What Is Co-curricular Activities

Co-curricular Activities: Meaning, Definition, Examples, Importance, Benefits

Co-curricular activities facilitate the development of various domains of mind and personality such as intellectual development, emotional development, social development, moral development, and aesthetic development. Creativity, Enthusiasm, and Energetic, Positive thinking are some of the facets of personality development and the outcomes of 

Extracurricular activities

Co-curricular activities (CCAs) earlier known as Extracurricular Activities (ECA) are the components of the non-academic curriculum that helps to develop various facets of the personality development of the child and students. For the all-round development of the child, there is a need for emotional, physical, spiritual, and moral development that is complemented and supplemented by Co-curricular Activities.

Definition of Co-curricular Activities

Co-curricular Activities are defined as the activities that enable to supplement and complement the curricular or main syllabi activities. These are a very important part and parcel of educational institutions to develop the students’ personality as well as to strengthen classroom learning.

These activities are organized after school hours, so known as extra-curricular activities. Co-curricular Activities have a wide horizon to cater to the cultural, social, aesthetic development of the child.

Examples and Types of Co-curricular Activities

• Sports
• Musical activities
• Debate
• Model
• Art
• Music
• Drama
• Debate and discussion
• Declamation contest
• Story writing competition
• Essay writing competition
• Art craft
• Recitation competition
• Wall magazine decoration
• Writes ups for school magazine
• Folk songs
• Folk dance
• Flower show
•  School decoration
• Sculpture making
• Fancy dress competition
• Preparation of chart & models
• Album making
• Photography
• Clay modeling
• Toymaking
• Soap making
• Basket making
• Organization exhibitions.
• Celebration of festival

Role of co-curricular activities in a student’s life

Co-curricular activities are the true and practical experiences received by students.  To a greater extent, theoretical knowledge gets strengthened when a relevant co-curricular activity is organized related to the content taught in the classroom. Intellectual aspects of personality are solely accomplished by the Classroom, while aesthetic development, character building, spiritual growth, physical growth, moral values, creativity,  etc. are supported by co-curricular activities. Frankness and clarity in language and personality are supported by these activities. It helps to develop co-ordination, adjustment, speech fluency, extempore expressions,  etc. among students both at the school as well as college levels.

Importance and Benefits of Co-curricular Activities

1. Co-curricular activities stimulate playing, acting, singing, recitation, speaking, and narrating in students.
2. Activities like participation in-game debates, music, drama, etc., help in achieving the overall functioning of education.
3. It enables the students to express themselves freely through debates.
4. Games and Sports help to be fit and energetic to the child.
5. It helps to develop the spirit of healthy competition.
6.  These activities guide students on how to organize and present an activity, how to develop skills, how to co-operate and co-ordinate in different situations-all these helps in leadership qualities.
7. It provides the avenues of socialization, self-identification, and self-assessment when the child comes in contact with organizers, fellow participants, teachers, people outside the school during cultural activity.
8. Inculcate the values to respects other’s views and feelings.
9. It makes you perfect in decision making.
10. It develops a sense of belongingness.
11. CCA provides motivation for learning.
12. CCA develop values like physical, psychological, Ethical, academic, civic, social, aesthetic, cultural  recreational, and disciplinary values

Role of a Teacher in Organising curricular Activities

1. The teacher must be a good planner so that the different activities could be carried out systematically throughout the year.
2. It should be the duty of the teacher to give more and more opportunities for the child while performing co-curricular activities.
3. The Teacher should act as an Innovator by introducing some innovative programs.
4. The teacher must be a good organizer so that the students experienced a maximum of it.
5. He should too act like director, recorder, evaluator,   manager, decision-maker, advisor, motivator, communicator, coordinator,  so that the student and child could gain a maximum of finer aspects of Co-curricular activities.

