Differentiating instruction encompasses a broad range of teaching and learning patterns that promote active involvement with instructional material. These include both teacher- and student-directed learning in large and small groups and independent study.
Individual students learn differently, and one of the many jobs of the teacher is to accommodate those differences. Teachers who do not share this underlying belief will be unable to differentiate with the depth required to do it well.
This course builds upon the practices of tiered instruction and curriculum compacting. Elementary and middle school teachers use a broad range of instructional approaches, targeted to specific ages and abilities, to differentiate instruction and facilitate greater learning.