Programming using Differentiated Instruction: Getting to Know
Your Students Supporting Diverse Learners Within the Classroom
Chinooks Edge School Division Presenter: Dawn Normoyle
Slide 2
Reaching Students Who Learn in Different Ways Animal
School
Slide 3
Todays Outcomes: Understand some key elements of differentiated
instruction Improve understanding of mild/moderate disabilities
Appreciate the importance of knowing your students when programming
Learn some strategies to get a deeper understanding of your
students Discover inclusionary strategies to support the
programming of all students Reflection on your own practice
Slide 4
Graffiti Activity With the others at your table create your
graffiti using words, phrases, and graphics that represent your
tables thinking Leave your sheet behind, and rotate to the other
tables to add your comments/visuals Discuss added comments and
summarize Share as a group
Slide 5
Differentiated instruction is a philosophy and an approach to
teaching in which teachers and school communities actively work to
support the learning of all students through strategic assessment,
thoughtful planning and targeted, flexible instruction. Making a
Difference: Meeting Diverse Learning Needs with Differentiated
Instruction
Slide 6
Fairness is not everyone getting the same thing. It is when
everyone gets what they need!
Slide 7
Why Differentiate? Benefits Effective for all students
including those with disabilities Offers multiple pathways to
learning Starts where students are at Provides meaningful choice
Creates opportunities to demonstrate their interests and skills
Helps students understand what theyre expected to learn, evaluate
their own progress, and express their learning strengths,
challenges and interests Increases engagement, motivation,
self-confidence and willingness to assume responsibility Gives them
strategies to figure out and cope within the world when things are
not differentiated
Slide 8
Programming for All Learners: Key Elements Collaboration-
learning team involvement; parents, teachers, students Purposeful
Planning- knowing your students (needs, strengths, learning
styles), understanding the curriculum, multiple pathways of
learning, tasks respectful of each learner, flexible and reflective
teaching Ongoing assessment- wide range of approaches, pre-
assessment, profiles, FOR/OF, grade for growth, Assessment informs
practice, and we take action. ( Rick Wormelli) Transition planning-
between grades, leaving high school Self advocacy- sharing
responsibility, creating independence
Slide 9
Classroom Elements to Differentiate Affect/ Learning
Environment Content Process- how students make sense of learning
Product- how students demonstrate learning
Slide 10
Various Disabilities Cognitive Disabilities
Emotional/Behavioural Disabilities Learning Disabilities Hearing/
Visual/ Communication Disabilities Communication Disability
Physical/ Medical Disability (i.e. cerebral palsy, fetal alcohol,
autism)
Slide 11
Programming: Diverse Learning Needs Diagnosis may have
implications for educational programming, social and emotional
learning and overall well-being Knowledge can help teachers align
supports and strategies with students needs and strengths Knowledge
helps teachers know what to look for in ongoing assessments (what
the student can do and potential barriers) * Critical to get to
know your students
Slide 12
3 Minute uzzzz Use the sheet to reflect on your learning so
far
Slide 13
Start with Assessment Rich ongoing source of information Helps
teachers identify and begin to address student strengths and needs
Helps plan meaningful learning activities Establishes
organizational and grouping structures Mold the classroom
environment Ongoing Requires a photo album approach to assessment,
as opposed to a snapshot (Wiggins and McTighe,2005)
Slide 14
Assessment: Ongoing Differentiated assessment informs
differentiated instruction - provides information about readiness,
strengths and needs in relation to particular outcomes or
activities. This shapes your planning. Differentiated instruction
leads to differentiated assessment - students work toward learning
outcomes at different paces and in different ways so you will need
assessment tools and strategies that accommodate diversity while
still usefully measuring learning outcomes. Teaching in the dark is
a questionable business!
