Curriculum Differentiation

"(From the Executive Summary...)
Introduction
This report presents the findings of an evidence review designed to summarise what is known about good practice concerning the content of, and access to, the school curriculum for students with special educational needs. The review focused on post-primary settings where the issue is particularly pertinent; the focus of education shifts from being student-centred at primary level to being much more subject-focused in post-primary settings.

The research team delivered two literature reviews: one national, one international. Each was designed to draw out key issues around curriculum and access to the curriculum for students with special educational needs – including gaps and trends in the evidence base – to help the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) plan its future research agenda.

The project aims to:
* deliver a narrative review of research from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland to identify key issues and themes within the area of curriculum and/or curriculum access at post-primary level for students with special educational needs relevant to the Irish context
* deliver a systematic review of the international literature on these priority themes for students with special educational needs at post-primary level
* summarise key findings from the reviews to enhance understanding of curriculum issues in order to assist the NCSE to plan further empirical research as necessary, and to formulate policy advice on the matter to the Minister. "

DIFFERENTIATION IS THE way in which the learning needs
of all pupils in a class are catered for. The National Curriculum
enshrines this when it says:
'Schools have a responsibility to provide a broad and balanced
curriculum for all pupils. This statutory inclusion statement sets out three principles for developing an inclusive curriculum which provides all pupils with relevant and challenging learning.

In this study, I first look at the place of differentiation in the debate surrounding raising standards in the UK education system. I then critique the effectiveness of proposed methods of differentiation alongside my own attempts at such differentiation as applied to the Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) classroom context. I discuss the issue of student heterogeneity, suggesting that differences in learning preferences, personality, motivations and interests may in fact be more crucial to address than differences in “ability” or “aptitude” when it comes to language teaching. Finally, providing examples from my own teaching, I suggest ways in which this can be done.

The author interviewed Dr. Carolyn Callahan, an eminent scholar in gifted education. The interview focused on Dr. Callahan's work on implementing gifted program in rural areas, and illustrated her suggestions for teachers, researchers, and parents on how to advocate for gifted students.

Este artigo discute a escolarização de pessoas com deficiências, tomando como referência os conceitos de diferenciação curricular e o desenho universal na aprendizagem como fundamentos epistemológicos para efetivar a inclusão escolar. Em termos metodológicos, empregamos os referenciais qualitativos e analisamos a literatura especializada, assim como documentos oficiais. Dialogamos também com dados do banco de dados do Grupo de Pesquisa Observatório de Educação Especial e Inclusão Educacional (ObEE). Nossas análises evidenciam, entre outros aspectos, a falta de acessibilidade curricular e a fragilidade das ações pedagógicas dirigidas para os alunos com deficiências, em particular com deficiência intelectual. Igualmente, mostram as possibilidades de aprendizagem a partir de estratégias pedagógicas que tomem como referência a diferenciação curricular e o desenho universal na aprendizagem.

Differentiation can be a difficult concept for teachers to grasp. The research involved to write this paper outlines What, How and Why we need to differentiate to meet the diverse needs of all students we teach.
The lesson plans utilise the 3 tier system of differentiated questions to enable all students to respond following explicit teaching. I hope it can be used to guide teachers as they experiment with this method of programming.

In de software DIMS is onder meer informatie opgenomen over de competentie- ofwel ontwikkelings- en leergebieden die belangrijk zijn in de voorschoolse fase en in het PO en VO. Per competentiegebied (taal, algemeen cognitief, sociaal-emotioneel, rekenen en wiskunde, lichamelijk-medisch, algemeen-psychologisch / motivatie, motorisch, niet specifiek) worden de voor een Pedagogisch-Didactische Kern Structuur (PDKS) relevante begrippen besproken en hiërarchisch, ofwel voorwaardelijk, geordend. Er worden specificaties gemaakt wat betreft soorten speel-/leerprocessen of aan de orde zijnde vaardigheden en hun mogelijke verbindingen, ook in relatie tot mogelijke evaluatie of toetsing. Waar mogelijk worden tevens voorwaardelijke diagrammen gegeven van de onderlinge relaties tussen kernbegrippen of specificaties daarvan in vaardigheden.

