Using Differentiated Instruction

to Implement

Connecticut Standards (CCSS):

Part 1

Hello

Take 3 minutes to write down words to describe attributes about yourself.Keep each descriptor to one word, or short phraseAfter the 3 minutes you will share with the group

Now divide into pairsMake a list of 6 to 8 questions to use to interview each other. …. Such as What subject do you like to teach the most? ’The questions should provide useful info… not sigle word answers.Take turns interviewing each other.Complete the Venn Diagram handout to compare and contrast your responses..Organize your partner’s answers and/or info from the Venn Diagram into 3-5 sentences or a paragraph For example, intro your partner, describe similarities and differences.. Areas of interestProvide any other interesting infoThen conclude.

Put your name on the Venn Diagram and we can hang them up..

One Size Does Not Fit All

“The biggest mistake of the past centuries in teaching has been to treat all children as if they were variables of the same individuals, and thus feeling justified in teaching them the same subjects in the same way.”

Howard Gardner, 1994

A blast from the past

Introductions• What is the philosophy that supports the

differentiated classroom?• How can we come to know our students in a short

period of time?• How do we know if we have rigorous curriculum?• How can I pre-assess my students?• Once I figure out the critical learning difference I will

address, how can I best use flexible small groups in my room?

• What are some sample strategies—related to choice and tiering—that I can use in my classroom to address critical student learning differences?

JUMP-STARTING OUR THINKING our needs assessment

• What do you already know about differentiation?• What do you already do with regard to differentiation?• What additional changes would be called for in your classroom

to provide broader or richer differentiation?• What do you want to learn about?• What do you want to learn how to do?• What will you do with what you learn?• What are some benefits of differentiation to you (personally and

professionally) and to your students that might encourage you to invest time and effort in providing differentiated instruction?

• What are some factors that might discourage your investment of time and effort in providing differentiated instruction?

• What changes do you expect to see in instruction? Students?

What’s your current understanding of differentiation?

A Quick QuizTrue or False

Student learning differences are real.“Fair” means treating all kids alike.Intelligence is fixed.Students don’t learn what the teacher doesn’t directly oversee.Before we differentiate, we must diagnose student readiness, interest, and learning profile.Every student deserves to make continuous progress.

What do you know about curriculum

differentiation? List 10-15 words or phrases that, in your mind, are linked to

this term.

What concerns or fears do you have regarding differentiation?

What would you like to learn more about?

Differentiation at its basic level means “shaking up” what goes on in the classroom

• DIFFERENTIATION IS NOT

• Individual instruction of the 80’s

• chaotic

• another way to provide homogeneous grouping just “tailoring the same suit of clothes.”

DIFFERENTIATION IS• Proactive…• More Qualitative than Quantitative• Multiple Approaches • Student Centered.. • A Blend

Where to start

• What’s your current understanding? Select 1 of 3 prompts to help formalize your thinking…

SHARING…

Write a definition of differentiation that you believe clarifies its key intent, elements and principles---in other words—a definition that could clarify thinking in your school or district

Explain to a new teacher what differentiation is in terms of what he/she would be doing in the classroom—and why. The definition should help the new teacher develop an image of differentiation in action

Develop a metaphor, analogy or visual symbol that you think represents and clarifies what’s important to understand about differentiation

Differentiation is to teaching as a buffet is to a diner…….offering many choices to “fill” the individual

What are you?

• Linguistic• Logical-mathematical• Spatial • Body-Kinesthetic• Musical • Interpersonal • Intrapersonal • Naturalist

"Word”“Number/ Reasoning”"Picture/Blueprint” “Good on his toes”“More Mozart than Einstein”“People smart”“Knows thyself”

“Nature lover”

What drives differentiation

1st … There is a wide variance that exists within any group of learners.

2nd …There will never be a substitute for high quality curriculum and instruction.

3rd …We need to build “bridges” between the learner and the learning.

A Working Definition of Differentiation

Differentiation has come to mean “consistently using a variety of instructional approaches to modify

content, process, and/or products in response to learning readiness and interest of academically

diverse students.”

Carol Ann Tomlinson, The Differentiated Classroom

To Craft an Environment that Supports Learning….

• •Have absolute clarity about the learning destination

• •Persistently know where students are in relation to the destination all along the way

• •Adjust teaching and learning to make sure each student arrives at the destination (and, when possible, moves beyond it.

Before we start, children need to be comfortable with their ability and styles of

learning

Groups in action

When Differentiating Instruction, The Three Most Important Questions to Continually Ask Yourself

How will my students show what they know

What will I do instructionally

to get my students to learn this

What do I want my students to

know, understand, and be able to do?

Students come to learning with different styles or preferences

THE DI DECISION-MAKING PROCESS

What are some possible CRITICAL DIFFERENCES in my students?• Interests• Learning styles• Expression styles• Questions• Culture• Gender• Language• Sexual orientation

The DI Decision Making ProcessContent

IntroductionPre-assessmentInitial Instruction

Diagnosis

What are Critical Differences in my students?

How can I Modify one (or more) curriculum components to address differences?

CHOICE or ALTERNATIVES

Adjusting the Breadth

TIERING

Adjusting the Depth

Management of Flexible Small Groups

POST ASSESSMENT

THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS

THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS How can I MODIFY one or more of the 10 curriculum components to address the ONE targeted learning

difference?

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content process product

Readiness is a student’s entry point relative to a particular understanding or skill. To help a student to grow, we must begin where the child is. Some children, particularly those who have had early learning opportunities, begin school with well-developed

skills and considerable understanding of various topics; other students arrive as true beginners and need basic instruction and additional practice.

