Differentiated Instruction Overview

1
Differentiated InstructionOverview

• One Size Doesnt Fit All

2

• The biggest mistake of the past centuries in
  teaching has been to treat all children as if
  they were variants of the same individual and
  thus to feel justified in teaching them all the
  same subjects in the same way. -Howard Gardner

3
Summer Vacation Survey

• On a scale of 1-4, hold up the number of fingers
  that most closely identifies you.

For vacation this summer, I traveled 4
abroad 3 to another state 2 somewhere in
LA 1 I left the house at least once.
4
My summer reading

• 4 20 books
• 3 5-20 books
• 2 1-4 books
• 1 People, Southern Living, or other magazines

5
Physical Fitness

• 4 I learned a new sport, completed a triathlon,
  or jogged daily.
• 3 I was on a tennis or volleyball team and
  played.
• 2 I played A round of golf or another game.
• 1 Are you kidding? I floated in a pool!

6

• Differentiated instruction is teaching with
  student variance in mind. It means starting where
  the kids are rather than adopting a standardized
  approach to teaching that seems to presume that
  all learners of a given age or grade are
  essentially alike. Thus differentiated
  instruction is responsive teaching rather than
  one-size-fits-all teaching.

7
Want it simpler?

• DI is fitting the lesson to the student and not
  the student to the lesson!

8
Carol Ann Tomlinson

• How were alike makes us human
• How were different makes us unique
• Goals for all
• Challenge
• Growth

9
Think back. Remember the one room school
house?
10
Children who learn differently need to be taught
differently.
11
DI is not.

• DI is NOT chaotic, individualized instruction
  with fragmented lessons
• DI is NOT giving students more work
• DI does NOT assume a separate entry level for
  each student
• DI is NOT only for the stronger or weaker
  learners

12
Differentiated Instruction IS

• Proactive
• Qualitative
• Student centered
• A blend of varying sizes of learning groups
• Multiple options
• For taking in information
• For making sense of ideas
• For expressing what we learn

13
HALLMARKS of a DI CLASS

• All students have the opportunity to explore and
  apply the key concepts and principles through a
  variety of avenues and approaches.
• On-going assessment of student readiness and
  growth
• Flexible grouping consistently used

4. Guide on the Side rather than Sage on the
Stage
14
What is the theoretical/research background for
this instructional method?

• Classrooms are becoming more academically diverse
• Psychologists tell us that a student learns only
  when a task is a little too hard for that
  student. (zone of proximal development)
• Considering the diverse classroom, it is unlikely
  that a teacher will be consistently able to
  develop one-size-fits-all learning experiences
  that are in the zones of proximal development of
  all students in a particular class.

15

• It is likely that male and female learning
  patterns and preferences vary.
• Culture has an important bearing on how
  individuals learn.
• Student motivation and task persistence increase
  when students can work with topics that are of
  personal interest.
• Attention to a student's preferred mode of
  learning or thinking promotes improved
  achievement.

16
WHY?

• Brain-based learning
• Changing demographics

emotion
attention
memory
Sensory input
processing
17
Differentiation

• Content - subject matter students need to
  master and materials used in learning based on
  readiness and interest
• Process sense making activities based on
  learning profile
• Product - student created tangible outcomes
  to demonstrate mastery based on interest and
  learning profile
• Environment operation and tone of classroom,
  mood and respect

18
How Does DI Work?
19
RHYTHM of DI CLASSROOM

• Rhythm of class starts large moves to smaller
  back
• Exploration of topic
• Study by readiness and learning styles
• Share information and pose questions
• Assigned tasks

• Review of key ideas and concepts through sharing
• Small group apply key principles
• Introduce a skill
• Self-selected interest areas
• Whole class listens

Whole class
Whole class
Individual/group.
Small group
20
ASSESSMENT GUIDES INSTRUCTION

• Teachers ( students) accept respect uniqueness
  of each
• On-going diagnostic activities
• Learning tasks planned adjusted based on
  assessment data

ASSESSMENT
DI PLANNING
INSTRUCTION
21
CURRICULUM DIFFERENTIATION

• is a process that improves the match between the
  learners unique characteristics
• Prior knowledge
• Cognitive level
• Learning style
• Motivation and affect
• Strength or interest

22
DI PREASSESSMENT TECHNIQUES

• K-W-L Charts
• Journals
• Lists, Surveys
• Products
• Misconception checks

• Performances
• Conferences
• Concept Maps
• Learning Style Inventories

23
JOURNALS

• Ask students to describe processes, examples and
  reflections related to a curricular objective
• Tell me what you know about
• What is the purpose of?

