Whatis

Differentiation?

Directions:Complete the chart to show what you know about

differentiation. Write as much as you can.

Definition

Examples

Key Vocab

Non-Examples

Differentiation isresponsive teachingrather than one-size

fits-all teaching

“It means teachers proactively planvaried approaches to what

students need to learn, how theywill learn it, and/or how they will

show what they have learnedin order to increase the likelihood that each each student will learn

as much as he or she can, asefficiently as possible.”

What is differentiation?Differentiation is classroom practice that looks eyeball to eyeball with the reality that kids differ, and the most effective teachers do whatever it takes to hook the whole range of kids on learning.

-Tomlinson (2001)

“It’s a way of thinking about the classroom with the goals of honoring each student’s learning needs and maximizing each student’s learning capacity while

developing a solid community of learners.”

Differentiation doesn’t suggest that a teacher can be all things to all individuals all the time. It

does, however, mandate that a teacher create a reasonable range of approaches to learning much of the time, so that most students find

learning a fit much of the time.

At its most basic level, differentiating instruction means “shaking up” what goes on in the

classroom so that students have multiple options for taking in information, making sense of ideas,

and expressing what they learn.

It’s teaching so that “typical” students; students with disabilities; students who are gifted; and students from a range of cultural, ethnic, and

language groups can learn together, well.

No just inclusion, but inclusive teaching.

Before Differentiation . . . .

In the Box

In the Box

Under the Box

On the Box

To the side of the Box

After Differentiation . . . .

High Quality Teaching . . . .

Who we teach

How we teach

Where we teach

What we teach

It’s about having all the parts in place. . . .

Differentiated Instructionis a teacher’s response to learner’s needs

guided by general principles of differentiation, such as

flexible groupingrespectful tasks

clear learninggoals

ongoing assessment and adjustment

appropriate degreeof challengeTeachers can differentiate

Content Process Product

InterestLearning

ProfileReadiness

through a range of instructional strategies

One Size Does Not

Fit All

Think about it . . . .

• How do these definitions mesh with yours?

• What else would you add to the definitions?

• What misconceptions about differentiation do you encounter?

Big Idea of Differentiation:

Responding to

Readiness

Interest

Learning Profile

What’s the Point?

Readiness InterestLearningProfile

Growth Motivation Efficiency

Instructional Strategies: Buckets for Delivering “The Stuff”

But the quality of “the stuff” really impacts student understanding!

ComplexInstruction

InterestGroups

Inquiry

LearningContracts

IndependentStudy

GraphicOrganizers

To provide choices, we must first acknowledge that what students do

determines what they learn and that they can find many ways to learn the same things. Variety in “doing” is the only way I know to ensure constancy in learning.

Building Better Schools by Schlechty

Big Idea of Differentiation:

Low Prepvs.

High PrepDifferentiation

Big Idea of Differentiation:

On-GoingAssessment

andAdjustment

“Differentiation is making sure that the right students get the right learning tasks at the right time. Once you have a sense of what each student holds as ‘given’ or ‘known’ and what he or she needs in order to learn, differentiation is no longer an option; it is an obvious response.”

Assessment as Learning: Using Classroom Assessment to Maximize Student Learning

Lorna M. EarlCorwin Press, Inc. – 2003 – pp.86-87

On-Going Assessment and Adjustment

• Determining student readiness to work with essential knowledge, understanding and skill as a unit begins (pre-assessment), as a unit progresses (formative or on-going assessment), and as a unit concludes (summative assessment).

• Assessment is also key to understanding and attending to student interest and learning profile needs.

• Assessment provides direction to teachers on who needs particular kinds of readiness support in particular areas of study to grow and succeed.

On-Going Assessment and Adjustment

Using frequent formative assessment is the only way we will be able to gauge if our curriculum and instruction is . . .

. . . providing our students with the proper degree of support and Challenge. . . acting as a source of Affirmation. . . allowing them to make a real Contribution. . . providing them with a sense of Power. . . providing them with a sense of Purpose