In all classrooms, teachers deal with at least three curricular elements: (1) content - input, what students learn; (2) process - how students go about making sense of ideas and information, and (3) product - output, how students demonstrate what they have learned." (Tomlinson, 2001, p. 4) Understanding these concepts on a macro level enables teachers to see the concepts that must be addressed. Additional techniques and approaches that are helpful in implementing a differentiated curriculum are included in Table 1.
Curricular element
Standards
Differentiation considerations
Content standards
Performance standards
Opportunity to learn
Specific benchmarks should be reviewed and adapted as necessary
Identify optimum levels of proficiency necessary to master content
Ensure that adequate materials and hands-on activities exist to support content
Instructional strategies
Content standards
Performance standards
Opportunity to learn
Identify strategies that facilitate mastery and generalization of content
Consider compatibility between teaching and learning styles used
Ensure that...
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