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"Let's start by agreeing that scaffolding a lesson and differentiating instruction are two different things. Scaffolding is breaking up the learning into chunks and then providing a tool, or structure, with each chunk. When scaffolding reading, for example, you might preview the text and discuss key vocabulary, or chunk the text and read and discuss as you go. With differentiation, you may give a child an entirely different piece of text to read, you might shorten the text or alter it, and you may modify the writing assignment that follows."

Interactive tool for reconsidering your learning objectives and activities along the lines of Bloom's taxonomy.

The Differentiator is based on Bloom's Taxonomy, Kaplan and Gould's Depth and Complexity, and David Chung's product menu. Try It In: French Dutch * Tweet It * Pin It

Resources from ADE's on how to do screencasting

Middle Ground-Association for Middle Level Education Differentiating Instruction with Web 2.0 Tools

This is an outstanding site for differentiating reading levels of curriculum text!!!! Make sure you do the demo and look at their new YouTube video. Easy to use!

Learning Styles, Left Brain/Right Brain, and 10% are myths that we need to stop using to guide our teaching. They don't help, and they probably waste money and effort that could be used on things that actually help. You know, like good teaching (pre-assessment, goal-setting, differentiation, and keeping learners in their ZPD).

"Lexile measures are powerful, versatile tools that educators can use to help their students grow as readers. When you use both Lexile reader measures and Lexile text measures, you can treat each student as an individual learner, rather than as below-grade, on-grade or above-grade. Site includes a "find a book" feature which allows you to search a book by title or author and find out the lexile level. There is a conversion chart on the site which will give you a guide to the approximate grade level equivalents as well. Here are some classroom ideas and applications to help you differentiate instruction for all readers in various situations."

Provides many options of ways to differentiate lessons or provide support for all types of learners.

Personalized learning plans and electronic portfolios are being implemented to help students take ownership of their own education. Could this student "self-advocacy" be an essential component of teachers' attempts to differentiate instruction? Absolutely! Consistently applied, personalized learning plans would seem to be a natural means of maintaining student engagement and motivation. Opportunity and choice seem to be keywords here - as one student said, "it just shows you the opportunities you can have if one doesn't work out."

Great Google Slide presentation from the amazing Kasey Bell.