Title: Closing Achievement Gaps through Differentiated Instruction
1Closing Achievement Gaps through Differentiated
Instruction
Presenters Jennie Barrett Barbara
Burchard February 22, 2005 March 1, 2005
2Todays Schedule
- 800 1100 Cover the Theory and Practices
- 1100-1230 Lunch
- 1230-230 Making Sense CD Exploration
3Thinking Outside the Box
?
4The Animal Schoolby Dr. G. H. Reavis, Cincinnati
Public Schools
5Public schools are expected to
- Teach good nutrition habits
- Treat the emotionally disturbed
- Teach first aid procedures
- Assist in disease prevention.
6What is Differentiated Instruction?
- Read Elementary or Middle Sample from pages 3 7
in your book.
7Differentiated instruction is not a set of tools
but a philosophy that a teacher embraces to reach
the unique needs of every learner.
8Elements of Differentiation
- The teacher focuses on the essentials.
- Concepts
- Principles
- Skills
- See page 9
9Elements of Differentiation
- The teacher attends to student differences.
- Culture
- Gender
- Genetic Code
- Neurological wiring
- See page 10
10Elements of Differentiation
- Assessment and instruction are inseparable.
- Ongoing
- Diagnostic
- Used to benchmark
- Formal
- Informal
- See page 10
11Elements of Differentiation
- The teacher modifies
- Content Multiple options for taking information
in - Process Multiple options for making sense of
the ideas - Product Multiple options for expressing what
they know - See page 11
12Elements of Differentiation
- All students participate in respectful work.
- Respect the readiness level of each student.
- Expect all students to grow, and support their
continual growth. - Offer all students the opportunity to explore
essential understandings and skills at varied
degrees. - Offer all students interesting, challenging
tasks. - Page 11
13Elements of Differentiation
- The teacher and students collaborate in learning.
- Student-centered classroom.
- Teacher coordinates learning.
- Page 12
14Elements of Differentiation
- The teacher balances groups and individual norms.
- A great coach never achieves greatness for
himself or his team by working to make all his
players alike. - Page 13
15Elements of Differentiation
- The teacher and students work together flexibly.
- Group work
- Individual work
- Readiness, interest, learning style
- Page 13 and then refer to pages 15 16
16Why differentiate instruction?
- Accountability
- Changing Classroom
- Changing Schools
17Accountability
- Standards-driven
- No Child Left Behind
- Adequate Yearly Progress
18Changing Classroom
- High Expectations
- Cultural Relevance
- Student Diversity
- Cognitive Research
- Societal and Technological Change
Pg. 17-24
19Changing Schools
- Skills that students are expected to learn from
teachers now- - C Connected, Competent, Confidence, Compassion
- A Acceptance, Affection, Appreciation
- R Reading, Riting and Rithmetic, along with
Responsibility, Respect, and Relationships - T Thinking, Technology, Teamwork
20Reflecting on Learning Experiences
- Think about a negative learning experience you
have had as a learner. Have you ever created a
negative experience for your students? - Based on these experiences, what would you have
changed to create a positive learning environment?
21What Does It Look Like?
- Watch the video of several classes implementing
differentiating instruction - As you watch, use the video previewing guide to
jot down practices currently in place in the left
column and practices you would like to include in
your classroom in the right column
22Approaches to Differentiation
- Resources for further study and implementation
23Creating a Healthy Classroom Environment
Student
Pages 27-30
Teacher
Content
24Three Approaches to Differentiation
- Learning Contracts pg. 87
- Intelligence Preferences
- Tiered Assignments pg. 83
25Learning Contracts
Page 87
26Learning Contract
- An agreement between a teacher and a student.
27Learning Contracts are written agreements that
outline
- What students will learn
- How they will learn it
- In what period of time
- How they will be evaluated
28Instructional Values of Contracts
- Help students learn to make decisions about their
learning - Help students learn to manage their time
- May involve the student in curriculum planning
- Can be used to support students with learning
difficulties
- Can be used to facilitate learning for other
students - Help the teacher manage
- group work
- Individual projects
- Investigations
- centers
29How do you begin?
