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Preparing our Students Early –Catering for Learner Diversity at
Junior Secondary Level through Differentiated InstructionBy
T.W.G.Hs. Yow Kam Yuen College
17 September 2010English Language Education Section
Curriculum Development InstituteEducation Bureau
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T.W.G.Hs. Yow Kam Yuen College
Case Studies in Differentiated Instruction in Specific Areas at
Junior Secondary Level:
Catering for Learner Diversity in English Language Learning
Experience Sharing on the 2009/10 “Seed” Project
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Points to Discuss• What is the most important
objective in catering for learner diversity in T.W.G.Hs. Yow Kam
Yuen College?
• How can differentiated instruction (DI) cater for learner
diversity in T.W.G.Hs. Yow Kam Yuen College?
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What is Differentiated Instruction?
‘Differentiated Instruction is an approach that assumes there is
a diversity of learners in every classroom and that all of those
learners can be reached if a variety of methods and activities are
used.’(Carol Tomlinson, 2000)
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Differentiated Instruction
Learning EnvironmentLearning Environment
ContentContent ProcessProcess ProductProduct
How?
In response to students’ needs, abilities and interests5
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Student Interests
Ss’ PreferredWays of Learning
Ss’ Current Level of Knowledge & Skillse.g. They like
books
with lots of illustrations. e.g. They can locate specific
information from texts.
e.g. Most Ss are visual (& tactile) learners and they like
working with peers.
Discovering Our Students
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Most Ss are weak in English and some are quite motivated.
Ss’ English Ability
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Discovering Our Teachers- Teaching was rather teacher-centred.-
Class activities were limited to whole-class
instruction. - Teachers would teach to the middle.- PPT slides
were used for explanation.- Summative assessments were used to
check
students’ progress.- Streaming and small-class teaching are
effective
measures to deal with learner diversity.
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Two Phases of Tryouts in S3
Phase IILearning Grammar in Context
& Consolidation of Reading Skills
Tryout 1: 1/3/10 – 5/3/10
Tryout 2:3/5/10 – 7/5/10
Phase IReading Skills
Tryout 1: 2/11/09 – 6/11/09
Tryout 2:3/12/09 – 9/12/09
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Phase I Tryouts -The Development and Consolidation
of Reading Skills
Whose Idea Was It, Anyway?
Thomson Nelson
978-0-17-011698-5
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Phase II Tryouts -Learning Grammar in Context &
Consolidation of Reading Skills
Tryout 1 – Let’s Fight Crime in Shatin! Tryout 2 – Travelling
with Luck
Grammar Focus:e.g. Using connectives/modals/
imperatives to present purposes/reasons & give advice
Grammar Focus:e.g. Using passive constructions to talk about
what happened in a
school burglary10
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Phase I TryoutsPhase I Tryouts
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The Development and Consolidation of Reading Skills
Tryout 2 –Games & Zany Inventions
Whose Idea Was It, Anyway?
pp. 27 - 29
Tryout 1 –Household Inventions
Whose Idea Was It, Anyway?
pp. 2,3,5
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Developing and Consolidating Students’ Reading Skills
Students are expected to develop and consolidate more advanced
reading skills. For example, it is hoped that students can:• work
out the meaning of words, phrases and some idiomatic expressions by
using semantic and syntactic clues
• follow ideas by recognisingsimple text structures and
understanding the use of cohesive devices
• organise information and ideas in texts by using knowledge of
text structures and some graphic forms
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Most students have acquired some basic reading skills. They
can:
• find out the meaning of words and phrases by using the
dictionary
• locate specific information by identifying key words
• make predictions about the content from the titles,
illustrations or contents page
e.g.
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Using DI to Help Students Learn Better
Using DI to Help Students Learn Better
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Tryout 1Tryout 1
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Learning and Teaching ObjectivesTryout 1
• Working out the meaning of words and phrases by using semantic
and syntactic clues
• Locating details about the history of different inventions to
support the main ideas of the book – Inventions definitely make our
lives easier
• Organising and presenting the sequence of events about the
history of household inventions
e.g.
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Using graphic organisers to present information
Recognising & forming compound words
Product
Identifying the form and function of the passive voice
Group discussion
Jigsaw reading / Graphic organisers
Proc
ess
Tryout 1Content
Presenting the history of household inventions 17
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Tryout 2Tryout 2
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Learning and Teaching ObjectivesTryout 2
• Understanding the use of compound adjectives to describe the
features of inventions
• Discussing the need for new inventions to solve problems
and/or make lives easier
• Creating and presenting a zany invention
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Tryout 2Content
Labelling pictures
Mimicking
Using graphic organisers to present information
Describing different bicycles
Watching a video clip
Proc
ess
Different modes of input
Describing zany inventions
Product Creating & presenting zany inventions20
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Using DI to Help Students Learn BetterDifferentiated
Instruction
Learning EnvironmentLearning Environment
ContentContent ProcessProcess ProductProduct
How?