List of Outdoor Co-curricular Activities

1.  Mass parade
2. Mass drill
3. Yoga
4. Athletics
5. Bicycling
6. Gardening
7. Cricket
8. Football
9. Basketball
10. Volleyball
11. Kabaddi
12. Kho kho
13. Handball
14. Trips to the place of geographical, historical, economic, or cultural interest
15. Mass prayer
16. Morning assembly
17. Excursions
18. Social service in the neighborhood
19. Village Survey

List of Indoor Co-curricular Activities

1. Dramatics
2. Music and dance
3. Drawing and painting
4. Decoration
5. Weaving
6. Clay modeling
7. First Aid
8. Tailoring
9. Rangoli
10. Bookbinding
11. Cardboard work
12. Leatherwork
13. Organizing school panchayat
14. Student self-government
15. Art and craft

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What is Extracurricular Activity

 

Extracurricular Activity Definition

Extracurricular activities are defined as those activities which are not the components of the academic curriculum but an integral part of the educational environment. Extracurricular activities comprise sports, singing, music, debate, dance, drama, social services, etc.  Schools can play a pivotal role by channelizing the energy of both normal as well as physically challenged students into a fruitful direction of personality development through extra-curricular activities.

To develop the various facets of personality of kids, children, and students; curricula must be supplemented with extracurricular activities. Extracurricular activities help in the development of intellectual, emotional, and moral development.

Extracurricular Activity Meaning

The main motto of extracurricular activities is personality development. These are the activities which promote students to take up their study in a healthy manner. All-round development as well as intellectual development is not the domain of curriculum, these characteristics can be judiciously fulfilled by co-curricular activities. Extracurricular activities include bands, sports, the student newspaper, literary, acting & drama, music, cultural activities.

Extracurricular Activity of Students

For the holistic development of students, extracurricular activities even got much encouragement since ancient times. Ancient scriptures such as Veda, Upanishads, Mahabharata, and Ramayana where extracurricular activities were elaborately mentioned. These scriptures discussed cooking, singing, playing, warfare activities, wrestling archery, milking the cow. etc., as co-curricular activities.

Nowadays, schools and colleges have been given much more importance to extracurricular activities so that the hidden potential of students could be harnessed. Extracurricular activities help to develop creativity and artistic talents among students.  Great educational thinkers such as Rousseau’s, Spencer, and Dewey had advocated the importance of extracurricular activities among students so as to develop social relationships intellectual intelligence.

 Insertion of Extracurricular Activities on Resume

Extracurricular activities on resume put a positive notion before the interviewers. Insertion of extracurricular activities on resume strengthens your bio-data when you lack adequate work experience. If you switch over your career or changes your job, even in such conditions, insertion of co-curricular activities in your resume played an effective role. How to insert and where to put the extra-curricular activities on a resume is also important. It is better to put these activities at the last. The important qualities such as leadership experience, singing, music, sports, writing skills, volunteer work, foreign language, etc. can be incorporated as extracurricular activities. However, inserting more such activities are not desirable. Putting 3 or 4 co-curricular activities on your resume are advisable as per the priority of your interest.

Extracurricular Activity Importance

There are the following importance of extracurricular activities:

• The classroom teaching-learning environment gets strengthens by extracurricular activities.
•   No doubt, classroom teaching is of utmost importance, yet for aesthetic development, character enrichment, spiritual and physical growth, extracurricular activities are equally relevant.
• The features and traits like extempore expression, speech fluency, co-ordination & communication, adjustments, etc, get empowered with co-curricular activities.
• Extracurricular activities enable the students to express themselves freely. Inculcate the values of co-operation.
• It is a means of developing skills and competence. Different extracurricular activities have their own significance i.e. Debate helps to generate ideas and giving reasons and counter-reasons.
• Sometimes, learning-teaching becomes monotonous; this can be changed into a pleasant atmosphere by participating in extra-curricular activities.
• Co-curricular activities help to prepare you for your future challenge.
• Extracurricular activities enable to groom the students for future leadership.

Extracurricular Activity for Kids

The seeds of personality development start blooming at this age. So, experiencing extra-curricular activities at this point in time is very very important for the individual.  As many psychological and sociological changes take place during this period, therefore proper care should be taken both by parents as well as teachers.

Extracurricular Activity Benefits and Advantages

• Students get inter-mingle with different peer groups during these activities which satisfy the needs of socialization, self-assessment, and self-identification.
• Extra-curricular activities require sacrifice and control which ultimately helps in grooming your balanced personality.
• Field trips, traveling, and tours help to know about other places, people, customs, and cultures.
• These activities provide opportunities to adjust themselves to other people.
•  It helps in the proper channelization of physical health.
•  Extra-curricular activities provide motivation for learning.

