Show What You Know

Do you remember being in school and taking tests at the end of every unit? You probably completed the same assessment as your peers. Maybe that worked for you, or maybe not. In 21st century education, students are showing their knowledge in many different ways. In this post, I'll share some tips for differentiating for product. 

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In your classroom, you can differentiate for content, process, and product (Gillenwaters, 2017). Let's talk about the product. The "product" is what the students will do/complete/produce to show what they know. This is how you will see whether your students met the desired objectives. Since not every student learns in the same way, it makes sense that students shouldn't be assessed in the same way either. I like to give my students options. Let's say I was teaching a unit on animals. I could create a choice board such as the one in the photo below. My students could choose a project that meets their learning needs and appeals to their preferred intelligence. Once students choose a project, they will receive a detailed activity sheet which will outline the details, steps, and expectations for the project.

Some students may choose the PowerPoint option. In this case, they will create a PowerPoint presentation to share facts and photographs of their chosen animal.

Other students may prefer the Zoo option. The students will create a product which could be displayed beside an animal's habitat at the local Zoo. The students will illustrate three pictures- one showing the animal's appearance, one showing its habitat, and a third picture showing the animal's diet. They would need to add at least 3 labels to every picture.

Some students struggle with writing. Those students may choose the Vlog option. They will use their classroom ChromeBook to record a video of themselves verbally sharing facts about the animal.

Each product activity will have a rubric which will allow me to see whether the students met the desired objectives for the unit. Since my students have the option to choose an activity that is appropriate for them, they will be able to better focus on the task at hand.

Do you have any ideas for differentiating for product? I would love to hear about them. Please share your thoughts with me in the comments section!

References:
Gillenwaters, B. (Lecturer). (2017). Instructional models. (Video recorded guest lecture number 3.2, Course CI5103: Curriculum and Instructional Design for Diversity). Indianapolis, IN: American College of Education.