Dare to Differentiate-Digging for Pearls

A Webquest for exploring Technology resources for implementing Differentiation into the curriculum.

Introduction

You are a teacher with a classroom of learners who are all different from one another. You wish to reach all of them so that they may learn. Many resources existing for using technology to differentiate your instruction. Your favorite resources are waiting to be discovered by you, like undiscovered pearls. They are precious gems. In this Webquest, you will explore the Internet for pearls and gems to use in your classroom.

You will tour Internet resources and lesson samples. What are your favorite technology tools for differentiating your curriculum?

Task

As a result of this quest, you will be able to:

· Define differentiation

· View online profiling tools

· View sample lessons which employ differentiation

· Select 3 pearls(favorite technology resources for differentiation)

1. Choose one Profiling Tool

2. Choose one Interactive site

3. Choose one Lesson that you would like to use

· Print the lesson or type the urls of your choices for later use

· Share them with your colleagues

Process

You will be mining the internet for tools and resources that will allow you to apply differentiation There are 8 sections to this webquest. In each of the 8 sections, you will be exploring technology resources for applying differentiation.

1. You will view presentation on Differentiation and Technology

§ http://www.lakelandschools.org/EDTECH/Differentiation/home.htm

2. Tools exist for determining the learning preferences of your students. Click on the links below to see various tools for creating learning profiles. Choose one and complete the profile. Print or view the results and discuss them with your neighbor.

Learning Profile Tools

¨ Learning Styles and Multiple Intelligences Inventories

§ http://www.berghuis.co.nz/abiator/lsi/lsiframe.html

¨ Learning Styles-Quick Inventory

§ http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/ilsweb.html

¨ Multiple Intelligences-Quick Inventory-Must provide an email address

§ http://www.howtolearn.com/personal.html

¨ Multiple Intelligences-Printable Survey

§ http://surfaquarium.com/MI/inventory.htm

¨ Learning Styles-Quick Inventory

§ http://www.crc4mse.org/ILS/Index.html

¨ Learning Style-Quick Inventory

§ http://www.clat.psu.edu/gems/Other/LSI/LSI.htm

¨ For further reading about Learning Styles and Multiple Intelligences

§ http://www.support4learning.org.uk/education/lstyles.htm

Select one and take the quiz. Do you agree with the results? Choose one to determine the learning profiles of your students.

3. View Sample Lessons for Differentiating according to Readiness, Interest and Learning Profile

§ http://ideanet.doe.state.in.us/exceptional/gt/tiered_curriculum/

View Examples of Differentiating according to Content

§ http://skyplus-education.co.uk/skyplus/assets/109/german2.pdf

§ http://www.quia.com/web

4. View Examples of Differentiating according to Process

§ http://webtech.cherokee.k12.ga.us/littleriver-es/ewilliams/contentspagestrategies.htm

Tic-Tac-Toe Grids

§ http://webtech.cherokee.k12.ga.us/littleriver-es/ewilliams/tictactoeextensionmenufactsheet.htm

5. View Examples of Differentiating according to Product

Kindergarten Example

§ http://webtech.cherokee.k12.ga.us/littleriver-es/ewilliams/tieredassignmentskindergar.htm

6. Explore Interactive Websites

Interactive Websites Collection-Based on particular learning theories

§ http://teacherweb.com/PA/Delco/NCaramanico/photo3.stm

§ http://www.quia.com/jg/65616.html

View interactive websites that can be used in your classroom. These can be used for pre-assessment and post-assessment tools, evaluations, drills and whole class instruction.

Choose a pearl among them!

7. Explore Webquests and Thinkquests

Webquests are wonderful examples of lessons that use technology in creative and interesting ways. Webquests support differentiation on many levels. Click on the link below and search for a lesson that you would like to use in your classroom. Choose a pearl among them!

1. Sample Webquest Employing Differentiation

2. All Webquests. Browse the Webquest site.

§ http://webquest.org/

3. Sample Thinkquests

§ Benjamin Franklin-http://library.thinkquest.org/22254/mainframe.htm

§ Space Travel- http://library.thinkquest.org/03oct/01581/

8. Explore Sample Lesson Plans which use differentiation Teachers have selected and catalogued lessons that employ differentiation. Look at the sites below and choose a lesson to use in your classroom.

1. Math Interactive sites and Lesson Plans

http://www.paulding.k12.ga.us/curricweb/math/Teachers.htm#Lesson%20Plans

Math Activities

http://www.paulding.k12.ga.us/curricweb/math/Teachers.htm#Lesson%20&%20Activity%20Index

2. Sample Differentiated Lesson Plans

§ http://skyplus-education.co.uk/skyplus/assets/109/german2.pdf

Have you selected 3 sites for use in your classroom. Write them down or use a Word Processor to copy the links onto a document for later use.

Evaluation

What resources will you be able to employ in your classroom? What would you like to know more about?

Conclusion

You accomplished a tour of Internet resources to support Differentiation in your classroom. Through the use of these online resources and software tools which exist in your classroom, you have surely chosen some gems to share with your students.

Credits & References

This webquest was based on the work of Carol Tomlinson on Differentiation.

The blank template for this quest was acquired at The WebQuest Page via the Design Patterns section.

We all benefit by being generous with our work. Permission is hereby granted for other educators to copy this WebQuest, update or otherwise modify it, and post it elsewhere provided that the original author's name is retained along with a link back to the original URL of this WebQuest. If you do modify it, please let me know and provide the new URL. This webquest was designed and created by Nancy Caramanico, ncara@comcast.net

Based on a template from The WebQuest Page