Doable Differentiation

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Doable Differentiation

• PART ONE

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Getting to Know You

• In your group, work on the Group Matrix in your
  handout.
• Anchor Activity Fill in what you can on EITHER
  the Graphic Organizer for Differentiating
  Instruction OR the KWL chart on the reverse side.

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Robert HutchinsThe Conflict in Education in a
Democratic Society
Perhaps the greatest idea that America has
given the world is education for all. The world
is entitled to know whether this idea means that
everybody can be educated or simply that everyone
must go to school.
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Appointment Clock

• Think of one personal comment that comes to your
  mind when you read the Hutchins quote.
• Go around the room and share your comment with
  others as you make appointments to fill in your
  appointment clock.
• You may revise your comment as you listen to
  others opinions.

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Robert HutchinsThe Conflict in Education in a
Democratic Society
Perhaps the greatest idea that America has
given the world is education for all. The world
is entitled to know whether this idea means that
everybody can be educated or simply that everyone
must go to school.
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Differentiated Instruction
What it is, What its not
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Activity One Read, Pair, Share

• Read the given passage pp 5-10 and use the
  graphic organizer provided to take notes
  independently on what DI is and what its not.
• Share your notes with your 300 appointment and
  discuss.
• Share your combined wisdom with the whole class.

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When a teacher tries to teach something to
the entire class at the same time, chances are,
one-third of the kids already know it one-third
will get it and the remaining third wont. So
two-thirds of the children are wasting their
time.
- Lilian Katz
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Activity Two Think, Pair, Share
Reflect on this quote by completing these
phrases

• As a student, I was in the 1/3 who
• As a teacher, I was in the 1/3 who...
• As a parent, my child is in the 1/3 who
• Discuss your responses with your 600 appointment

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When a teacher tries to teach something to
the entire class at the same time, chances are,
one-third of the kids already know it one-third
will get it and the remaining third wont. So
two-thirds of the children are wasting their
time.
- Lilian Katz
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What is Differentiated Instruction?
Traditional Classroom Differentiated Classroom
Assessment at the end of a unit of study Assessment is ongoing, diagnostics and influences instruction
Dominance of whole class instruction Variety of instructional strategies used within a classroom
Adapted textbooks are the main instructional resource Multiple types of materials are utilized as resources
The teacher is the main problem solver Students are actually engaged in solving problems
Quantitative focus to assignments Qualitative focus to assignments
(Based on C Tomlinson, 2000)
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Self-Assessment for Differentiated Instruction
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DefiningDifferentiated Instruction

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Differentiated Instruction Defined
Differentiated instruction is a teaching
philosophy based on the premise that teachers
should adapt instruction to student differences.
Rather than marching students through the
curriculum lockstep, teachers should modify their
instruction to meet students varying readiness
levels, learning preferences, and interests.
Therefore, the teacher proactively plans a
variety of ways to get at and express
learning. Carol Ann Tomlinson
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Key Principles of Differentiation

• High quality curriculum
• Ongoing assessment
• Respectful tasks
• Varied learning styles
• Flexible grouping
• Teacher/student collaboration
• Student choice

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Activity Three Jigsaw

• Read the assigned selection from pp 11-21 at your
  table team.
• Go to your table of experts with others from
  different table teams who have read the same
  selection as you.
• Devise a way to teach the contents of your
  selection to your original table team.
• Return to your table team and teach them your
  content, using the method designed by your table
  of experts.

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Differentiation is responsive teaching rather
than one-size-fits-all teaching.
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Differentiated InstructionHow?

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Differentiation of Instruction
Is a teachers response to learners needs guided
by general principles of differentiation
Respectful tasks
Flexible grouping
Ongoing assessment
Teachers Can Differentiate Through
Process
Product
Content
According to Students
Readiness
Interest
Learning Profile
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Activity Four Hands-On

• Use pp 8-9 from your handout to match the
  activity cards with the correct space on the
  differentiated grid.

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Differentiated Instruction Why?
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Why differentiation?
Differentiation is classroom practice that looks
eyeball to eyeball with the reality that kids
differ, and the most effective teachers do
whatever it takes to hook the whole range of kids
on learning. Tomlinson 2001


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Research Support for Differentiation

• Research for differentiating by readiness
  Vygotsky (1978), Fisher (1980)
• Research for differentiating by interest LeDoux
  (1996), Abrantes, Seabra, and Lages (2008)
• Research for student choice Renate and Caine
  (1994), Glasser (1999)
• Research for using multiple learning styles
  Torrance and Ball (1978), Edelman (1992), Restak
  (1994)

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Activity 4

• How do students learn?
• What do students need in order to learn?
• What should students do in order to learn?
• Discuss with your 900 appointment
• CHALK TALK to share your thoughts

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Coming Attractions

• Brain research and how it supports
  differentiation!