differentiated instruction fitting the lesson to the learner

Differentiated Instruction

Fitting the Lesson to the Learner

Differentiated Instruction

Why Differentiated Instruction makes sense in a Middle School Setting

The National Middle School Association believes that successful schools for

young adolescents provide the following:



• Curriculum that is relevant, challenging, integrative, and exploratory




• Multiple learning and teaching approaches that respond to their diversity.




• Multiple learning and teaching approaches that respond to their diversity.

• Assessment and evaluation programs that support quality learning.

Relevant

“Curriculum is relevant when it allows students to pursue answers to questions they

have about themselves, content and the world. …. Student generated questions

may lead to more demanding study, particularly when the prescribed curriculum

is too often preoccupied with answers to questions young adolescents never ask.”

Challenging

“Using their good judgment in consultation with students, teachers select ideas for in-

depth study from the vast range of information and materials that are genuinely important and worth knowing. ….Both the

content and methods must be diversified and individualized.”

Integrative

“Curriculum is integrative when it helps students to make sense of their lives and the world around them and when students learn

how to make significant, meaningful decisions about their learning. ….Middle level schools must provide experiences, courses and units … that are specifically designed to be integrative; for that is how

young adolescents learn best.”

Exploratory

“The Middle School is a finding place. Exploration is an attitude and an approach,

not a classification of content.”

Characteristics of Successful Teachers of Differentiated Instruction:

• Rick Wormeli: “Meet Me in the Middle”



Risk Taking – “We should not be afraid to innovate, experiment, confront, dump

“sacred” lessons, or reach out to others in an effort to improve our practice.”



.

Empathetic – “Try to experience the lesson from the perspective of your student.”



.Organized – “Organization helps us be more creative, flexible, impulsive

and confident.”



.Flexible – “If its not working then

drop it and try something else. Successful Middle school teachers respond to the teachable moment

instead of being glued to the lesson plan.”



.Tenacious – “They set rigorous goals and show students how to reach them.

They know that hard work is motivating as long as students

consider it important.”



.Fleet of Foot – “Teachers who use differentiated instruction effectively take whatever steps are necessary to make ideas clear to their students.”



.Resourceful – “Such teachers have an ever-ending repertoire of instructional

strategies. They are aware of the differences in learners and they know how to engage them. They never stop

looking for new ideas….”



.Able to Collaborate – “They know they make better decisions in collaboration

with others than they would if they acted alone.”

Differentiated Instruction in the

Classroom

• Many strategies we use in the classroom are elements of differentiated instruction.

Strategies• Flexible grouping• Books on tape• Stations• Learning or Interest Centers

• Learning contracts• Independent studies• Choral reading• Open Ended Activities

• Cooperative learning• Multiple intelligence options

• Learning styles• Multi-level lessons• Assignment choice• Small group instruction• Student interest activities

What is and isn’t Differentiation

IS

-A technique used to create a learning environment

-Requires a variety of materials, experiences, and assessment tools

-Focuses on change within the context of a lesson or unit that maximums the learning for students

ISN’T

-Creating a different lesson for each student

-Ensuring each student has an IPP

Teachers Can Differentiate by:

C o nte n tW ha t the te a ch e r w an ts th e s tud en ts to le a rn

P ro ce ssT h e a c tivit ie s th a t a re u sed to e n su re th e sk ills a re a ch ie ved

P ro du ctT h e d e m o n stra tio n o f the skills the y h a ve le a rn ed

When Planning Try to Consider

• Learning Profile• Depicts how a child learns

• Interests• The students area of appeal or curiosity

• Readiness• The students skill development level

Sample Lesson Ideas

Variety is the Key!!

