Differentiated Instruction

1. Differentiated Instruction

2. What Is Differentiated Instruction? Essentially, it means providing several options for students to take in information, make sense of ideas, and demonstrate what they’ve learned.

3. Very simply, it is based on the assumption that different learners have different needs.

4. Differentiation is not a strategy it is a philosophy • Students learn best when adults push them beyond where they can work without assistance. • Students can learn best when they can make a connection between the curriculum and their interests and life experiences. • Students learn best when learning opportunities are natural.

5. Differentiated Instruction • is more qualitative than quantitative • is rooted in assessment • provides multiple approaches to content, process, and product • is student centered • is a blend of whole class, group, and individual instruction

6. Differentiated Instruction • is not individualized instruction • is not chaotic • is not another way to provide homogeneous instruction • is not grading modifications

7. In a differentiated classroom, the teacher proactively plans and provides different learning options based on knowledge of varied learner needs.

8. What is the teacher’s role in a differentiated classroom? The teacher becomes the facilitator of time and space, an assessor of students, a person who helps kids learn to plan and learn to assess the effectiveness of their planning.

9. How do you differentiate and still keep the class on the same page? • Focus on concepts and principals instead of predominantly on facts • Focus on a key concept and a key skill that will help students work with that concept • Design activities that all students can work on at different levels

10. Teachers can differentiate at least 4 classroom elements based on student readiness, interest, or learning profile. • Content- what the student needs to learn or how they will get access to the information • Process- activities in which the student engages in order to make sense of or master the content • Products – culminating projects that ask the student to rehearse, apply, and extend what he or she has learned in a unit • Learning Environment – the way the classroom works and feels

11. 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).

12. Differentiation Strategies • All strategies are aligned with instructional goals and objectives. • Specific strategy selection based on • Focus of instruction • Focus of differentiation

13. DIFFERENTIATION STRATEGIES Differentiation Strategy Primary Use Description of Strategy Things to Consider Assignments and products are designed to instruct and assess students on essential skills that are provided at different levels of complexity, abstractness, and open-endedness. The curricular content and objective(s) are the same, but the process and/or product are varied according to the student’s level of readiness. For example, students with moderate understanding about a topic are asked to write an article. Students with a more advanced understanding are asked to prepare a debate. Tiered Assignments and Products • Focus task on a key concept • Use a variety of resource materials at different levels of complexity and associated with different learning modalities • Adjust task by complexity, abstractness, number of steps, concreteness, and independence to ensure challenge and not frustration Readiness Compacting Readiness • Compacting is the process of eliminating teaching or student practice due to previous mastery of learning objectives. Compacting involves a 3 step process: • assess the student to determine his/her level of knowledge on the material to be studied and determine what he/she still needs to master • create plans for what the student needs to know, and excuse the student from studying what he/she already knows 3. enriched study • Thoroughly pre-assess the learner’s knowledge and document findings • Explain the process and its benefits to the student • Create written plans and timelines for study • Allow student choice in enrichment or accelerated study [1]This chart was adapted from The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners (Tomlinson, 1999).

14. TIERED ASSIGNMENTS

15. Tiered Activity – Writing a Persuasive Essay Erwin Middle or High School Classroom

16. COMPACTING • Compacting is the process of eliminating teaching or student practice due to previous mastery of learning objectives. Compacting involves a 3 step process: • assess the student to determine his/her level of knowledge on the material to be studied and determine what he/she still needs to master 2.create plans for what the student needs to know, and excuse the student from studying what he/she already knows, and 3. enriched study after completion of work. • THINGS TO CONSIDER • Thoroughly pre-assess the learner’s knowledge • Explain the process and its benefits to the student • Create written plans and timelines for study • Allow student choice in enrichment or accelerated study.

17. Diner Menu – Photosynthesis • Appetizer (Everyone Shares) • Write the chemical equation for photosynthesis. • Entrée (Select One) • Draw a picture that shows what happens during photosynthesis. • Write two paragraphs about what happens during photosynthesis. • Create a rap that explains what happens during photosynthesis. • Side Dishes (Select at Least Two) • Define respiration, in writing. • Compare photosynthesis to respiration using a Venn Diagram. • Write a journal entry from the point of view of a green plant. • With a partner, create and perform a skit that shows the differences between photosynthesis and respiration. • Dessert (Optional) • Create a test to assess knowledge of photosynthesis.