Teaching mathematics through problem solving is central to contemporary approaches to mathematics instruction, whilst augmenting problem-solving tasks through enabling and extending prompts ensures that a diverse community of learners are provided with opportunities to be optimally challenged, supporting an inclusive classroom environment. However, it has been frequently assumed that teachers should determine when a student should access an enabling prompt, perhaps in part due to concerns that students might be reluctant to seek prompts themselves because of social stigma associated with help seeking. In this paper, we argue that getting students to access prompts of their own volition should be central to teaching mathematics in this manner. One hundred and thirty-two Year 3-6 students completed a questionnaire disclosing their attitudes towards enabling prompts in classroom environments where they were expected to access prompts themselves. Most students consistently reported that enabling prompts empowered them as learners, allowing them to both take responsibility for, and have success with, their mathematics learning. In particular, students valued being able to access prompts when they were stuck on a task, felt that prompts had the power to increase their understanding, and to approach mathematical tasks with more confidence. Students generally did not associate accessing enabling prompts with being ‘bad’ at mathematics and acknowledged that even strong mathematicians might use a prompt sometimes. There was almost no evidence of any stigma or embarrassment associated with accessing enabling prompts. The implication is that classroom teachers can rapidly establish a culture where students access enabling prompts themselves to support learning mathematics through problem solving.

This eBook contains the intellectual outputs of the European Erasmus+ project called TABLIO (2016-1-BE02-KA201-017311). The Tablio-project aims to strengthen teachers and school in realising classroom differentiation and inclusion by the means of tablets and other mobile devices. All outputs were developed in the period 2017 - 2019 in close cooperation with teachers, schools, teachers educators and student-teachers in Europe.
This eBook contains 3 chapters. Chapter 1 describes the design toolkit for classroom differentiation and inclusion by means of tablets. Chapter 2 describes existing practices in European classroom, gathered early 2017. Chapter 3 describes the results of a design-based research approach in several European schools. All outputs can be found on the website http://tablio.eu as well. Besides English, the outputs are described in Dutch, Slovenian, Italian and Turkish.

Son yıllarda bilim eğitiminde, “Herkes İçin Bilim” paradigmasına doğru bir kayma olmuştur (American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 1993; Bybee, 1997; Rutherford & Ahlgren, 1989; Shamos, 1995; UNESCO, 2012). Bu paradigma kayması, bilim eğitimini dar bir algıdan çıkararak fen eğitiminin, bilimsel içeriklerin ve eğitim yaklaşımının sosyal amaçlarını da içine alan daha bütüncül bir algıya doğru hareket etmesine neden olmuştur. Ancak okullardaki bilim eğitimi uygulamalarına bakıldığında, bilimsel bilginin çeşitli biçimleri arasında sınırlı bir ilişki kurulabildiği ve bilimsel uygulamaların epistemik, bilişsel ve sosyal yönlerine vurgunun az verildiği ya da hiç verilmediği ortaya konulmuştur.
Bu çalışmanın amacı, atom kavramının gelişiminin altında yatan bilgi ve uygulamalara bütüncül bir yaklaşım (Badjanova & Ilisko, 2015; Miller, 1993; Orion, 2007) sunan benzen halkası modeline (Erduran & Dagher, 2014) uygun farklılaştırılmış bir öğretimin (Tomlinson, 2009; Maker, 1982; Sak, 2016) özel yetenekli öğrencilerin atomun yapısı konusundaki anlayışlarına etkisini araştırmaktır. Bunun için çalışmada fen eğitiminde bütüncül bir yaklaşımın ilkeleri ve eylemleri temel alınarak farklılaştırışmış bir program hazırlandı. Öncelikle araştırmacı tarafından atomun yapısı konusunda müfredat materyallerinin (fen bilimleri ve kimya ders kitapları, ders notları, ders planları ve öğrencilerin kullandığı ders çalışma kitapları vb.) ayrıntılı bir incelemesi yapıldı. Geliştirilen bu program, araştırmacının kendisi tarafından kimya dersi öğretmeni olarak uygulandı. Farklılaştırılmış program iki grup etkinlikten oluşmaktadır. Birinci grup etkinlikte, öğrencilerin atom, element, bileşik, saf madde ve karışım kavramlarındaki anlayışlarını ortaya koymak için tanecik kartları (Taber, 2000) ve Venn diyagramı kullanılmıştır. İkinci grup etkinlikleri, atomun yapısının tarihsel gelişimi ile ilgili Haigh ve Ward (2000)’ın çalışmasından esinlenerek araştırmacı tarafından kavramsal değişim yaklaşımını esas alan etkileşimli üç kısa tarihi hikaye ve kapalı kutu deneyi (Khalick, 2002) oluşturmaktadır.

