How important it is to differentiate? And are there benefits from doing so?
Recently, I was chatting with a colleague. What began as a conversation about our roles and job satisfaction quickly shifted to something much bigger that impacted us both: what does success actually look like for neurodiverse students and those with learning needs? In some schools, students are supported to access the curriculum with scaffolds, accommodations and other supports (e.g. EAL, MLL or Support Teachers) in place. While in other schools learners are placed in alternative provision within the school community. Both approaches, it could be argued, have their merits, but what resonated with us was the belief that the real future of learning isn’t about separating students into tracks. It’s about making the curriculum flexible enough so that every student can engage meaningfully. This is where differentiation comes in. Too often, it’s seen as something we “do for” students who struggle. But the evidence suggests it’s far more powerful than that. Research on Universal Desig...