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What Are The FUNCTIONS OF MANAGEMENT

 DEFINITION  OF MANAGEMENT 

"Management  is  a distinct  process  consisting  of planning, organizing, activating  and  controlling  to determine  and  accomplish the  objectives  by the use  of people  and  resources ."G.R.  Terry "To manage  is  to  forecast  and plan,  to command,  to coorganise ordinate  and to control."Henry Fayol ,  to "Management  is  simply  the process of  decision making  and control  over  the  action  of  human  beings for  the  express purpose  of  attaining  predetermined goals."Stanley  Vance

5 FUNCTIONS  OF MANAGEMENT

Koontz  and O'Donnell explained  five  functions  of management.  They  have become  widely accepted  functions of  management  everywhere. They  are  

Planning 

Organizing 

staffing 

directing

controlling.

5 FUNCTIONS  OF MANAGEMENT

PLANNING

Planning  is deciding in  advance  what  to  do,  how to why  to  where do to  do  and do who  will  be  responsible for doing is  planning. Definition "Planning bridges the gap from  where we are  to  where we want  to  go. It  makes  it  possible for things  to  occur  which would  not  otherwise happen"Koontz  and O'Donnel .

Importance  of Planning 

 Planning  provides directions  Planning  reduces the  risks of uncertainty  Planning  reduces overlapping and  wasteful  activities  Planning  promotes  innovative  ideas  Planning  facilitates  decision  making  Planning  establishes  standards  for Features  of  planning  controlling Planning  focuses on achieving objectives  Planning  is a  primary  function of  management  Planning  is pervasive  Planning  is continuous  Planning  is futuristic  Planning  involves  decision  making  Planning  is a  mental  exercise

Planning  Process Setting  objectives:

 Objectives may be set  for  the entire  organization  and  each department or unit  within  the  organization. Developing  premises: Planning is  concerned  with the future  which  is  uncertain and every  planner  is  using  conjuncture  about  what  might happen  in  future. Identifying  alternative  courses  of  action: Once  objectives  are set,  assumptions are made. Then  the  next  step would  be  to act upon  them. Evaluating  alternative  courses: each  alternative. Selecting  an  alternative: The  next  step is  to  weigh the  pros and  cons  of This  is  the real  point  of decision  making.  The  best  plan has to  be adopted  and  implemented. Implement  the  plan: Followup  action: This  is  concerned  with putting  the plan  into action. Monitoring  the plans are equally important to ensure that objectives are  achieved.

ORGANIZING

Division  of work  into  functions and subfunctions, grouping  of activities that  are closely  related  in their  nature, assigning  of  duties and responsibilities to  the  employees  and finally  delegation  of authority and power to  each  employee  or  the group to  discharge  their  duties accordingly  are the  processes  come under the  function of management  organizing. Definition "Organization  is  the process of  identifying and  grouping  of the works  to  be  performed, defining  and  delegating responsibility and  authority  and  establishing  relationships for the purpose  of  enabling  people  to  work  most  efficiently".Louis  A. Allen

Importance  of Organizing 

 Organizing helps Organizations  to  reap the  benefit  of  specialization.  Organizing provides for Optimum  utilization  of  resources.  Organizing helps in Effective administration.  Organizing channels for Expansion  and growth.  Organizing achieves co ordination  among different        Organizing  creates  scope for  new change.

Organizing  Process 

Division  of work : 

The  first  process  of Organizing  includes identification  and  division  of work which  shall  be  done in  accordance with  the  plans  that  are  determined  previously. 

Departmentation : 

once the  work  of  identifying  and dividing  the work has  been  done those  are  similar are  to be grouped.

Linking  departments :  

When the  process  of departments  has  to be  done so departmentation was  completed,  linking  of that  those  departments  operate  in a co manner  which gives  a  shape to  overall  organization  structure. 

Assigning  Duties: 

On  completion  of departmentationordinated process  assigning  duties  i.e. defining  authority  and responsibility  to  the  employees  on the  basis of  their  skills  and capabilities  has  to  be  done,  which  in consequence magnifies  efficiency  with  regard  to their  work. 