- There are some initial ideas youll need to
consider before developing a contract. - What do students like to do?
- What materials and resources do you have
available? - What technology do you want students to use?
30Developing Contracts
- Tiered Contracts
- Variety of activities
- Everyone has the same goals
- Supply reading materials on varied levels
- Give choices
- Make requirements
31Contract Dos
- Start small (1 or 2 day contracts).
- Explain the role and function of contract.
- Help set realistic deadlines.
- Renegotiate the contract if it isnt working.
- Gradually involve students in contract
development.
32Contract Donts
- Expect all students to be able to use contracts
effectively immediately. - Expect all students to like contracts.
- Assume contracts can take the place of regular
instruction. - Use contracts without a good management system.
33Learning Style
34Intelligence Preferences
- School Smarts
- Street Smarts
- Imagination Smarts
35Sternbergs Intelligence Preferences
- Analytic Intelligence (school smarts) People
with strengths in this area tend to do very well
with school tasks such as making meaning of text
material, organizing information, seeing cause
and effect, taking notes, and memorizing
information.
36Sternbergs Intelligence Preferences
- Practical Intelligence (street smarts) People
with strengths in this area learn well when they
see how things work in the world and how ideas
and skills help solve problems. They learn
better by using ideas rather than just learning
ideas. They need to solve problems in a
meaningful context.
37Sternbergs Intelligence Preferences
- Creative Intelligence (imagination smarts)
People with strengths in this area tend to come
at ideas and problems in fresh and surprising
ways. They prefer to experiment with ideas
rather than work like everyone else They think
outside the box. - Handout 17
38Reflecting on What We Learn
- Use the handout Thinking About the Sternberg
Intelligences to categorize learning tasks with
your table team. - Handout 17 Activity
39Present a step by step approach making an
effective speech.
Analytical Intelligence
40Identify the key parts of the water cycle.
Practical Intelligence
41Use unusual materials to show equations balance.
Creative Intelligence
42How Do Your Students Learn?
- Read the case studies on the handout labeled How
People Learn in your folder. - Complete the table to
- Identify each students intelligence preference.
- Provide two descriptors for the preference.
- List one instructional strategy that would be
effective for this student - List one instructional strategy that would be
ineffective for this student. - Handout 16 pg. 101
43Tiered Instruction
- A Planning Strategy for Mixed Ability Classrooms
44Tiered Instruction
When somebody hands you a glob of kids, they
dont hand you a matched set. Carol Tomlinson
- Provides teachers with a means of assigning
different tasks within the same lesson or
unit. - The tasks will vary according to
- Readiness
- Interest
45WHAT CAN BE TIERED?
- Assignments
- Activities
- Homework
- Centers
- Experiments
- Materials
- Assessments
- Writing Prompts
46WHY USE TIERED INSTRUCTION?
- To build multiple avenues to content
- The focus is on key concepts and understandings
of the lesson or unit - To provide optimal learning experiences
- The task difficulty and skill level are slightly
above the student level
47IDENTIFY OUTCOMES What should the students know,
understand, or be able to do?
THINK ABOUT YOUR STUDENTS Pre-assess readiness,
interest, or learning styles.
INITIATING ACTIVITIES Use a common experience for
whole class
Group 1 Task
Group 2 Task
Group 3 Task
48Creating Multiple Paths for Learning
Key Concept Or Understanding
Highly Able Learners
Struggling Learners
On-level Learners
49The Teachers Challenge
- Developing Respectful Activities
- Interesting
- Engaging
- Challenging
50How to Differentiate Instruction
51 Step One Know Your Students
- Ability Levels
- Interests
- Behavior
52Step Two Vary Instruction
- Direct Instruction
- Inquiry-based Learning
- Cooperative Learning
- Information Processing Strategies
53Step Three Vary Activities
- Cubing
- Webquest
- Power Point
54Step Four Vary Assessments
- Pre-Assessments
- During Learning Assessments
- Reflection Activities
- Authentic Assessments
- Rubrics
- Portfolios
55Bringing it all together