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Product differentiation is probably the form of differentiation with which teachers are most familiar.
In product differentiation, teachers give students choice on the format of their demonstration of mastery, or students propose their own designs.
Products may range in complexity for each student. The more open you make it, the more individualized the outcome. However, you must also strike a balance between open-endedness and clear academic criteria that each of your students can understand. Products should typically be aligned to your TEKS. Alternatively, in the case of a student who has already demonstrated mastery on your TEKS, the content of the products should be within that students' Zone of Proximal Development (don't force a product that is out of a students' ability, understanding, or maturity to handle). If you hit the sweet spot of proper alignment with learning targets, student voice-and-choice, and time/resource constraints, students are able to take off with a project.
If you allow students to choose the product, they have to show how it will address the content to be mastered. Before beginning the project, the teacher must approve the student's proposal or ask for revisions. If the student can't provide a strong enough proposal by a set time, they must choose from one of the other products.
Product Differentiation:
Independent Study Contracts
Accelerated Learning Contracts
Don't use the same materials and resources with your accelerated students that they will see in subsequent grade levels.
Contracts for Alternate Activities
Reading Contracts
Reading Skills & Vocabulary Contract
Pretest
Read-Share Programs
Student selects books they like (from a collection curated by the teacher), write a review, share reviews, then other students in the class choose the book they would like to read based on that review.
Study Guides with Rubrics
Alternative Projects
Resident Expert Planner (Susan Winebrenner)
Tic-Tac-Toe Choice Board
4X4 Choice Board
Activities Menu
Provide options for activities to master a topic
Activities may include:
Writing a blog post
Reading a periodical on the subject
Letter to the author
Write a depth and complexity prompt
Write a story with similar elements
Rewrite the ending/outcome
Find synonyms/antonyms for 5 tricky vocabulary words in the text
Create a dialogue between 2 characters
Read related text or other text from the same author
Write a news report on major events in history during the writing of the text
Interest Survey
Blooms Taxonomy
Thematic Unit Plans
Include the Key Concept(s) (TEKS), a Lateral Thinking Activity, and a Higher Thinking Activity
Use your TEKS to create a 5 to 10 major takeaways you want your students to focus on.
Students work from left to right, top to bottom. The tasks should make sense in a sequence.
Be sure each activity fits its major takeaway.
Higher level activities should fit synthesis, analysis, evaluation levels of Blooms.
Thematic Units that Include All Core Subjects
Thematic Units that Include All Elements of Depth & Complexity
Activity Logs from a Particular Unit (for acceleration or compacting)
Lower Grades
Student-Made Learning Centers
Take what you'd expect yourself to add to a Learning Center, make a rubric, and have a G/T student do the work for you. Be sure to provide ample time - 1 to 2 weeks.
1 to 2 students per Center
Research
Resources needed - Pictures, Other Visuals, graphs, charts, Tables, Photos, Clippings, Digital Media, physical objects,
Manipulatives Needed
Hands-On Activity
Activity Cards - 1 for each Element of Depth & Complexity or Level of Blooms
Upper Grades
Both
Circle of Books
Create a Pie Chart with the text genres in your grade level TEKS:
Fiction
Comedy
Science Fiction
Fantasy
Biography
Historical Fiction
Mystery
Adventure
Non-Fiction
Students have a visual to determine which genres they are overemphasizing, and which they are leaving out.
Teacher Conference Form
Include Date, Text, Discussion Topics, Assigned Activities and Teacher Notes