Defining  hierarchal  structure :

  Each employee  should also know  from  whom  he  has  to take  orders  and  to whom  he  is accountable/responsible.

DIRECTING

Directing  is  nothing  but guiding  and leading  the people in an organization.  It  is not just  giving instructions  by  a superior to  the sub ordinates  but also  is  a process  of supervising, guiding  and motivating  the latter  to  achieve the organizational  goals.

 Definition 

"Activating  deals  with  the steps a  manager  takes  to get  sub ordinates  and  others  to carry  out plans"Newman  and  Warren.

Importance  of Directing 

  Direction  initiates  actions  to get the desired  results  in  an organisation . 

Direction  attempts  to get maximum  out  of employees  by identifying  their capabilities. 

 Direction  is  essential  to keep  the elements like  Supervision,  Motivation,  Leadership and  Communication  effective. 

 It ensures  that every employee  work  for Coping  up  with  the  changes in  the organisational Organisation goals. is possible through  effective direction. 

 Stability  and  balance  can  be  achieved  through  directing.

STAFFING

In  the  simplest  terms,  staffing in  management  is ‘putting people  to jobs’. Definition "Staffing  is the  function by which managers  build  an organisation through the  recruitment, selection, and  development of  individuals as capable  employees"McFarland Importance  of Staffing  

Filling  the  

Organisational positions Developing competencies  to  challenges 

Retaining  personnel

Optimum utilisationprofessionalism of the  human resources

Staffing  Process

 Analyzing  Manpower  requirements: 

It  is making  an  analysis of work and estimating  the manpower  requirement to  accomplish  the same. 

Recruitment:

 It  is identifying  and attracting  capable  applicants for employment.  it ends with  the submission  of  applications  by  the aspirants. 

Selection: 

It is  choosing  the fit candidates  from the  applications received in the process  of  recruitment. 

Placement: 

This  may  be on probation  and on  successfully completion of  the same  the candidate  may  be offered  permanent employment.

 Training  and  Development: 

It  is concerned with  imparting  and developing  specific  skills  for a particular  purpose.

 Performance  Appraisal:

 Systematic  evaluation of personnel by superiors or  others familiar  with  their  performance  so  as to  rank employees  to  ascertain  their  eligibility  for promotions.

CONTROLLING

It  is the process  that ensures whether  the  resources are obtained  and used efficiently in achieving  the organizational  objectives

 Definition 

"Controlling  is determining  what is being accomplished that  is, evaluating  performance  and, if necessary, applying corrective measures so  that  performance  takes  place  according  to plans".Terry  and  Franklin.

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How To Create An Inventory For School Equipment

  Inventory of School Resources

 Having an inventory which keeps track of all the valuable assets owned and used by your school is vital. Without one, it’s impossible to know the total value of your assets, what the school owns and to keep track of what goes missing or gets stolen.

But how do you create an inventory for your school’s equipment? Here’s what you should include, and why.

Why create an inventory?

There are many reasons why it’s a good idea to keep an inventory of all your school’s equipment. Most important is that, without one, you won’t know what the school owns, where each item is and how much every asset is worth. This record of your assets is useful for both general information and security purposes. Here are some other reasons why inventories come in handy:

• Allowing capitalised assets to be accounted for properly
• Making it possible to create management reports
• Allowing for future planning; you can see when equipment needs to be replaced
• Improving accountability

What information should I store in an inventory?

Although the information in your inventory should be as detailed as possible, it’s up to you to decide what you believe is necessary. Here are some of the inventory details/categories you could include:

• Unique asset code
• Date purchased/received
• Estimated value of item
• Building and room location
• Make and model number
• Purchase price
• Asset status (e.g. on loan)
• Serial number
• Condition
• Quantity
• Order number

Note that not all of these details are applicable to every item you are likely to buy. You may find you keep more details about each individual tablet computer you buy than the textbooks your school owns, for example. However, the more information logged, the easier it will be to find missing items and make a claim on assets that are stolen.

You also need to set out guidelines regarding what assets should be included in the inventory. Many schools only keep a record of items worth more than a certain amount (e.g. £200). This way you’re not keeping track of every single calculator, pen or ruler.

