Differentiating Instruction in the Online Classroom ETLO Fall Webinar

1. Differentiating Instruction in the Online ClassroomETLO Fall Webinar Dr. Jackie Mangieri MVPS Facilitator/Peer Coach jackie_mangieri@yahoo.com

2. Goals for this Webinar • Define differentiated instruction and its applicability for online teaching and learning • Discover options for differentiating content, process, and products in the online classroom • Discuss ideas and action steps for differentiating instruction in your online classroom

3. What is Differentiated Instruction? • Multiple approaches to the curriculum • Learner-centered and flexible • Qualitative and tied to assessment outcomes • Dynamic

4. Differentiated Instruction In short, differentiated instruction is an approach in which teachers can vary * Content * Process * Products According to their students’ * Readiness * Interests * Learning profiles

5. What isn’t DI? • A new idea or a passing fad • Individualized instruction • A rigid grouping strategy • Making assignments a little bit easier or a little bit harder • Something that only is applicable in the face-to-face classroom!

6. What does this mean for online? • DI is concerned with student readiness for specific learning tasks. • Consider the work of Vygotsky (1978) – the zone of proximal development (ZPD) ATHERTON J S (2005) Learning and Teaching:  Constructivism in learning   [On-line] UK: Available: http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/constructivism.htm Accessed: 19 July 2007

7. Differentiating Content • Content is the knowledge, skills, and attitudes we want students to learn. • Learning tasks and objectives must be aligned to overall learning goals. • Instruction should be concept-focused.

8. Strategies for Differentiating Content Online • Curriculum compacting • Learning contracts • Minilessons • Varied text and resource materials • Conditional releases • Podcasting

9. Differentiating Process • Process refers to the learning activities or strategies that allow students to explore the essential understandings and key concepts and principles. • Effective activities move students from their current level of understanding to a more complex understanding.

10. Strategies for Differentiating Process Online • Blogs • Graphic organizers • Choice charts • Flexible pacing • Peer teaching • Wikis

11. Differentiating Products • Differentiating products involves varying the complexity of the products that students create to demonstrate mastery of the essential understandings and key concepts. • All students deserve an interesting and engaging learning experience that requires high-level thinking.

12. Strategies for Differentiating Products Online • Use many assessment strategies • Vary expectations and requirements • Plan appropriate scaffolding • Determine how products will be shared • Provide guidelines to students

13. Questions?

14. Discussion • How are you already meeting the unique needs of your individual students? • What differentiation strategy would you like to try? • How can you encourage your students’ strengths? • What is a good first step you can take?

15. Resources for Online Learning • NACOL - http://www.nacol.org/ • SREB Online Teachers - http://www.srebonlineteachers.org/ • K12 Online Conference -http://k12onlineconference.org/ • Cool Cat Teacher’s Blog - http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/

16. Web Resources for DI • http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/strategy/strategy042.shtml (good overview with links to learning more) • http://members.shaw.ca/priscillatheroux/differentiating.html (overview of DI) • http://members.shaw.ca/priscillatheroux/differentiatinglinks.html (links) • http://members.shaw.ca/priscillatheroux/differentiatingstrategies.html (strategies) • http://www.internet4classrooms.com/di.htm (links to DI and related resources) • http://www.cast.org/publications/ncac/ncac_diffinstruc.html (great article about DI)