In order to challenge the higher-level learners, Mrs. Smith should provide these students with more reading and writing activities. Specifically, she should utilize lessons that incorporate document based writing, analyzing texts, and student-centered projects. All three of these assignments will engage students and promote critical thinking. Document based writing, analyzing texts, and completing student-centered projects will require students to not only learn and understand the material, but will force them to apply it to their work.

Mrs. Smith needs to incorporate a few simple differentiated instruction strategies to challenge her high-level learners. Without having to change the content significantly, Mrs. Smith can create tired collaborative learning activities and group her student's based on their instructional levels. Another simple way to challenge advanced learners is through student debates. Teach the students proper debate etiquette and then let them gather evidence about a particular topic. Propose an open-ended question and have them defend their stance on the question with other students.

Through working with gifted students, I have discovered that they flourish from project based activities. The problem all to often is that they get bored because they master the content easily. Develop activities that require the students to think critically and develop products. Students often feel accomplished when they are creating or developing artifacts to present in the classroom.

One idea of how to challenge students in through differentiated in-class discussions. I was recently introduced to an activity called a "fishbowl". In this students are provided with a text to read and a series of questions, many opinion based or opened-ended, about the text to answer. In one of my classes that has some higher level learners mixed with some lower level learners, I create two fishbowls- providing one higher level text and series of questions for one group and a different text for my lower-level learners. The students pick one person to take notes in each group and discuss their different texts. I walk around the groups and monitor the discussion, providing prompts where necessary and helping foster the discussion. This allows each group to work on something more suited to their needs and abilities. Fishbowls can also be modified for different subjects. I know of a math teacher who used this activity with problems of different difficulty and had students explain how they got their answer.

One, include more critical thinking skills. This requiring DOK III and DOK IV assignments for the higher learners will challenge them while allowing struggling students to feel successful at the DOK I and DOK II levels. You can also give your students incentives. In my classroom, I have an all-star team. This team consists of about 10 students who have worked harder than other students and are moving a little faster. This changes every week, so any student can get onto the all-star team at any time. Plus, the ones who get on this team love it, and it gives the others students a reason to work hard. This makes it easier to focus on challenging the higher level learners as well.

I agree with the suggestion that Mrs. Smith should try to reach each student at his/her multiple intelligence level. Try grouping students based on those interests and assigning projects or assignments that cater to their interests. Also, from teaching gifted and advanced level students, I have learned that the enjoy and thrive when they are given bigger assignments, like projects or papers, and given a certain amount of time to complete them. With a list of specific expectations for each class period, students can work at their own pace and feel more ownership over their learning if they are "in charge" of each class period. Try incorporating more DOK Level 3 and 4 activities to challenge their critical thinking skills.

For gifted and advanced students, Mrs. Smith should try student directed learning opportunities. For example, she may provide extension menus for students to choose a project that incorporates the skill. The menu should include choices that meet each of the intelligences. Students should be provided with a rubric or checklist for the completion of these projects so that the "high expectations" and "effort" is directed into a specific standard of rigor.

Make assignments more rigorous by making questions open-ended and requiring more thought. Try making lessons research-oriented to give students the chance to find information on their own.

What does Mrs. Smith data have to say about her class and it's understanding of the content? What are some of the students learning styles and/or multiple intelligence? Giving high level students extensions to assignments are great also.