Getting Both Groups Moving Forward
ReturnersReturners New ArriversNew Arrivers
Look back over the Essential Questionsand Enduring Understandings for
Our group – think about howYou would put them in your own words
Present the Point of the EssentialQuestions in your own words aswell as how to best digest the
Enduring Understandings.
Meet With Dan
Meet With Dan
Go over Goals &Structures of the Group
Listen to their presentation &Have questions ready for when
they are done.
Our Essential Questions for the Year
1) What does a differentiated classroom look like for teachers and students?
2) How do I best implement methods necessary for a differentiated classroom?
3) How does a differentiated lesson effect other aspects of
the classroom?
Assessment in A Differentiated
Classroom
Managing aDifferentiated
Classroom
DifferentiatedLesson
Techniques
The DifferentiatedCommunity
Differentiation
What We Differentiate
Why We Differentiate
Content ProductProcess
StudentReadiness
StudentLearningProfile
StudentInterest
Essential Understanding 1: Tomlinson’s Framework
Think Multiple Intelligences
Essential Understanding 2: Mindset
Differentiation is a mindset that acknowledges the diversity in your
classroom, and addresses that diversity by creating multiple paths for learning when
necessary.
So we will delve into the nuts and boltsOf how to create multiple paths for
Learning when necessary
Essential Understanding 3: The Ripple Effect
Choosing to differentiate a lesson will have profound effects on your classroom’s community, your management style,
how you assess, and how you plan.
Your Lesson
Change the communitydynamics of your class
Demand more management on
your part
Change & Complicate how you assess
for learning
Change & Complicate how you plan for
lessons
Essential Understanding 4: You & The Kids
Your student’s needs, as well as your growth as a professional, will determine the speed and depth of adaptations
you make to create a differentiated classroom.
You The Kids
Principal
Dan
QualityReview
ProgressReport Readiness
Learning Style
Interest
Find Your Speed Take the Long View
Follow Up on Observations
1) I had fun seeing you all in action.
2) However you want to talk about to your kids why I am there is fine with me.
3) I attempt to blend into the background and not be a distraction.
4) However, I will probably talk to kids more the next time around.
5) I will also probably take pictures of your classroom if I findstuff to share with the group.
The impending arrival of my twins will probably disrupt stuff for a bit.
Focus for Session # 2
Assessment in A Differentiated
Classroom
Managing aDifferentiated
Classroom
DifferentiatedLesson
Techniques
The DifferentiatedCommunity
Differentiation
CommunityCommunity Promoting a Community Focused on Growth
ManagementManagement Anchor Activities
AssessmentAssessment
TechniquesTechniquesChoice Board, RAFT, Think Dots, Cubing
Re-Visit the Importance ofPre-Assessment & Setting theSame Goals for All Students
Methods of Differentiation1 2 3 4
Scaffoldingfor Support
Multiple Paths at 1 Point
Distinct Lessonsto create
multiple paths
Target Interestand/or
Intelligences
Multiple Pathsthroughoutthe lesson
We spend our year implementing methods 2 - 4
Sample Method 1 Lesson Review
Mini Lesson
Guided Practice
Independent Practice
Does a lesson involving soda get student’s interested?Do the three different versions of the formula provide multiplemeans for support?
Does drawing the “atoms” provide a strong visual modelfor all students?
Does the experiment help students learn because it ishands-on and interactive?
Does having an extension activity help students move attheir own pace if needed?
Does my description of a Method 1 Differentiated Lesson Make Sense?
Jumping Right into Method 2 – Choice Boards
I
We
A choice boardcan Create Multiple
paths during Independentpractice if you choose
Step 1: Look at 5 samples Dan Provided . . .
Step 3:
Step 2:
Come up with somewhat of a consensusAs a group on . . .
1)What a Choice Board is?2)How you can use a Choice Board?
Whole Group Share Out . . . .