In response to students’ needs, abilities and interests21
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Tryout 2Differentiating the Content
Zany Inventions
Whose Idea Was It, Anyway?
pp. 28 - 29
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Tryout 2Differentiating the Content
Presenting the Story in Different Modes –Visual &
Auditory
Some inventors come up with crazy ideas that never catch on.
When motorcars were first used on the road, they frightened
horses. One inventor came up with a wacky idea. He designed
a
life-sized wooden horse to attach to the front of a car. It
would be used to disguise the car as a horse. The idea never
took off!
Visual input
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A simplified version of the story about motorcars
(with shorter sentences & audio & visual effects)
Visual + Audio input
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Differentiating the Process Tryout
1Tryout
2
labelling pictures
1. Increasing the variety in learning, teaching and assessment
activities to reach out to more studentsusing visualisation
techniques
watching video clips
using / drawing pictures
mimicking
group discussions
2. Varying teacher support
3. Giving timely feedback24
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Differentiating the Process Tryout
1Tryout
2
labelling pictures
1. Increasing the variety in learning, teaching and assessment
activities to reach out to more studentsusing visualisation
techniques
watching video clips
using/drawing pictures
mimicking
group discussions
2. Varying teacher support
3. Giving timely feedback25
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Varying Teacher Support & Giving Timely Feedback
Tryout 2
Follow-up task:To enter the competition “What’s the next great
invention?”, you draw a sketch for the zany invention and write a
short description about its appearance and functions.
Follow-up task:To enter the competition “What’s the next great
invention?”, you draw a sketch for the zany invention and write a
short description about its appearance and functions.
Ss’ products
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Tryout 1
Differentiating the Product –Providing Choices in Demonstrating
Learning
• researching and presenting different household inventions
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Difficulties Encountered & Insights Gained
Difficulties Encountered & Insights Gained
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Difficulties Encountered
Difficulties Encountered
Planning • Project Teachers initially had very limited ideas
about using DI in teaching reading.
Implementation • Students were used to expecting direct answers
from teachers. They responded passively in activities like
mimicking and voicing their personal opinions.
• Students did not have the language to express themselves.
• Time constraint
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Insights from Phase I TryoutsStudents
• Some students felt that they learnt better because their needs
were addressed.
• It was effective to learn through mimicking, e.g.
demonstrating how the pedals go back and forth.
• Most students loved to work with peers.
• Students learnt how to organiseand present ideas by using
graphic forms, e.g. sequencing and presenting events with a
timeline.
• Assignments matched their learning preferences.
• Students liked to be “challenged”.
Teachers• Project Teachers could explore
different approaches to respond to the challenge of student
diversity.
• Teachers should ‘teach rich’ so that students can ‘learn
deep’.
• Teachers need to have a higher expectation of their
students.
• The project promoted a collaborative culture among Project
Teachers.
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Points to Discuss• What is the most important
objective in catering for learner diversity in T.W.G.Hs. Yow Kam
Yuen College?
• How can DI cater for learner diversity in T.W.G.Hs. Yow Kam
Yuen College?
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Differentiated Instruction
Learning EnvironmentLearning Environment
ContentContent ProcessProcess ProductProduct
How?
In response to students’ needs, abilities and interests32
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Objectives of Catering for Learner Diversity
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BUT TO:embrace diversity ⎯ something for everyonemaximise
student engagement in learning
turn all students into ‘five-star’learners
NOT TO:eliminate diversity
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Strategies for Catering for
Learner Diversity
Increa
sing v
ariety
in
activi
ty
Teaching rich for
learning deep
Vary
ing
teac
her s
uppo
rt Providing timely feedback
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LinksLinksLinks
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ToothbrushThe Chinese invented toothbrushes in the late 1400s.
They were made out of animal hair, such as pig bristles.
Toothpaste has been around since 1660. Washington Sheffield, an
American dentist, invented a metal tube in 1862 that could be
squashed by hand to dispense toothpaste. Plastic toothbrushes with
nylon bristles were invented in 1938. Electric toothbrushes were
first made in 1961.
