to focus on the district-wide goal of differentiation.
Director of teaching and learning Karen Sandberg explained, “Differentiation changes the way you teach so you reach every child. Kids are ready for different things at different times. Some kids need to read it, or hear it, or be hands-on. It’s teaching all different ways so all kids are learning at their own level.”
Elementary principal Scott Johnson described the overall plan for teacher professional development this year. “The first Wednesday of each month, all the teachers in the district meet as a group to work on the common goal of differentiation. The second Wednesday, we divide by school and focus on our individual school goals, such as the new math program at the elementary. The third and fourth Wednesdays, the teachers work in teams on units and curriculum.”
On this particular Wednesday, the elementary teachers attended a differentiation workshop presented by school Instructional coach Shannon Hansen (left) and teacher mentor Lisa Wilkins (left).
“We are helping teachers drive their instruction and fit differentiation into the classroom,” said Wilkins.
There are many ways teachers can group students for differentiation including readiness, interest, and learning style. For example, “readiness” can be based on pre-testing, teacher recommendations and other assessments.
For “interest” in a subject like reading, groups could be created for sports, science, non-fiction, biographies, or reading to self. “Learning styles” are the ways each student learns best, whether by listening, kinesthetic (moving), visual, interpersonal or intrapersonal.
Hansen opened her presentation with a quote, “Anyone who thinks there is only one way to teach reading has never worked with two children.”
To reinforce differentiation concepts with the teachers, the workshop included “differentiated” activities. Throughout the afternoon, teachers participated in small group discussion, wrote ideas, used laptops to read or watch training videos, and listened to group instruction. Adults, like children, benefit from a variety of instructional techniques.
Pictured is Hansen (left) leading a small group discussion with (continuing clockwise) Sandberg, Sherri Schwaller and Denise Kennedy.
Principal Johnson summarized that with differentiation, they are addressing four key questions, “What do the students need to know, what if they already know it, what if they don’t know it, and how do we extend their learning?”
With the learning goals and training they have in place, the differentiation initiatives for the Greene County School District are well under way to ensure these questions are met for each student.