You may also want to keep a separate inventory for items worth under £200, but are particularly attractive or portable, and therefore more likely to be stolen. Items such as fans, cameras and mobile phones are all seen as attractive and portable, so should be closely monitored.

Maintaining your inventory

All assets within the inventory should be checked at least once a year. The database must be updated according to any changes – for example, the item’s location or condition may change. Whenever an item goes missing, the inventory should be updated immediately.

Never delete an item from your inventory, even if it breaks or is sold off, as you need a complete record of everything the school has ever owned. Instead, keep a separate inventory which tracks which assets have been disposed of/written off and the reason why. You also need to keep track of any items which are stolen or lost.

Hopefully our guide has given you a good idea on what to include in your inventory and how to get started. We know that keeping an inventory of all your school’s equipment may seem like a time-consuming task, but it needn’t be. If you have the right school inventory manager system in place, it can be easy to keep an eye on all those important assets.

School Resources for Kids of All Ages

Teachers can always use extra help when it comes to teaching resources. Whether the teacher teaches at a school or home-schools, there are plenty of teaching aids available that can make the task easier.

JumpStart has a large collection of school resources. The activities and worksheets here are categorized by subject:

 

 Primary School Resources

Primary school resources are perhaps more important than for any other age group. Primary school students are at the beginning of their educational journey, and it is at this first stage that teachers should captivate their interest and instill in them a love for learning. Students at this stage are not used to classroom settings. A lot of fun activities, games and other such forms of learning help them adapt to the concept of a classroom and a teacher. Primary school resources help teachers with activity ideas, lesson plans, worksheets, craft projects and other such teaching aids.

Middle School Resources

Middle school resources include supplementary teaching material for teachers like lesson plans, teaching aids, etc., to keep lessons fun and interesting. Additionally, there are lots of resources for students like quizzes, online games and exercises for extra practice. Teachers can find networking facilities to discuss classroom practices and challenges with other middle school teachers.

High School Resources

High school resources focus more on students’ needs. The topics are very specific, and the teaching/studying tools are more about getting students interested in the subject matter. High school study tools include a wide range of self-help resources. Teachers and students can find homework help, project ideas, practice material, audio-visual teaching aids and material for extra reading in addition to school resources like lesson plans, worksheets and activities.

Home School Resources

Plenty of home school resources for all subjects and grades are available on the internet. These include a wide variety of curricula to choose from for each subject, curriculum reviews, home-schooling community forums, printable worksheets, activities and more!

 

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Difference Between reliability and validity

 Reliability And Validity

What is reliability?

Reliability refers to how consistently a method measures something. If the same result can be consistently achieved by using the same methods under the same circumstances, the measurement is considered reliable.

You measure the temperature of a liquid sample several times under identical conditions. The thermometer displays the same temperature every time, so the results are reliable.

A doctor uses a symptom questionnaire to diagnose a patient with a long-term medical condition. Several different doctors use the same questionnaire with the same patient but give different diagnoses. This indicates that the questionnaire has low reliability as a measure of the condition.

What is validity?

Validity refers to how accurately a method measures what it is intended to measure. If research has high validity, that means it produces results that correspond to real properties, characteristics, and variations in the physical or social world.

High reliability is one indicator that a measurement is valid. If a method is not reliable, it probably isn’t valid.

If the thermometer shows different temperatures each time, even though you have carefully controlled conditions to ensure the sample’s temperature stays the same, the thermometer is probably malfunctioning, and therefore its measurements are not valid.

If a symptom questionnaire results in a reliable diagnosis when answered at different times and with different doctors, this indicates that it has high validity as a measurement of the medical condition.

However, reliability on its own is not enough to ensure validity. Even if a test is reliable, it may not accurately reflect the real situation.

The thermometer that you used to test the sample gives reliable results. However, the thermometer has not been calibrated properly, so the result is 2 degrees lower than the true value. Therefore, the measurement is not valid.

A group of participants take a test designed to measure working memory. The results are reliable, but participants’ scores correlate strongly with their level of reading comprehension. This indicates that the method might have low validity: the test may be measuring participants’ reading comprehension instead of their working memory.