Araştırmanın örneklemi bilim ve sanat merkezinde destek eğitim alan Bireysel Yetenekleri Fark Ettirme Programı aşamasında olan 8. sınıf düzeyinde 10 özel yetenekli öğrenciden oluşmaktadır. Uygulama haftada 3 saat olmak üzere 6 hafta sürmüştür. Nitel veri kaynağı olarak yarı-yapılandırılmış mülakat ve yazılı dokümanlar kullanılmıştır. Nitel veriler analiz edildiğinde üstün/özel yetenekli öğrencilerin bütüncül yaklaşımla program farklılaştırma odaklı kimya içeriği öğretimi sonunda atomun yapısı konusundaki anlayışları 3 kategoride toplanmıştır: 1) Atom, molekül, element, bileşik 2) Saf madde, karışım 3) Atom Modelleri ve bilimin doğası anlayışları. Elde edilen bulgular, özel yetenekli öğrencilerin bütüncül yaklaşımla farklılaştırılmış bir kimya dersi öğretiminin sonucunda atomun yapısı konusunda makroskobik, mikroskobik ve sembolik boyutları arasında geçiş yapabildiklerini ve modelleme yapabildiklerini göstermiştir.  Ayrıca bilimin epistemik, bilişsel ve sosyal yönlerindeki bilimin doğası anlayışlarında gelişmeler olduğunu göstermiştir. Öğrencilerin bütüncül yaklaşımla program farklılaştırma odaklı fen içeriği öğretiminden sonra eleştirel düşünme, sorgulama ve bilimsel düşünme becerisi gibi çeşitli becerileri geliştirdiği tespit edilmiştir. Üstün/özel yetenekli öğrencilerin atomun yapısı konusunda bu olumlu anlayışları geliştirmesinde en önemli faktörün öğrencilerin bireysel farklılıkları dikkate alınarak içerik, düşünme süreçleri, öğrenme ortamı ve ürünler boyutunda farklılaştırma yapılmasıdır. Bu dört boyuta göre hazırlanan etkinliklerle öğrencilerin bir bilim insanının yaşadığı zihinsel süreçleri bizzat kendilerinin yaşamaları ve bu deneyimlerini açık-düşündürücü bir yaklaşımla tartışmalarının da etkili olduğu söylenebilir. Bilim tarihini, bilim insanlarının neden ve nasıl atomun yapısı konusuna odaklandıklarını, öğrencilerin anlayabilecekleri kısa bilimsel hikayeler yoluyla verildiğinde onların atomu nasıl kavramsallaştırdıkları, modelledikleri, açıkladıkları ve ne gibi öngörüde bulunduklarını öğrencilerin anlaması sağlanabilir.  Çalışma süresince tüm öğrencilerin öğretim boyunca aktif katılımının sağlandığı ve sosyal etkileşimin arttığı, işbirlikli bir öğrenme ortamının olduğu gözlenmiştir.

