Orbital study Independent investigations, generally of three to six weeks. They Pre-assessment orbit or revolve around some facet of the curriculum. Students select their own topics for the orbital, and they work with guidance and coaching from the teacher to develop more expertise on the topic as well as learning the skills of an investigator. Pre-assessment An array of pre-assessment options can guide instruction. By regularly pre-assessing students, teachers can flexibly group students by ability and readiness levels. Pre-assessment is also essential for compacting. Problem-based A student-centered instructional strategy in which students learning collaboratively solve problems and reflect on their experiences. Learning is driven by challenging, open-ended problems. Students work in small collaborative groups. Teachers take on the role as "facilitators" of learning. RAFT Provides students choice in a writing assignment varying Role, Audience, Format, and Topic. Subject integration Uniting two or more disciplines and their content through a units conceptual theme, such as "origins," "change" or "friendship." Tiered assignments Varied levels of tasks to ensure that students explore ideas and use skills at a level that builds on what they already know and encourages growth. All students explore the same essential ideas but work at different levels of depth and complexity. Vary levels of Books and instructional materials at different levels of complexity complexity allow students to study the same concepts but at levels of depth and complexity to fit their learning needs. Vary pacing Planning to accommodate varied pacing allowing students to move through content at a pace appropriate for their learning needs. Vary tasks Providing different homework options, journal prompts, and questions Other Modifying either the content (what), process (way they learn it - how ), product (what they show to demonstrate learning). Adapted from: The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners, Carol Ann Tomlinson Tier 2: Targeted Instruction for some students
Orbital study Pre-assessment Independent investigations, generally of three to six weeks. They orbit or revolve around some facet of the curriculum. Students select their own topics for the orbital, and they work with guidance and coaching from the teacher to develop more expertise on the topic as well as learning the skills of an investigator. Pre-assessment An array of pre-assessment options can guide instruction. By regularly pre-assessing students, teachers can flexibly group students by ability and readiness levels. Pre-assessment is also essential for compacting. Problem-based learning A student-centered instructional strategy in which students collaboratively solve problems and reflect on their experiences. Learning is driven by challenging, open-ended problems. Students work in small collaborative groups. Teachers take on the role as "facilitators" of learning. RAFT Provides students choice in a writing assignment varying Role, Audience, Format, and Topic. Subject integration units Uniting two or more disciplines and their content through a conceptual theme, such as "origins," "change" or "friendship." Tiered assignments Varied levels of tasks to ensure that students explore ideas and use skills at a level that builds on what they already know and encourages growth. All students explore the same essential ideas but work at different levels of depth and complexity. Vary levels of complexity Books and instructional materials at different levels of complexity allow students to study the same concepts but at levels of depth and complexity to fit their learning needs. Vary pacing Planning to accommodate varied pacing allowing students to move through content at a pace appropriate for their learning needs. Vary tasks Providing different homework options, journal prompts, and questions Other Modifying either the content (what), process (way they learn it - how ), product (what they show to demonstrate learning). Adapted from: The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners, Carol Ann Tomlinson Tier 2: Targeted Instruction for some students