Validity is harder to assess than reliability, but it is even more important. To obtain useful results, the methods you use to collect your data must be valid: the research must be measuring what it claims to measure. This ensures that your discussion of the data and the conclusions you draw are also valid.

How are reliability and validity assessed?

Reliability can be estimated by comparing different versions of the same measurement. Validity is harder to assess, but it can be estimated by comparing the results to other relevant data or theory. Methods of estimating reliability and validity are usually split up into different types.

 

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14 Principles of Henri Fayol of Adminstration Theory

 

Administrative Theory or Basic 14 Principles of Henri Fayol

The administrative theory is the important one of administrative theories. Henri Fayol created it. It is also known as 14 principles of management or fourteen principles of management.

Henri Fayol was born in 1841 to a French family. He was a prolific writer on technical and scientific matters, as well as management. His most outstanding writing was ‘Industrial and General Management.’ He was appointed as an engineer in a Mining company. By 1888, he had risen to the Managing Director position of the company. He retired from the position of Managing Director in 1918. He was a director of the company up to his death (84the age; December 2925). Henri Fayol was a management practitioner with experience.

Administrative Theory or Basic 14 Principles of Henri Fayol

HigherStudy.org

34 2 minutes read

The administrative theory is the important one of administrative theories. Henri Fayol created it. It is also known as 14 principles of management or fourteen principles of management.

Henri Fayol was born in 1841 to a French family. He was a prolific writer on technical and scientific matters, as well as management. His most outstanding writing was ‘Industrial and General Management.’ He was appointed as an engineer in a Mining company. By 1888, he had risen to the Managing Director position of the company. He retired from the position of Managing Director in 1918. He was a director of the company up to his death (84the age; December 2925). Henri Fayol was a management practitioner with experience.

Table of Contents

• Administrative Theory (14 Principles of Management):
  • DA DUU Sub-In Rop CSOE Stp.I Esprit
• Criticism of Administrative Theory (14 Principles of Management):
  • Conclusion:

Administrative Theory (14 Principles of Management):

---

Henri Fayol created Administrative Theory or 14 principles of management on the management. His Administrative Theory or 14 principles of management following are:

1. Division of Work: This principle the same as Adam Smith’s ‘division of labor.’
2. Authority: Manager must be able to give the order. Authority gives this right.
3. Discipline: Employees must obey and respect the rules and regulations which govern the organization.
4. Unity of Command: Every employee should receive order or direction from only one upward or superior.
5. Unity of Direction: Each group of the organization should be directed by one manager using one plan.
6. Subordination of Individual Interests to the General Interest: The management must see that its aims are always supreme.
7. Remuneration of Personnel: The laborers must be paid a reasonable salary for their work.
8. Centralization: The process of transforming assigning decision-making authority to a higher level of an organizational hierarchy; it is the centralization that should follow this.
9. Scalar Chain: The line of authority from top management to the lower ranks represents the hierarchy or scalar chain. This chain should follow.
10. Order: people and materials should be in the right place at the right time.
11. Equity: In running a business, a combination of kindness and justice needs.
12. Stability of Tenure of Personnel: Staff work is well if job safety and career improvement are guarantees to the team.
13. Initiative: Allowing all personnel to show their initiative in some way is a source of stretch for the organization.
14. Esprit de Corps: Promoting team spirit will build unity and harmony within the organization.

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Differentiation in the Classroom: Content, Process, or Product?

 Differentiation in the Classroom: Content, Process, or Product?

You’ve likely heard the phrase, “Fair is not always equal.” This is especially true in a classroom setting when you are dealing with a group of students with different reading levels and academic skillsets. And then there are other things to consider like their home life, educational background, and emotional needs. All students do not need the exact same support in order to be successful in a classroom setting, and that is where differentiation becomes critical.

 

Carol Ann Tomlinson is an educator and author, well-known and respected for her research and work with differentiated instruction. She believes there are four ways to differentiate instruction: through content, process, product, and learning environment. For the purposes of this blog post, we are going to focus on the first three only.  Below is an explanation of each of those three methods, as well as a few examples of each.

1.      Content – Content is differentiated when students are given fewer vocabulary terms or mathematical formulas to learn, or a different text to read. This type of differentiation can also relate to the vertical alignment of standards. For example, if a third-grade student does not understand the idea that multiplication is repeated addition, something they should have learned in second grade, the current teacher will need to reteach that content before moving on to grade-level content.