Reading PassagesCompound word
Passive construction
Presenting information using a timeline
Tryout 1
Working out the meaning of ‘bristles’ by using semantic and
syntactic clues
Whose Idea Was It, Anyway?
p. 3 36
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Tryout 1
To join the competition “Whose idea was it, anyway?”, you and
your classmates will work in groups of four and select one or two
household item(s) for presentation in the museum.
You should read the book “Whose idea was it, anyway?” or surf
the Internet to collect information about the history of household
items. Then try to decide how the presentation should be conducted
to help the audience understand the history more easily.
To join the competition “Whose idea was it, anyway?”, you and
your classmates will work in groups of four and select one or two
household item(s) for presentation in the museum.
You should read the book “Whose idea was it, anyway?” or surf
the Internet to collect information about the history of household
items. Then try to decide how the presentation should be conducted
to help the audience understand the history more easily.
Follow-up Task
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Tryout 2Reading Passages
Whose Idea Was It, Anyway?
pp. 27 - 29
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Tryout 2
To enter the competition “What’s the next great invention?”, you
draw a sketch for the zany invention and write a short description
about its appearance and functions.
To enter the competition “What’s the next great invention?”, you
draw a sketch for the zany invention and write a short description
about its appearance and functions.
Follow-up Task
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Tryout 1Visualisation Techniques
1.Using Graphic Organisers to Organise and Present
Information
Example One
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ToiletRuins of toilets have been found in ancient cities. These
toilets had stone seats, not plastic ones! The waste dropped into a
pit below. When the pit filled up, it was probably one unlucky
person’s job to empty it. The first flush toilet was not invented
until 1956. Before then, most people used chamber pots and dumped
the contents out the window!
Example Two
1.Using Graphic Organisers to Organise and Present
Information
Visualisation TechniquesTryout 1
Revisiting the use of timelines to present information
Whose Idea Was It, Anyway?
p. 541
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Visualisation Techniques2. Recognising & Forming Compound
Words
Tryout 1
Find the household items and put them back in the correct
places.
cup ● ● chair
hair ● ● board
arm ● ● brush
over ● ● coat
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Visualisation Techniques2. Recognising & Forming Compound
Words
Tryout 1
Find the household items and put them back in the correct
places.
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Visualisation TechniquesTryout 1
3. Identifying the Form of the Passive Voice with the Help of a
Table
Plastic toothbrushes with nylon bristles
were invented in 1938.
Electric toothbrushes
were first made in 1961.
Who invented plastic toothbrushes with nylon bristles?Who first
made electric toothbrushes in 1961?
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The answers are not mentioned. Why?
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Tryout 1
Generating Ideas through Discussions
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Generating Ideas through Discussions
The toilet should have an auto tissue machine so that we can
clean ourselves easily.
Tryout 1
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Tryout 2
1.Using Graphic Organisers to Organise and Present
Information
Visualisation Techniques
3,000 years before 1817 Egyptian
A Germana two-wheeled bicycle with no pedals --- hobbyhorse
a two-wheeled vehicle
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Watching a Video Clip to Give Students More Ideas about Crazy
Inventions
Tryout 2
10 Crazy Japanese Inventions
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zb-gmJVW5lw 48
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zb-gmJVW5lw
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Tryout 2
Labelling Pictures
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Tryout 2 Pictures and Teacher GuidanceTo Assist in the Formation
of IdeasExample One
Describing the Features of Different Bicycles
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Pictures and Teacher GuidanceTo Assist in the Formation of
Ideas
Tryout 2
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Tryout 2
Pictures and Teacher GuidanceTo Assist in the Formation of
IdeasCreating your Future Bicycle for 2046
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This is my future bicycle for 2046. It is called “I can fly”. It
is a four-wheeled vehicle with air-filled tyres and a comfortable
leather seat. It can fly in the sky. It is good to ride with your
friends.
This is my future bicycle for 2046. It is called “I can fly”. It
is a four-wheeled vehicle with air-filled tyres and a comfortable
leather seat. It can fly in the sky. It is good to ride with your
friends.
Drawing Pictures to Guide the Formation of Ideas
Tryout 2
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Drawing Pictures to Guide the Formation of Ideas
Tryout 2
This is my future bicycle for 2046. It is called modern Banana
Bike. It is a three-wheeled vehicle with air-filled tyres. It can
go everywhere. It has a television. It is very beautiful and
fashionable.
