Differentiated Instruction

Rob Irwin

Purpose

• Develop shared and practical understandings of differentiation as related to the effective teaching of Mathematics

• Tiering as a differentiation strategy

• Tiering Math Games & Trailblazers lessons

Processes/Payoff

• Processes:

Question Car Park; Think, Pair, Share; Paired/ Quad Brainstorm; Games Rotations; Discussion; Gallery Walk; Group Planning

• Payoff: Leave the workshop with practical ideas for differentiating instruction through the strategy of tiering

Protocols for working as a professional learning community

• Adopt a sense of responsibility for the group as a community of learners

• One person at a time talking so as to keep the meaning• Attend to and listen to others• Accept where others are at• Suspend judgement• Allow and give no putdowns• Common signal for gaining everyone’s attention

“Question Car Park”

• Write down your questions and issues on the post-it notes provided throughout the sessions and “park” them in the “Question Car Park” charts on the walls of the room.

• I will work at answering them at the beginning of the next two sessions.

Treasure Hunt for Diversity

Using the Treasure Hunt grid, complete each section by finding colleagues who match the description.

Challenges of today’s students

• As a group, brainstorm (and jot down in your reflective journals) all the needs of students you have worked with in your classrooms this year or in the past.

Challenges of today’s students

The diversity of students in your classroom:

• “Learning styles (visual, spatial, auditory, tactile, kinaesthetic)

• Interests • Strengths/ Weaknesses• Cognitive abilities• ELL’s

• Attitudes/ Motivation/ Persistence/ Confidence

• Readiness• Socio-Economic and

Family Factors• Learning Pace• Gender Influences• Cultural/Ethnic

influences

Challenges of Today’s Students

“Normal is only a setting on the washing machine”

Schmidt, M (2006). Losing Sight of the Shore: Differentiating Curriculum and Instruction.

A Once Upon A Time Story About A Blonde StudentOnce upon a time there was a lovely, young

student named Goldilocks. She was an adventurous sort, so one day she went walking through the forest in search of a teacher.

As Goldilocks rounded a bend in the path, she came into a bright clearing in the forest. She was very excited to find a teacher presenting a lesson that at first captured her attention. Goldilocks tried to stay engaged and learn, but she became frustrated as it was just too difficult.

The story continues…..

She sighed, waved goodbye to the first teacher, and continued on her way.

Goldilocks walked a bit longer and ambled up a hill where she found herself in a wide, flower-filled pasture. There a second teacher sat, seemingly waiting just for her.

This teacher began her lesson, but Goldilocks soon became bored because it was just too easy. She waved goodbye to the second teacher, and once again went on her way.

The story continues…..again!

• Trudging through the forest more slowly now and less joyfully, she came across a magnificent meadow that was not only amazingly colorful but fragrant as well. There stood another teacher. The teacher began the lesson, and Goldilocks was enthralled! This lesson wasn’t too hard! It wasn’t too easy! It was just right!

What is Differentiation?

Think, Pair, Share:

• Individually, jot down your own thoughts as to what you think differentiation is.

• Share with partner.

• Share with group of 4.

What is Differentiation?

• At its most basic level, differentiating instruction means “shaking up” what goes on in the classrooms so that students have multiple options for taking in information, making sense of ideas and expressing what they learn…a differentiated classroom provides different avenues to acquiring content, to processing and making sense of ideas, and to developing products so that each student can learn effectively” (Carol Tomlinson, 1999, p. 1)

How Is It Implemented?

• Use diagnostic assessments to determine student readiness. These assessments can be formal or informal. Teachers can give pre-tests, question students about their background knowledge, or use KWL charts (charts that ask students to identify what they already Know, what they Want to know, and what they have Learned about a topic).

How is it implemented?

• Determine student interest. This can be done by using interest inventories and/or including students in the planning process. Teachers can ask students to tell them what specific interests they have in a particular topic, and then teachers can try to incorporate these interests into their lessons.

How Is It Implemented?

• Identify student learning styles and environmental preferences. Teachers can get information about student learning styles by asking students how they learn best and by observing student activities. Identifying environmental preferences includes determining whether students work best in large or small groups and what environmental factors might contribute to or inhibit student learning. For example, a student might need to be free from distraction. PLUS you need a good understanding of M.C.

What Does it Look Like for Math? Math instruction can be differentiated to

allow students to work on skills appropriate to their readiness level and to explore mathematics applications through -

• Math games are a very good and easy way to differentiate learning. Played correctly students can experience fun activities while playing different levels of a game.

• Tiering is another way. Tier the group or individual activities after the mini lesson.

Differentiated Instruction

is the proactive acceptance of and planning for student differences, including their

readiness interests learning profiles

Teachers can respond to student differences by differentiating

content process products environment

while always keeping in mind the guiding principles of

respectful tasks ongoing assessment & adjustment flexible groups

What is reality now and Where you want to be: Self-AssessmentTraditional Classroom

Vs Differentiated Classroom

Using the handout, place an X on each continuum where you believe your teaching is now and a Y where you’d like to be.

Discuss with your group.

Tiering

as a

Differentiation Strategy:

What is it?

“Tiered activities are really quite essential. They are almost the

meat and potatoes of differentiation.” (Tomlinson)

Differentiating by Readiness/Tiered Lessons

• Involves having students work on the same concept at different levels of complexity and with different levels of support or open-endedness.

• Not more work or less work, just different work.

