PERSONALISED LEARNING (DIFFERENTIATION): SOME TIPS for 2005

1. WHAT IS IT? Differentiation used to be called mixed ability teaching, but students
have more differences than just ability. Other differences between learners may be: confidence levels; Specific Learning Difficulties (e.g. dyslexia); ethnic background; learning preferences; speed of learning; amount of pre-existing subject knowledge; familiarity with the education system. Therefore, differentiation is an approach to teaching that attempts to ensure that ALL students learn well, despite their many differences. Differentiation acknowledges that we teach individuals and so it is now an aspect of PERSONALISED LEARNING.

2. You can begin the process of personalising your lessons when you write your learning
outcomes for instance: By the end of the lesson: ALL learners will SOME learners may A FEW learners might

3. Use Blooms Taxonomy to decide WHERE your students are in their learning and design
tasks that go to the heart of the appropriate levels. Look at the Blooms triangle in this booklet if you need revision!! 4. Use questioning effectively in your teaching. For weaker students concentrate on what? and how? as these rely on description and basic understanding (Blooms lower levels). For stronger students ask why? as this encourages analysis and evaluation (Blooms higher levels). 5. Build confidence in weaker students. Give a worksheet task in similar ability pairs, and get each individual to write responses on the board. The partner can shout out to them if they are frit. 6. Start the lesson off by having a 5-minute re-cap of the previous lesson by one student volunteer. Ensure that everyone gets a go as the weeks go by, and encourage weaker students to start off more knowledgeable students can embellish after their start. 7. Use worksheets with videos, with discussions, with peer-coaching. Questions can target the level of the students ability (see Bloom again) and for students that finish quickly, have more complex questions at higher levels of the taxonomy so that they are challenged. Worksheets are an excellent method of assessment as it is EVIDENCE of learning. 8. Consider giving activities that differentiate for learning styles (visual, listening, readwrite and hands-on or kinaesthetic). For example: 1) Give a diagram (V) 2) Get students to fill in worksheet questions about what is shown on the diagram (R-W) in pairs by discussion (K). 3) Ask each student/pair in turn to answer one of the questions (A) and take any further points or questions raised by the group (K, A).

9. Make sure you identify how you are using personalised learning on your lesson plan. 10. And lastly, if you have planned personalisation, make sure you do actually use it in your
lesson!!

Linda Harradine February 2005. Huntingdonshire Regional College