This is my future bicycle for 2046. It is called modern Banana
Bike. It is a three-wheeled vehicle with air-filled tyres. It can
go everywhere. It has a television. It is very beautiful and
fashionable. 54
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Describing Zany Inventions
Tryout 2 Pictures and Teacher Guidance to Assist in the
Formation of Ideas
Example Two
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Pictures and Teacher Guidance to Assist in the Formation of
Ideas
Tryout 2
Describing Zany Inventions
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Drawing Pictures to Guide the Formation of Ideas
Tryout 2
Describing Zany Inventions
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Tryout 2
Mimicking
Whose Idea Was It, Anyway?p. 27
So how do the pedals go back and forth?
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Ss’ Zany Inventions
This invention is called flying bag. It is big. It can fly
everywhere. You can take snacks from the bag. It is funny.
This invention is called flying bag. It is big. It can fly
everywhere. You can take snacks from the bag. It is funny.
Follow-up task:To enter the competition “What’s the next great
invention?”, you draw a sketch for the zany invention and write a
short description about its appearance and functions.
Follow-up task:To enter the competition “What’s the next great
invention?”, you draw a sketch for the zany invention and write a
short description about its appearance and functions.
Tryout 2
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Tryout 1
To join the competition “Whose idea was it, anyway?”, you and
your classmates will work in groups of four and select one or two
household item(s) for presentation in the museum.
You should read the book “Whose idea was it, anyway?” or surf
the Internet to collect information about the history of household
items. Then try to decide how the presentation should be conducted
to help the audience understand the history more easily.
To join the competition “Whose idea was it, anyway?”, you and
your classmates will work in groups of four and select one or two
household item(s) for presentation in the museum.
You should read the book “Whose idea was it, anyway?” or surf
the Internet to collect information about the history of household
items. Then try to decide how the presentation should be conducted
to help the audience understand the history more easily.
Follow-up Task
Differentiating the Product
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Differentiating the ProductTryout 1
Suggested Reference SourcesFrom the book:• soap• plates•
microwave ovens• vacuum cleaners• sewing machines
From the book:• soap• plates• microwave ovens• vacuum cleaners•
sewing machines
On the Internet:
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Allowing for In-depth Learning of a Self-selected Topic within
the Area of Study
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http://www.ismacs.net/sewing_machine_history.htmlhttp://www.ismacs.net/sewing_machine_history.html
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Differentiating the Product –Providing Choices in Demonstrating
Learning
Tryout 1
DramaInterviewTimeline
PosterComic Strip
Graphic Form
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Students Creating Products that Match their Learning Styles
(I)
Tryout 1
Timelines
Visual & Kinesthetic
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Graphic Forms
Students Creating Products that Match their Learning Styles
(II)
Visual & Kinesthetic
Tryout 1
Posters 65
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Students Creating Products that Match their Learning Styles
(III)
Audio
Tryout 1
Interview 66
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A Story about a Zany InventionA Story about a A Story about a
Zany InventionZany Invention
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A long time ago, people used carts A long time ago, people used
carts for travelling. These carts were for travelling. These carts
were
pulled by horses. pulled by horses. 68
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One day, the motorcar was invented. 69
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Some horses were frightenedby the motorcars.
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In order not to frighten the horses, people used a wooden
horse.
Oh, no! Not this type of wooden horse.71
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The wooden horse was attached tothe front of a car to disguise
the car as a horse.
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Preparing our Students Early – Catering for Learner Diversity at
Junior Secondary Level through DifferentiaT.W.G.Hs. Yow Kam Yuen
CollegePoints to DiscussWhat is Differentiated
Instruction?Discovering Our TeachersTwo Phases of Tryouts in
S3Phase I Tryouts -The Development and Consolidation of Reading
SkillsPhase II Tryouts -Learning Grammar in Context &
Consolidation of Reading SkillsPhase I TryoutsUsing DI to Help
Students Learn BetterTryout 1Learning and Teaching ObjectivesTryout
2Learning and Teaching ObjectivesVarying Teacher Support &
Giving Timely FeedbackDifferentiating the Product – Providing
Choices in Demonstrating LearningDifficulties Encountered &
Insights GainedInsights from Phase I TryoutsPoints to
DiscussObjectives of Catering for Learner DiversityLinksReading
Passages1.Using Graphic Organisers to Organise and Present
Information1.Using Graphic Organisers to Organise and Present
InformationFind the household items and put them back in the
correct places.Find the household items and put them back in the
correct places.3. Identifying the Form of the Passive Voice with
the Help of a TableGenerating Ideas through
DiscussionsDifferentiating the ProductDifferentiating the Product –
Providing Choices in Demonstrating LearningStudents Creating
Products that Match their Learning Styles (I)A Story about a Zany
InventionIn order not to frighten the horses, people used a wooden
horse.