Differentiation Strategies

Hyperdocs

As classroom teachers, we know that we have some students that will already know more about the content we are going to teach than perhaps we do. He / she had become curious about this topic earlier and completed research or practice of their own. So what do we do to provide this student with his/her right to a challenging and rigorous education?

One such resource is the hyperdoc. A hyperdoc is a digital document that provides a more in depth approach to learning. Students are provided the links and resources they need to complete their learning cycle. There can be options to change the product created or the process in which they learn the material. Benefits of using a hyperdoc include fewer lectures, more face to face interaction, multi-modal opportunities, flexibility, and privacy.

This article provides some insight to what a hyperdoc is. This website has articles and examples of hyperdocs (organized by subject).

If you are interested in creating one or would like my help, please let me know. I have created hyperdocs for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade in various content areas.

Tiered Assignments

Tiering assignments is a fair way to differentiate learning. It allows teachers to meet the needs of all students while using varying levels of tasks. It's a concept that can be infused into homework assignments, small groups, or even learning centers.

Tiers for AIG learners should require them to:

-Make connections between seemingly unrelated ideas, events and people.

-Evaluate ideas, theories, and approaches,

-Apply abstract concepts to the world around them

- Work with open- ended questions and problems.

-Grapple with complex instructions and resources.

-Use and transform their learning.