• Gives the teacher an opportunity for a One-On-One
  interchange with each student

24
LISTS AND SURVEYS

• Tell me all the words that
• come to mind when I say
• List the attributes of
• Name several types of
• Give examples of

25
PRODUCTS

• Create a bar graph using data from
• Show me your latest report

26
MISCONCEPTION CHECK

• Provide sample problems with errors in solutions
• Students determine why solution incorrect
• Teacher deduce degree of understanding or area
  for instruction

27
CONCEPT MAP
Word Bank heat, sun, hot gas, space, night,
constellation, day
day
Star
space
sun
heat
constellation
night
hot gas
28
Performances or Conferences

• Explain how you found the answer
• Import a graphic for
• Use a graphing calculator to plot an equation
• Read to me
• Complete a pretest (post-test)

29
Classroom Ideas- Role-Playing, Skits and, Mock
Debates

• Differentiate roles so all can participate. Make
  sure that there are different kinds of roles
  (speaking and non-speaking) and activities with
  different levels of complexity (creating the
  "set," making on-the-spot costumes, holding up
  cue cards).
• For some activities, some students may need
  worksheets to organize their thoughts before
  "performing."
• Roles may be broken up so they can be performed
  by more than one student. For example students
  can debate issues in pairs or teams.
• If students have problems
  remembering lines or
• reading from a script, allow them to
  improvise.

30
Ideas- Reading

• Complex material can be read in pairs or small
  groups.
• Have students read small pieces, assign small
  groups one paragraph to read and paraphrase for
  class.
• Enlarge text for vision impaired.
• Students can pair-up to read materials out loud.
• Have students "turn and talk" after reading each
  paragraph. Have them share their interpretations
  of the material.
• Let students highlight historical
  documents and
• other materials.

31
Ideas- Group Discussions

• Before breaking into small groups, the teacher
  can identify central points of the
  lesson/reading. Discussion prompts can be given.
• Prior to small group discussions, the teacher can
  model different discussion strategies (e.g.
  questioning, active listening).
• Encourage roles within small groups (e.g.
  recorder, discussion leader).
• Give groups a short list of questions to discuss
  during their discussion.
• If some students do not speak or have
  limited speech, the group can conduct some of the
  discussion non-verbally. Students can draw some
  of their thoughts on butcher paper, for instance.
  Or students can record their responses on paper
  and the individual needing communication support
  can point to the ideas they find most
  interesting.

32
Ideas- Writing

• Cooperative writing assignments everyone adds
  one sentence to a paragraph.
• Give students options allow them to use
  pencil/paper, computer, or even a typewriter.
  Some students may need a scribe.
• Teachers might give students a template or model
  to follow.
• Students can be paired to complete in-class
  writing assignments.
• Give pencil grips or markers to students who
  cannot hold a pencil easily.
• Allow students to draw pictures or use magazine
  photos instead of written words.
• Have students tell instead of show- let them
  verbalize thoughts instead of writing them.
• Give students more time to
  work share the writing assignment
• with them ahead of time or give a
  head start by writing the first
• few sentences for them.

33
Ideas- General

• Allow students to design task/grading criteria
  sometimes.
• Develop learning contracts with students who may
  want to do more complex or slightly different
  work on a given topic.
• For Internet exercises, some students might need
  exact directions for searching the web (e.g., web
  addresses or search engines).
• For extra credit web searches interview
  community experts or examine literature and
  reference material
• Give choices during lessons (e.g., work alone,
  with a partner, sit in your desk or on the floor,
  read the document or listen to it on tape).
• Give students many ways to understand the content
  of the documents--paraphrase, act it out, or
  interview each other to learn how different
  people interpret the words.

