I am trying my hand at ‘blogging’ following recruitment by Barry at a recent series of NCSP workshops. I am not sure how blogging really works (shocking I know) and this must make me something of a Luddite around these parts. With that in mind, the theme of my presentation for the NCSP was differentiation strategies and with this focus ever growing, why not start there?

The inspiration behind looking into differentiation was my department now being comprised of myself and 2 NQTs. My school also has a large number of new, very young teachers and a huge focus is placed on effective differentiation in each lesson we plan.

When producing the presentation and from talking to a number of staff, I often found that newer staff forgot to differentiate for the top. Each class we teach of course has a top student in there. Someone who performs even slightly better than the rest of the class. Another current focus being how to maximise A*-A grades at GCSE.

Some good teaching strategies which I have used are:

• Market Place
• Silent Debate
• Putting a figure/character on trial
• Mystery
• Mapping from Memory
• Radio Transcripts
• Video Transcript
• Peer Help
• Diamond 9 Ranking

MARKET PLACE

• Best suited to top set/MAT but can be adapted
• You will need: sugar paper or A3 paper, varieties of text blocks, colours
• Concept: split into groups. Eg) WWI causes – could be split into countries such as France, Britain, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Serbia, Russia.
• Summarise role using only a limit of words, eg 10 words but as many pictures & diagrams as you wish. Eg) Eiffel Tower = France
• Pupils must summarise and then split groups. 1 stays at the ‘market place’ whilst others information collect.
• Feedback & peer teach = all have peer taught & all have answers
• Homework – give info (if necessary) and relate to examination style question
• DIFFERENTIATION: 1) Groupings by topic, with harder topics to more able groups 2) Groupings with specific MAT or G&T leaders to assist others 3)Differentiating the word limit depending on group ability 4)Controlling who is the one who ‘stays’ at the market stall 5) Giving pictures for less able to help or cut out

SILENT DEBATE

• Very much suited to end of topic & encourages reading, writing, questioning and ‘thinking on your feet’. Very effective for revision
• Focus on core questions. Have plenty of space, connected sugar paper and board markers (surprising the impact these have!)
• Key is no talking at all & circulation.

Differentiating: 1) Focus of the question 2) can split into smaller questions and put G&T to work

before peer assessing…G&T answers hardest first before returning 3)include ‘buzz terms’ for less able groupings 4) Have higher work at hand? 5) Can use for exam skills

TRIAL

• Suits higher ability groups and controversial issues in topics. Eg) History – The murder of Thomas Becket – Henry II on trial
• Put pupils into groups – assign lawyer tasks, witness tasks, defendant, etc. Good research/homework prep – links well to SMSC
• Differentiation: select groups, lawyer & defendant for G&T – they will be working on questioning. Total G&T groups have to think on feet?

MYSTERY

Focus to a key question

Differentiation via literacy level in statements, pairings in groups, or giving focus questions like sheet 3

Key is reason behind judgements/justification – higher level of Bloom’s Taxonomy.

MAPPING FROM MEMORY

• Focus on team skills/group work/ communication & good for literacy aspect of speaking & listening
• Re-create a picture. Split into groups and be numbered. Take turns coming to view and then returning to explain. If it was your turn to view the picture…you MUST explain to others in group who will draw. A lot a captain’s round if necessary
• Differentiate via groupings or via carousel labelling and questioning. Also, can remove labels for higher so they hypothesise.

RADIO TRANSCRIPTS

• Pupils write a transcript that has to fit a certain time introduction for radio. This could be 30 seconds, 45 seconds, 60 seconds, etc. The trick is it extends pupils writing without knowing it.
• Differentiation can be via how long it is as it has to be exactly a particular length (decided by the teacher)
• Time via mobile phone/watch/stopwatch – pair up and get pupils to read, write, amend (peer assistance) and also use timings for numeracy.
• Works very well for Years 7 and 8.

VIDEO TRANSCRIPTS

Pupils watch a clip and have to produce a transcript to accompany. Bloom’s Taxonomy to ‘hypothesise’. Works on observation skills. Very good starter technique. Works well for G&T and more able.

Can differentiate with key words for some or via paired exercise if you use your seating plan as a support/push mechanism

Remember: switch the sound off!

Video Feedback

0:12 – 8:12

PEER SUPPORT

• Time and effort into seating of a class –
• 1) Seat with support mechanisms
• 2) Seat via ability groupings to help give differentiated work
• 3) Have home and away seating (if necessary) to suit the task
• 4) Don’t be afraid to switch seating plans until it works
• For G&T consider them not actually doing the main learning but acting as correctors and target setters from the start

DIAMOND RANKING

• Focus is on judging, justifying & reaching conclusions = higher order thinking
• Standard is to focus into diamond of 9 on a 1-2-3-2-1 basis with 1 ‘kicked out of the big brother house’
• For G&T, MAT or those wanting push, consider allowing manipulation of the diamond into a shape that suits their answer best. (Make sure this not a vertical or horizontal line).
• Works well in paired work for seating plan differentiation
• Can also ask G&T to circulate to question logic and probe further
• Cards can be differentiated via literacy for foundation pupils/literacy issues.

Just a few ideas and probably nothing new but I hope it helps! I will look into other differentiation methods next 😉