• Interest refers to a child’s affinity, curiosity, or passion for a particular topic or skill. The advantage to grouping by interest is that it allows students to attach what they have been learning in class to things that they already find relevant and interesting and appealing in their own lives,

• Learning profile has to do with how students learn. Some are visual learners, auditory learners, or kinesthetic learners. Students vary in the amount of time they need to master a skill or learn a concept

Carol Ann Tomlinson

The teacher can modify content,

process, or product.

CONTENT

• is what we want students to: - know (facts and information) - understand (principles, generalizations,

ideas) - be able to do (skills)Content is differentiated

(a) when you pre-assess students’ skill and knowledge, then match learners with appropriate activities according to readiness;

(b) when you give students choices about topics to explore in greater depth;

(c) when you provide students with basic and advanced resources that match their current levels of understanding. Diane Heacox, Differentiating Instruction in

the Regular Classroom

Differentiation Content

- multiple textbooks and supplementary print materials- varied videos and computer programs - learning contracts- interest centers- support systems

audio tapesstudy partners and reading buddiesmentors

- compactingphase 1 - teacher assessment of studentphase 2 - teacher sets up a planphase 3 - teacher and student design a project

Carol Ann Tomlinson

PROCESS is the “how” of teaching. Process refers to the activities that you design to help students think about and make sense of the key principles and information of the content they are learning. Process also calls on students to use key skills that are integral to the unit. When differentiating process, students are engaged in different activities, but each activity should be directed to the lesson’s common focus on what students should come to know, understand, and be able to do. All students are engaged in meaningful and respectful tasks.

Process

Carol Ann Tomlinson

Differentiating Process

tiered assignments learning centers interactive journals and learning logs-graphic organizers

Carol Ann Tomlinson

PRODUCTS

are the way students show what they have learned and mastered

Carol Ann Tomlinson

Suggestions for Developing Successful Product Assignments

Product assignments should cause students to rethink, apply, and expand on all the key concepts.

Products call for more thought and ingenuity when they are based on issues, concepts, or problems rather than on topics.

Product assignments should necessitate and support creativity.

Encourage and support the use of varied forms of expression and varied technologies.

Whenever possible, design the product to be used and responded to by someone other than the teacher (and even classmates).

Set a clear standard of high expectations..

Acknowledge varied readiness levels by developing “variations on a theme” - differentiated versions of a product that are likely to challenge a full range of readiness levels.

Use evaluation by peers, self, and teacher during and at the end of a project to promote success

A Few BIG Ideas to Think on

THE PREDICTIVE POWER OF MINDSET

FIXED

*SUCCESS COMES FROM BEING SMART

*GENETICS, ENVIRONMENT DETERMINE WHAT WE CAN DO

*SOME KIDS ARE SMART, SOME ARE NOT

TEACHERS CANNOT OVERRIDE STUDENT PROFILES

GROWTH

*SUCCESS COMES FROM EFFORT

*WITH HARD WORK , MOST STUDENTS CAN DO MOST THINGS

*TEACHERS CAN OVERRIDE STUDENT PROFILES

*A KEY ROLE OF THE TEACHER IS TO SET HIGH GOALS, PROVIDE SUPPORT, AND ENSURE STUDENT FOCUS… FIND WHAT WORKS FOR THE STUDENT

Carol Dweck, Mindset, The New Psychology of Success,, 2007

PEOPLE CAN CHANGE THEIR MINDSET

QUESTION?

• Is a flexible mindset a precursor to

attending effectively to student differences?

OR

Is it a goal for professional development related

to differentiation?

What are the implications of your answer?

..

“Roads with the most traffic get widened… The ones that are rarely used fall into

disrepair.”.. Dr. Harry Chugami

MINUTE PAUSE

Note your

*Connections

*Insights

*Questions

*Misgivings

Work first alone- then with one or two colleagues

Know your students

What intereststhem. INTEREST How do they

Learn best .LEARNING PROFILE

How ready are theyfor the conceptREADINESS (tiering)

Choose one or a combination to differentiate

Adjust processAdjust content

Choose product to Demonstrate learning

Tomlinson, 2000

Mr. Right

• How to you listen….

• Everyone up…

On Knowing Students…

• How do teachers learn to care deeply for their students…

AND• How do students

know when teachers care?

Teachers need to match

• CONTENT

• PROCESS

• PRODUCT

• INTEREST• LEARNING• READINESS• MOTIVATION• GENDER• CULTURE • LANGUAGE

What are easy ways to connect with your students?

• –LISTEN• –Talk at the door• –Complete interest assessments and use the data• –Use small group instruction• –Seek and use student input• –Invite examples, analogies, experiences• –Use student-led discussions

• –Share your own stories• –Seek varied perspectives• –Go to student events• –Spend time in the café during lunch or study halls• –Keep student data cards• –Attend extra-curricular activities• –Build some of the curriculum on student interests and culture

Techniques to Learn About Differences Among Students

• Prior Knowledge• •Learning Styles• •Interests• •Expression Styles• •Language Proficiency

Gary

21st Century Learning Profiles

• Prior knowledge in a content area• Learning styles• Goals

• Content area preferences• Interests

credits

• Connecticut State Department of Education• Dweck, Carol, “Mindset”• Indiana Department of Education, The Access Center: Improving

Outcomes for All Students K-8 • The Access Center: Improving Outcomes for All Students K-8 • Tomlinson, C.A. (1999) How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed

Ability Classrooms. Alexandria, Virginia • Turville, Joni, “Differentiation by Readiness”