(No Repeated Information)
Another Method 2 - RAFT
R A F T
One presenters on RAFTs they have used before . . .
How are RAFTsDifferent & Similar from
Choice Boards?
How are RAFTsDifferent & Similar from
Choice Boards?
Synthesize the 4 Strategies . . . Your small group will get 10 minutes, a couple of markers, and chart paper to do the following . . .
1) What is the relationship you see between these 4 strategies?
2) How can they help create multiple paths for learning?
3) What are some specifics to keep in mind when implementingeach and all of these strategies?
There are no right or wrong answers here – I just want to capture how you are processingAll this . . .
Going Beyond Independent Practice
Choice BoardChoice Board If it helped your lesson that day, have a Do Now with 2 or more optionsfor students.
Example – Solve for Y in one of the following equations:
y = 3x + 12 3y = 9x + 36 12 – 3x = y
Cubing/ Think Dots
Cubing/ Think Dots
You can increase engagement and student participation by using these2 strategies during the Mini-Lesson and Guided Practice as well.
Example – While readingTo Kill a Mockingbird with your students duringGuided practice, you can have your own questions prepared, but on top ofThat there is a cube in the room with the words, “Inference, Main Idea, Author’s Purpose, etc.” on it. After you read a page together, one studentRolls the cube it lands on Inference, then in pairs students must make an Inference from what they just read.
RAFT to Begin the Lesson
After a few days of learning about the Rock Cycle, I would hand out the RAFT to begin class . . . (Giving everyone about 15 minutes to create a draft)
Mini – Lesson – I would hand out a bulleted list of all the content thatneeds to be in the RAFT about the rock cycle. I would then share a strong example and a weak example from prior classes. (10 minutes)
Guided Practice = Peer Review – Students would exchange papers andCheck their partners against the bulleted list to give feedback on if they brought up all necessary points on the rock cycle. (15 minutes)
Independent Practice = Final Draft – Students then create a final draftThat they will turn in at the end of class. (15 – 20 min)
What Differentiation Is and Is Not
As Schmoker has visited classrooms around the country, he has seen differentiationcausing problems for teachers. “In every case,” he says, “it seemed to complicate teachers’work, requiring them to procure and assemble multiple sets of materials. I saw frustratedteachers trying to provide materials that matched each student’s or group’s presumed abilitylevel, interest, preferred ‘modality,’ and learning style. The attempt often devolved into a frantically assembled collection of worksheets, coloring exercises, and specious ‘kinesthetic’activities… With so many groups to teach, instructors found it almost impossible to providesustained, properly executed lessons for every child or group…”
Most disturbingly, Schmoker has seen differentiation insidiously reducing expectationsfor some students. “In English, ‘creative’ students made things or drew pictures,” he says.“‘Analytic’ students got to read and write.”
Mike Schmoker wrote an interesting article critizing Differentiation -
What Mike Schmoker describes is not effective differentiation – I agree with him, students would be better off without random tasks in the room – but just
the same rigorous lesson for every kid.
What Mike Schmoker describes is not effective differentiation – I agree with him, students would be better off without random tasks in the room – but just
the same rigorous lesson for every kid.
What Differentiation is and is notEffective Differentiation means you have the same
rigorous goal for every student. You create multiple pathsfor learning so all students can reach that goal.
Effective Differentiation means you have the samerigorous goal for every student. You create multiple paths
for learning so all students can reach that goal.
Strong Examples Weak Examples of Differentiation
1) A RAFT that asks all students to explain and synthesize the details of the Rock Cycle – the perspective and format are different.
2) A Choice Board that asks all students to make an inference – the format of what they analyzeCan be different.
3) Every student gets the same Think Dots sheets with the same Questions on the Revolutionary War – but the students get different leveled texts.
1) A RAFT that asks one group to produce 3 well written paragraphs on the Rock Cycle, and one group to have one paragraph.
2) A Choice Board that gives the option of making an inference on the chapter the whole class read, answers fact and recall questions, and summarizing the chapter.
