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?

A Field Trip to Look at Think Dots & Cubing

Think Dots

Cubing

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.

The Book

The Area

The Ongoing Task

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.