Slide 15
Knowing Your Students: Student Learner Profiles Describes ways
a student learns best Reveals students unique knowledge, prior
experience, abilities, learning strengths and needs, interests,
learning preferences and styles, attitudes, gender, culture,
personality Helps teachers choose responsive and meaningful
supports, planning Dynamic, as individual learners constantly grow
and change For students with disabilities it is an opportunity to
get to know that student and to see beyond the students
disabilities
Slide 16
Learner Profiles: Goals Find out as much as possible about how
a student learns Not to label students as certain kinds of learners
Help them develop multiple pathways for learning Create more
confidence and motivation when working on unfamiliar and/or
challenging tasks
Slide 17
Learning preferences and styles: Environment Typically refers
general environment where student learns best Examples: quiet vs.
noisy busy with lots to look at/ interact with vs. bare with few
distractions movement friendly vs. sitting still flexible schedule
vs. fixed schedule warm vs. cool
Slide 18
Types of intelligence Brain-based predisposition to excel in
particular area Howard Gardner (1994) : identified eight
intelligences individuals possess varying combinations Thomas
Armstrong (1994): student-friendly terms for each intelligence o
verbal-linguistic intelligence (or word smarts) o
logical-mathematical intelligence (or number smarts) o
interpersonal intelligence (or people smarts) o intrapersonal
intelligence (or self smarts) o spatial intelligence (or picture
smarts) o musical-rhythmic intelligence (or music smarts) o
bodily-kinesthetic intelligence (or body smarts) o naturalistic
intelligence (or nature smarts)
Slide 19
Gender, Culture & Personality Can influence learning
Examples: expressive or reserved in class interactions competition
or collaboration work individually or in a group creative or
practical way of thinking part-to-whole or whole-to-part learning
contextual and personal learning or learning that is discrete and
impersonal time as fixed and rigid or fluid and flexible impulsive
or reflective in ones thinking and actions valuing creativity or
conformity
Slide 20
Interests Creates motivation and engagement Identifying
interests in learner profiles helps in planning when varying
projects, themes and examples
Slide 21
Gathering information Inventories, surveys, conferencing,
interviews Learner preference inventories Reading inventories
Social inventories Interest inventories Assessment information
Classroom assessments (interviews, observation, assignments, etc.)
Cumulative records Individualized program plans (IPP) Standardized
assessments Parents Previous teachers and other school staff
involved with the student
Slide 22
Learner Profile Examples
Slide 23
Using the Learning Profile to Differentiate
ContentDifferentiate ProcessDifferentiate Products Present material
in visual, auditory, and/or kinesthetic modes Use applications,
examples, and illustrations from a wide range of intelligences and
both genders Use wait time Allow for student reflection Allow
multiple options for how students will show learning Encourage a
variety of groupings (individual, pairs, small groups, large group)
Balance competitive, collegial, and independent work arrangements
Create activities seeking multiple perspectives on topics and
issues Encourage a variety of groupings Teach how to use a wide
range of product formats Provide visual;, auditory, and kinesthetic
product options Provide analytic, creative, and practical
options
Slide 24
Flexible Grouping: Appointment Clock This is a tool that can be
used to differentiate groups in your classroom!
Slide 25
My Appointment Clock Rationale: This is an activity that will
create partners within the classroom. There partnerships are based
on student choice, readiness, interest, and learning profiles
(which are assessed at the beginning of the year). If students are
all doing the same activity use choice partners, if ability is
needed use readiness, if want to promote interest use interest, and
if want to focus on how they learn best use learning profile. Use
this in building your lesson plans. Example of Partners 1:00
Interest based2:00 Readiness based3:00 Learner profile4:00 Students
choice 5:00 Interest based6:00 Readiness based 7:00 Learner
profile8:00 Students choice 9:00 Interest based 10:00 Readiness
based 11:00 Learner profile 12:00 Students choice Have students
find choice partners for 4:00, 8:00, and 12:00. Collect them and
fill in the rest of the partnerships based on the assessment
material that you have gathered. Copy and keep in keep in a duo or
binder. Hand back the originals to the students and have them put
in the front of their binders for quick access.
Slide 26
Heres What, So What, Now What?? Heres What I Learned So What My
interpretation of this learning Now What? My action Plan to build
on this new learning What is the most important thing I learned?
How can I explain DI (tell, write, draw it)? What was the most
difficult part? The easiest part? What do I need to learn
next?
Slide 27
Differentiation of todays Presentation Learning Profiles OR
Instructional Strategies