In this study, mentorship as a strategy of differentiating a curriculum was investigated in meeting the educational needs of the gifted students continuing their education in elementary school classes consisting of students at the level of mixed ability. In the result of the research, it was determined that the educational activities are individualized according to the interest of the students and maintained according to this; that the activities whose challenge, complexity and deep level was increased are carried out; and that more original studies are generated. According to the researcher, such factors as planning the education well, giving education the mentors before the application, the continuation of support supplied for the mentors during the time of the application, maintenance of the relationship between the mentor–mentee in a positive atmosphere played an important role in reaching the positive results of the application. Özet Bu çalışmada, karma yetenek düzeyinde ilkokul öğrencilerden oluşan genel eğitim sınıfında eğitimini sürdüren üstün zekalı öğrencilerin eğitimsel ihtiyaçlarının karşılanmasında bir program farklılaştırma stratejisi olarak mentörlük stratejisi incelenmiştir. Araştırma sonucunda, eğitimsel aktivitiler öğrencinin ilgisine göre bireyselleştirildiği ve bu şekilde sürdürüldüğünde, güçlük düzeyi artırılmış etkinliklerin uygulandığı, disiplinler arası çalışmaların gerçekleştirildiği ve daha özgün çalışmaların ortaya çıktığı belirlenmiştir. Araştırmacıya göre uygulamada olumlu sonuçlara ulaşılmasında; uygulamanın iyi planlanmış olması, mentörlere uygulama öncesi eğitim verilmesi, mentörlere sağlanan desteğin uygulama süresince devam etmesi, mentör ve danışanların gönüllülüğü, mentörlerin iş yükünün fazla olmaması, mentör – mentee ilişkisinin olumlu bir atmosfer içerisinde sürdürülmesi, okul yönetiminin başarılı olan öğretmenleri ödüllendirmesi gibi etmenler önemli rol oynamıştır.

This paper was completed as a part of a university course following a great deal of research about Enrichment and Acceleration for gifted and talented students in high schools in NSW. It contains a power point that was used to present the ideas of enrichment and acceleration to staff at a NSW high school during a professional development day. It was very well received and staff really enjoyed the collaboration during the 'scenarios'.

In de periode van november 2015 tot februari 2016 hebben vier docenten van het Almere College in Dronten een interventie uitgevoerd op het gebied van formatief toetsen. Daarmee werd onder-zocht wat docenten van moderne vreemde talen leren van deelname aan onderzoek naar diffe-rentiëren op niveau in formatieve schrijftoetsen. Dit onderzoek maakt deel uit van een overkoepe-lend onderzoek getiteld ‘betekenisvol leren en toetsen’, waaraan 12 studenten van de Master Le-ren & Innoveren van Hogeschool Windesheim deelnemen.
Om te “toetsen met leerwaarde” (Sluijsmans, Joosten-ten Brinke, & van der Vleuten, 2013) is ge-bruikt gemaakt van de voorwaarden voor effectieve formatieve toetsing (Schildkamp, et al., 2014). Binnen deze voorwaarden is voor de volgende interventie gekozen: docenten zullen op drie mo-menten, op drie verschillende niveaus, formatieve schrijftoetsen geven en voorzien van feedback, zodat leerlingen leren in de zone van naaste ontwikkeling en meer zicht krijgen op hun eigen leer-proces. Deze interventie heeft geleid tot een verhoging van motivatie bij leerlingen en docenten en een verbetering in leerprestaties bij leerlingen.
Docenten hebben door het uitvoeren van de interventie en door het uitwisselen van ervaringen geleerd dat formatief toetsen inzicht geeft in het leerproces van de leerling, zowel aan de docent als aan de leerling. Docenten hebben geleerd dat het geven van feedback een groot leerrende-ment heeft, en leerlingen hebben geleerd dat het mogen kiezen van een niveau uitdaging geeft en daarmee hun motivatie verhoogt. Alle deelnemende docenten zeggen in formatieve toetsen be-wuster te gaan aansluiten op het niveau van de leerling.

Since September 2014, the Ministry of Education and Culture in Cyprus by implementing the suggestions of the Scientific Committee for the assessment of Detailed Plans, it proceeded to the preparation of Attainment Targets and Adequacy Targets which will consist of an essential and significantly useful tool that will contribute [most probably] to the improvement of the learning outcomes.  According to the 1st highlighted aim for the academic years 2014-2017, namely the improvement of learning outcomes, the “Attainment Targets refer to the learning outcomes which are expected to be reached, per class or combination of classes and per level of education, and the Adequacy Targets refer to what the student has to be taught in order to succeed to the defined learning outcomes”.

