Not knowing how to differentiate to promote equity or even that there was a difference between equity and equality, I remember sitting in training beginning my third year of teaching. The room was rather large with theater-style seating. I, seated in the back, had a clear view of the other educators in the room, many of whom were as naive as I. Special and regular education teachers filled the space. A lot of them appeared to be unhappy. They were spending the last few days of their summer vacation listening to how another teacher would be joining them in their classroom. To some, this workshop was translating into an invasion of personal space. "I don't need another teacher in my room," some would claim. Even more would say, "This is great! I will finally have someone to grade papers, make copies, and be my assistant." But, "I went to school to make copies," said no special education teacher ever!"
If you have been in education for a few years, you probably remember being in a similar meeting. Many of us were clueless about embracing this shift in school culture, a change from all students doing the same thing all the time. The words inclusion and differentiation can be daunting. But, in a world where equity is more crucial than ever, they are necessary practices. To promote equity in the classroom for our students, as teachers, we must provide support and instructional materials that meet individual student's needs. How do we do that effectively when we sometimes have 30 plus student needs to meet? We differentiate to promote equity in the classroom. Here are five simple yet highly effective strategies you can use to differentiate, promote equity in the classroom, and maximize teaching and learning. It all starts with providing choices!
Differentiate to Promote Equity with Google Drive Folders
Since our students are different, they will learn best through various means. For example, some students get more out of watching a video. In contrast, others may gain more information by reading passages or articles from a website. Let your middle school and high school learners choose participation during these lessons. Try using a folder from Google Drive. I title the folder with the name of the Big Idea (learning target or standard) and add links to websites, videos, articles, tutorials, virtual labs, and even documents. Next, I share the link to the folder with students and parents or guardians who can open up the folder and choose participation from an abundance of learning experiences. Using Google Drive Folders can add variety to lesson plans or be places where students can go for remediation or enrichment. Don't worry if you're not a G Suite person. Other platforms, such as Padlet and Wakelet, can organize choices for learning, too.
Differentiate with Choice Boards
Assessment can take on many forms in the classroom or at home as a part of distance learning. We can use assessment for deciding what to do next in our lesson sequence or even for assigning a number that reflects student understanding. For that reason, the information gained through assessment is valuable. Choice boards can give students options in how they share this valuable information with themselves and their teacher. Let's suppose a teacher asked me, as a student, to show my understanding of the Nitrogen Cycle. It most likely would appear to the teacher that my achievement level was no more than beginner because I CANNOT DRAW. However, if I were given a choice to show what I know, I could choose to write or provide a verbal explanation. I like to use Google Slides for organizing choice boards or menus. I can create and link to other slides in the presentation where students can display their understanding. You can also do the same in Powerpoint. Here's an example of a choice board for secondary teachers of any subject.
Differentiate with a Variety of Supplies
Some of my favorite standards to teach are those that require the students to "develop and use a model." The standard typically does not specify what type of model such as physical, mathematical, or conceptual. Therefore, provide a rubric, various kinds of supplies, and let them choose. Some students will draw a picture given paper, pencils, paint, and other art supplies. Other kids may make a presentation using Prezi, Tik Tok, or Screencastify given access to technology. Many of my students like to construct 3-D models. At the beginning of the year, I stock up on construction materials such as paper, modeling clay, pipe cleaners, popsicle sticks, beads, ribbon, etc. When it is time for modeling, I open up the construction station and students build. This year, I'm adding Fuse Beads to the plethora of materials. I can't wait to see the models they construct out of these.
Differentiate with Variety of Assessment
We use the 5E model to learn individual Big Ideas. Each mini-unit of learning follows the same pattern. For example, we begin by engaging in learning about the Big Idea through a phenomenon or hook. Next, the students explore the standard through some investigation or research connected to the lesson's engagement. We follow the exploration with a discussion either one-on-one, small group, or whole group. When we get to the elaboration portion of the mini-unit (we also call this the training period), our students work towards mastery of the standard through choice. In other words, they choose how they practice. Providing variety here is easy. Go to your filing cabinet or check out resources from other teachers. Find activities (that are easily assessed such as card sorts, tarsia puzzles, crossword puzzles, fill-in-the-blank worksheets, coloring printables, etc.) with the same content but different organization and provide it as an option for your students to complete. Many Science from the South resources will have this option already built-in for you. Check out the differentiated versions of the Plant and Animal Cell Organelles and Structures Worksheets. It is the same worksheet with different student options to show their understanding.
Version 1. Advanced
Version 2. Intermediate
Version 3. Simplified
Differentiate How it Counts
Let your students decide how it counts. Yes, I said it! When you reach this point in the mini-unit, think of this as the last call for mastery. Formative instructional practices drive level 1 learners to level 2, level 2 learners to level 3, and level 3 to level 4. The more they do, the more likely they are to reach that higher level of understanding. Providing numerous choices, as mentioned above, will get them doing. But, letting your kids decide what those activities count for will get them doing more! We allow the students to determine which activities to complete and how they will count. We usually offer the choices of daily grade, bonus points for the upcoming quiz, or tickets (our classroom reward system). I think it will surprise you how much practice/work your students will do. Practice makes perfect, right?
How do you differentiate to promote equity in the classroom?
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