2.      Process – Teachers differentiate their instruction when they work one-on-one with a student needing extra help, or pull a small group. Even something as simple as repeating directions, or offering written directions, is considered a way to differentiate instruction. For this type of differentiation, like setting/environment differentiation, the academic standards are not being changed or “watered down”, it is simply a method of scaffolding so that students can be successful with grade-level content.

3.      Product – Tasks are differentiated when you modify the length or scope or offer extended time to complete it. When the scope of a task is modified, it may possibly include lower-level thought processes, but only with the intent of scaffolding student learning so that eventually, they are ready to meet grade-level content expectations.

 

The above examples showed just one way to differentiate each method. For a more complete list of strategies, download the Differentiation Strategies resource.

 

But let’s be honest, it is not realistic or even feasible to differentiate content, process, and product for every single lesson. So as a classroom teacher, how do you know which of the three methods you should differentiate? Your differentiation methods should be based on the needs of your students and the purpose of your lesson. Consider the following examples:

1.      If you have a student that is reading below grade level, you will likely need to regularly differentiate content for him/her by offering a text at their instructional or independent reading level.

2.      If you have a student with dysgraphia, you may need to differentiate his/her learning process to ensure that they have access to a word processing program, rather than having to handwrite their assignments.

3.      If you have a student with a learning disability and accompanying IEP that designates reduced test length, then you will have to differentiate the product by shortening the assessments you give.

 

As you consider the needs of your students, think about these six aspects:

1.      Special Needs – This is probably the most important aspect to consider because it is often legally required. If you have students on a 504 plan or with an IEP, any accommodations or modification listed in those plans is a legal obligation you must meet. These methods of differentiation are not optional and can include all three methods.

2.      Level of Prior Knowledge – If a student has gaps in his knowledge from the prior year, you will likely need to differentiate content in order to catch him up, before he is able to learn grade-level content.

3.      Reading Level – As mentioned in the example about, a student reading below level will need access to appropriately leveled texts. The same can be said for students reading above grade level. Remember, differentiation is not only to help struggling learners!

4.      Student Behavior – If you have students with severe behavior issues or on a behavior contract, often times their learning processes may need to be differentiated. This might include having them work alone instead of in a small group or keeping them separated from a particular student, or even ensuring that they always work alongside a teacher or aide.

5.      Learning Styles – Do you have students that are strong visual learners, and always learn best from graphs, illustrations, or graphic organizers? What about students who really only take in information if they can talk it out themselves? Or maybe you have students that are very tactile and need to manipulate objects in order to solidify concepts in their mind? All of these examples represent different learning styles and might be a reason why you would differentiate process (how they learn) or product (how they demonstrate their knowledge).

6.      Lesson Purpose – Consider the purpose of your lesson. If the purpose is for students to learn presentation skills such as public speaking and debate, then you can easily differentiate the content to a topic that students are passionate about. However, if the purpose of the lesson is definitive content that MUST be learned, you would not be able to differentiate content, but might allow some flexibility in the process or product.

 

For a more thorough understanding of how these six needs of students play a role in choosing a method of differentiation, download the Choosing a Method of Differentiation Matrix below.

If you only take away one thing from this blog article, let it be that differentiation is the process of adapting an activity or its instruction to make the content accessible and appropriately rigorous to all children. All children is the key phrase! Differentiation is not just limited to students who struggle academically and need support but is done authentically based on the needs of each student in a classroom.

Implementation Goal

Refer to the Choosing a Method of Differentiation Matrix, and think about your particular students. Focus on one student, or a group of students with similar abilities, and use the matrix to determine an area of differentiation for an upcoming lesson you have planned. Next, refer to the Differentiation Strategies resource and choose at least two strategies you can implement that will help that student or group of students meet their learning objective. Implement these strategies as you teach the lesson, and then take time to reflect on the success of the student(s). Did the differentiation strategies help them achieve their goal? Would these strategies work in other lessons or content areas? Use the answers to your reflections to help you continuously improve your future lessons and ensure that your differentiated approaches to instruction support each child so that every student is successful.

 

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