34
Testing (both teachers and other support
personnel)

• Modifying testing should not interfere with the
  integrity of the assessment.
• Modifications
• Tests read
• Verbal tests
• Shortened tests
• Literal levels of questioning
• More frequent tests
• Extended time for test completion
• Scribe for written responses
• Quiet place for testing
• IEP goal achievement as a basis of testing
• Course project rather than a written test
• Development of an instructional packet with a
  variety of activities to demonstrate knowledge

35
ActivityCarousel Review

• Each group moves to one chart
• Group records items learned on chart
• At signal, group moves clockwise to next chart
  with pen and records comments
• Continue still all groups at all charts
• Take 5 to wander among charts

36
PROCESS (Teaching) DIFFERENTIATION
37
Plan for Multiple Intelligences
KINESTHETIC
VISUAL/SPATIAL
LINGUISTIC
NATURALIST
LOGICAL/MATH
MUSICAL
INTERPERSONAL
INTRAPERSONAL
38
STRATEGIES

• LOW PREP
• Flexible seating
• Four corners
• Homework options
• Informal flexible grouping
• Jigsaw
• Multi-level materials
• Numbered heads together
• Student choice
• Think/pair/share
• Varied graphic organizers
• Varied journal prompts

• HIGH PREP
• Anchor activities
• Complex instruction
• Cooperative learning
• Cubing
• Curriculum compacting
• Extension menus
• Formal flexible grouping
• Independent learning contracts
• Lit circles
• Orbital studies
• Stations/centers
• Tiered assignments

39
FLEXIBLE GROUPING

• Group students to best facilitate instruction
• Match task to student readiness, interest,
  learning profile
• Assess ability of students to read text and other
  materials
• Random or purposeful assignment to groups by
  teacher, student, or chance

40
Flexible grouping (cont.)

• Rationale for use
• Allows for varying time needs of students
• Allows for collaborative and independent work
• Gives students a voice
• Allows for wide range of interactions
• Keeps students from being pegged as advanced or
  struggling
• Keeps students from always being a helper or
  being helped

• Guidelines for use
• Ensure that students can work with like and
  unlike peers
• Teacher assigns by readiness based on
  pre-assessment
• Teacher assigns when desirable for maximum peer
  interaction
• Students select by interest
• Teach reinforce how to work in groups

41
ANCHOR ACTIVITIESAKA Spare Time

• Purpose To provide meaningful work for students
  when they finish an assignment or project, when
  they first enter the class or when they are
  having difficulty with a task and are awaiting
  help from the teacher
• Anchor Activities Can be used in any content
  area and/or across content areas can be whole
  class assignments or individual assignments can
  be tiered to meet needs of different readiness
  levels of the student
• Prerequisites for using anchor activities
  Expectations are clear to the students students
  are held accountable for on-task behavior and/or
  task completion
• http//www.mcps.k12.md.us/schools/hooverms/technol
  ogy/anchor.htm

42
Anchor Activity Bingo Elementary task card
43
Anchor Activities Secondary

• Task cards with written guidelines
• Clarify behavioral expectations
• Give due dates
• Options
• reading,
• journaling,
• skill practice,
• portfolio,
• web exploration,
• Independent investigations,

44
TIERED LESSONS AND CURRICULUM LADDERS

• Students explore ideas that value their readiness
  level by building on prior knowledge
• Students use varied approaches to explore
  essential ideas
• Rubrics are used to assess tiered
  lessons/curriculum ladders that are created
• http//ideanet.doe.state.in.us/exceptional/gt/tier
  ed_curriculum/welcome.html

45
Dont Be Afraid to Borrow!

• Dont forget that the internet is an excellent
  source for DI activities, anchor activities,
  extension exercises, etc.

46
There is always a way to do better Find
it! Thomas Edison