I think it is hard for me to comment on true differentiation, because I do not feel that I saw the teacher using it. He says that since all of his assignments are done in daily journals collected weekly the students that need more time or support are able to find the time to get it before the assignment is due. He says that he also grades on a sliding scale that takes into account each students achievement level. “Seeing all the work together in a journal lets me easily compare to earlier work and make sure that each assignment has adequate effort.” There was no teacher directed grouping, no alternative assignments, no real feeling of planned differentiation. I think that although I really liked sitting in on his classes and it is obvious that his students improve, I could never teach like he does with minimal planning and no lesson plans. I do feel that I can take many of his ideas and activities and apply them to my style. I really liked that he has found a way to allow students more time if needed without drawing attention to the fact that they need help or special needs. I loved that he found so many innovative uses for what could be very boring sources! All in all, I think that while I did not see traditional effective planning and lesson implementation, this experience has given me a lot of confidence to try new things.
I agree with your assessment...just giving them a different grade is not true differentiation. How can it be? It's after the fact. If students actually have IEPs, then this differentiation is required by law; if not, then they still need modifications for ability. It's not fair to them to know they all come from a diverse set of circumstances, yet we expect them to play on the same field. I'm glad you recognized this.
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