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GEOFF PETTY

New learners:
getting it
right from the
beginning
Have we got classroom differentiation right?
How do we ensure everyone in the correctly argues that students • Weaker students are not
class learns at their maximum rate, don’t remember and understand practising the important skills of
despite their differences? This is what they are told or shown, only analysis and evaluation and will
called “differentiation” of course. what they think about. fall further and further behind
But differentiation does not require • Students will resent being
us to treat students differently.
If weaker students grouped, “why aren't I doing the
are bored and don't same as my friend?”
Some argue that we should
understand their lessons • Low-level tasks that require
set different tasks for different
students just to recall what they
students to suit their abilities, there is a danger of a
were told or shown, usually bore
preferences, or learning styles. downward spiral where the students
This is called “differentiation by
weak students get worse • Research has consistently
task”, but it is only rarely effective
or necessary. and worse during the year. shown that students need
challenging tasks that
There is an easier and more The last task on Bess’s ladder make them think to ensure
effective way to differentiate which is an open challenging task, engagement, understanding,
works in most cases. For any typically to analyse a scenario, and recall
given topic, this involves setting evaluate what happened, and
the same sequence of tasks for suggest improvements. She If weaker students are bored and
all students, ending in an open devises the scenario carefully so don't understand their lessons
challenging task that every student that some improvements will be there is a danger of a downward
can attempt, but which will stretch fairly obvious, but others require spiral where the weak students get
the most able. more thought and creativity. So worse and worse during the year.
all students can attempt the task,
This is called “differentiation by but the most able will be stretched For more information visit
outcome”, because the outcome, by it. It is not easy to devise www.geoffpetty.com/differentiation.
or quality of work, will be different such tasks, but gets easier with html for more detail especially ‘diff
for different students, though the experience. 2 task design’.
tasks are the same.
There are circumstances when There is more to differentiation
Let's look at an example. For any Bess's strategy will not work: for than setting tasks in class: see the
given topic Bess sets the same example when the class includes appendix of Teaching Today for a
“ladder” of tasks for everyone. students working towards different more complete account.
The first few tasks are answering qualification aims, or towards
simple recall questions on key different assessment levels. But
points in the lesson. Then there are this situation is rare for most
some simple reasoning questions teachers. Some students with
which ask students to think about unusual needs may still need to be
what they have learned. These catered for individually.
are often “why?”, or “what would
happen if…..?” questions. They The problems with the strategy of
go beyond simple recall, but don't setting different tasks for different
require complex reasoning. Bess students, are:

www.ifl.ac.uk InTuition Issue 6 | Autumn 2011 11

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