The purpose of this study to examine the effect of a science course focused on
curriculum differentiation with holistic approach on gifted students’ understandings
about atomic structure. The case study approach was used in this research. The
sample of the study consisted of 10 (ten) gifted students. Implementation period
lasted 8 weeks for 3 hours each week. The data were collected through open-ended
questionnaire, semi-structured interviews and written reflections. The findings have
shown that gifted students were able to switch between macroscopic, microscopic,
and symbolic dimensions of atomic structure as a result of teaching a differentiated
chemistry lesson with a holistic approach. It was also seen that there are
advancements in understandings of theory-law-model development and nature of
science.
Bu çalışmanın amacı, bütüncül yaklaşımla program farklılaştırma odaklı bir fen
dersinin üstün/özel yetenekli öğrencilerin atomun yapısı konusundaki anlayışlarına
etkisini incelemektir. Bu bağlamda, bütüncül yaklaşımın uygulanmasında program
farklılaştırma ilkeleri göz önünde tutularak bilimin bilişsel, epistemik ve sosyal
yönlerinin vurgulanması esas alınmıştır. Araştırmanın örneklemi, 8. sınıf düzeyinde
10 (On) üstün/özel yetenekli öğrenciden oluşmaktadır. Uygulama haftada 3 saat
olmak üzere 8 hafta sürmüştür. Durum çalışması yöntemi kullanılan bu araştırmada
görüşme ve yazılı geri bildirim formu gibi çeşitli nitel veri kaynakları kullanılmış ve
verilerin analizinde nitel analiz yöntemleri kullanılmıştır. Elde edilen bulgular özel
yetenekli öğrencilerin bütüncül yaklaşımla farklılaştırılmış bir fen dersi öğretiminin
sonucunda atomun yapısı konusunda makroskobik, mikroskobik ve sembolik
boyutları arasında geçiş yapabildikleri ve modelleme yapabildiklerini göstermiştir.
Ayrıca teori-kanun-modelin gelişimi ve bilimin doğası anlayışlarında da gelişmeler
olduğu görülmüştür.

In deze keynote voor professionals uit onderwijs en jeugdzorg wordt aandacht besteed aan de volgende punten:
1. Voorbeelden: cognitief hoogbegaafde leerlingen
2. Begrip hoogbegaafd; leerpsychologische kenmerken
3. Leerlingverschillen bij intrede PO
4. Oorzaken onderpresteren cognitief hb leerlingen
5. Regulier onderwijs en leerlingproblemen
6. Noodaanpak en systeemmaatregelen
7. ‘Optimaliserend Onderwijs’ voor elke leerling
8. Multiniveau beleids- en schoolontwikkeling
9. Vragen en discussie
10. Referenties & repositories

Intelligence testing is the process of measuring cognitive ability using standardized measures and scales. The use of intelligence testing for education purposes, including curriculum differentiation, is controversial. This entry discusses the history and criticisms of intelligence testing, along with the role of intelligence testing in curriculum differentiation.

ABSTRACT The words “curriculum differentiation” are frequently used when discussing the educational needs of gifted and talented children, but what does it actually mean when educating the gifted? Differentiation means modifications to regular curriculum by adjusting process, skills and content and learning environment to suit gifted and talented students. However, it needs to include extension and enrichment programs to broaden curriculum to develop students’ skills and abilities to a degree of complexity en par with their cognitive abilities.

Moving education systems from industrialized (compete) to knowledge (inspire) through
the integration of self-assessment and multiple intelligence's creating national identity and
culture providing knowledge application or “Networked Intelligence MIND” training
skills, creating and enhancing cultures of responsible globalized citizens and learners.

V prispevku se lotevamo vprašanja konceptualnih pojmovanj in sistemske umeščenosti učne diferenciacije in individualizacije v osnovni šoli na Slovenskem, kar je tematika, s katero se je v Sloveniji najbolj intenzivno ukvarjal France Strmčnik. V prvem delu članka najprej orišemo razumevanje koncepta individualizacije v didaktični in pedagoški literaturi povojnih desetletij, zlasti v 50. in 60. letih 20. stoletja, preden je v to polje vstopil Strmčnik s svojim raziskovalnim in strokovnim delom. Pokažemo, da je bila individualizacija pouka vseskozi razumljena kot eno od didaktičnih načel, a ne samo to: predvsem v 60. letih je bila tudi pomembno sistemsko in šolskopolitično, pa tudi ideološko vprašanje. V drugem delu članka nato orišemo Strmčnikov prispevek k razvoju učne diferenciacije in individualizacije. Dokazujemo tezo, da je s sistematičnim proučevanjem tega področja, predvsem pa z utemeljevanjem vloge in pomena t. i. fleksibilne učne diferenciacije pomembno – če ne celo odločilno – prispeval k ohranitvi enotne osnovne šole in k zaviranju političnih in strokovnih teženj po uvajanju zunanje diferenciacije v prvem obdobju po slovenski osamosvojitvi. Zadnji del članka je namenjen prikazu sistemskih rešitev učne diferenciacije v osnovnošolski zakonodaji: najprej rešitvam leta 1996, nato pa spremembam teh rešitev, ki so sledile v obdobju od 2006 do 2012 – in so tudi v delu stroke naletele na kritičen odziv.

