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  • Essay / Curriculum Differentiation Essay - 1172

    Curriculum Differentiation One of the most pressing challenges facing teachers today is creating a classroom environment where all students are simultaneously engaged in meaningful activities. Too often, students can either get lost while the teacher continues the lesson, or the material is not advanced enough, which becomes boring for the students. Implementing curriculum differentiation is a lasting solution to this widespread dilemma. In some parts of the world, the teacher enters the classroom, writes the title of the lesson on the board, and asks one of the students to read it aloud while the rest of the class listens. When the student finishes reading, the lesson is considered taught. As individuals, are we learning? Curriculum differentiation is a way of thinking, not a strategy. It is a philosophy on how to respond to differences among students. According to Carol Ann Tomlinson, differentiated curriculum is a way to “shake up what happens in the classroom so that students have multiple options for absorbing information, making sense of ideas, and expressing what they learn.” (Tomlinson, 2001, p. 1). Curriculum differentiation can occur in many ways. This begins with a pre-assessment that identifies students' learning style and prior knowledge. Respectful tasks, flexible grouping, and ongoing assessment all guide differentiation. Teachers can differentiate content, product, process, and Becky Pursley, a passionate first grade teacher at Barton Hills Elementary School, uses differentiation when teaching reading in her classroom. By using differentiation, Ms. Pursley allows students to learn at their appropriate level. This allows students to progress and motivates them to strive to exceed their level. Students participate in activities that enrich their individual minds. Some students can participate in readings with friends, some can listen to a book on tape, and some can even read chapters. All of these various activities can take place in the same class with a single teacher. The teacher's job during a differentiated reading lesson is to circulate in the classroom and respond to the needs of the students. A teacher must step back and become a guide for students. During a differentiated reading lesson, the class may appear to lack control, when in reality, as long as each student is engaged in something that enriches them, it is ideal.