Differentiating for All Learners

1
Differentiating for All Learners
Topics

• Basics of Differentiation
• Understanding the Resource
• Different Differentiation Strategies
• Differentiated Assessment
• Quick Differentiation Ideas

2
Your Classroom
What words come to mind when I say . . .

• gifted students
• English language learners
• special education students
• children of poverty

3
Your Classroom
Its important to be open-minded about the
students in your classroom. Try to become aware
of your preconceptions so that you can work
through them. A sense of community is important
to establish in a differentiated classroom.
Forsten et al. (2006)
4
Theory Overview of Strategy
Understanding the Resource

• Research based
• General explanation of strategy
• Background information

5
Step-by-Step Directions
Understanding the Resource

• English language learners
• Below-grade-level students
• On-grade-level students
• Above-grade-level students

6
Concrete Example Lesson
Understanding the Resource

• Makes the abstract strategy more concrete
• Two objectives
• content area
• literacy
• Assessmentsuggestions

7
Student Reproducibles
Understanding the Resource

• Completed examples
• Blank templates

8
Quick Differentiation Ideas

• Explain your thinking
• Modeling
• Using at least
• Anchor activities

9
Differentiation is simply a teacher attending to
the learning needs of a particular student or
small groups of students, rather than teaching a
class as though all individuals in it were
basically alike. Carol Ann Tomlinson (2000)
What Is Differentiation?
10
What Is Differentiation?

• Fair is not everyone getting the same thing.
  Fair is everyone getting what they need.
• Anonymous

11
What Is Differentiation?

• The primary intent of differentiation is to
  maximize student capacity and to find different
  pathways for students to learn and practice
  skills and concepts.
• Forsten et al. (2006)

12
What Is Differentiation?

• All students can learn, but all students do not
  learn in the same ways.
• Forsten et al. 2006

13
The changing face of todays classrooms . . .
What Is Differentiation?

• Diverse subpopulations
• Poverty
• De-tracking Americas schools
• Drop-out situation
• Higher expectations and pressure

14
Differentiate for . . .
What Is Differentiation?

• English language learners
• gifted students
• special education students
• regular education students
• minority students
• at-risk students

15
Why Differentiate?

• Differentiate because of
• Readiness
• Learning styles
• Interests

• Differentiate through
• Content (what is taught)
• Process (how it is taught)
• Product (what they produce)

16
Why Differentiate?
17
Developing Vocabulary

• Frontload the lesson
• Revisit past vocabulary words
• Repeat games and activities
• Clearly set up expectations

18
Developing Vocabulary

• Content vocabulary words are used within the
  subject matter you are teaching (e.g.,
  fractions, decimals).
• Academic vocabulary is the higher-level language
  needed to understand the content (e.g.,
  analyze, identify).

19
This product clearly models how to differentiate
through . . .
Differentiating by Content

• content (what they learn)
• process (how they learn)
• product (how they share)

20
Differentiating by Content

• You cant learn much from books you cant read.
• Educational Leadership

21
Differentiating by Content

• Read the first two paragraphs of The Roaring
  Twenties.

22
Differentiating by Content
23
Differentiating by Content

• Level the Text

Shorten sentences Define vocabulary Try
not to use many pronouns Give context to names
24
Differentiating by Content

• Lower the level of these sentences.
• In Venice, Italy, a 35-year-old mathematics
  teacher named Galileo Galilei heard about a new
  tool that made it possible for people to see
  distant objects as if they were nearby. This new
  tool was called the telescope. Galileo had never
  seen one, but he figured out how it should work
  just by thinking about it. He decided to build
  his own and by early 1610, he had a telescope
  that could magnify distant objects up to 30
  times. For the next two years, he wrote down his
  observations and discoveries. Isnt that
  fascinating?
• Level 7.2

25
Differentiating by Content

• There was a man who lived in Venice, Italy. His
  name was George. He was a mathematics teacher.
  George heard about a new tool. This tool made
  things that were far away look really close. The
  tool was called a telescope. George was a very
  smart man. He had never seen a telescope. But,
  he wanted to make one himself. So, George
  thought about how he would make one. In 1610, he
  came up with a plan. George built his own
  telescope. This telescope magnified objects.
  This means it made objects look 30 times larger
  than they were. George used his telescope for
  years. He wrote down what he saw with the
  telescope. These are called his observations.
• Level 3.4

