Are differentiated classrooms the future?
Thursday, July 24, 2008Written by: Rachel Pickett
This coming August Mapleton is adopting the reading program “Every Child A Reader” put out by the National Literacy Coalition (who has also designed a writing program called “Every Child A Writer,” but we’re not implementing that one this year). Since I’m a humanities teacher, I took the required training last week.
I’m not the friendliest person to cookie-cutter educational programs making their way into our classrooms, but I must say… I like this one so far and am curious to see how students will engage with it.
The program model creates a differentiated classroom. Students are grouped by their reading level (a grouping that is not set in stone – groups can change throughout the year), and spend most of their time in class working at (rotating) stations. I’ll be at one station, working with one group of students at a time.
It’s a program based in structure, not in content: instead of telling me (and students) what articles or stories we need to study in our classroom, I’m learning how to group students according to their reading abilities, and I’m learning text comprehension strategies to use with students in small groups. Since it’s not a content-based program, I choose texts and create the stations. Thornton Middle School implemented this program last year, and my comrades there tell me it’s quite the success.
In my training as a Boettcher teacher, we talk a lot about differentiating instruction. Last year was my fellowship year, and the 15 of us fellows spent hours and hours (and papers and papers!) discussing what it means to build relationships with our kids. The program challenges us to deeply know each student as a learner, and a person. I think relationships are emphasized so strongly in Boettcher because the better I know my kids, the better I can help them learn. I’m more astute at differentiating for them.
Are differentiated classrooms the classrooms of the future? Students can meet standards and benchmarks in many different ways… maybe offering them multiple ways to learn just makes sense. Kids are different. As I know that Xavier is interested in the election, and that he likes learning independently, I can create opportunities for him. To meet the 8th grade civics standard of understanding the importance of citizenship maybe he would keep an ‘election’ scrapbook of articles from newspapers and magazines that he has responded to. Sheila, on the other hand, might help organize a school-wide mock election on Super Tuesday. She’s meeting the same standard, yet doing it in ways that engage with her interests.
Differentiated classrooms may need to be the wave of the (urban?) future. We have classrooms with students coming from the U.S., Asia, Africa, and South America (and from all the different countries in these regions). Students’ literacy levels range from advanced to unsatisfactory. Culture and language differences abound. Our classrooms are overflowing in richness and diversity, yet how do we tap into it?
Our conversations about ProComp and school structure (K-8 schools, or 6-12 schools) need to include conversations about what goes on inside our very diverse classrooms. The effectiveness of our classrooms will influence the effectiveness of our structures (and v.v.) Do you think differentiated learning will help all of our kids meet standards, and become vibrant members of society? Will effectively differentiated classrooms help ensure that ProComp and our larger school structures are effective?
Our discussions on education need to be wide open because the future is wide open in our rapidly changing world. What are your thoughts and ideas about differentiated classrooms, and differentiated literacy programs that districts like Mapleton are beginning to adopt?
July 24th, 2008 at 5:17 pm
Hello Rachel.
Differentiating instruction is not easy, as you well know. But it’s necessary to make sure that each student is academically challenged.
Research on within-classroom, flexible grouping of elementary-aged students does not show the same negative effects as we see with between-classroom grouping (tracking), as often seen secondary schools. My suggestion, however, would be to keep an eye out for how the grouping is affecting your students. In particular, are those in the lowest group more engaged? Is there, as a practical matter, real flexibility in the system? Who is moving up? Down? Why?
Reading your post about how you’re approaching the class, it seems you’re already thinking about these issues. Hopefully it is successful. You as the teacher will be in the best position to ensure that the program works as intended.
July 24th, 2008 at 8:03 pm
Hi Kevin,
Thank you for your suggestion. I definitely do not want the classroom to turn into a tracked, inflexible place, and I want to keep a watchful eye out for that. I think every student is deeply intelligent, in multiple ways, and I want the classroom to be a safe place where everyone’s intelligence is engaged. I’m not sure how this atmosphere can emerge yet, though! It is a challenge to meet kids where they are at, without it meaning ‘lower’ or ‘higher,’ and to differentiate based on many factors (including interests and passions as well as lexile numbers!) Seeing students as ‘lower’ or ‘higher’ dampens the aliveness and complexity of all our learning.
As a teacher, I am also a student. My students have loads to teach me and each other. Maybe this attitude can help build a curious differentiated environment?
Rachel
July 25th, 2008 at 9:38 am
To Rachel and other teachers interested in teaching in diverse classrooms-
One good resource is “Designing Groupwork: Strategies for the Heterogeneous Classroom” by Elizabeth Cohen. It’s practioner-oriented book that suggests specific instructional strategies. The strategies and philosophy aren’t everyone’s cup of tea but I think many teachers find them compelling.
-Holly Yettick
July 25th, 2008 at 7:50 pm
I second Holly’s recommendation regarding Liz Cohen’s work, and I would add the work of Carol Tomlinson, who has a particular focus on high-achieving students and those classified as gifted. Teachers can find resources on her website: http://www.caroltomlinson.com/