Three Ideas that Support Educator Growth in Effective Differentiation by Carol Ann Tomlinson

The concept of differentiation is well-known in most educational circles. Still, however, we often find that our classroom practices in addressing the diversity of students we teach have not developed significantly beyond an entry point-level. In this session, we’ll take a look at three ideas that have the potential to cause us to think more deeply about differentiation and to extend the power of our practices to benefit each learner in our care. We’ll be exploring: Multi-faceted definitions of differentiation, what it means to develop a “differentiation state of mind,” and what it means to “teach up.” The session will include classroom examples, opportunities to talk with colleagues, and a question-and-answer period with the presenter. Our time will be successful if participants feel challenged and leave the session with some new ideas and practices to consider, implement, and polish.