Differentiation in the maths classroom

Learning Intentions What differentiation is and isn’t. Reasons why we differentiate? Knowing the role of the teacher Planning for differentiation content, process and product. Flexible groupings Discuss the 3 groups, what do we hope to achieve, what does it look like, what can we differentiate?.

What are we trying to achieve through differentiation? Increased student achievement Increased confidence in learning Engagement Self-directed learning behaviors Rational Burns and Purcell, 2002

Is a teacher’s response to learner’s needs Differentiation Is a teacher’s response to learner’s needs Respects the different learning needs of students and expects all students to experience success as learners. How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed ability Classrooms Carol Ann Tomlinson , ASCD 2001

Differentiation Is a teacher’s response to learner’s needs Respects the different learning needs of students and expects all students to experience success as learners. Guided by the general principles of differentiation. Quality Curriculum Ongoing Assessment Meaningful Tasks Flexible Grouping Expectations Relationships Who is Carol Anne Tomlinson. Next slide for discussion of bottom line. How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed ability Classrooms Carol Ann Tomlinson , ASCD 2001

Quality Curriculum What do we want students to be able to know, understand, and do as a result of their learning? Relevance? Real-world? Ongoing Assessment Prior assessment for student interest and readiness. Ongoing formative assessment and feedback measuring progress. Summative to allow students to demonstrate what they have learned. Meaningful Tasks Challenging, interesting, and worth doing. May be adjusted for different readiness levels, interests, or learning preferences. Flexible Grouping Students work in a variety of arrangements. Small Groups/Partner/Individually/Whole Class All students should be working at a level of complexity that is just above their comfort level. By providing each student with reasonable levels of challenge and instructional scaffolding as needed students learn that hard work results in successful growth. Expectations Relationships Building a learning community where students feel safe, accepted, and supported.

Differentiation Is a teacher’s response to learner’s needs Respects the different learning needs of students and expects all students to experience success as learners. Guided by the general principles of differentiation. Quality Curriculum Ongoing Assessment Meaningful Tasks Flexible Grouping Expectations Relationships Content - The knowledge, understanding, and skills we want students to learn. Process – How students come to understand or make sense of the content. Product - How students demonstrate what they have come to know, understand, and are able to do after an extended period of learning. Six Ways to Tier a Lesson Tier by challenge level (Bloom's Taxonomy) Tier by complexity (Address the needs of students at introductory levels, as well as students who are ready for more advanced work) Tier by resources (Choose materials at various reading levels and complexity of content) Tier by outcomes (Students use the same materials, but their end-products vary) Tier by process (The end-products are a the some, but the ways in which students arrive at those outcomes may vary) Tier by product (Group multiple intelligences or learning styles, followed by assignments that fit those preferences) from Differentiating Instruction in the Regular Classroom by Diane Heacox DIFFERENTIATED THROUGH Content Process Product How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed ability Classrooms Carol Ann Tomlinson , ASCD 2001

Differentiation Is a teacher’s response to learner’s needs Respects the different learning needs of students and expects all students to experience success as learners. Guided by the general principles of differentiation. Quality Curriculum Ongoing Assessment Meaningful Tasks Flexible Grouping Expectations Relationships Six Ways to Tier a Lesson Tier by challenge level (Bloom's Taxonomy) Tier by complexity (Address the needs of students at introductory levels, as well as students who are ready for more advanced work) Tier by resources (Choose materials at various reading levels and complexity of content) Tier by outcomes (Students use the same materials, but their end-products vary) Tier by process (The end-products are a the some, but the ways in which students arrive at those outcomes may vary) Tier by product (Group multiple intelligences or learning styles, followed by assignments that fit those preferences) from Differentiating Instruction in the Regular Classroom by Diane Heacox Parallel tasks DIFFERENTIATED THROUGH Content Process Product The knowledge understanding and skills we want students to learn How students come to understand or make sense of the content How students demonstrate what they have come to know, understand, and are able to do after an extended period of learning

According to students’ Differentiate Content Process Product According to students’ Readiness . Interest Learning Profile Readiness is a student’s entry point relative to a particular understanding or skill. To help a student to grow, we must begin where the child is. Some children, particularly those who have had early learning opportunities, begin school with well-developed skills and considerable understanding of various topics; other students arrive as true beginners and need basic instruction and additional practice. Interest refers to a child’s affinity, curiosity, or passion for a particular topic or skill. The advantage to grouping by interest is that it allows students to attach what they have been learning in class to things that they already find relevant and interesting and appealing in their own lives. Learning profile has to do with how students learn. Some are visual learners, auditory learners, or kinesthetic learners. Students vary in the amount of time they need to master a skill or learn a concept. How students learn can be shaped by: environment social organization physical circumstances emotional climate psychological factors

According to students’ Differentiate Content Process Product According to students’ Readiness Student current proximity to specific knowledge, understanding and skills. Interest That which engages the attention, curiosity, and involvement of a student Learning Profile A preference for taking in, exploring, or expressing content. Shaped by 4 elements - Learning Style/Intelligence Preference/Gender/Culture Readiness is a student’s entry point relative to a particular understanding or skill. To help a student to grow, we must begin where the child is. Some children, particularly those who have had early learning opportunities, begin school with well-developed skills and considerable understanding of various topics; other students arrive as true beginners and need basic instruction and additional practice. Interest refers to a child’s affinity, curiosity, or passion for a particular topic or skill. The advantage to grouping by interest is that it allows students to attach what they have been learning in class to things that they already find relevant and interesting and appealing in their own lives. Learning profile has to do with how students learn. Some are visual learners, auditory learners, or kinesthetic learners. Students vary in the amount of time they need to master a skill or learn a concept. How students learn can be shaped by: environment social organization physical circumstances emotional climate psychological factors

This is not new just doing things better Differentiating instruction is doing what’s fair for students. It’s a collection of best practices strategically employed to maximize students’ learning at every turn, including giving them the tools to handle anything that is undifferentiated. It requires us to do different things for different students some, or a lot, of the time. It’s whatever works to advance the student if the regular classroom approach doesn’t meet students’ needs. It’s highly effective teaching.

Flexible grouping is at the heart of differentiated Instruction It is a critical management strategy in the differentiated classroom. It allows a better instructional match between students’ needs and what you want students to know, understand, and be able to do. It lets you tailor learning activities according to students’ needs and learning preferences, and, in the process, gives you time to provide additional instruction or extend learning experiences to particular students or groups.

Activities Rectangles Parallel tasks Wiggles Tiered task Algebra black belt Open tasks - How much chocolate on a mallow puff? Stats investigations The ultimate goal of differentiation is to meet the needs of the all students in a classroom during all parts of the problem-solving lesson. This becomes more manageable if the teacher can create a single task that allows not only different students to approach it using different processes or strategies, but also different students at different stages of mathematical development to benefit and grow mathematically. In this way, each student becomes a contributing and valued member of the classroom learning community.

Put strands up, put 9, 10 11 Burns and Purcell, 2002

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