Literature review 1

The first piece I have chosen to review is Geoff Petty- Teaching Today- Differentiation. I feel this article is really relevenat with my inquiry even though it is not specific to dance, I feel Petty has written it in a way so every style of teacher can understand and take something away from the article.

http://www.geoffpetty.com/differentiation.html

Petty states that "Differentiation is the process by which differences between learners are accommodated so that all students in a group have the best possible chance of learning. We used to teach subjects and classes - now we teach students." 
I found this statement very intresting because this is very similar to what I wrote when I posted  a blog about lesson planning. I put "For every student the outcome of the lesson should be the same, however, its the way students have learnt this outcome that might be different." http://nikkilouisemcgowan.blogspot.com/2011_04_01_archive.html
This has made me feel like I am on the right track and am pleased that there is some literature to back me up. The article then goes on to say that differentitaion is no longer the forerunner its now "mixed ablilty teaching". It then goes on to say that teachers now have to cope with a plethora or differeneces such as: "style, age, motivation, prior learning and experieience, gender, specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia and so on."
I feel this is very true, you cant just plan a dance routine you have to plan how your going to teach the routine and how everyone can get invovled. "Differentiation is an approach to teaching to ensure that all students learm well, despite thier mnay differeneces." Petty is very keen on the idea of everyone learning and "sucess for all". As a teacher I feel it is your responsibility to help evreyone learn as much as possible within the lesson. In the next paragraph Petty says "differntitaion is not new". He goes on to say that good teachers have always done it. He says teachers used to teach a subject but now they are teaching indiviuals. It says "once eductaion was a sieve. The weaker students were sieved out." In this day and age its all about equal oppurtunjities, which I think is fair. But what if someone really just doesnt get the subject that is being taught. should they be pushed into trying to learn it or should they be given the oppurtunity to try another subject? I am in two minds about this and is something that I want to keep looking into. Petty has written "experts on the brain and learning now stress that everyone can learn more, if they taught appropitaely." I disagree with this. If someone decided to put me back into school and tried to teach me algebra again I still woulndt have a clue, even if they danced around whilst teaching I still dont think I wold understnad it. But is this because the way in which I was taught it, made it seem boring and complicated in the first place. In the last paragraph Petty goes on to say " Teachers can make much greater differences than themselves realise." I completeley agree with this statement I really do believe if a tecahers loves what they are teaching then the students will see this passion and look up to them. 
Overall I agree with alot of Petty's findings. Pettys work is relevant to my inquiry so will be looking into his findings more.