BASIC TENET
Teacher-generated differentiation. The teacher creates a different entree for each student, dependent upon students’ skill sets, as determined by the teacher. Perhaps the teacher (not the student) determines the student's Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) and uses that info to decide for the student what they should ingest.
EXAMPLE
Teacher cooks the same entree for every student, no matter hunger level or desire, OR the teacher cooks a different entree for each student, dependent upon varied hunger level and desire — as perceived by the teacher. The teacher decides everything and works SO hard, and the students decide little, and each eats just one thing. Because the students didn’t choose it, they probably don’t like it.
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BASIC TENET
Student-generated choice from a menu of options to increase student engagement. The students each instinctively choose based on their own innate desire for challenge.(I would never want to say to a child, "You can't read that. It's too hard for you.")
EXAMPLES
> Writer’s Workshop, where students choose the genre to work on that day toward whatever stated purpose (to communicate with a particular person or entity, to be published, to showcase skills...)
> Math Centers, where students choose which skills to explore that day, based on current desire
> CGI problem of the day, where students choose their degree of challenge for the day
> Literature Circles, where students choose what book to read, and they facilitate their own discussion
> Pre- and post-tests “Tell Me Everything You Know About_____”
> Projects, including re-enactments
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VOCAB
Teacher-chosen vocabulary words, different words for each grade level, depending upon the grade level (rather than upon student curiosity) and perhaps somehow related to what the students are studying in other subject areas (which is at least something, but still teacher-determined)
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VOCAB
Student-created personal dictionary, driven by student curiosity. Teacher provides a blank template that can be used with any student in any grade TK-12.
Teacher does nothing other than prompt and remind and maybe join in. When a student says, “What does that mean?” The teacher says, “Let’s look it up and add it to our personal dictionaries.”
Then, at certain intervals, the teacher might administer a vocab test that might involve: spell and define six new words you added to your personal dictionary this past week OR write a letter to your grandmother that includes at least two of your newly acquired words OR draft a short story about a pineapple, where you incorporate four new words, two of which must be polysyllabic.
Provide an interesting purpose for the acquisition of words.
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LITERATURE
Teacher-chosen book to read. Each student in that grade level reads the same book no matter their skills and no matter their desire.
Teacher has on hand a class set of books and a host of activities that are specifically related to that one particular book. If there is more than one level of student in class, then the teacher feels tasked with finding different books and/or different activities for those particular students -- or doesn’t do that because the teacher just can’t and therefore has all the kids do the same thing no matter what. So, some students fall behind and others become bored. In this paradigm, everyone is always confined to the limits of what the teacher is able to offer.
Because this process is so cumbersome, the students may read only one one or two chapter books in a year.
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LITERATURE
Students choose the book from a menu. Students run the literature circles, answering the questions in whatever order the student group leader decides. Students choose from the menu a product to complete afterward.
Teacher only has on hand a collection of books, generally six copies of each (not a class set), creates the process, monitors the process (doesn’t usurp), and helps to evaluate the final product.
Because this process is so engaging, the students may read five or six (or more) chapter books in a year.
Because this process is student-run, the teacher works less, but yields much more.
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MATH
I will now show you how to add two multi-digit numbers. Memorize my steps and do it exactly like me, or you are not good at math. Once you do this “correctly,” you may move on to the next task I have chosen for you to do.
This method of teaching requires that the teacher know very well how to do ALL the steps in the “correct” order, which also means, then, that in order to teach the next level “correctly” to the same or older students, the teacher must know ALL the math through high school in a very particular way. The teacher is the expert. The students are passive recipients who depend upon the teacher.
This method is also nearly always devoid of context. Students don’t solve math problems for a purpose, like building a bridge or a boat, or creating a musical composition, but merely to please the teacher or to earn a grade. The purpose is so abstract for most students, that they ultimately decide that the cost is too great.
This method also excludes at least 70% of the population on a consistent and persistent basis, which is why we have had a 70% achievement gap in math in the most vulnerable and disenfranchised populations for the past several decades.
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MATH
> What do you notice about these numbers?
> What patterns do you see emerging?
> How might you arrange these fraction pieces, and why?
> What do you notice about this music as it compares to that music? How is Mozart different from B.B. King? How are they the same?
> Here are two multi-digit numbers. What are at least two different ways to add them and arrive at the same "correct" answer? How do we know that answer is correct? Which way of adding them is more efficient? Which way is more fun and why?
This requires that the teacher know how to pose questions that pique student curiosity. The teacher does not need to be an expert at math. The teacher must only be an expert at tapping into student curiosity.
All answers may be discovered together, as student and teacher mutually explore their passions -- all of which involve math in some way.
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OTHER SUBJECTS, SUCH AS HISTORY
Teacher-generated. Teacher culls resources, curates a lesson, imparts facts to passive students who must memorize externally-determined facts that they MIGHT apply later, maybe, if time and circumstance allow, all with the hope that some of it will stick. The teacher does 99% of the work. The student does and remembers very little — because, well, why should they?
EXAMPLE: "Open your book to page 27. We are going to read about and discuss the Amayids and Abassids. Why? Because it’s next in the history book. Bobby, you read aloud first. Why? Because I said so."
When we have rote memorization FIRST, before the fun activity, we lose student interest. Instead of front-loading with facts, we should front-load with passion and side-load with facts. Let the students refer to a side-loading fact sheet as they do the interesting work. Let them learn the facts along the way to solving a problem or working on a project. Let them learn through doing.
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Teacher administers a simple pre- and post-test that works for all grades and all topics. “Tell me everything you know about __________” which is graded with a rubric.
Students do the work. (Teacher may do the work, too, alongside, if they wish.)
Teacher monitors the process and helps to evaluate the final product with a rubric.
EXAMPLE: Student-generated re-enactment.
Re-enact a competition for territory. Choose any competition for territory in the grade level history book to re-enact. (No need for us to move chronologically through the book. Our memories are not chronological, so why must the study of history be?)
Write a script that includes the most salient details (who, what, where, when, how, why?), build props, rehearse, present to the class. Do this with a group of three to four other students that have the same level of interest in that particular competition for territory. Follow the group norms. (See “How to Work in Groups” sheet). Or, if you want to work alone, that is OK too. There are clever ways to re-enact a competition for territory by yourself e.g., puppets, animation, claymation, your own video game, etc.
OR SCIENCE
Re-enact cell division...
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