Building Differentiated Learning Communities, Part I

1
Building Differentiated Learning Communities,
Part I

• Amherst County Public Schools
• September 7, 2007
• Dr. Holly Gould
• hgould_at_sbc.edu

2
A Class in Common

• For each of the students who you hear about,
  think about
• What are the academic/social needs of this
  student?
• What are the academic/social strengths of this
  student?

3
Differentiation IS

• Recognizing that students are different and
  responding to those differences in a thoughtful
  way.

4
Differentiation of Instruction is a teachers
response to learners needs guided by general
principles of differentiation, such as
respectful tasks
ongoing assessment and adjustment
flexible
grouping
clarity of learning goals
appropriate challenge
5
Teachers can differentiate Content
Process Product according to
students Readiness
Interests Learning Profiles through
a range of instructional and management
strategies such as
NEXT
6
Respectful Tasks?

• STRUGGLING LEARNERS
• Complete the packet of worksheets on force and
  motion. You may choose to work with a partner if
  you like. Check your work with the answer key in
  the back of the room.

• ADVANCED LEARNERS
• Using power tools and your natural brilliance,
  construct a rocket to launch during the
  Homecoming Half Time Show.

BACK
7
Planning a focused curriculum means clarity about
what students should

• KNOW Facts
• Vocabulary
• UNDERSTAND
• Concepts, Big Ideas
• Principles, generalizations
• BE ABLE TO DO Skills
• Basic Skills (Read non-fiction text)
• Thinking Skills (analyze, solve,
  compare/contrast, discriminate fact/fiction)
• Skills Of the Discipline (What does a speech
  writer do? Journalist? Editor?)
• Planning (Goal setting, use of time)
• Social (cooperation, sharing)

8
BRAIN RESEARCHReticular Activating SystemRAS
Toggle Switch
Only one of these three states is activated
(aroused) at a time
Certain motivational states which interfere with
learning condition are especially dangerous
anxiety and boredom. Anxiety occurs primarily
when teachers expect too much from students
boredom occurs when teachers expect too little.
Howard Gardner
Learning only happens when the toggle switch is
in the middle position
9
Differentiation does NOT mean dumbing down

• Rather than a vice that keeps kids down,
  differentiation is meant to be a stool that gives
  students a boost.

YES
NO
10
The Importance of High Expectations

• Research indicates that students perform up (or
  down!) to teacher expectations

Video Clip A Class Divided
BACK
11
Ongoing assessment and adjustment

• Uncovering student misunderstandings
• Video Clip A Private Universe
• Strategies for uncovering student
  misunderstandings
• Exit Cards
• Graphic Organizers

12
Entry Card Earth Science

• Draw the orbit of the earth around the sun.
• What causes the seasons?

13
Easy Strategy for Assessing Student
Understanding
ENTRY/ EXIT CARDS
14
Entry Cards Earth Science

• Name
• Draw the orbit of the earth around the sun.
• What causes the seasons?
• Why is it warmer in the summer than in the winter?

15
Exit Cards Earth Science

• Name
• Draw the orbit of the earth around the sun.
• What causes the seasons?
• Why is it warmer in the summer than in the
  winter?
• Did your opinion about any of these things change
  as a result of todays class?

16
Entry/Exit Cards Algebra

• Name
• Draw a graph label the x and y axes
• Graph a line with the endpoints (3,5) (7,2)
• Graph a line with the endpoints (-3,-5) (7,2)
• Provide two ways of writing the equation for a
  line

17
Exit Card3-2-1

• 3 Write the three most important ideas you have
  learned so far.
• 2 Write two questions you still have about what
  you have learned.
• 1 Write one way you can use what you have
  learned.

18
EXIT CARD GROUPINGS
Group 2
Students with some understanding of concept or
skill
Group 1
Students who are struggling with the concept
or skill
Group 3
Students who understand the concept or skill
Readiness Groups
19
Pre-Assessing Using Graphic Organizers
20
Flexible Grouping

• Sometimes you group according to students
  READINESS.
• Readiness refers to a students grasp of a
  particular concept or task not to general
  ability.
• Sometimes students make CHOICES about how they
  will be grouped.
• Sometimes you group according to students
  INTERESTS.
• Sometimes you group according to students
  LEARNING PROFILES.

BACK
21
"Readiness" Differentiation
where is THIS child at THIS time with THIS
particular skill or idea?
22
KUDs for RAFT

• KNOW
• the plot of Romeo and Juliet
• UNDERSTAND
• Great literature allows for multiple, rich
  interpretations.
• Literary interpretations must be supportable.
• DO
• Identify and explore a theme in the play
• create a written response exploring the theme

23
Levels of Writing Challenge
Speaker
Diary Entry Monologue Dialogue Drama Narrative Exp
osition
Audience
Topic
24
Romeo Juliet RAFT KUDs

• Know
• The basic plot of and characters in Romeo and
  Juliet
• Understand
• That literary themes are carefully developed
  throughout a work.
• That literary themes are often complex and
  multi-faceted.
• Be Able to Do
• Analyze a theme in a literary work

25
RAFT Romeo Juliet
26
The Seasons

• Create a model, set of drawings, or essay
  explaining accurately the reasons for the seasons
  (include Suns altitude, length of day, Sun
  angle, light intensity, Earth tilt)
• Research and explain the seasons on the other
  planets. Create a model that accurately depicts
  these seasons on the planet (besides Earth) that
  is most interesting to you.

BACK
27
Differentiation by interest
28
Differentiation by Interest French
29
Primary Science - Plant Parts

• Know
• Parts of a plant root, stem, leaf, flower, seed
• Plant needs light, water, air, soil, food
• Understand
• Plants have needs that must be met in order for
  them to survive.
• Each plant part has a job to do that helps the
  whole plant.
• If one plant part cant do its job, the whole
  plant suffers.
• Do
• Identify and describe the plant parts
• Explain the role of each plant part in meeting
  the plants needs
• Work independently, work collaboratively, draw
  conclusions

30
PLANT RAFT
31

• Share RAFTS in mixed groups
• Draw or build something to prove that a plant is
  well made to have all its needs met

32
Learning Profile

• Do you learn best with noise? Quiet?
• Do you learn best around movement? Stillness?
• Are you visual/auditory/kinesthetic?
• What are your strongest Intelligences?
• Do you like lots of light? Low light?
• Do you like to work in groups? Alone? In pairs?
• Are you creative? Practical? Analytical?

33
Sternbergs Intelligences
34
For examples of surveys

• http//www.faculty.sbc.edu/brimijoin/

35
RAFT Activity
36
RAFT Activity

• Alone or with a group, choose one of the RAFT
  activities to complete.
• Remember that RAFT assignments are read
  horizontally example
• Take on the role of Ted writing a bulleted list
  to a traditional teacher about how it would
  benefit the teacher to differentiate instruction
  for him.

BACK
37
Strategies Jigsaw

• Anchor Activities
• a storehouse of activities that you create that
  students work on when theyve completed other
  work. A great strategy for dealing with ragged
  time.
• Choice Menus
• a type of learning contract that provides a
  menu of activities some that all students must
  do, and some that allow students choices. Great
  for providing students with a sense of control
  over their own learning.
• Cubing/Think Dots
• a low-prep, fun differentiation
  strategy/learning game that encourages students
  to consider concepts and ideas using different
  types of thinking
• The Profiler
• a strategy that employs Gardners Multiple
  Intelligences and asks students to work as an
  expert.
• Tri-Mind
• a strategy that allows students to work in their
  Sternberg intelligence preference creative,
  practical, or analytic.

38
Wrap-Up Exit Cards