The flipped classroom is a pedagogical method in which the typical “teaching” and “homework” elements are reversed. Kate will share with you how flipping her middle school math classroom was an effective method for differentiating for all learners, including her gifted students. Come and discover how to flip your own lesson, unit, or subject. Session will include strategies, tips, and suggestions of free/inexpensive resources to get you started. Open to all subjects and grade levels.

DIFFERENTIATION IS NOT doing different things; it is doing
the same thing differently.
There has been a great deal written about differentiation. Sometimes what has been written has been rather theoretical and it has been difficult to see how the teacher might put differentiation strategies into practice in the classroom. This article investigates some of the good practice exhibited in Classics teaching - in both a language and a civilisation / literature lesson - where differentiation strategies have
been put to good use.

This mixed methods case study examined the implementation of a 1:1 iPad initiative in a suburban, co-educational, independent, preK–4th grade elementary school in the United States. This article focuses on how teachers used iPads to differentiate instruction and across multiple content areas. Findings show the processes by which teachers employed iPads demonstrated a myriad of teaching and learning opportunities. Overall, teachers integrated iPads into the existing curriculum to complement or enhance their lessons, provide different choices for students to engage with content, or for them to delve deeper into the content. Additionally, iPads were often used in interdisciplinary ways, involving a combination of at least two different content areas during one lesson.

Teaching mathematics through problem solving is central to contemporary approaches to mathematics instruction, whilst augmenting problem-solving tasks through enabling and extending prompts ensures that a diverse community of learners are provided with opportunities to be optimally challenged, supporting an inclusive classroom environment. However, it has been frequently assumed that teachers should determine when a student should access an enabling prompt, perhaps in part due to concerns that students might be reluctant to seek prompts themselves because of social stigma associated with help seeking. In this paper, we argue that getting students to access prompts of their own volition should be central to teaching mathematics in this manner. One hundred and thirty-two Year 3-6 students completed a questionnaire disclosing their attitudes towards enabling prompts in classroom environments where they were expected to access prompts themselves. Most students consistently reported that...

Within the pressures of a crowded curriculum and in an increasingly diversified classroom, one of our major challenges is to satisfactorily respond to the learning needs of every student in a fair and equitable manner. This becomes even more complex in the EFL context of a country as culturally and linguistically diverse as Indonesia.
This presentation problematises the dangers of homogenising and thus oversimplifying the needs of our students as ‘typical’ EFL learners. Despite its wide practice, the idea of one-size-fits-all instruction has been criticised as not just ineffective but socially unjust and inequitable. As educators, today we need to be aware of the social justice agenda of our profession, adopting a more responsive approach with differentiated instruction – one that allows teachers to accommodate and build on students' diverse learning needs by acknowledging and respecting their individual differences.
A differentiated approach to teaching allows us to recognise how the composition of our classrooms has changed due to not only technology and socio-economics, but because of the needs of students with various physical and learning disabilities, life experiences, learning preferences, personal interests, as well as varying levels of readiness. To that extent, the provision of differentiation essentially becomes a prerequisite for fairness and equal opportunities to learn, which maximises students’ learning.
This presentation will offer ideas on our core agenda of providing equitable, socially just and fair learning opportunities to all students and allow us to move towards a more dynamic curriculum in which diversity is valued through the adoption of a differentiated instruction approach. The presentation also discusses some of the mechanics of managing a differentiated classroom and the practicalities of ensuring this within the confines of state-regulated curriculum and assessment. In particular, we look at the EFL environment in Indonesia and consider how to adopt a balanced approach between individualised instruction and teaching uniformly in a time of great academic diversity in contemporary classrooms.