Using Formative Assessment in Planning: Differentiation and Grouping

Table of Contents Differentiation Grouping Student Considerations Curricular Considerations Content Process Product Grouping Mixed Ability/Achievement Like Ability/Achievement

According to Howard Gardner: “Education has been the idea of uniform schooling . . . and it’s presumed to be fair. Actually, it is the most unfair thing in the world. We have to individuate education, teaching as many children as possible, in as many ways as possible” (1997). Do you agree or disagree? Why?

Differentiation Defined Tomlinson (2001) Differentiating adjusts the content of a lesson or unit (what they are to learn), the process (how they are to learn it), and/or the products (what results they are to produce). In order to determine what to differentiate, teachers must first determine how ready students are for a particular concept, what their interests are, and what their learning profile is.

Assessment Data You have a responsibility to USE the information you have to plan instruction, and differentiate as a means of maximizing instructional time and learning throughout the school year.

Differentiation Defined Tomlinson (2001) Teachers can differentiate Content Process Product According to students’ Readiness Interest Learning profile

Adjusting Content Do the level and pace of the content match ability and interest? “What changes should I make to this assignment so that my struggling math students can work on the same concepts as the other children but in a more accessible form?” Identify what is essential in your curriculum (essential concepts, knowledge, and skills of subject areas).

Adjusting Process Does he or she learn more by doing or listening? Would some benefit from generating creative answers to open-ended assignments? “What activities could we do that would reinforce the new science concepts we learned yesterday and prepare them for other applications?” Consider Howard Gardner’s (1999) work on “Multiple Intelligences.”

Adjusting Product Does she or he have a hard time relating to the materials? Does he or she have the products necessary to use to express what he or she knows? “What alternative student products will prove that they have mastered the material I have taught?”

Who Are Your Students? “Funds of knowledge” vs. deficit approach Readiness Content and skills in relation to grade-level expectations “Teaching up” (Tomlinson, Brimijoin, & Narvaez, 2008) Adjust content entry points and pacing to meet individual needs Interest Choice Learning profiles Culture Gender Self-image

Pull Out a Piece of Paper Divide the paper in two like this: On the left side, write the names of all of your students from memory. On the right side, write any details you know about their content ability, how they process information, or what kinds of talents and interests they have. Adapted from: Graves, D. (2001). The Energy to Teach. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

What Did You Notice? Who did you remember? Why do you think some were easier than others? What is it you know most about them? Why do you know more about some than others?

Let’s Practice! Using the Classroom Profile (pdf) With your group, discuss how you would differentiate the writing lesson plan based on the content of a lesson or unit (what they are to learn), the process (how they are to learn it), and/or the products (what results they are to produce). Make sure you consider the second-grade class profile when making your decisions.

Grouping for Instruction Individual Partnerships Small groups

Small-Group Instruction All grade and ability levels performed moderately better in small groups when compared with whole-group instruction. Groups of three to four are most effective. Like-ability groups are more beneficial for “average students.” Mixed-ability groups have a stronger impact on struggling students. High-achieving students were unaffected by the type of grouping structure. (Lou et al., 1996)

Flexible Grouping Emerged from the negative outcomes associated with fixed groupings based on ability and achievement. Groups selected for specific purposes; stay together to fulfill that specific purpose. Students can be part of multiple groups throughout the day.

Possibilities for Flexible Grouping Random Achievement Social/cooperative Interest Task Knowledge of subject Skill/strategy Student choice (Opitz, 1998)

Go Back to the Second-Grade Class Profile In your groups, plan for three different grouping strategies that you think would work for: Guided reading groups Independent work station groups Another grouping of your choice

What did you Decide? Why?

Summary Differentiation is about providing appropriate challenges for students and giving them the tools to handle the challenges. We must become more “mindful of and responsive to diverse learning needs” (Tomlinson, Brimijoin, & Narvaez, 2008, p. 1). Teachers must believe that all students can learn and that all students have strengths. Effective differentiation and grouping require planning. Teachers have the responsibility to teach all students; they cannot leave it to others.

References Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of mind: How children think and how schools should teach, New York: Basic Books. Lou, Y., Abrami, P. C., Spence, J. C., Poulsen, C., Chambers, B., & d’Apollonia, S. (1996). Within- class grouping: A meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, 66, 423–458. Opitz, M. F. (1998). Flexible grouping in reading: Practical ways to help all students become better readers. New York: Scholastic. Tomlinson, C. A. (2001). How to differentiate instruction in mixed-ability classrooms. Alexandria, VA: ASCD. Tomlinson, C. A., Brimijoin, K., & Narvaez, L. (2008). The differentiated school: Making revolutionary changes in teaching and learning. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.