26
Differentiating by Content

• Organize text

• Tier graphic organizers

27
Differentiating by Content
28
Differentiating by Content
29
Differentiating by Content

• Leveling Graphic Organizers

• Change what is expected
• Change the number of items needed to be listed
• Change the resources
• Change the look of the organizer

30
Differentiating by Content

• Revise this graphic organizer for the following
  levels
• Above grade level
• Below grade level
• English language learners

- Change what is expected - Change the number of
items needed to be listed - Change the
resources - Change the look of the organizer
31
Differentiating by Content
32
Differentiating by Content
33
Differentiating by Content
34
Differentiating by Content

• Good Strategies for Differentiating by Content

• Tiered Assignments
• Self-Paced Strategies
• Personal Agendas
• Orbital Studies
• Independent Investigations
• Learning Contracts

35
Quick Differentiation Ideas

• Rephrasing
• Most difficult first
• Word stairs

36
Quick Differentiation Ideas
Word Stairs
37
This product clearly models how to differentiate
through . . .
Differentiating by Process

• content (what they learn)
• process (how they learn)
• product (how they share)

38
Differentiating by Process
Start with the whole class topic

• Tiering/Leveling
• Questions

Increase the complexity of the question
Narrow the scope of the question
Add context to the language
39
Differentiating by Process

• Tiering/Leveling Questions

? In what ways . . . ? How might you have done
this differently . . . ? How does this affect .
. . ? Explain several reasons why . . . ? What
problems does this create . . . ? Describe the
ways . . . ? What are some possible explanations
for . . .
? Predict the outcome . . . ? Form a hypothesis
. . . ? What are ways to classify . .
. ? Support your reason . . . ? Make a plan for
. . . ? Propose a solution . . . ? What is an
alternative to . . .
40
Differentiating by Process

• Tiering/Leveling Questions

• Describe water when it is a liquid and a solid.
• Describe water when you leave it on the table.
  Describe water in your freezer.
• Describe water when it is a solid and a liquid.
  The third state of water is gas. What do you
  think that looks like?

41
Differentiating by Process

• Tiering/Leveling Questions

• Compare and contrast the characters of Romeo and
  Juliet.
• How are Romeo and Juliet alike? How are they
  different?
• Describe Romeo. Describe Juliet.

42
Differentiating by Process

• Tiering/Leveling Questions

• Why and how did the northwestern Indian tribes
  carve detailed totem poles?
• What was carved into totem poles? Why?
• Name or sketch at least two things carved into
  totem poles. Tell why you think one was
  included.
• For what reasons was it important to be chosen
  to carve the lowest portion of the totem pole?
  What would you carve at the bottom of a
  personal totem pole?

43
Tiered Assignments
How to Differentiate

• Complex strategy
• The grand daddy of all differentiation
  strategies
• Different paths lead to the same objective.

44
Tiered Assignments
How to Differentiate
above
Objective
on
below
45
Tiered Assignments
How to Differentiate

• Strategy Overview
• In small groups read the Tiered Assignments
  Overview.
• Create a mind map or graphic organizer to
  represent the most important ideas from the
  Tiered Assignments Overview.

46
Tiered Assignments
How to Differentiate

• Begin by thinking about the enduring
  understandings.
• What do you want students to learn during the
  activity?
• All students should work toward the same
  objective.

In what ways did immigrants affect life in
America?
47
Tiered Assignments
How to Differentiate

• Create the activity you want your on-grade-level
  students to complete.
• When you tier your first assignments, start
  small. Dont tier an entire unit, tier just one
  day or one assignment.

• Write a letter from the point of view of one of
  the immigrants we read about in class.
• Use the narrative we read as a resource.
• Describe the immigrants new life in America.
• Include at least two ways that the immigrant
  changed lives in America.

48
Tiered Assignments
How to Differentiate

• Revise the activity for your below-grade-level
  students.
• Make the activity more focused or narrowed.