LA Grade 7

Responding to Text – Novel Study

Characterization

• Simple

1. Write a full description of a character in the book and draw a portrait to accompany your description

2. Write a complaint letter to the main character of the book about one specific action in the story you did not agree with

• More complex

1. Create life-sized models of two characters in the book; prepare a dialogue between them and act it out

2. Read the classifieds and find something the main character would like; write a paragraph explaining why he/she needs the item and determine whether or not it is a good buy

Biology 20

Students Teaching Students

The Respiratory System

• Students given 5 key questions (objectives to be met by end of section)

• Students choose question they would most like to answer

• Group students accordingly• Students prepare lesson(s) for and evaluation of

peers according to their own interests and abilities• Subject is taught through various strategies using a

variety of evaluation tools

Sample Lesson Plan for:

Settling the West—Immigration in Canada

Insert link here

Other Sample lesson Plans:Insert link here:

Using Technology for Differentiated Instruction

• Three things that a teacher can differentiate: content, process and product.

• For example, differentiating instruction by process may look like some students using a traditional print encyclopedia to complete a research task in a classroom as some students use Internet bookmarks collected by the teacher and still other students use a multimedia encyclopedia that provides audio support.

Webquests

• WebQuests are a wonderful means of differentiating instruction based on interest.

• A WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented activity in which some or all of the information that learners interact with comes from resources on the Internet.

Sample Webquests• The Webquest Portal http://webquest.org/ • Top Webquests for Middle Years http://webquest

.org/matrix3.php – Tailing the Samurai’s Tale (Japan - Humanities)

http://edtech.suhsd.k12.ca.us/inprogress/act/dfickett/japan/samuraistale.htm

– Bones and the Badge (Science 6 ) http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/kearny/forensic/

– Too Hot Too Handle (Science & Health) http://imet.csus.edu/imet2/nicher/toohotwebquest/index.html

– Units of Measure (Math) http://phillips.chccs.k12.nc.us/~rfrescoln/unitofmeasure.htm

http://webquest.org/



http://webquest.org/matrix3.php


















http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/kearny/forensic/







http://imet.csus.edu/imet2/nicher/toohotwebquest/index.html











http://phillips.chccs.k12.nc.us/~rfrescoln/unitofmeasure.htm












Additional Projects (not Webquests)

• Humanities:– Unlikely Heroes http://webacc.fsd38.ab

.ca/services/Foothills%20AISI/ICT%20web/Unlikely%20Heroes%20Website/index.htm

– New News http://www.mjsd1.ca/~grassroots/2002/content/Lucy02/News1.html

http://webacc.fsd38.ab.ca/services/Foothills%20AISI/ICT%20web/Unlikely%20Heroes%20Website/index.htm







http://www.mjsd1.ca/~grassroots/2002/content/Lucy02/News1.html

http://www.mjsd1.ca/~grassroots/2002/content/Lucy02/News1.html

Additional Projects cont.

• Sciences– Robotics http://www.galileo.org/robotics/

– Structures http://www.galileo

.org/tips/structures/structures.html

http://www.galileo.org/robotics/



http://www.galileo.org/tips/structures/structures.html



SMART Board Projects

• Lessons and Activities http://edcompass.smarttech.com/en/learning/activities/index.aspx

http://edcompass.smarttech.com/en/learning/activities/index.aspx






Online Resource Links

• MHCBE Resources Links http://www.mhcbe.ab.ca/cec/middle/links.htm#DI

• Albemarle County Public Schools - Technology and Differentiated InstructionWeb Resources http://k12.albemarle.org/technology/di/

• Technology and Multiple Intelligences http://www.eduscapes.com/tap/topic68.htm

http://www.mhcbe.ab.ca/cec/middle/links.htm#DI









http://k12.albemarle.org/technology/di/





http://www.eduscapes.com/tap/topic68.htm




SAPDC has planned some professional learning opportunities

. November 10, 2004 Middle Schools and Differentiated Instruction - author and renown workshop presenter Rick Wormeli will be returning to Lethbridge upon the request of teachers who heard him in May, 2003

April 27, 2005 Middle Schools Part II with Rick Wormeli

differentiated instruction fitting the lesson to the learner

Documents