Introduction to Differentiated Instruction

“We have to know where we want to end up before we start out” Carol Ann Tomlinson Essential Questions: What is differentiated Instruction and what does it look like in the classroom? Why should I differentiate my instruction? How can I differentiated my instruction?

Differentiated Instruction is… Custom-designing instruction based on student needs. Modifying the content, process activities, or products developed by the students (learning environment can also be modified to provide a facilitative setting for effective instruction) Learners are assessed on their readiness levels, learning profile (multiple intelligence styles), and interest. These qualities are the driving factors in determining how to deliver appropriate instruction as all learners are unique.

What do we know about our students… (think of the last class you taught…) Learning Preferences/ Profile Readiness Interests

Why Differentiated Instruction? Brain research confirms what experienced teachers have always known: No two children are alike. No two children learn in the identical way. An enriched environment for one student is not necessarily enriched for another In the classroom, we should teach children to think for themselves

Students Retain: 10% of what they READ 20% of what they HEAR 30% of what they SEE 50% of what they SEE AND HEAR 70% of what they SAY 90% of what they SAY AND DO Rief, Sandra F. How to Reach and Teach ADD/ADHD Children: Practical Techniques, Strategies, and Interventions for Helping Children with Attention Problems and Hyperactivity. The Center for Applied Research in Education, 1993, p. 53

Flow Chart

Role of the Teacher…

Activity: Multiple Intelligences Survey Assessing the Learner’s Profile, interest, and readiness See packet “It's not how smart you are,    it's how you are smart!"| —Howard Gardner Interview, "Common Miracles" ABC 1993

Discussion In Groups by Learning Profile Whole Group

MI Groups: Article (Part 2) Finish reading the Article, Mapping a Route Toward Differentiated Instruction, by Carol Ann Tomlinson. Compare Ms. Cassell’s classroom to the other two classrooms you read about.

Discussion: In Groups by Learning Profile Whole Group What was common to all three teachers? Different? To what degree is each classroom conducive to student understanding & student engagement?

Flow Chart

Content: What students are to learn and the materials or mechanisms through which this is accomplished. Example: Ms. Howe varies the words to be alphabetized in a second grade classroom. Each student is given an alphabetizing board and key tags with various words on them. Some students' key tags contain words such as "car" and "cap," that are a considerable challenge; for other students, words like "choose" and "chose" or "library" and "librarian" are more appropriate.

Process: What key skills students use to make sense out of essential ideas and information. Example: Mr. Keen helps his students review and refine their multiplication skills. Some students work in pairs testing each other with flash cards, other students practice independently on a guided computer program, and a few students work one-on-one with Mr. Keen.

Product: What vehicles students use to demonstrate and extend what they know. Example: In a 7th grade unit on the Middle Ages, Ms. Smith focuses students to learn about medieval cathedrals by creating a variety of products such as cathedral stories where the cathedral is the central figure in the story, a model showing the key features of a cathedral, or a book describing the symbols in a cathedral and their meanings to the people who built and worshipped in them.

Learning Environment: What classroom conditions that set the tone and expectations of learning. Example: In a third/fourth grade split classroom Mr. Hooper differentiates in his classroom by providing an interest center in the classroom to encourage students to enrich and expand their understanding of topics related to their formal study. The interest center presents a variety of tasks and changes every so often. For instance, during one unit on dinosaurs, the interest center instructs students to: draw a comparison picture of how iguanas are like dinosaurs, read about Chinese dragons and other mythological creatures, or make a dinosaur skeleton from clay.

Enriching the Senses…

Groups: In your interest groups, read your classroom scenario (Be prepared to share...) Think about how the lesson was differentiated by: Content, Process, Product and How the students’ Readiness, Interest, and Learning Profile were incorporated?

Real-life Instructional Strategies Learning centers are designated areas around the classroom that offer a collection of materials that learners can use to deepen their understanding of content. They can be designed based on readiness level or student learning styles. Center themes can include computer activities, research, art exploration, and real-world problem solving. DeGuia, M. (2004). Differentiating the learning environment. In  B. Hoffman (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Educational Technology.

Real-life Instructional Strategies Grouping strategies include grouping students in multiple ways, both homogenously and heterogeneously. Grouping can be arranged according to student readiness level, interest, and/or learning styles. DeGuia, M. (2004). Differentiating the learning environment. In  B. Hoffman (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Educational Technology.

Real-life Instructional Strategies Tiered activities include offering students options in completing questions, tasks, and so on, of various ability levels. This ensures that students explore ideas at a level that builds on their prior knowledge and stimulates realistic growth. For example, students working in cooperative groups can choose to complete questions (A,B, or C) on a specific task with which they feel most comfortable. DeGuia, M. (2004). Differentiating the learning environment. In  B. Hoffman (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Educational Technology.

Real-life Instructional Strategies Learning contracts are an agreement between the teacher and the student regarding how a student will complete tasks. This offers certain freedoms and choices on how a student learns the content. For example, the teacher and student could develop a contract at the beginning of a unit which includes independent study topics and assignments. DeGuia, M. (2004). Differentiating the learning environment. In  B. Hoffman (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Educational Technology.

Develop your own differentiated lesson (Be prepared to share) By using one or more of the resources provided: Educational Websites Reference Charts/ Packets Sample Classroom Scenarios You may: Choose a ‘sample lesson’ to modify OR Choose a lesson you have taught that you wish to improve

How to Differentiate Instruction The Bottom Line… Differentiated instruction is about using teaching strategies that connect with individual student's learning strategies. The ultimate goal is to provide a learning environment that will maximize the potential for student success. The important thing to remember is to hold on to the effective teaching strategies that lead students to positive learning outcomes and to make adjustments when necessary. It's about being flexible and open to change. It's also about taking risks and trying teaching and learning strategies that you would have otherwise ignored.

How to Differentiate Instruction The Bottom Line… It's about managing instructional time in a way that meets the standards and also provides motivating, challenging, and meaningful experiences for school age students who are socialized to receive and process information in ways that require differentiation of experience. These are very exciting times for the teaching profession, we are faced with a generation of learners who are challenging us to think about how we deliver instruction.