• Write a one-paragraph letter from the point of
  view of one of the immigrants we read about in
  class.
• Use the narrative we read as a resource.
• Describe at least two details about the
  immigrants new life in America.
• Include at least one way that the immigrant
  changed lives in America.

49
Tiered Assignments
How to Differentiate

• Revise the activity for your English language
  learners.
• Add context to the activity so focus of lesson is
  not on the language.

• Create a Venn diagram comparing your life in
  America with the experiences of an early
  immigrant.
• Some ideas to include are
• What it feels like to arrive
• What jobs immigrants do
• How immigrants spend their free time
• Ways immigrants change America
• Then, write at least three sentences summarizing
  your Venn diagram.

50
Tiered Assignments
How to Differentiate

• Revise the activity for your above-grade-level
  students.
• Add complexity to the activity. Dont make it
  harder just more complex.

• Write the final chapter of an autobiography from
  the point of view of one of the immigrants we
  read about in class.
• Use at least three resources as you write your
  chapter.
• Describe in detail how his or her life changed
  after moving to America.
• Include at least three specific examples
  describing how the immigrant affected American
  society.

51
Differentiating by Process

• Good Strategies for Differentiating by Process

• Tiered Assignments
• Questioning
• Blooms Taxonomy
• Kaplans Depth and Complexity
• Three-Story Intellect
• Multiple Intelligences
• Inquiry-Based Learning
• Problem-Based Learning/ Creative Problem
  Solving
• Discovery Learning

52
Quick Differentiation Ideas

• Scaffolded questions
• Wait time

53
This product clearly models how to differentiate
through . . .
Differentiating by Product

• content (what they learn)
• process (how they learn)
• product (how they share)

54
Differentiating by Product
Multiple Intelligences Product Grid

• Verbal/Linguistic
• Logical/Mathematical
• Visual/Spatial
• Bodily/Kinesthetic
• Rhythmic/Musical
• Interpersonal
• Intrapersonal
• Naturalist

55
Choices Board
Differentiating by Product

• Easy to understand
• Easy to implement
• Easy to learn
• Easy to explain

56
Menu of Options
Differentiating by Product


57
Differentiating by Product
Good Strategies for Differentiating by Product

• Choices
• Menu of Options
• Choices Board
• Open-Ended Tasks
• Stations/Interest Centers
• Leveled Learning Centers

58
Assessment

• Difficult with differentiated activities
• No option will work for every activity
• Summative assessments
• individual
• grade-level criterion-referenced tests
• authentic assessments
• Formative assessments
• group and individual
• authentic assessments

59
Assessment

• Types of authentic assessment
• matrix rubric
• point-based rubric
• individual writing sample

60
Assessment

• Matrix Rubric

61
Assessment

• Matrix Rubric

62
Assessment

• Checklist

63
Assessment

• Point-based Rubrics

64
Assessment
Point-based Rubrics
65
Assessment

• Individual Writing Sample

66
Myths of Differentiation

• Only one way
• Use all the time
• All-purpose problem solver
• No whole-group instruction
• Bad for high-stakes testing
• Special education only
• Same as individualization

67
Myths of Differentiation

• Means lack of mastery
• Unbalanced workloads
• Kings and foot soldiers
• Brighter students teach others
• Not fair

The above list was adapted from the following
resources Benjamin, Amy. 2002. Dispelling some
myths about differentiated instruction.
Differentiated instruction A guide for middle
and high school teachers. Larchmont, NY Eye on
Education. Wormeli, Rick. 2005. Busting myths
about differentiated instruction. National
Association of Secondary School Principals.
http//wwwfindarticles.com. Accessed October 1,
2007.
68
Truths of Differentiation

• Choice
• Variety of assessments
• Working together
• Open-ended assignments

• Multiple learning modes
• Connections across disciplines
• Different teaching styles

The above list was adapted from the following
resource Benjamin, Amy. 2002. Dispelling some
myths about differentiated instruction.
Differentiated instruction A guide for middle
and high school teachers. Larchmont, NY Eye on
Education.
69
Applying Differentiation Strategies
Thank You! Emily R. Smith esmith_at_tcmpub.com http/
/www.teachercreatedmaterials.com/newsEvents/shows
Conferences_html
http//www.shelleducation.com