Differentiated Instruction

Differentiated Instruction Teaching students of all levels and abilities the same STUFF (OR getting the hay to the horses and ponies) By Brian Kuiper PRTI 2008

What is DI? 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 won’t. So two-thirds of the children are wasting their time.”- Lilian Katz Professor of Early Childhood Education at University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign -Is this extreme or true or partially true? -DI is not the ‘individualized instruction” of the ’70’s

What is DI? Differentiation is a “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, C.A. (1999). The differentiated classroom: Responding to the needs of all learners. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

What is DI? Differentiated Instruction is teaching with student variance in mind. It is starting where kids are rather than with a standardized approach to teaching that assumes that all kids of a given age or grade, are essentially alike. It’s responsive teaching rather than one-size-fits-all teaching. It means teachers proactively plan varied approaches to what students need to learn, how they will learn it, and/or how they will show what they have learned (Tomlinson).

Why use it? Brain research shows… • Students learn best when the material is a little too hard for them (but achievable). • Tasks too hard brain downshifts and protects. • Tasks too easy brain goes to “sleep”. • Student personalities or culture affect learning. • Motivation increases when learning is meaningful.

Why use it? Multiple intelligences • Linguistic intelligence • Logical-mathematical intelligence • Musical intelligence • Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence • Spatial intelligence • Interpersonal intelligence • Intrapersonal intelligence • Naturalist intelligence • In Frames of Mind, Howard Gardner argues that the big challenge facing the deployment of human resources 'is how to best take advantage of the uniqueness conferred on us as a species exhibiting several intelligences'. • Seven (8) kinds of intelligence would allow seven (8) ways to teach, rather than one. And powerful constraints that exist in the mind can be mobilized to introduce a particular concept (or whole system of thinking) in a way that children are most likely to learn it and least likely to distort it. • Mindy L. Kornhaber, a researcher involved with Project Zero, has identified a number of reasons why teachers and policymakers in North America have responded positively to Howard Gardner's presentation of multiple intelligences. Among these are that... the theory validates educators' everyday experience: students think and learn in many different ways. It also provides educators with a conceptual framework for organizing and reflecting on curriculum assessment and pedagogical practices. In turn, this reflection has led many educators to develop new approaches that might better meet the needs of the range of learners in their classrooms. Smith, Mark K. (2002, 2008) 'Howard Gardner and multiple intelligences', the encyclopedia of informal education, http://www.infed.org/thinkers/gardner.htm.

Why use it? Varied interests and learning styles • Johnny likes sports • Sally likes horses • Jason like trains • Samantha likes baking • Using DI for a mathematics lesson may allow for all of them to learn math in a way that is interesting or meaningful to each of them • Our goal – Reach them, and teach them!!

What to differentiate? CONTENT (Handout 1) • Standards, benchmarks, textbook content dictate what we teach. • What do we do for students who have mastered content before we teach them? • Are there some who will not master the content this year? • Math equations • Knowledge of parts of speech • Already can read Level 1 books

What to differentiate? PROCESS(Handout 2) • Varied activities intended to give meaning to the facts we’ve just taught. • It’s what happens when we tell students to begin to do something. • Tasks intended to be age appropriate, at a certain readiness level, and interest level. DI will help accomplish this.

What to differentiate? PRODUCTS (Handout 3) • We want students to be able to demonstrate that they: • KNOW • UNDERSTAND • DO (are able to DO) • Different types of projects, tests, essays • I’ve seen this – Social studies unit on Indians – some make tepees, some dress the part, some read a book, some write a newspaper article

How to differentiate? Methods Jigsaw • Class breaks up into small groups (3 or 4) • Each of the group members has a role in the group • Each is also assigned to an expert group • Initial work begins in the original group • Expert groups meet and work on specific details • Return to the original group to finish • Works well for geography, science, history, Bible

How to differentiate? Methods Cubing • Use sides of a cube to assign different tasks to different groups or help differentiate classroom thinking • Can use different color cubes for different levels as well • Use cubes to differentiate product

