IMPROVING INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICE WITH DIFFERENTIATION

Sponsored by Teachers’ CenterFacilitated by Kim LewisMay 12, 2014 Based on the work of Carol Ann Tomlinson

Your Students… come from different cultures have different learning styles come to school with varying levels of

emotional and social maturity have varying interests in both topic and

intensity reflect differing levels of academic readiness

in various subjects all of the above can vary over time and

depending upon the subject matter

SO…CONSIDER THIS…..

How does recognizing that kids perceive the world differently help us as practitioners?

Does all learning look the same?

Does all success look the same?

Goals for Today:1. Review Differentiated Instruction

2. Take away 3 new or “re-newed” strategies to use this month

WHAT?WHY?

WHICH?

HOW?

Want more? http://www.ted.com/speakers/sir_ken_robinson

What is Differentiated Instruction?• Take the slips of paper out of your envelope.

• Sort them into two groups on your table

• “What DI is” • “What DI is NOT”

• Be ready to share the rationale for your decisions. IS IS NOT

What DI is NOT • Separate learning goals for each student • Same assignments for all students • Single approach to learning• Allowing students to skip questions• Unstructured or chaotic• Homogeneous grouping that never changes

• Using mostly direct instruction all the time

• Different grading system for each student

DI

What DI IS : ✓Proactive✓Flexible Grouping✓Learning Options✓Assignment Choices based on learning styles or interests

✓On-going Assessment✓Matching Content to the Learner✓Multiple Approaches to Instruction✓Student Directed

Keeping a Balance

◻It is not the goal of a teacher to differentiate everything all the time.◻Try to meet learners where they

are in order to further their knowledge, understanding, and skill.◻Use student-selected and teacher-

assigned tasks and working arrangements.◻REMEMBER: ◻Curriculum is WHAT we teach.◻Differentiation is HOW we teach.◻Fair does NOT mean equal…fair

means everyone gets what s/he needs.

The Goal :“In a differentiated classroom, the

teacher proactively plans and carries out varied approaches to content, process, and product in anticipation of and response to

student differences in readiness, interest, and learning profile.”

Carol Ann Tomlinson

What Kind of Learner Are YOU?

Differentiation Based on Learning Profiles

Are you more like a beach ball?,

clip board?, microscope?, or a puppy?

Conditions for Learning Quiz

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Variety of Resources

Organization Investigative Learning

Comfortable Environment

Choice of activities

Structure Critical Thinking Encouraging Atmosphere

Spontaneity Visual Directions Deep Explorations Supportive Grouping

Personal Freedom Sequential Learning

Analyzing Concepts

Respectful Colleagues

Extensions to activities

Clear Procedures & Expectations

Discussions Empathic Listeners

Various Manipulatives

Consistent Routines

Focus on Details Sensitive Peers

3 Ways to Differentiate Your Students:

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➢ Readiness➢ Interests➢ Learning

Profiles

• Refers to the way we learn BEST• Intelligence preferences

• Verbal, auditory, kinesthetic, tactile, interpersonal, intrapersonal, right/left brain, etc.

• Culture-influenced preferences• Gender-based preferences

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Differentiation by Learning Profiles:

Strategies:• VAK modality

survey• Beach Ball

activity• Learning style

inventories• “How I Like to

Learn” Questionnaires

Differentiation Based on Students’ Interests can…..

• Be a tool to engage students• Demonstrate a connection with them by focusing on something that is personally relevant to them

• Can be a motivator for further learning

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Strategies to Differentiate by

Student Interests:• KWL Chart• Rank types of

movies/books that student likes best

• Show and tell• Interest survey• America’s Got Talent• 6 Hats Self Reflection

• What do they know?

• How can I build on what they know?

• How can I support them in the process?

