Differentiated Learning

Differentiated Learning is not a new concept. We are not the only nation in the world using these activities.  Here are some resources:

Some work done by the USA's ASCD

The United Kingdom

A Teacher in Canada

And the list could go on...

Let's now focus on the High School level below:

The High School Hub is a noncommercial gateway to excellent free online academic resources for high school students. It features interactive learning activities, an ongoing poetry contest, a reference collection, college information, and subject guides for English, mathematics, social studies, science, world languages, arts, and technology.

TEAMS Distance Learning for K-12 Educators
http://teams.lacoe.edu/

TEAMS Distance Learning brings exemplary learning opportunities to K-8 students, teachers, and parents across the United States through nationally televised satellite broadcasts and the Internet. Learners use instructional technologies to access a combination of the best features of time-dependent (synchronous) video-based instruction along with time-independent (asynchronous) computer access to multimedia and the Internet. TEAMS Distance Learning is one component of the ET&T (LACOE Telecommunications and Technology) division, a service of the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE). Funded in part by Star Schools legislation through the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Educational Research and Improvement (O.E.R.I.).

The National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) Project
http://cnets.iste.org/

The primary goal of the ISTE NETS Project is to enable stakeholders in PreK-12 education to develop national standards for educational uses of technology that facilitate school improvement in the United States. The NETS Project will work to define standards for students, integrating curriculum technology, technology support, and standards for student assessment and evaluation of technology use.

Differentiated Learning (Math and Science)

Differentiated Learning in Mathematics and Science at the high school level is easily detected in the subject specializations. Make sure you visit High School Hub's Math and Science areas for your own ideas.  

Here are some additional resources:

Math Goodies - Interactive Math Lessons with A Problem-Solving Approach
http://www.mathgoodies.com/

Math Goodies is a free educational web site featuring interactive math lessons, homework help, worksheets, puzzles, message boards, and more!  They have over 400 pages of free math activities and resources for students, teachers, and parents.

MathsNet
http://www.mathsnet.net/

"This visually attractive, content-rich site provides an impressively wide range of resources to encourage understanding in math. Interactive tasks persuade you to "do some math now"; puzzles, animations, articles, links and downloadable software are also on the menu. The What's New section is updated weekly, and Daily Mathematical Facts, Hourly Puzzles and quotes make this an addictive and truly dynamic site." Educational Computing and Technology Magazine, July 2000

The Eisenhower National Clearinghouse for Mathematics and Science Education (ENC)
http://www.enc.org/

ENC was originally created to collect all types of teaching materials for K-12 math and science educators and to identify and disseminate information about federally funded programs.

The Math Forum Home Page
http://mathforum.org/

The Math Forum is a leading center for mathematics and mathematics education on the Internet. The Math Forum's mission is to provide resources, materials, activities, person-to-person interactions, and educational products and services that enrich and support teaching and learning in an increasingly technological world.

NASA Online Educational Resources
http://questdb.arc.nasa.gov/lesson_search.htm

Meet the people of NASA and look over their shoulders as they make NASA's goals a reality. Whether in the area of aerospace design or training for space walks, NASA Quest is a rich resource for educators, kids and space enthusiasts who are interested in meeting and learning about NASA people and the national space program. NASA Quest allows the public to share the excitement of NASA's authentic scientific and engineering pursuits like flying in the Shuttle and the International Space Station, exploring distant planets with amazing spacecraft, and building the aircraft of the future.

Science Education: Stevens Institute
http://www.k12science.org/

CIESE, the Center for Improved Engineering and Science Education, was established in 1988 at Stevens Institute of Technology to help bring the Institute’s technology experience to the K-12 sector.  Working collaboratively with K-12 schools and school districts, in concert with a variety of other partners, CIESE has helped more than 700 schools in New Jersey realize the benefits of technology.  Current programs involve collaborations in New Jersey and four other states to train more than 10,000 teachers. 

Science Learning Network
http://www.sln.org/

The Science Learning Network (SLN) is an online community of educators, students, schools, science museums and other institutions demonstrating a new model for inquiry science education.

Assessment of Differentiated Learning

Assessing Differentiated Learning is best described as an art and not a science.  No solution or tool is a silver bullet for every high school level classroom. 

Here is are framework that may be useful:

It is your choice to decide where the cutoffs are for the various grades and student feedback. For instance, a novice student that REALLY gets the knowledge and comprehension components, may have earned a B.  And an expert student that has already demonstrated the subject and sets on his/her laurels by not making any progress into other cognitive areas, may also deserve a B.

The best differentiated learning assessment includes a written contract between the student and teacher that outlines expectations, goals, objectives, etc.  The student prepares and the teacher reviews and facilitates the learning.  Feedback and grades are based on the agreed upon contract, less any "situations" that prevent the student or teacher from fulfilling the learning contract.

Here are two major resources to help you with developing your assessment tools:

Dr. Benjamin Bloom's Taxonomy (Professor Günter Krumme at the University of Washington)

Constructivism (School of Education--University of Colorado at Denver)

For additional instructional resources including most of everything above visit my resources:

Dr. John Collins' K-12 Instructional Web Sites