Joy Runyan

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Differentiate Instruction with STEMfusion
KNOW
Researched-Based

• Joy Runyan
• joy.runyan_at_edvantia.org

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Goals/Objectives

• Participants will
• Gain an overview of differentiated instruction
• Identify options to consider when implementing
  differentiated instruction

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Differentiated Instruction

• Are there irreconcilable differences between
  differentiated instruction and standards-based
  instruction?
• According to Carol Ann Tomlinson, the answer is,
  No! Standards-based instruction and
  differentiated learning can be compatible
  instructional approaches.

RB Educational Consulting, LLC
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Teachers Can Differentiate
Content
Process
Product
According to Students
Interest
Learning Profile
Readiness
Adapted from The Differentiated Classroom
Responding to the Needs of All Learners
(Tomlinson, 1999).
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What Is Differentiation?

• A teachers response to learner needs
• The recognition of students varying background
  knowledge and preferences
• Instruction that appeals to students differences

Melissa Storm, The Access Center, Differentiated
Instruction An Overview and One Classrooms
Transformation
6
What Is Differentiation?

• A teachers response to learner needs
• The recognition of students varying background
  knowledge and preferences
• Instruction that appeals to students differences

Melissa Storm, The Access Center, Differentiated
Instruction An Overview and One Classrooms
Transformation
7
Differentiation A Way of Thinking

• Differentiation is a way of thinking about
  teaching and learning. As such, it is based on a
  set of beliefs
• Students who are the same age differ in their
  readiness to learn, their interests, their styles
  of learning, their experiences, and their life
  circumstances.
• These differences have a major impact on what
  students need to learn, the pace at which they
  learn it, and the support they need from teachers
  to learn it well.

RB Educational Consulting, LLC
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Beliefs about Differentiation (cont.)

• Students learn best when they can make a
  connection between the curriculum and their
  interests and life experiences.
• Students are more effective learners when
  classrooms create a sense of community in which
  students feel significant and respected.
• The central job of teachers is to maximize the
  capacity of each student.

RB Educational Consulting, LLC
9
Why Differentiate?

• All kids are different.
• One size does not fit all.
• Differentiation provides all students with access
  to all curriculum.

Melissa Storm, The Access Center, Differentiated
Instruction An Overview and One Classrooms
Transformation
10
Why Differentiate?

• Prior knowledge or skill expertise
• Learning rate
• Cognitive ability
• Learning style preference
• Motivation, attitude, and effort
• Interest, strength, or talent

Melissa Storm, The Access Center, Differentiated
Instruction An Overview and One Classrooms
Transformation
11
How Do You Differentiate Instruction?

• Curriculum tells us what to teach
  Differentiation tells us how.
• Differentiation suggests that you can challenge
  all learners by providing materials and tasks on
  the standard at various levels of difficulty,
  with varying degrees of scaffolding, through
  multiple instructional groups, and with time
  variations.

RB Educational Consulting, LLC
12
How Do You Differentiate Instruction?

• Curriculum tells us what to teach
  Differentiation tells us how.
• Teachers can craft lessons in ways that tap into
  multiple student interests to promote heightened
  learner interest in the standard.

RB Educational Consulting, LLC
13
How Do You Differentiate Instruction?

• Curriculum tells us what to teach
  Differentiation tells us how.
• Teachers can encourage student success by varying
  ways in which students work alone or
  collaboratively, in auditory or visual modes, or
  through practical or creative means.

RB Educational Consulting, LLC
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DIFFERENTIATION INVOLVES...

