Friday, January 8, 2016

Today's Content:

• Name Change: The Falcon "Focus"
• Differentiated Instruction: Choice in Context and Product

Name Change: Falcon "Focus"

Same blog, new name: The Falcon Focus.  Thanks to Kristen for reminding me that the old name was already taken.

Falcon Focus: Differentiated Instruction

The 6th grade Writing classes recently finished a research project over mythological creatures.  Emphasis was on the research process, as well as clear and coherent expository writing.  However, with an eye on differentiated instruction, Tiffany and Keith planned a project that accommodated different learning styles and personal interests in all three main areas - content, process, and product.  Students were asked to choose a mythological creature (content), research basic information about that creature (process), and create a product that would best present the learned information (process and product).

With the help of her classes, Tiffany created a video that better explains the differentiation.  In it, she and students discuss the reasons for giving so many choices, and the effect this had on the students' learning.

So, how do you grade a project with so many different variables?  It was really about the content, and the clarity of the writing.  By designing the rubric to focus on the main goals of the project, Tiffany was able to grade all of the projects using the rubric below.

If you would like some help with differentiating content, process, or product in your class, let me know.  

It's a great day to be a Falcon!