18. THINK-TAC-TOE

19. LearningContract To demonstrate what I have learned about polygons, I want to _Design a mural _ Calculate areas of polygons _ Design a movie _ Create a graphic organizer or diagram _ Other _ Write a report _ Put on a demonstration _ Create an experiment _ Develop a computer presentation _ Construct a model This will be a good way to demonstrate understanding of this concept because ______________________________________________________________ To do this project, I will need help with ______________________________________________________________ My Action Plan is________________________________________________ The criteria/rubric which will be used to assess my final product is _________ ______________________________________________________________ My project will be completed by this date _____________________________ Student signature: ________________________________ Date __/__/__ Teacher signature: ________________________________ Date __/__/__

20. Think Pair Share • Teacher asks a question • Students take a moment to consider the question • Students pair up to share most unique or most convincing response • The teacher calls for pairs to share their responses • Can be done in a round robin manner

21. SOCRATIC SEMINARS/ CIRCLES • The Socratic method of teaching is based on Socrates' theory that it is more important to enable students to think for themselves than to merely fill their heads with "right" answers. • Students are given opportunities to "examine" a common piece of text, whether it is in math, literature, art, history, science, health, or music. After examining, open-ended questions are posed. • Open-ended questions allow students to think critically, analyze multiple meanings in text, and express ideas with clarity and confidence.

22. PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING • Problem-based learning (PBL) is an instructional strategy in which students actively resolve complex problems in realistic situations. • The problem is presented to students who are asked to apply reasoning, questioning, researching, and critical thinking to find a solution to the problem. • The emphasis of problem-based learning is on the process, with a focus on students’ learning to enable self-reliance.

23. CUBING • Cubing is a simple instructional strategy that can be used when choices or combinations of concepts must be made. • Words, ideas, or tasks are written on each side of a cube or set of cubes. • Tossing the cube(s) creates combinations of prompts for students to use. • Cubes may be blocks of wood or can be made of paper by a teacher or student.

24. CUBING IDEAS • Write question words (who, what, when, where, how, why) on each side of the cube for a review. • Write numbers on each side for math solving. • Write science vocabulary on the cube for review. • Make the questions on the cube reflect a level of Bloom's taxonomy to include all levels of thinking. • Write dates from history on the cube. Have students recall an event from the date that the cube indicates. • Write characters on one cube, settings on another. Students can create stories from the results. • Be creative.

25. Assessment Idea! EXIT CARD Write 3 things that you have learned about functions. Give 2 examples.

26. EXIT CARDS • Exit Cards (AKA “Tickets To Leave”) are used to gather information on student readiness levels, interests, and/or learning profiles. • The teacher hands out index cards to students at the end of an instructional sequence or class period. The teacher asks the students to respond to a pre-determined prompt on their index cards and then turn them in as they leave the classroom or transition to another activity.

27. EXIT CARD EXAMPLE • Today you began to learn about hyperboles. • List three things you have learned. • Write at least one question you have about this topic.

28. EXIT CARD EXAMPLE • We have been learning about The Greenhouse Effect. Explain or depict your understanding of this important environmental issue. • What questions do you have about this topic?

29. EXIT CARD EXAMPLE • On your exit card --Explain the difference between simile and metaphor. Give some examples of each as part of your explanation.

30. Learning Logs Graphic organizers Using Varied Text and Resource Materials Learning contracts Minilessons Jigsaw Think-pair-share Literature Circles Note Taking Organizers Highlighted print materials Peer Mentors Digests of Key Ideas Cubing Strategies That Support Differentiating Processing

31. Whenever a teacher reaches out to an individual or small group to vary his or her teaching in order to experience the best learning experience possible, that teacher is differentiating instruction.Carol Ann Tomlinson

32. Knowing how learning occurs and understanding that each learner is unique are the core forces that drive differentiated instruction.

33. To Learn More About Differentiating Instruction Read Carol Ann Tomlinson’s How To Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-Ability Classrooms

34. Differentiated Instruction 2009 • Read Chapters 1 – 7 How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed Ability Classrooms • Discuss reading with department • Plan a lesson utilizing differentiated instruction • Invite other teachers to classroom

35. A Final Thought In the end, all learners need your energy, your heart, and your mind. How they need you however differs. Unless we understand and respond to those differences, we fail many learners. Carol Ann Tomlinson