DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION USING ASSESSMENT EFFECTIVELY. PRESENTED BY MR. PETER OPINYA

Effective assessment What is assessment? How do teachers learn about effective assessment?

The elements of effective assessment are : Clearly identifying learning goals. Identifying prerequisite skills. Pre-assessing students’ existing knowledge base, understanding, and skills. Identifying students’ interests. Identifying students’ preferred ways of learning Using ongoing assessment strategies

Elements of differentiated instruction: 1. content- What we teach and how we give students access to information and ideas that matter. 2. process- How students come to understand and ‘own’ knowledge, understanding and skills essential to mastering a topic 3. products – How students demonstrate what they have come to know, understand and be able to do a result of segment of study. 4. affect – How students link thought and feeling in the classroom. 5. learning environment- the way the classroom feels and functions.

As teachers differentiate curriculum and instruction, they take into account three student characteristics: readiness- The current knowledge, understanding and skill level a student has related to a particular sequence of learning. Interests- What the student enjoys learning about , thinking about and doing. learning profile- Refers to a wide variety in which learners vary in how they prefer to learn. What is the goal for each of the element discussed above?

Ongoing Assessment. Ongoing assessment can be formal or informal, formative or summative, but it should always be purposeful. In differentiation, assessment is integrated in instruction at all phases- before learning, during learning and after learning. Assessment doesn’t only focus as a basis for assigning grades but to guide instruction.

Weekly letters - Students can be asked to write a weekly letter recap. They can share what they have learned, what’s not/working for them in a unit and what questions they need. Keep the letters and let students review them to reflect their growth

Exit tickets- Can be used to assess students’ understanding about a specific lessons or concept

Homework assignments- Should be designed to allow students demonstrate what they know, to ask questions and to self-asses.

Offer Different Types of Free Study Time

Make Time for Journaling A journal can be a tool for students to reflect on the lessons you’ve taught and activities you’ve run, helping them process new information. When possible at the end of class, give students a chance to make a journal entry by: Summarizing key points they’ve learned Attempting to answer or make sense of lingering questions Explaining how they can use the lessons in real-life scenarios Illustrating new concepts, which can be especially helpful for data-focused math lessons

Quizes/Pre-tests An ongoing assessment quiz doesn’t have to be graded – It is meant to inform instructional practice and prompts the teacher to attend to the students’ needs.

Analyze Your Differentiated Instruction Strategy on a Regular Basis

Checklist, Notes, Activities and Instruction. Checklist can be used to monitor students’ skill development and task progress. Warm-up activity- used to monitor where students are in their learning. Checklist, Notes, Activities and Instruction.

Are similar to checklist but are more open-ended and use narrative comments to describe the status of student learning. Clipboard notes-

Instruction- assessment can be used to instruct depending on the purpose.

Warm-up activity- used to monitor where students are in their learning.

Differentiated flow of instruction includes • Using pre-assessments. • Integrating knowledge gained from pre-assessment into instruction. • Using a support system. • Evidence that ongoing assessment informs instruction. • Integrating must-know content with content that is based on student choice. • Extending the learning opportunities of all students. • Respecting different learning styles. What strategies do you use to immediately determine where the class is with regard to a particular topic? YES/NO CARDS, THUMB UP , FIST OF FIVE

Organizational scaffolding includes : • Providing different ways for students to organize themselves and to see both the big picture and details of a task or project. • Breaking tasks or projects into smaller steps with structured guidance for some students and combining steps and allowing for self-direction with other students. • Helping students sequence their thinking and processes and create and follow through with plans. • Giving students explicit or flexible criteria as needed to help them know when to move on to the next step of a project.

Their favorite types of lessons Their favorite in-class activities Interview Students . Asking questions about learning and studying styles can help you pinpoint the kinds of content that will meet your class’s needs. While running learning stations or a large-group activity, pull each student aside for a few minutes. Ask about: Their favorite types of lessons Their favorite in-class activities Which projects they’re most proud of Which kinds of exercises help them remember key lesson points

Share Your Own Strengths and Weaknesses To familiarize students with the idea of differentiated learning, you may find it beneficial to explain that not everyone builds skills and processes information the same way. Talking about your own strengths and weaknesses is one way of doing this. Explain — on a personal level — how you study and review lessons. Share tactics that do and don’t work for you, encouraging students to try them.

THANK YOU