• creating specialized differences in curricular
  experiences
• creating multiple options for knowledge
  acquisition, sense-making, and product creation
• providing different work, not more of the same
• building on the characteristics which create
  differences
• providing what is educationally right for learners

http//www.aea11.k12.ia.us/Curriculum/webppt/sld01
2.htm
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Differentiation Indicators

• Consistent use of pre-testing
• Decrease in use of large group activities
• Increase in
• Small group teaching activities
• Flexible small group learning activities
• Individual alternatives centers, homework,
  contracts

http//www.aea11.k12.ia.us/Curriculum/webppt/sld03
3.htm
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One Classrooms Journey Toward Differentiation
Runyan and Company. 1 Because We Think!!
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My Starting Point

• Reflections on my teaching
• My popular misconception
• Action Research

Melissa Storm, The Access Center, Differentiated
Instruction An Overview and One Classrooms
Transformation
18
The Beginning - Data Drives Action

• Student, Parent, Business, Self Surveys
• Course of Action
• Build relationships
• Provide increased choices
• Offer multiple levels of materials
• Offer flexible groupings
• Use frequent, varied, authentic assessment
• Provide meaningful assignments
• Connect new information to existing knowledge

Melissa Storm, The Access Center, Differentiated
Instruction An Overview and One Classrooms
Transformation
19
1 Because We Think!!
Runyan Company

• Interviews Using
• de Bono / Johnson / Gardner

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My First Scaffold

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

Positive
Team Player
Creative
Focused
Cute
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So Now What??
Instructional Design Components
My Second Scaffold
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My Third ScaffoldStandards Based Projects

• Use of varied groupings based on readiness,
  interest, and learners profiles
• Student choice in assignments
• Authentic, performance-based assessment
• Opportunities for challenge

Melissa Storm, The Access Center, Differentiated
Instruction An Overview and One Classrooms
Transformation
23
My Fourth Scaffold

• Blooms Revised Taxonomy
• COGNITIVE LEVELS
• CREATING - Generate new ideas
• EVALUATING - Justify decision
• ANALYZING - Examine Parts
• APPLYING - Use or Implement
• UNDERSTANDING - Interpret
• REMEMBERING - Recall

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Walk-Through Evidence

• Best Teaching Practices Increase
• Use of manipulative materials
• Cooperative group work
• Discussion of content (math/science/etc.)
• Questioning and making conjectures
• Justification of thinking
• Writing about content
• Focus on learning styles and Blooms

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Walk-Through Evidence (cont...)

• Best Teaching Practices Increase
• Problem-solving approach to instruction
• Content integration
• Use of calculators, computers, technology
• Being a facilitator of learning (teacher
  Student)
• Assessing leaning as an integral part of
  instruction

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Planning Tool

• What strategy will I use?
• Who will I use it with?
• When will I try it?
• Where in my content area (topic) will I use it?
• Why will I use it (standards/reading)?
• How will I use it?

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Where Do I Go From Here?Resources

• Online discussion forum
• http//www.k8accesscenter.org/discuss
• Effective classroom strategies
• Differentiated instruction
• Differentiation Listservs
• mstorm_at_air.org
• Collaboration

Melissa Storm, The Access Center, Differentiated
Instruction An Overview and One Classrooms
Transformation
28
Resources (continued)

• Assessment
• Curriculum-based measurement
• http//www.studentprogress.org
• National Center on Accessing the General
  Curriculum (NCAC)
• http//www.cast.org/ncac/
• Access Center
• http// www.k8accesscenter.org

Melissa Storm, The Access Center, Differentiated
Instruction An Overview and One Classrooms
Transformation
29
LOSING SIGHT OF THE SHORE

• DIFFERENTIATING CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION
• Mary Schmidt
• School Improvement Consultant
• Heartland AEA 11
• mschmidt_at_aea11.k12.ia.us

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Differentiated Instruction An Overview and One
Classrooms Transformation
Melissa Storm, PhD The Access Center and Lori
Centerbar, MEd South Burlington Public Schools,
VT
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RB Educational Consulting, LLC

• Rebecca Burns, President
• RB Educational Consulting, LLC
• 939 Chappell Road
• Charleston, WV 25304
• P. 304.925.6759
• F. 304.925.7602
• rebeccaburns_at_suddenlink.net
• http//rbeducation.com