M. L. BETTEZRID23598@RIDE.RI.NET

Differentiated Instruction

What kind of idiot hires 2 seventh graders to install vinyl siding?

LOGISTICS

1.-Review Syllabus

2.-Course Expectations

3.-Norms

4.-Getting to know each other

5.-Results of Survey

6.-Intoduction to DI

Norms

Start and end on time

Actively participate-we learn from each other

Agree to disagree

Challenge yourself and each other

Differentiation

A systematic approach to planning curriculum and instruction for academically diverse learners. It is a way of thinking about the classroom with the dual goals of honoring each student’s learning needs and maximizing each students learning capacity (Tomlinson and Eidson 2003).

It does not mean INDIVIDUAL plans for every student!!!

Differentiation

A teacher’s effort in tailoring instruction to meet the needs of students. Teachers create instructional experiences by adapting/adjusting:

ContentProcessProductLearning EnvironmentA teacher uses ongoing assessment to determine

what adjustments/adaptations are necessary.

Excerpted from: Tomlinson, C. A. (August, 2000). Differentiation of Instruction in the Elementary Grades. ERIC Digest. ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education.

Portrait of a Thirteen Year Old

6 feet 2 inches in height

So awkward that she trips going up the stairs

Alcoholic, drug addict

Wears mouth braces

4 feet 7 inches

Olympic gold medal winner with a perfect 10.0 in parallel bar

Sunday school leader

Competes in Miss Teenage America

Turned off and looking forward to quitting school

Unable to read the comic page

Has trouble with whole numbers

A regular in juvenile court

Already a mother of two

Curious and enthusiastic learner

Reads the Wall Street Journal

Can solve geometry problems

An Eagle Scout

Still plays with dolls

“Twin Sins”

Sin 1: “Activity Oriented”

Occurs more widely at elementary and middle levels.

Teacher planning is focused on activities that are engaging, hands-on, and kid-friendly.

Okay as long as activities are purposefully focused on clear and important goals and if they yield appropriate evidence of learning.

Sin Two: “Coverage”Occurs more widely at the

secondary and collegiate levels

Teacher planning is focused on the a chronological march through the textbook.

Okay to use textbook as a resource, but not the syllabus

Teachers need to check regularly for understanding and making needed adjustments.

Responsive Teachersrecognize that…

Good instruction begins with the focus on the student, not the content.

Students vary in biology, degree of privilege, positioning for learning, and preference.

Learning happens within students, not to them.

The implementation of patterns of instruction serve multiple students.

Social Context & the Learning Environment

All of the members of the classroom are working within and helping to create the social context, and the nature of that context determine its members’ abilities to remain engaged in their studies.

…..which means….

…More than Academics are involved in the Educational Process

The classroom itself is a social context in which students learn both academic and social lessons about…. Appropriate behavior in various contexts; About one’s self as a learner and one’s position

in a status hierarchy; about relationships with other students; about the relative value of competition and cooperation, and about friendship.

Responsive Teaching

So, being a responsive teacher…I would like to know who wants to go

camping?

Ladder of Achievement

10. I did!9. I will.8. I think I can.7. I might. 6. I think I might. 5. What is it?4. I wish I could.3. I don’t know.2. I can’t. 1. I won’t………………………………

Creating a Positive Social Climate

Investing in AdvisoryLearning each student’s nameWho would like to go camping?

AlliterationDeveloping Class Norms Power Thinking Continuum Step up to the Line3=33Rules, Procedures, and Class ExpectationsIcebreakersAccountable Talk

Literacy Roles

ActivityJigsaw activity – Literacy roles teachers play

How does this connect to DI?

The influences of Social Context, Learning Structures, Rules and Procedures, and Classroom Climate directly impact student learning and achievement.

How does this connect to DI?

Teachers’ decisions have an impact on students’ perceptions and student engagement.

How does this connect to DI?

Teachers and students make up a social context that can influence each other’s motivation, attitudes, and self-perceptions.

The Brain on DI

1. Each brain is unique.2. The brain has a spatial memory system and a set of systems for rote learning.3. The brain processes parts and whole

simultaneously.4. The brain is a parallel processor.5. The search for meaning is innate and occurs

through patterning. 6. Emotions are critical to patterning.

Learning:

1. Is enhanced by challenge and inhibited by threat.

2. Involves both focused attention and peripheral perception.

3. Engages the entire physiology.4. Is embedded in natural and social

situations.5. Always involves conscious and

unconscious processes.

Common Core State Standards

For effective implementation:Believe that every student is worthy of

complex curriculumBelieve that every student is capable of

complex thoughtBelieve that every student can growBelieve in THEIR ability to help students

History of DI

Roots in gifted education

Influx of curricula, products and strategies as a result of the movement and the mandate

Tomlinson’s work with gifted programs translates into the mixed ability classroom-she coined the term differentiation

What is it?

Systematic approach to planning curriculum and instruction for academically diverse learners

A way of thinking about instruction honoring each student’s needs and maximizing each student’s capacity

It is not individual plans for each student!

DI is DI is not!!!!!Qualitative—rooted in meaningful curriculum. Be prepared to adjust the nature of work not the quantity.

Not louder or slower-not doing the same thing again, rather creating substantive change

Student-centered—differing the doorways to learning

Not individualized-25 different lessons-rather creating patterns and modifying lessons

Assessment driven—assessing for learning and adjusting

Not end of the unit varied assessments, rather assessing along the way in a variety of ways

Whole-small group-individual Not homogeneous grouping, tracking

Multi-modal—varying methods of input, process, and output

Organic-responding to the dynamics of the interactive classroom

Not chaos-not losing control of the classroom-rather employing skillful management

How do you implement DI?

Task- Setting different tasks for groups of students and some individual students who have different abilities

Outcome- allowing pupil responses at different levels of understanding

Support-giving more help to certain pupils within the group

Expectations-personalizing target goals for students

One Minute Write

Learning Write as much as you can and as fast as you can using

complete sentences. Do not take your pencil off the paper at any time. When time is called count:

The number of words, circle the words that are 3 or more syllables.

Set a goal for your next One Minute Write

Differentiation

References

Fogarty, R. J., & Pete, B. M. (2011). Supporting differentiated instruction: a professional learning communities approach. Bloomington: Solution Tree Press.

Tomlinson, Carol, and Sherida Britt. "Common Core State Standards: Where Does Differentiation Fit?." ASCD. 7 Jun 2012. Speech.

Student Profiles Task

You have been assigned a student and have been given a list of characteristics.

Based upon this list of characteristics determine your student’s:

Readiness Interest Learning Profile

Growth Motivation Efficiency