Making Differentiation a Habit: How to Ensure Success in Academically Diverse Classrooms

by Diane Heacox Ed.D.

Overview

Framed around critical elements for success in academically diverse environments, this book gives educators specific, user-friendly tools to optimize teaching, learning, and assessment. Following on the heels of Heacox's best-selling Differentiating Instruction in the Regular Classroom, this book offers new ideas, fresh perspectives, and additional research-based strategies designed to help teachers seamlessly integrate differentiation practices into their daily routines. Offers a wealth of practical and specific tools, templates, and checklists. Digital content includes reproducible forms.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781575423241
Publisher:	Free Spirit Publishing
Publication date:	04/01/2009
Edition description:	Book with Digital Content
Pages:	192
Sales rank:	1,137,358
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 10.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Diane Heacox, Ed.D., is an associate professor of Education at the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, Minnesota, where she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses. Previously she was a K–12 instructional specialist and classroom teacher.

Table of Contents

LIST OF REPRODUCIBLE PAGES

LIST OF FIGURES

FOREWORD

INTRODUCTION
Critical Elements for Success in a Differentiated Classroom
About This Book
How to Use This Book

Chapter 1: Identifying Your Learning Goals
Differentiation and Content Standards
Know Your KUDo’s
Thinking Through the When and How of Differentiation

Chapter 2: Examining Your Professional Practices
Know Yourself as a Teacher
Know Your Students

Chapter 3: Applying Practical and Doable Assessment Strategies
The Role of Preassessment in Differentiation
Formative Assessment
Summative Assessment
Should I Differentiate Assessments?
Assessment Modifications for Special Needs Students
Differentiated Grading on Differentiated Assessments

Chapter 4: Using a Differentiated Learning Plan
The Nine Phases of Using the Differentiated Learning Plan
When and How to Differentiate Using a DLP

Chapter 5: Motivating Learning Through Choice Opportunities 
Offering Choices in Content, Process, and Products
Formats for Choice Opportunities
Using Choice Opportunities with Primary Students
Shopping for Ideas for Choice Opportunities

Chapter 6: Prescribing Tiered Assignments and Using Flexible Grouping
Tiered Assignments
Grouping in a Variety of Ways for a Variety of Purposes

Chapter 7: Maintaining Flexibility in Planning and Teaching
Flexibility in Lesson Routines
Flexibility in Delivering Differentiated Activities

Chapter 8: Developing Student Responsibility and Independence
Your Management Profile
Routines to Make Everyday Events Go Smoothly

Chapter 9: Using Ethical Grading Practices
What Is Fair?
The Purposes and Problems of Grading
Grading in the Differentiated Classroom
Grading Is Personal

Chapter 10: Differentiating for Gifted and Talented Learners
How Is Differentiation Different for the Gifted?
Strategies for Differentiating for Gifted and Talented Learners
Differentiation for Gifted Learners Is Different

Chapter 11: Using Differentiation Strategies in Response to Intervention
The Fundamental Beliefs of RTI
A Three-Tier Model
A Problem-Solving Process
Universal Design for Learning
The RTI–DI Link
How to Use This Book for RTI

Chapter 12: Providing Leadership for Differentiated Classrooms
Teacher Leaders
Developing a School-Based Action Plan for Differentiation
Reflecting on Teaching Practices
Strategies for Keeping
Differentiation at the Forefront

CONCLUSION

REFERENCES AND RESOURCES

INDEX

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Editorial Reviews

"Differentiation is not something to be done occasionally or when the mood strikes. Instead, it should be a habit embedded into all good teaching practices. This is an important book that makes differentiation doable for all teachers in academically diverse classrooms." —Carolyn Coil, Ed.D., educational consultant and author, Pieces of Learning

"Diane Heacox has gone well beyond the marvelous path she set for us with her first book on differentiation. Making Differentiation a Habit is a wonderful synthesis of several well-respected and current resources on differentiation and assessment, all brought down to a teacher-friendly level and immediately usable in classrooms. Ms. Heacox makes differentiated instruction almost fun for teachers!" —Karen B. Rogers, Ph.D., Professor of Education, University of St. Thomas, Minneapolis, MN

From the Publisher

I loved the first edition of this book, yet find this updated edition to be even better! Diane does a masterful job of citing essential educational research and joining it with practical differentiation strategies for classroom teachers and school administrators. I particularly appreciate her focus on gifted students and students with learning difficulties, since these are the most likely groups to need differentiated instruction. Additionally, Diane connects Response to Intervention (RTI) and ways to implement personalized learning as parts of the differentiation habit. The most significant part of the book for me, however, is the chapter entitled ‘Using Ethical Grading Practices.’ Grading in a differentiated classroom seems to be the greatest challenge for many teachers when they begin to differentiate their instruction. Diane offers several excellent strategies for dealing with this issue. I recommend that this chapter be carefully read and discussed in every school.

Carolyn Coil