Choice Boards / Menus

A CHOICE BOARD  offers students a way to make decisions about what they will do in order to meet class requirements.  A choice board could be for a single lesson, a week-long lesson, or even a month-long period of study.  In order to create a choice board:

• Identify the most important elements of a lesson or unit. 
• Create a required assignment or project that reflects the minimum understanding you expect all students to achieve.
• Create negotiables which expand upon the minimum understands.  These negotiables often require students to go beyond the basic levels of Bloom's Taxonomy. 
• Create a final optional section that requires students the opportunity for enrichment.  The optional section often reflects activities that students can use for extra credit.

from Fair Isn't Always Equal: Assessing and Grading in the Differentiated Classroom by Rick Wormeli

Tic-Tac-Toe is a simple way to give students alternative ways of exploring and expressing key ideas and using key skills.  Typically, the Tic-Tac-Toe board has 9 cells in it, like that of the game.  This can, of course, be adjusted. 

Adaptations

• Allow students to complete any 3 tasks--even if the completed tasksdon't make a Tic-Tac-Toe.
• Assign student tasks based on readiness.
• Create different Tic-Tac-Toe boards based on readiness.
• Create Tic-Tac-Toe boards based on learning styles or learning preferences.
• Create Tic-Tac-Toe boards based on Multiple Intelligences.

From Fulfilling the Promise of the Differentiated Classroom by Carol-Ann Tomlinson