Planning Tiered Assignments

Concept to be UnderstoodOR

Skill to be Mastered

Below-LevelTask

On-LevelTask

Above-LevelTask

Create on-level task first then adjust up and down.

“Adjusting theTask”

When Tiering:Adjust--- • Level of Complexity• Amount of Structure• Materials• Time/Pace• Number of Steps• Form of Expression• Level of Dependence

The “Equalizer”1. Foundational Transformational

2. Concrete Abstract

3. Simple Complex

4. Fewer Facets Multi-Facets

5. Smaller Leap Greater Leap

6. More Structured More Open

7. Clearly Defined Problems Fuzzy Problems

8. Less Independence Greater Independence

9. Slower Quicker* Low Readability *High Readability

Using “the Equalizer: A Tool for Planning Differentiated Lessons”

(Tomlinson, 2000)

• “Similar to using the equalizer buttons on a CD player/stereo, you can slide the buttons across several different continuums to get the best combination of sounds for a musical piece.

• In a differentiated classroom, adjusting the buttons appropriately for various students’ needs equalizes their chances of being appropriately challenged by materials, activities, products in your classroom”

(Tomlinson, 2000).

What is Tiered Instruction?

Teachers use tiered activities so that all students focus onessential understandings and skills but at different levels of complexity, abstractness, and open-endedness.

By keeping the focus of theactivity the same, butproviding routes of access atvarying degrees of difficulty,the teacher maximizes thelikelihood that:

1) each student comes away with pivotal skills & understandings

2) each student is appropriately challenged.

Use of State Standards

Use the standards (current state standards or Common Core standards) to inform the

tiering by seeing the sequence of development of the concept

Tiering

Let’s look at how to tier a game

Importance of teachers knowing content & Standards

Let’s look at and then later play…

FlashHANDOUT IN FOLDER

Now consider this….

Tier 1: One group of students in the class are very unsure of the basic Count-On (count on 1,2,3,0) facts

Tier 2: One group of students in the class may need to practice doubles

Tier 3: One group of students in the class have automaticity with addition facts to 12, including Make Ten strategy

WHAT TO DO?

Differentiate the Game using the Equalizer: Addition FlashTier 1:

John, Robyn, Liz, Rob, Karen

Unsure of very basic count-on facts

Count-on 1,2,3,0

Choose specific cards/ specific dice (e.g. +1, +2,+3,+0 – singly or combinations of count-on facts based on students’ needs)Use of visuals (number line)

Play game Count-On 1, 2, 3, 0

•Foundational•Less independence•Simple

•Observation notes•Exit slips

Tier 2: Judith, Barry, Kate, Jessica, Richie

Need to develop strategy of doubles facts

Play game with doubles dominoes

•Concrete •Game recording slips•Observation notes•Journal

Tier 3:

Dan, Angie, Peter, Jacinta, Mia

* Play game with different numbers (2x6 sided dice; cards 0-12)

* Missing addend game

* 3 addend game

•Transformational

•Multiple facets•Complex

•Game recording slips•Observation notes•Journal

Tiered Games:

Let’s Experience It

Flash Activity Cont.

Work with a partner

# 1 Sequence the games in order of

development

# 2 Find as many activities that you could

differentiate into 3 tiers

Let’s Experience It

• You are going to participate in several games that have been tiered at three different levels.

1. Your group needs to play each tier of each game. Compare the three tiers. What is the big math idea?

2. Complete the template, match each tiered set of games to the Standards and the Equalizer

3. What are the implications for your own classroom?

Carousel the Games Around the Groups/Tables

We’ll move the games on a given signal clock-wise

Table 1:

Table 2:

Table 3:

Table 4:

Table 5:

Table 6:

Tiered Games

Group Report

• What did you notice?

Differentiate the Games using the Equalizer- It’s your turn!

• Each group will find a Math game, planning template and butcher’s paper on their table.

• As a group and using the ‘Equalizer’ and the Standards in your handout, adapt the game and plan for a variety of students’ needs- tier for three groups of children

• Tape your group’s poster up for the gallery walk

Gallery Walk

• One member from each group stays with the tiered games poster.

• All groups rotate and the poster leader describes the tiering.

• Ask questions• Get ideas• Complete template• Rotate on given signal

Tiering a Daily Math Lesson in the Workshop Model

Tiering the Student Activity Portion of the Workshop Model Lesson

Whole Math Message/Warm-Up

Whole * Mini-Lesson

Part Student Activity-

Group 1

Group 2

Group 3

Whole * Share Time

Tiering a Trailblazer Lesson

Your Turn…

Using the template in your packet, choose some lessons from the program (eg. first weeks of school in September) and,

consulting the standards,

tier the student activity portion of each lesson

How do I begin to differentiate?

• Consider Low Prep/High Prep differentiation

• See handout on “Hints to Begin”

Let’s Recap

Explicit Visuals of Expectations- Y Chart - Kindergarten

Establishing a Co-operative Framework- Developing a Y Chart for Group Work

Flexible Groups- Differentiated Games

Using Assessment to Inform the Differentiation within each Game

Varying Content of Games to Meet Students’ Needs

Rubric for Differentiation (developed by Julie Howie A.U.S.S.I.E. Math Consultant)

• Use for reflecting on your practice

Things Take Time

Put up in a place where it’s easy to see,

The cryptic admonishment,

T.T.T.When you feel how

depressingly slow you climb

It’s well to remember that THINGS TAKE TIME.From Tomlinson, C.

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HAVE A GREAT NEW

SCHOOL YEAR!