Differentiation is a teacher's response to student's needs guided by principles of differentiation. The teacher can differentiate content, process, or products according to student's readiness, interest, or learning profile.Flexible grouping, the 7th hallmark of differentiation, allows for teachers to group students in a way that will best meet their needs. The teacher can group students to differentiate content, process, or products. The teacher groups students according to readiness, interests, or learning profiles.
Flexible grouping allows me as the teacher to group gifted and talented students together and differentiate the content for them. I can group struggling students together and differentiate the process of acquiring the information. I can also differentiate the products or assignments that I have different students complete. As I am grouping students I should take into consideration readiness, interests and learning profiles. I may group a gifted and talented student with a struggling student so they can learn and grow from each other's differences.
For every lesson that I teach my students will be grouped in some way. I may do whole group instruction or small group instruction, but whichever instruction group size I am using I need to consider my students readiness, interests, and learning profiles.
I loved reading this post, and seeing how well you understand what the differentiation process seems to entail... as well as this particular hallmark. For some reason, folks have a difficult time really understanding what "flexible" means in terms of "flexible grouping." 3 pts.
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