Differentiation

1. Differentiation

2. Fingers, toes, & nose Differentiating Instruction is not a strategy. It is a total way of thinking, about learners, teaching and learning. Carol Ann Tomlinson The Education Digest January, 2000

3. Winter Writing Activity • Everyone-participated in the story and discussion. • Everyone used the picture prompt • Everyone worked in the allotted time frame. • Most-Back to Back • High-Used Dialogue in Back to Back • Strugglers-Dictation experience with teacher • Hannah-Had use of Word Perfect to check spelling

4. Differentiated Instructions • is not a strategy. It is a total way of thinking • about learners, teaching, and learning. • Carol Ann Tomlinson, The Education Digest, January, 2000

5. What is Differentiated Instruction? • Adapting the teaching and learning processes to accommodate the needs of all learners • Teaching with student variance in mind. It means starting where the kids are rather than adopting a standardized approach to teaching that seems to presume that all learners of a given age or grade are essentially alike • “Responsive” teaching rather than “one-size-fits-all” teaching

6. Key Components • Ongoing Assessments • Before, during and after each unit of study • Include formal and informal assessments • Flexible Grouping • Random groups • Readiness groups • Heterogeneous groups • Respectful Tasks – Even though students may be completing different assignments, they should be equal in quality and appeal.

7. Why should I differentiate instruction? • No two students are exactly alike. They have different interest, backgrounds and abilities. • Student motivation and task persistence increase when students can work with topics that are of personal interest. • Modifying instruction is likely to result in greater student engagement, higher levels of intrinsic motivation, higher student productivity, greater student autonomy, increased achievement, and an improved sense of self-competence.

8. What gets differentiated? • Content • Environment • Pacing • Process/Practice • Product

9. Content • Is “what” students learn • Includes curriculum topics, concepts, or themes • Reflects state or national standards • Presents essential facts and skills • Differentiates by pre-assessing student skills and understandings, then matching learners with appropriate activities • Provides students with choices in order to add depth to learning • Provides students with additional resources that match their levels of understanding

10. Environment • Whole class • Small groups (pairs, triads, quads) • Individualized activities • Student-teacher conferences

11. Pacing • the speed of which a concept is introduced and practiced • the amount of time allotted for mastery of a concept

12. Process /Practice • Is “how” students learn • Refers to how students make sense or understand the information, ideas, and skills being studied • Reflects student learning styles and preferences • Varies the learning process depending upon how students learn

13. Product • Is the end result of student learning • Tends to be tangible: reports, tests, brochures, speeches, skits • Reflects student understanding • Differentiates by providing challenge, variety, and choice

14. Planning What do I want students to know, understand and be able to do? Preassessing Who already knows, understands, and/or can use the content or demonstrate the skill? Differentiating What can I do for him/her or them so they can make continuous progress and extend their learning?

15. Discover All You Can • Interest Inventories • Multiple Intelligence Checklist • Learning Style Profiles

16. What do you do with these inventories? • Use them to group students-flexible grouping • Use them to set up centers in your room • Use them to create tiered lessons, tic-tac-toe menus, activities for standards • Use them for small group instruction and whole class instruction

17. Preassessment Strategies • Pretest • KWL Charts • Mind Maps • Open-Ended Questions • Interest and Experience Inventories • Simple formative assessments-pre, mid and post.

18. Examples

19. Second Grade Math

20. Unit Plan for Subtraction with Regrouping

21. Pretest(Don’t have to be fancy or long) PRETEST-3 to 5 days in advance Concerns Bob Mary Allison Sue 100% Eric Kenya Ella

22. Ask yourself-- Who do I need to differentiate for to make this unit meaningful?

23. Differentiate for Bob, Mary, Allison, Sue Concern Do not know math facts. • Allow use of addition math chart

24. Differentiate for Eric, Kenya and Ellie Concern Instruction will cover material they have already mastered. • Participate in day 1 activity to insure that the understand concept of regrouping not just the mechanics. • Day 2-work in small group to solve story problems that require regrouping/no regrouping. • Day 3-work in small group to use problem solving use a graph. • Day 4-independently write story problems or freeze plays that require both regrouping /no regrouping.

25. You TryOne Math 2 digit by 2 digit multiplication

26. First solve this problem 36 X 42=

27. Concerns • Several children are slow when multiplying or don’t know the facts • 2 children have fine motor issues=horrible handwriting • 3 kids can easily do this computation

28. Third Grade Reading

29. Unit Plan for Elements of Fairy Tales, Little Red Riding Hood

30. Review reading data: Notes Assessments Quizzes Reading Level Comprehension level

31. Ask yourself-- Who do I need to differentiate for to make this unit meaningful?

32. Differentiate for Lisa, Darlene and Michal Concern Instructional and independent reading level is below grade level. • Preview the story, Little Red Riding Hood in listen or computer center the week before beginning the unit. • Make “hard word” reference chart • Request that parents read and discuss favorite fairy tale with children.

33. Differentiate forAmy, Kellie, Matt and Brandon Concern The reading level and concepts will be easily mastered and will need to be challenged. • Assign the story, Lon Po Po to be read independently the week before beginning the unit. • Have the children as a group use both Little Red and Lone Po Po to make flip chart on elements of fairy tales • With partner have the children create a PowerPoint of the elements of fairy tales using both stories

34. Fourth Grade Social Studies

35. Unit Plan for Exploring The “New World” Four to Six Weeks

36. Ask yourself-- Who do I need to differentiate for to make this unit meaningful?

37. Differentiate for note-taking differences/preferences Concern Note-taking is a new skill for these students. Different people take notes in different manners. • Provide a variety of graphic organizers • Allow students to experiment with a variety of organizers during course of lesson

38. Differentiate for Mac and Gil Concern Mac and Gil have significant fine motor issue making their handwriting difficult to read and causes great frustration for the boys. • Make a sample box and place samples of the notes in the box daily. These samples can be used by the boys if they are unable to use the notes they took. (These note can be used by absent children) • Provide copies of notes by email to parents so that they can help the boys study for test.

39. Differentiate for students who have performed poorly on previous test. Concern Several children have performed poorly on previous test and may not have good study skills and habits. • Discuss study skills and habits with children • Provide instruction on study skills • Help students set study goals

40. Differentiate for Jonathan Concern • Jonathan is an above average student who has consistently performed poorly on test. Jonathan’s mother is unable to help him with school work. • Make arrangements for Jonathan to meet with media specialist several morning before the test to study.

41. Differentiate End of Unit Projects Concern What can I do to make the end of the unit project attractive to the students while being meaningful, challenging and meeting the level of the standard?

42. Rank the Following Which would you most enjoy? • Dressing up like a character and giving a presentation • Working on an art project • Working with technology • Writing a paper • Taking a test

43. My Choices • Take a test • Write a paper • Do an art project • Do a computer project 999,999,999 or never--Dress up like a character!

44. End of Unit Projects • Dress up as a historic character and give a character talk • Create an artistic timeline and link events to computer clips • Make a computer presentation using PowerPoint and video clips.

45. Words of Wisdom Start Small but Start Now!

46. Donna Pritchard donnapritchard60@gmail.com Thanks to Douglas County Teachers Amy Bray & Susan Dodson for their help!