Overview of Differentiating Instruction

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Overview of Differentiating Instruction

• Fdlrs-South
• Cynthia Magnus

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What is Differentiated Instruction?

• A method of teaching that allows the teacher to
  proactively plan and carry out varied approaches
  to content, process(activities), and product
  (students work) in anticipation of and response
  to student differences in readiness (skill
  level), interest (area of content), and learning
  needs.

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Differentiated Instruction is A BLEND OF.

• Whole class instruction (e.g.. Designing lessons
  handbook), group instruction, and individual
  instruction
• Teach the lesson to the whole class
• Small groups in differentiated instruction
  activities
• Frees the teacher for individual re-teaching,
  clarification, student conferences, production,
• Student presentation/sharing,
• The DI classroom is a repeated rhythm of
• these steps

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There are 5 classroom elements that you can
differentiate to help your students access
learning.

• 1. Content - what students will learn
• 2. Activities, (also called Process) the way
  they go about learning it
• 3. Product/Assessment - output, how are they
  going to show what they have learned

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5 classroom elements that you can differentiate

• 4. Learning Environment routines, space, time,
  learning styles, and flexibility
• 5. Affect absence of emotional threat, how
  feelings impact learning
• You can differentiate all these areas, any one
  area, or any combination of areas, for any lesson
  or unit.

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When we Differentiate Instruction, we have to
look at CONTENT as referring a broader definition
than were used to

• We know concepts as principles, tasks, and skills
  that we want students to learn,
• D.I. strategies address the same content with all
  students but adjust the path some students have
  to take in order to learn that content,

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D. I. also refers to Content as

• the vehicles used to give students access
• to skills and knowledge,
• - such as texts, lectures, demonstrations,
  hands-on manipulatives, internet, field trips,
  etc.
• We can vary these vehicles as well.
• - For example, we might direct a higher
  functioning student to challenging texts, Web
  Sites, and interviewing experts, while providing
  a lower functioning student with reading buddies,
  videos, demonstrations, and "organizers that
  break down the same information to make it more
  accessible.

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Therefore,

• Content is what we teach, what we want the
  students to learn, as well as the materials we
  select to give students access to what we want
  them to learn.
• -The first step in differentiating content is to
  be very clear about what a student should know
  and be able to do as a result of a lesson.

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• Using the IEP/SSS/GLE/FCAT/ AIP data driven goals
  for individual students, course descriptions, and
  the course textbook, the teacher determines
  lesson content.
• If the teacher has a clear picture of each
  lesson's goals, it can be communicated to
  students and differentiated as appropriate.

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Some Ways to Differentiate by Content

• Allow students to work on benchmarks/ curriculum
  from multiple entry points e.g. the Multiple
  Intelligences (musical visual).
• Use task analysis to teach in smaller concrete
  steps.
• Assess and build on background experiences.
• Use graphic organizers lots and lots!.
• Provide materials at various reading levels
  (pre-test to determine levels).

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Differentiate by Content

• Highlight key portions of a textbook.
• Pre-teach key vocabulary.
• Re-teach in small, flexible groups while others
  are working on assignments.
• Provide taped materials and earphones.
• Present in visual, tactile, and auditory modes.
• Model the task provide examples of what best
  work looks like.

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ACTIVITIES/PROCESS

• The PROCESS the activities used to make sense of
  the content. The process helps students take
  charge of their learning.
• are all the learning activities that help the
  student understand and take ownership of the
  ideas and skills being taught.
• (what you do with the content)

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Process or Learning Activity

• we can adapt these activities to
• provide higher functioning students
• with more challenge and others
• with more scaffolding, depending
• on their readiness levels.

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Some Ways to Differentiate by Process

• discussion groups
• flexible grouping for projects
• written learning logs
• tiered lessons
• learning centers based on readiness, interest, or
  learning style
• mind mapping

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Some Ways to Differentiate by Process

• brainstorming strategies
• interactive journals
• maps
• diagrams and charts
• graphic organizers of varying levels of
  complexity, e.g.

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Products Tests Assessments

• Are the final projects/tests that allow students
  to show what they have learned.
• you can also differentiate these
• Some students can be assigned differentiated
  tests based on their readiness levels, interests,
  and learner preferences.
• Your might develop assessment portfolios for some
  students to document progress on a specific
  skill, while others might work in pairs to
  develop a project based on that same skill.

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Products Tests Assessments

• Whatever is product selected it should be based
  on the students readiness, interest, and learner
  profile and it should enable rather than impede a
  students ability to show how much he or she has
  learned.
• Sometimes we can motivate students by having them
  choose their own product.

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Ways to Differentiate by Product

• Students lead a conference/debate.
• Students create a portfolio.
• Students design a game that uses the skill.
• Students plan and teach a lesson to someone else.
• Students create a learning center.

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The Learning Environment

• In a differentiated classroom the
• environment is flexible.
• Differentiating the learning environment means
  reviewing classroom routines, space, and pace, in
  order to provide students the best conditions for
  learning.

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Ways to Differentiate by Learning Environment

• Provide choice in materials, assignments, pacing,
  and grouping.
• Consider what materials will be available for
  student use.
• Plan procedures for accessing materials.
• Explain the procedures when working in small
  groups, whole group or individually.
• Assist students with ways to keep track of
  assignments.
• Role-play what students should do when they need
  help when the teacher is working with a small
  group.

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Differentiate by Learning Environment

• Explain the choices students can make about where
  and how they work.
• Consider how to manage flexible pacing.
• Provide meaningful and engaging anchor
  activities work that students can do if they
  finish before other students.
• Teach students to keep track of their goals and
  accomplishments.

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Differentiating Affect

• The emotional climate of the classroom is
• determined by considering how feelings
• impact learning.
• We know from recent brain research that learning
  occurs when the learner is neither bored nor
  anxiousRelaxed Alertness
• The learner must be challenged but not
  over-challenged. Students learn best when there
  is an environment free from threat and they feel
  a sense of belonging and community.

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Ways to Differentiate by Affect

• The teacher asks himself or herself, What can I
  do to ensure that students from every readiness
  level and from every culture feel supported,
  included, challenged, and safe?
• Celebrate growth in a way that is meaningful to
  the students.
• Teach students how to listen to one another.
• Provide opportunities for students to share
  perspectives.
• Model respect.

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Ways to Differentiate by Affect continued

• Established shared goals as well as individual
  goals.
• Show each student how he or she is valuable to
  the classroom community.
• Work with individuals to refine problem-solving
  skills intrapersonally and interpersonally.