3) In Math class you give every student the same Think Dots sheet – but you tell some students they only need to roll the dice twice, while some have to roll it four times.
Getting Ready to Manage Multiple Paths . . .
AnchorActivitiesAnchor
Activities
To catch the fast paced students & allow everyone to move at their own
pace
To catch the fast paced students & allow everyone to move at their own
pace
To send the message you
should always be learning in this
classroom
To send the message you
should always be learning in this
classroom
I
We
RAFT
“I’m Done NowWhat Do I Do?”
Anchor ActivitiesAnchor Activities
Coming Up with Anchor Activities1) Even during “normal” lessons students move at different paces – so how canyou best manage this?
2) Once we try our 1st differentiation strategy, there will be lots of activityin the room, and students moving at different paces, on different tasks – How will you manage them?
An Anchor Activity is a management support you have in your roomto ensure that students can always be learning, no matter how fast
they move on the daily tasks.
You can have them on a daily, weekly, unit, or yearly basis in your room. However, once they are set up, they should not be a management hassle for you.
Brainstorming Anchor ActivitiesBreak into subject specific groups and . . .
1) Consider the three types I just showed you2) Brainstorm variations on them3) Come up with entirely new ideas
But make sure the anchor activities you come up with are . . .
Relevant
Rigorous
Engaging
So that students that students see the point in trying thetasks you give them .
So it is not busy work, and you are helping your studentsgrow more neurons in your class .
So they actually want to do the work for you and be “done”with the day’s tasks and lessons.
Lingering Tasks from the 1st Session
CommunityCommunity
1) Have a cultural practice in place focused on growth in your room
2) Conduct an interest survey with at least 1 class, then summarize what you learned about your kids and which interests you want to
incorporate into your classroom.
3) Track the intelligences students activate in your classroom for oneweek.
Let’s get these done sooner rather than later . . . Let’s get these done sooner rather than later . . .
Building a Differentiated Community in Your Classroom
1st PillarFocus on Growth. As a teacher it is your moral obligation that all students have improved in your class regardless of where theystarted.
1Performance
2
3
4
5 6
7
8
But don’t worry, I have never realized this goal, only gotten better at managingtowards 100%.
Based on yourValues as a
teacherand outside
pressure.
Putting it all Together for the Next Visit
CommunityCommunity
ManagementManagement
AssessmentAssessment
TechniquesTechniques
Have at least 1 visible and obvious cultural practice up and runningthat promotes growth in your classroom. (**Just the Returners – ifyou are a newcomer it would be great to have it**)
Have an Anchor Activity in place at least for the lesson I observe.
Try a lesson using either a Choice Board, RAFT, Think Dots, or Cubing.
Have the same rigorous goal for every student in that lesson, Regardless of the path they take.
Schedule of Next Visits . . .The next workshop was set to occur on November 17th, but the realistic next time willbe together is December 8th.
If we do end up together again on December 8th, we will decide at that meeting toCome back together on December 22nd, or just not have that meeting.
Bread & Roses
Kurt Hahn
BELHS
Dreamyard
University Heights
Bronx HealthSciences
Validus
Peace & Diversity
November 5th
November 8th
November 11th
November 11th
November 12th
November 10th - pm
November 16th or 22nd
November 18th or 23rd
Binders & Digital Portfolios . . . Sorry for the 1 session delay on the Binders !
Use Tabs 1 – 8 for each of the workshops.
You can use Tab 9 for the data from mine and other’s observations.
You can use Tab 10 to collect each Differentiated Lesson Reproduceables throughout the year.
Posting Your Work in the Digital Portfolio
Posting Your Work in the Digital Portfolio
1) The Google Wiki Page I use, was a little more tricky than I had hoped, but you still can post to the site your work for the year.
2) After the next visit post the “reproduceables” from the differentiated lesson. And if youget to the 2 tasks – great. They should go up as well.