Differentiated Instruction (DI)

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Differentiated Instruction (DI)
Responding to the Needs of All Learners

• By Jason Thomas

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What is DI?

• The goal of differentiated instruction is to
  provide students with different avenues to learn.
  It aids in the processing, developing, or making
  sense of ideas.
• My goal is to develop teaching products
  (activities assessments) so all students in my
  classroom can learn effectively, regardless of
  differences in ability.

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One Size Does Not Fit All Learners

• DI is the process of ensuring that what a
  student learns, how he/she learns it, and how the
  student demonstrates what he/she has learned is a
  match for that students readiness level,
  interests, and preferred mode of learning.
• Differentiation stems from beliefs about
  differences among learners, how they learn,
  learning preferences and individual interests
  (Anderson, 2007).

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DI is Proactive
1) The teacher assumes each student has different
needs. 2) Instruction is more qualitative than
quantitative. We are looking for mastery of
stated ideas not how many assignments we can do
to fill time. 3) Instruction is student
centered. The premise here is students have more
meaningful learning experiences when they are
engaged, interested and the material is relevant.

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Every Student is Unique
Sources of learner individuality
Intelligence
Socioeconomic Status
Learner Diversity
Gender
Culture
(Eggen Kauchak 2007)
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8 Identified Intelligences
1) Linguistic - Understands the written word.
2) Logical-Mathematical - Excels with reasoning,
patterns, rational.
3) Musical - Sensitive to pitch, melody, and tone.
4) Spatial - Understand the visual world around
them.
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8 Intelligences Continued
5) Bodily-Kinesthetic - Ability to use hands and
body.
6) Interpersonal - Ability to work well in a
group setting.
7) Intrapersonal - Can easily identify and
understands ones own feelings
8) Naturalist - Understand the natural/physical
world.
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Instructional approaches to address all the
Intelligences
Essential Questions 1) Linguistic - How do I
get students to discuss or write about the
idea? 2) Logical-Mathematical - How can I bring
in number, and logic into our coursework to
quantify or clarify the idea? 3) Spatial - What
will help students to visualize draw, or
conceptualize the idea? 4) Musical - How can I
incorporate sound, rhythm or melody to aid in
learning? 5) Bodily-Kinesthetic - How can I get
students to be more hands on and use their
body? 6) Interpersonal - How do I use
cooperative learning to help students be more
interactive? 7) Intrapersonal - How do I help
students to be more reflective and more aware of
their own feelings? 8) Naturalist - How can I
provide an experience that requires students to
identify and classify the wolrd around them?
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Creating a DI Climate

• A physical environment that is efficient,
  engaging, safe, and nurturing. All students need
  to contribute and feel valued.
• The teacher will know the students. I will get
  to know their abilities - strengths,
  personalities, likes and dislikes and how they
  relate to their learning.
• Students will receive regular feedback on their
  performance in order to improve. Assessments
  will be varied to enhance interest, and promote
  engagement.
• Promote student lead discussions and activities
  to get students engaged in their own learning.

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DI Physical Environment

• Everyone feels welcomed and works to make
  everyone else feel welcomed - Teacher provides
  direct positive attention to all and peers act in
  a positive way towards one another.
• Mutual Respect is nonnegotiable - Students will
  work together in an upbeat manner free from put
  downs.
• Students feel safe and able to open up - Stems
  from mutual respect. Students will feel able to
  try new things and be creative without feeling
  foolish.
• Students expect to grow - I will set expectations
  and enthusiastically challenge student to get out
  of their control zone.
• Everyone is treated fairly - I will work to get
  each student what they need to be successful.
• Teacher and students collaborate to spur growth
  and success - While I am the leader in the
  classroom, the students will be asked to create
  rules/boundaries (and enforce them), help each
  other, keep track of their own work, develop
  activities, and solving problems.

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DI Assessment
Analyze individual strengths and
needs Strategically plan for each learner to
improve and excel Set new objectives Explore
abilities Supply assistance and appropriate
materials Stress growth Monitor for immediate
intervention Empower with self-directed
assessment strategies Nurture and support
efforts Translate needs and strengths into active
learning
(Chapman King 2005)
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References

• Chapman, C. King, R. (2005). Differentiated
  Assessment Strategies One Tool Doesnt Fit All.
  California Corwin Press.
• Tomlinson, Carol A. (2001). How To Differentiate
  Instruction in Mixed-Ability Classrooms (2nd
  Edition). Virginia ASCD.
• Tomlinson, Carol A. (1999). The Differentiated
  Classroom Responding to the Needs of All
  Learners. Virginia ASCD.
• Eggen, P. Kauchak, D. (2007). Educational
  Psychology Windows on Classrooms (7th Edition).
  Chapter 4 pp. 96-102. New Jersey Merrill
  Prentice Hall