Differentiation is a necessary response to the changing demography of schools, to our deepening understanding of how students learn, and to the changing demands of society and the world at large. But the greatest obstacles to differentiation are outdated beliefs about “fairness”. As long as fairness is equated with sameness, teachers, students and parents will perceive variations in teaching and assessment as being unfair.
Re-designed Learning efforts are underway in Southeastern Iowa to re-design the K-12 classroom into 21st Century Learning Spaces. The learning spaces are specifically designed to promote both collaborative and personalized learning though the use of technology.
For the past 4 months, I’ve been working in a new role in my school district building capacity across 2500 teachers, 100 administrators and 13,000 students for connected teaching, learning & leadership.
Meaningful inquiry learning can be exciting and fun for students as they explore, discover, and stretch their intellect and skills. It can also be terrifying and challenging as there are no simple answers or cookie cutter paths to success.