Differentiated Instruction & Technology-Day 1

Tuesday, February 26, 2013Tippett Centre

Personal Action Planning1. What specific learning goals do you have for this

session?2. What specific areas would you like to focus on

regarding DI & Technology?3. What do you anticipate potentially learning from

your colleagues in this session?4. How do you think participating in today’s

session will impact your teaching practice and the learning of your students?

Today’s Agenda

1. Personal Action Planning2. Minds-On: Deck of Questions 3. CLC Overview4. DI Overview5. Vincent & Brandon6. Consolidation: Revisit Personal Action Plans

Minds-On: Deck of Questions

1. Take a letter size paper and fold in half.

2. Fold in quarters.3. Fold again to create eight equal

sections.4. Tear along folded region, to create

8 pieces.5. On each piece, record a question

you would not mind someone asking you.

6. Combine your deck of questions with a partner. Shuffle the deck and take turns asking each other questions. Remove questions once used.

CLCs 2012-13

1) Using Technology to Deliver DI in the Secondary Science Classroom (Vincent & Brandon)

2) Cooperative Learning (Leila & Agnes)

3) Supporting Pathways-Chemistry (SCH4C) (Samina & Abdul)

4) Digital Technology in Action (Roslyn Farmer & Ashlyn Young)

CLC Overview

Professional Learning Cycle Day 1: Feb. 26

Day 2: March 27(Tippett Centre)

Day 3: April 18(Exploration Classroom,

Cedarbrae C.I.)

Day 4: May 7(Peckham Centre)

Plan Act

Observe Reflect

Plan Act

Observe

Reflect

The Professional Learning Cycle

Plan, Act, Observe, Reflect

• Cycle is not static (active)• Learning happens when we are involved in

activity• Strategies for continuous improvement • Improve student achievement & engagement

Plan, Act, Observe, Reflect

An Example: 1. Plan-lesson plan (examine data/evidence)2. Act- Execution of lesson to class3. Observe-Observe students & collect

information; moderated marking 4. Reflect-resolve differences, new approach?,

offer possible solutions

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Key Features of a DI Classroom

• Choice

• Respectful tasks based on curriculum

• Flexible grouping

• Shared Responsibility for Learning

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TDSB Framework for Differentiation: The Teacher’s response to LEARNER NEEDS

Guided by these DI principles:

Continual Assessment

Flexible Groupings

Respectful Tasks

Readiness Learning ProfileInterests

Content Process Product Learning Environment

Teachers can differentiate:

According to a student’s:

Adapted by the TDSB from The Differentiated Classroom : Responding to the Needs of All Learners by C.A. Tomlinson, 1999

Quality Curriculum

Building Community

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A DI STRUCTURE and a DI STRATEGY

What’s the difference?

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An instructional strategy is used intentionally by the teacher, sometimes with all students, to achieve a specific purpose. For example:

the Exit Card – purpose is to find out students’ still-burning questions after the lesson.The Admit Slip - purpose is to determine students’ READINESS for the learning experience

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A DI structure used in teaching formalizes CHOICE for students based on their:

readiness for the learning

different interests in the topic

learning profiles (how they learn best)

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6 DI Structures that give choice in the products students create • Cubing• RAFT (GRASP)• Choice Board• Learning Centres• Tiered Instruction• Learning Contracts

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Cubing

• Use six-sided figure (cube): each face has a different task, question or image

• Students roll the cube and complete the task on the “face” they’ve rolled

• Excellent for tasks that involve different perspectives or aspects of a topic

• A great way to give students different types and levels of questions to prompt thinking

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RAFT• An acronym for Role, Audience, Format, Topic• Variations: GRASP (Science), DRAFT (History)

• Students choose an option by reading across the grid to assume a role, audience to address, format in which to work, and the topic they will explore

• Great for students’ interests (especially Topic and Role) and learning preferences (Format)

• Readiness can be met by altering the difficulty of the topic or complexity of the format

What does it look like?

Role Audience Format TopicPerspective from which they will write

Who they are writing it for

Type of finished product

What’s it about?

Oreo cookie Other Oreo cookies

Travel guide Journey through the digestive system

Lungs Cigarettes Complaint Letter Effects of Smoking

In S

cien

ce…

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The RAFT

If we’re differentiating some aspect of students’ learning, then something must be the same for all so that we can evaluate students fairly, e.g.:

ROLE AUDIENCE FORM: Opinion paragraph

TOPIC / PERSPECTIVE

DIFFERENT SAME DIFFERENT

GRASP or GRASPS (Science)• GOAL

– The goal of the person in the role (Overall Expectation)

• ROLE – The role that the student undertakes

• AUDIENCE – Who is the role person addressing?

• SCENARIO– The situation that the person in the role finds themselves in

• PRODUCT– What does the role person have to do/produce?

• STANDARDS FOR SUCCESS

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Choice Boards

Provides students with a choice of tasks.Students select one or more tasks to completeAll choices address the same learning goal or expectation Clear assessment criteria are established Choices may be based on:

Learning preference/intelligence interest

Learning Centres

• Are different instructional tasks that take place in various places in the classroom

• Can be designed for individuals, pairs or groups of students

• Tasks at each centre are varied according to student readiness, interest, or learning preference

• All tasks address the same learning goal or expectation

Learning Centres – Examples

• Example 1:– BLM 9.16 - “Drawing Bohr-Rutherford Diagrams

of first 20 elements”• Example 2:– Grade 9 Biology class studying the cell cycle –

Delta Secondary School, HWDSB- http://www.edugains.ca/newsite/di/divideoclips.htm

• Debrief

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DI Teaching/Learning Examples

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Helpful Resources

• Program DI Web site for resources specific to science

• GAINS Web site: www.edugains.ca

Resource Binder

1. Cubing2. RAFT (science: GRASP)3. Choice Board4. Learning Centres5. Learning Contracts

Personal Action Planning Card

Personal Action Planning Card

3 Things I Learned…

2 Questions I still have…

1 Strategy I will use to remember…

Personal Action Plan 5. At the end of the day, using

a different colour writing utensil, comment on your earlier notes.

6. Share this page with the facilitator and your peers.

3-2-1 Exit Card