session 6

Foundations and Applications of Differentiating Instruction: S3Competencies Four and Five

Foundations and Applications of Foundations and Applications of Differentiating Instruction: Differentiating Instruction:

Competencies Four and FiveCompetencies Four and Five

Session 6 Session 6

Managing the ClassroomManaging the Classroom

Foundations and Applications of Differentiating Instruction:Competencies Four and Five

S3 - 2Foundations and Applications of Differentiating Instruction:Competencies Four and Five

S3 - 2

Session 6 - Outcomes

By the end of today’s session, you should be able to:– Articulate and discuss key elements in a

teacher’s planning for differentiation over time.– Analyze and pose solutions to problems and

issues inherent in differentiated classrooms.– Reflect on your own growth in addressing

academic diversity in the classroom.– Generate goals and plans for professional

growth and leadership in differentiating curriculum and instruction in the classroom.


S3 - 3

What is Differentiation?


S3 - 4

Differentiation can be defined as a way of teaching in which teachers proactively modify curriculum, teaching methods, resources, learning activities, and student products to address the needs of individual students and/or small groups of students to maximize the learning opportunities for each student in the classroom.

Tomilson, et al., (in press)


S3 - 5

Differentiation is a way of thinking about teaching and learning that seeks to recognize, learn about, and address the particular needs of each student. To that end, teachers use varied approaches to curriculum, instruction, and assessment.


S3 - 6

Differentiation adapts what we teach, how teach and how students learn, and how students show what they have learned based on the readiness levels, interests, and preferred learning modes of students.


S3 - 7

Differentiation meaning starting where kids are!


S3 - 8

One more way of thinking about differentiation:

Differentiation is classroom practice that looks eyeball to eyeball with the reality that kids differ, and the most effective teachers do whatever it takes to hook the whole range of kids on learning.


S3 - 9

Challenges and Suggestions

Category Challenges Your Suggestions

Curriculum How do I work with poor readers?

We could use books at different levels.

Assessment How do I know what to assess?

Important to specify learning goals.

Flexible Teaching How do I know what everyone is doing?

Could use learning contracts to keep track.

Grouping Students How do I know the best group for a student?

Important to link with assessment some of the time.

Shared Responsibility for Learning and Teaching

How do I keep the room from being a mess?

Might have designated time to straighten up.

Establishing community

How do I keep from having winners and losers?

Can emphasize personal goals.


S3 - 10

Article Jigsaw

1. Select one of the following topics related to

effective differentiation.• The Brain and Differentiation• Curriculum and Differentiation• Getting Started in a Differentiated Classroom• Standards and Differentiation

2. Go to the area of the room designated for that topic.

3. Form base groups by having one person from each of the four topics sit together.

4. Work with Part 1 of the printed instructions for base groups (Handout 5).


S3 - 11

Article Jigsaw

1. Move to specialty groups who selected the same topic.

2. Work with the printed instructions and materials for specialty groups (Handout 6).

3. Return to your base groups and work with Part 2 of the printed instructions for base groups (Handout 5).


S3 - 12

Can We Meet the Needs?


S3 - 13

Is it realistic to think we can successfully teach the range of

students in today’s academically diverse classrooms?


S3 - 14

• No matter how much you do, you’ll feel it it’s not enough.

• Just because you can only do a little is no excuse to do nothing.

Susan Ohanian 1999

session 6

Documents

s3 competencies

s3 foundations

differentiating curriculum

classroom foundations

suggestions foundations

press foundations

differentiation curriculum

effective differentiation