Differentiation for New Teachers

1. Differentiation for New Teachers December 16, 2008

2. How would you handle this? • You have a student that is reading several grade levels below his/her current grade • You have a student that is really good at hands on activities but doesn’t do well on pencil and paper tests • You have a student that has several gaps in their background knowledge that makes your class very difficult for them • You have a student that you know is smart but he/she acts out a lot and doesn’t pay attention or turn in some of their assignments

3. What is Differentiation? Differentiation can be defined as a way of teaching in which teachers proactively adapt: • curriculum • teaching methods • resources • learning activities • student products to address the needs of individual students and/or small groups of students to maximize the learning opportunity for each student in the classroom.

4. What is Differentiation? Differentiation adapts what we teach and how we teach ….. to the ways students learn, and how students show what they have learned based on the readiness levels, interests, and preferred learning modes of students.

5. What is 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.

6. 3 Curricular Elements Content What students should know Process What students should understand Product What students should be able to do 3 Student Characteristics Readiness level Skills and understanding of a topic Interest level Tasks that ignite student curiosity or passion Learning profile Preferred learning style of each student Differentiated Instruction:The Big Picture

7. Content consists of ideas, concepts, descriptive information, and facts, rules, and principles that are presented to the learner. Content can be differentiated through depth, complexity, novelty, and acceleration. Examples of differentiating content include the following: Content Some Strategies for Differentiating Content

8. Process Process is the presentation of content, including the learning activities for students, the questions that are asked, as well as the teaching methods and thinking skills that are used. Examples of differentiating process or activities include the following: Some Strategies for Differentiating Process

9. Products Products are the outcomes of instruction that consolidate learning and communicate ideas. Examples of differentiating products include the following: Some Strategies for Differentiating Products

10. Learning Environment The learning environment is the way the classroom looks and/or feels, including the types of interaction that occur, the roles and relationships between and among teachers and students, the expectations for growth and success, and the sense of mutual respect, fairness, and safety present in the classroom. Examples of differentiating learning environment include: Some Strategies for Differentiating Learning Environment

11. Standards-Based Education Model Stage 1: Identify Desired Results What do I want my students to know and be able to do? Big Ideas  Enduring Understandings  Essential Questions --------------------------------------- Standards Above, plus Elements Skills and Knowledge GPS Stage 2: Determine Acceptable Evidence (Design Balanced Assessments) How will I know whether my students have acquired the requisite knowledge, skills, and understandings? (to assess student progress toward desired results) All Above, plus Tasks StudentWork Teacher Commentary Stage 3: Plan Learning Experiences and Instruction What will need to be done to provide my students with multiple opportunities to acquire the knowledge, skills, and understandings? (to support student success on assessments, leading to desired results) All Above

12. Essential Principles of Differentiation • Good Curriculum Comes First • All Tasks Should Be Respectful of the Learner • When in Doubt, Teach Up • Use Flexible Grouping • Become an Assessment Junkie • Grade for Growth --Tomlinson & Eidson, Differentiation in Practice, Grades 5-9, 13-15.

13. The Readiness Continuum for Your Students • Foundational ….to transformational • Concrete ….to abstract • Simple ….to complex • Single facet ….to multiple facets • Small leap ….to great leap • Structured ….to open-ended • Dependent ….to independent • Slow ….to fast

14. Pre-Assessment Strategies

15. Content Content consists of ideas, concepts, descriptive information, and facts, rules, and principles that are presented to the learner. Content can be differentiated through depth, complexity, novelty, and acceleration. Examples of differentiating content include the following: Some Strategies for Differentiating Content

16. Process Process is the presentation of content, including the learning activities for students, the questions that are asked, as well as the teaching methods and thinking skills that are used. Examples of differentiating process or activities include the following: Some Strategies for Differentiating Process

17. Products Products are the outcomes of instruction that consolidate learning and communicate ideas. Examples of differentiating products at the elementary level include the following: Some Strategies for Differentiating Products

18. Learning Environment The learning environment is the way the classroom looks and/or feels, including the types of interaction that occur, the roles and relationships between and among teachers and students, the expectations for growth and success, and the sense of mutual respect, fairness, and safety present in the classroom. Examples of differentiating learning environment include: Some Strategies for Differentiating Learning Environment

19. Let’s see what you know… Read the hand out and make each blank as either : • “D” for differentiation or • “ND” for not differentiation

20. What Does Differentiated Instruction Look Like?

21. Here are some tools that may help your planning…

23. Anchor Activities • Anchor activitiesare ongoing assignments that students can work on independently throughout a unit of study or longer.

24. Examples of Possible Anchor Activities • Skills practice at the computer • Reading from supplementary material • Completing math applications • Working on final products • Free reading • Journal writing • Analyzing cases (or writing them) • Vocabulary extension • Learning about the people behind the ideas • Learning about key ideas at work in the world • Independent studies • Current events reading • Designing or completing science experiments • Developing or completing relevant organizers • And idea for an improvement, invention, innovation etc Generally homework is not an acceptable anchor activity, and anchor activities are typically completed individually Homework is not an acceptable anchor activity!

25. Planning for Anchor Activities Subject/Content Area: Name and description of anchor activity: How will activity be introduced to students? How will the activity be managed and monitored? - Points - Percentage of Final Grade - Rubric - Portfolio Check - Checklist - Teacher/Student Conference - Random Check - Peer Review - On Task Behaviors - Other _______________

26. Check the SIP Blog for lots of differentiation activities.