Dare to Be Different
Wade Petersen Presents
Dare to Be
“Different”
Using “Choice Menus” to
Differentiate in Your Classroom
Iowa World Language Association Conference
October 7-8, 2011
Des Moines Downtown Marriott
Contact Information:
Wade Petersen wadecp@netins.net petersenw@wdmcs.org
Valley Southwoods Freshman High School
West Des Moines, Iowa
Differentiation
The new buzzword in the education world is
“differentiation.” Teachers are increasingly being asked to provide alternative ways to help students learn. The old concept of “one size fits all” education is gone.
Differentiation provides world language students with choices or options based on their readiness, interests, and learning styles. Differentiation can happen in three areas: content, process, and product.
Content refers to what students learn and can be differentiated by providing materials at varied ability levels in one classroom. Altering the level of reading materials is a common way to differentiate content.
Differentiation of content offers students the chance to start at different places in the curriculum and/or proceed at different paces.
Process refers to how students learn and refers to using a variety of activities to meet student learning interests or preferences. Differentiation of process recognizes the many learning styles within any group of students.
Product refers to how students demonstrate what they have learned and means that students have some choice in how they will demonstrate what they have learned to the teacher, class, or other audience. This allows expression in students' areas of strength. Giving different assignments to different students increases motivation and results in an interesting variety of work products.
Choice Menus
Life is about choice. Life inside our classrooms should also involve choice. Students are just like everyone else in that they want to feel like they can make personal decisions about their learning. When hearing the word “menu,” most people naturally think of
Dare to Be
“Different”
Using “Choice Menus” to
Differentiate in Your Classroom
Iowa World Language Association Conference
October 7-8, 2011
Des Moines Downtown Marriott
Contact Information:
Wade Petersen wadecp@netins.net petersenw@wdmcs.org
Valley Southwoods Freshman High School
West Des Moines, Iowa
Differentiation
The new buzzword in the education world is
“differentiation.” Teachers are increasingly being asked to provide alternative ways to help students learn. The old concept of “one size fits all” education is gone.
Differentiation provides world language students with choices or options based on their readiness, interests, and learning styles. Differentiation can happen in three areas: content, process, and product.
Content refers to what students learn and can be differentiated by providing materials at varied ability levels in one classroom. Altering the level of reading materials is a common way to differentiate content.
Differentiation of content offers students the chance to start at different places in the curriculum and/or proceed at different paces.
Process refers to how students learn and refers to using a variety of activities to meet student learning interests or preferences. Differentiation of process recognizes the many learning styles within any group of students.
Product refers to how students demonstrate what they have learned and means that students have some choice in how they will demonstrate what they have learned to the teacher, class, or other audience. This allows expression in students' areas of strength. Giving different assignments to different students increases motivation and results in an interesting variety of work products.
Choice Menus
Life is about choice. Life inside our classrooms should also involve choice. Students are just like everyone else in that they want to feel like they can make personal decisions about their learning. When hearing the word “menu,” most people naturally think of