Differentiation Based on Readiness

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Provides teacher with • clarity regarding students’ prior

knowledge• information about the students’

level of master of the unit’s new content to target instruction

Strategies to Differentiate by Student Readiness:

Informal• Thumbs Up/ Thumbs

Down• KWL Charts• Four Corners• Response Cards• Clickers• Geddit , Quizlet, etc.• Teacher Observation

PRE- ASSESSMENT

Strategies to Differentiate by Student Readiness:Formal

• Frayer Diagrams• Graphic

Organizer• Journal Entries• Quizzes • Student Self

Rating

Readiness: Four CornersFar West Teacher Centers

Path to Differentiated Learning

• What is a strategy you use in your classroom to gauge your students’ readiness, interest, or learning profiles?

• Write your strategy on a post-it.

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Place a post-it on the color that best represents your learning so far:

•Green – post something valuable you learned or “your” strategy•Yellow – post a question you have still have about DI•Red – post something you don’t understand from first section

Using this method in your classroom

Survival Guide : Differentiation 12 min

Frames for DiscussionSecondary Literacy 7 min

Lesson/Unit Design with DI:Teachers Can Differentiate by…

Through a range of instructional and management strategies

Differentiating CONTENT involves Varying INPUT:

How students will gain access to new learning• Readiness differentiation: matching material to student’s capacity to understand it.

• Interest differentiation: using materials that build on or extend student interest.

• Learning Profile differentiation: using materials/methods that best match students’ preferred way of learning.

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LETS PLAY!DI STRATEGY

BINGO

How does Assessment relate to DI? On-going Assessment: A Diagnostic Continuum

Pre-assessment (Finding Out)

Pre-testGraphing for GreatnessInventory

KWLChecklist

ObservationSelf-evaluation

Questioning

Formative Assessment(Keeping Track & Checking Up)

ConferenceExit CardGEDDIT

Peer Evaluation3- minute pause

ObservationTalkaroundQuestioning

Portfolio CheckQuiz

Journal EntrySelf-Evaluation

Summative Assessment

(Making Sure) Unit Test

Performance TaskProductExhibit

DemonstrationPortfolio Review

FIST TO

FIVE

Letsgeddit.com

TIERED Exit Card

Infinitely Reusable

Folder

For Practice &

Assessment

Hint Cards for

Scaffolding

Clipboards for Informal Assessment

Differentiating CONTENT Examples:

•I-Search•Learning Contracts•Learning Centers•Compacting•Interest Centers/Groups•Flexible Grouping•Tiering

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Tiering by Content : giving students pathways aligned with their levels.Great strategy when you are able to use materials which are matched to student needs and readiness.Same content but varying levels ie. reading levels, varied directions, varied materials/resources for task

❑ All students explore same essential content but varied degrees of difficulty

❑ Equally active❑ Equally engaging and interesting ❑ Fair in terms of expectations (targeted to students’

readiness) and allotted time❑ Task incorporates key concepts, skills, and/or ideas

Differentiating PROCESS: ⬜Student activities or opportunities for

learning, understanding, and application ⬜Students make sense of ideas and

information when instruction:1) Matches their level of readiness2) Causes them to think at high levels3) Relates new ideas/skills to previous learning4) Causes them to use a key skill(s) to understand

a key idea(s)5) Is of interest to them

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Differentiating PROCESS Examples:

• Learning Logs & Journals

• Graphic Organizers

• Think-Pair-Share

• Two Sided Debates (Discussion Webs)

• Jigsaw

• Six Hats

• PMI (pluses, minuses, interesting points)

• Cubing

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Differentiating PRODUCT:

•Refer to ways students will demonstrate their ability to use, transfer, and extend what they have learned.

•Differentiated product assignments can be excellent forms of assessing student knowledge.

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Differentiating PRODUCT: •Choice Boards •4-MAT•Portfolios• Independent Study•Group Investigation•Orbital Studies•RAFTS•Learning Menus

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• Check out the activities in as many folders as you can

• Write your name on the list for any you want • Later ~with your certificate~ you’ll get a

personalized (DIFFERNTIATED) folder of documents !

• You can also sign on to computer and check out links on next page and print what you’d like to have

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Additional resources:

iPad TECHNOLOGY

The PRESENT requires us to remember: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_6GUx1Zx0w

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