How to differentiate? Methods Tiering • Can be used for assignments, centers, products, etc. • Different levels of difficulty based on readiness • One works with facts, one analyzes data, one builds a product, one makes a chart or song or…

How to differentiate? Examples • A tiered lesson in probability • Exit survey yesterday indicated who has what knowledge of probability – comments dealt with successes, failures, fractions, decimals, and percents or use “fist to five” • Those who demonstrated the least knowledge: read, define, do • Those who demonstrated some knowledge: draw, investigate, explore • Those who seemed to know it all: design a probability experiment, predict, test, revise. • Other subject areas: define, analyze, explain, hypothesize

How to differentiate? Methods 3-5-8 Menus • Design 3 activities to teach or reinforce a particular idea • Students must choose 2 of the activities for a total point value >7 • Works for individual math assignments or English assignments or social studies projects…with point values left to the discretion of the teacher • Also requires that the learner know themselves well unless done by contract

How to differentiate? Methods Tic-tac-toe • Design 9 processes or products ranging in levels of difficulty • Students must complete a tic-tac-toe over the course of the week, unit, or your chosen time frame • Similar to a contract with 9 choices, choose 3.

How to differentiate? Examples • Tic-tac-toe novel (Charlotte’s Web) • All students have read or read as a class • Can use the chart for each chapter or for the whole book • Great for math, social studies, science

How to differentiate? Methods Flexible grouping • Get creative – decks of cards, dice, colored shirts • Use numbered cards within groups (or a deck) • Clock partners Teachers choice Random Interests Ability levels

How to differentiate? Methods Compacting • Usually involves adaptation of curriculum to meet needs of accelerated learners • Identify objectives • Use appropriate pre-tests • Pre-test all? • Use results to decide whose curriculum will be compacted • Create alternative products, problems, etc for those who will be accelerated • Teach the rest as you would • Create a post-test for all

Be Creative • Jeopardy for instruction, review, assessment, etc • Teaching with songs (factor and multiple review to tune of ‘Happy Birthday’? • Involve as many senses as possible

How to differentiate? Anchor activities • Meaningful tasks for students to do when they are finished with other work. • Centers • Pertinent reading • Investigations • Explorations • Pre-teaching – video, audio, etc • Be careful – not intended to be a burden, but meant to challenge, stimulate, make curious

We must know our students and be realistic in our communication and expectations.

Assessment • Pre-assess by using many means including exit cards, surveys, interest inventories, pre-tests, etc. • Assess throughout the unit (or day) • Assess at the end to assure that objectives and standards were met by ALL

Benefits • Hard work for the good of our students • Meaningful learning • A fulfillment of baptismal vows • “train up a child” • “the whole body” • “ever learning” and (by the grace of God) able to come to the truth • “study to show thyself approved” • “teach them diligently to thy children”

Where to start • Many of you are already doing some sort of DI • Those who aren’t and have been convinced of something today, start 1 unit at a time. • Remember, you don’t need to differentiate everything you do. Use DI if you believe that it will increase the likelihood that more students will understand. • Others of you not convinced, continue to do the great work you are doing.

What are they saying? • Rather than attempt to vary teaching style from time to time, teachers who are committed to differentiating strive to provide a “reasonable range of approaches to learning much of the time” Tomlinson, C.A. (2001). How to differentiate in mixed-ability classrooms, 2nd ed. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

What are they saying? Push me! See how far I go! Work me ‘til I drop. Then pick me up. Open a door, and then make me run to it before it closes. Teach me so that I might learn, Then let me enter the tunnel of experience alone. And when, near the end, I turn to see you beginning another’s journey, I shall smile. Kathleen, 14

What are they saying? “A really good teacher is someone who: knows that a student can teach and a teacher can learn, integrates himself or herself into the learning environment, literally taking a seat among the conglomeration of desks, proving that he or she enjoys associating with the minds made of sponges, ready to absorb, appreciates that what one thinks is more important than what one uses to fill in the blanks.” Krista, 17

Differentiated Instruction