Differentiated Instruction Train-the-Trainer Manual Jasmyne N. Brandon Cur 518 December 4, 2016 Deb Hatfield

differentiated instruction “Differentiated Instruction is an approach to teaching which meets the diverse academic needs of students by considering learner readiness, interest and learning style. The approach is grounded in the socio-cultural, multiple intelligence and learning style theories.” (Burkett, 2013) In todays learning environment it is very important as a trainer or instructor that you are able to adapt to the learning needs of your students and understand that everyone learns differently. There are many different cultures and diversities that make up todays learning environments.

differentiated instruction This photo shows the different variations of learners that can be in your class, it is very important that you are able to meet the needs and expectations of all students.

Differentiated strategies Teachers who practice differentiation in the classroom may: Design lessons based on students’ learning styles. Group students by shared interest, topic or ability for assignments. Assess students’ learning using formative assessment. Manage the classroom to create a safe and supportive environment. Continually assess and adjust lesson content to meet students’ (Weselby, 2014) There are different ways that you can apply differentiated strategies, by using different methods and ways it can allow for change in the classroom; the forms of change can meet the learning needs of the different students in the class.

Differentiated strategies Flexible Grouping “This method allows students to work in groups with peers who are dissimilar to them. Teachers use flexible grouping because it provides students with the opportunity to work with others that have similar learning styles, readiness, or interests. Depending upon the purpose of the lesson, teachers can plan their activities based on a student’s attributes, then use flexible grouping to group students accordingly.” “The key to flexible grouping is to make sure that the groups are not static. Teachers must continually conduct assessments throughout the school year and move students among the groups as they master skills.” (Janelle Cox, TeachHub.com) As an instructor or trainer you should pick the groups that your learners work in because this allows for learners to work with people they would not normally work with.

Differentiated strategies Reflection and Goal Setting “Reflection is an essential component of PBL. Throughout the project, students should be reflecting on their work and setting goals for further learning. This is a great opportunity for them to set personalized learning goals and for you to target instruction specific to the goals they set. At specific milestones in a project, one teacher that I observed had students reflect on what they'd learned so far in math and science, and then create goal statements for what they still wanted to learn. The teacher then designed activities to support students in learning not only what they wanted, but also what they needed to know.” (Miller, 2012) For learners being able to meet their educational as well as professional goals is extremely important, a learner will want to feel a sense of accomplishment from their learning material as well as know they are taking steps that apply towards their professional goals.

Differentiated strategies Learning Centers “Learning centers are stations that contain a variety of materials where students can explore topics or practice skills on their own.” “Teachers can design centers with different levels of complexity or for different subject areas. “Learning centers offer teachers the opportunity to present the same information in a variety of different ways that engage all students.” (Janelle Cox, TeachHub.com) Learning centers allow for learners to be hands on as well as provided help from instructors or tutors who are available for additional help at learning centers.

Differentiated strategies Differentiate Through Formative Assessments “Formative assessments can look the same for all students. They can also look different. We know that students can show what they've learned in different ways, as mentioned above in terms of products produced as summative assessment. In addition, as you check for understanding along the way, you can formatively assess in different ways when appropriate. Perhaps you are targeting collaboration in the project. You can differentiate a formative assessment of this through a variety of ways. Perhaps it's an oral conference. Perhaps it's a series of written responses. Perhaps it is a graphic organizer or collage. More importantly, these formative assessments allow you to differentiate the type of instruction needed as you "feed forward" in the project.” (Miller, 2012) Having learners reflect on what they’ve learn is a great learning tool for both the instructor and the learner.

Example of differentiated instruction “To ensure that all students have the necessary background, students have worked on several tasks this week. First, Ms. Largent gave a pre-test on the chapter. Students who had considerable background knowledge began working with tasks designed to come after acquisition of background knowledge. Other students completed a K-W-L activity (Ed. Note: What I Know, What I Want to know, and What I have Learned) and then read the text chapter on the Industrial Revolution.” (Carol Ann Tomlinson) Example of differentiated instruction done with elementary students.

Example of differentiated instruction “During the course of two days, the teacher met with small discussion groups of 6-8 students. With struggling learners, she read key passages to them, had them read key passages aloud, and ensured their understanding of essential ideas and events.” “To prepare for a chapter test, Ms. Largent assigned mixed readiness review teams and gave them a teacher-prepared review protocol clarifying what students needed to know and understand for the test. Students took part in a Teams-Games-Tournaments review (Ed. Note: a cooperative learning strategy), studying in mixed readiness teams, and participating in the games portion of the review at similar readiness tables.” “To move from specifics about the Industrial Revolution to a broader application of key understandings, students selected one of ten "modern revolutionary" figures to investigate as a way of seeing how people affect revolution. The students worked independently for a day and then formed a cluster with other students who selected the same revolutionary figure.” (Carol Ann Tomlinson) Example of differentiated instruction done with elementary students.

Example of differentiated instruction “At the end of the Industrial Revolution study, all students will select someone who revolutionized a field of interest to them (e.g., women's rights, sports, medicine, aviation, civil rights, physics, music, their own community). Each student will complete a product called "Dangerous Minds: Understanding People Who Revolutionize the World." There are two versions of the product assignment. One is more transformational, abstract, open-ended, and complex than the other in content, process, production, and rubrics. Ms. Largent’s goal in assigning a given version of the product to a particular student is to push that student a bit further than he is comfortable going in knowledge, insight, thinking, planning, research, use of skills, and production. All students must demonstrate an understanding of the key concepts and generalizations for the unit, and appropriate application of the unit’s key skills.” (Carol Ann Tomlinson) Example of differentiated instruction done with elementary students.

differentiated instruction Activities This chart shows different examples of activities in which differentiated instruction can be applied.

References Burkett, J. A. (2013). Teacher perception on differentiated instruction and its influence on instructional practice (Order No. 3588271). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (1427918798). Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1427918798?accountid=458 Cox, J . Implementing Differentiated Instruction Strategies, . Retrieved from http://www.teachhub.com/top-ways-implement-differentiated-instruction- strategies Miller, A. (2012). 6 Strategies for Differentiated Instruction in Project-Based Learning.,. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/differentiated-instruction-strategies-pbl-andrew- miller Tomlinson, Carol Ann. “Scenario fora Differentiated Classroom” from the Facilitator’s Guide to Differentiating Instruction Video Series. Alexandria, Virginia: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1997. (Handout 7 from Scenario 5) © 1999 Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development © 2000 The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development http://pdi.ascd.org/kathy/globaled/lesson4/scenario.html Weselby, C. (2014). What is Differentiated Instruction? Examples of How to Differentiate Instruction in the Classroom . Retrieved from http://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/teaching- strategies/examples-of-differentiated-instruction/