FINAL PORTFOLIO: DIFFERENTIATION IN THE K-4 CLASSROOM By Jesse Gottschalk

1. DATA AND ASSESSMENT StrategyHow it helps differentiation: Continuous informal & formal assessment of a variety of skills/habits/ interests Allows the teacher to create “thorough learner profiles” of all students. Creation of thorough learner profiles Allows targeted and adapted instruction; allows teacher to adapt materials to student needs, competencies, and interests Ex: Reading ChartsReading Charts Using a variety of materials as assessments Allows the teacher to identify a wider variety of opportunities for instruction, and to learn more about students in less-traditionally academic ways Ex: Takeover – poetry Ex: Term III Math – built into lesson

2. CONSTRUCTION OF LESSONS & TASKS StrategyHow it helps differentiation: Continuous informal & formal assessment of a variety of skills/habits/ interests Allows the teacher to create “thorough learner profiles” of all students. Creation of thorough learner profiles Allows targeted and adapted instruction; allows teacher to adapt materials to student needs, competencies, and interests Ex: Reading ChartsReading Charts Using a variety of materials as assessments Allows the teacher to identify a wider variety of opportunities for instruction, and to learn more about students in less-traditionally academic ways Ex: Takeover – poetry Ex: Term III Math – built into lesson StrategyHow it helps differentiation: Multi-modality Engages a wider variety of students, and helps prevent challenges in particular areas from inhibiting student learning in other areas. Ex: Introduction of PoemsIntroduction of Poems Flexible groupings Students benefit from cooperative learning; students benefit differently in same-ability and mixed-ability groups Ex: Term III lessons, guided reading, etc.Term III lessons Providing options (tasks, materials, etc.) Allows students to self-differentiate based on appropriate challenge levels, interests Ex: Materials in Term III Literacy, science, poetry Personalization (including culturally relevant teaching) Lets students connect to material in individually meaningful and motivating ways; promotes respect for difference. Lots of other strategies (Manipulatives, anchor charts, rubrics, UBD planning, etc.)

3. FACILITATION StrategyHow it helps differentiation: Number talks-style teacher- facilitated discussion Supports students at a variety of skill levels, in different ways Strategic choices when calling on students Engages students, provides appropriate challenges/opportunities for success, and scaffolds concepts for students who might be more likely to struggle conceptually. Assigning tasks individually, while convened as a class Can provide examples early for students who might be confused; give students who might struggle to pick topics the opportunity to choose while obvious choices remain; and allows advanced students to select among more complex or open-ended options Ex: Animals in WinterAnimals in Winter

WORKS CITED  Fountas and Pinnell – guided reading (Data, Construction) Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. (1996). Guided reading: Good first teaching for all children. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann; Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. (1999) Matching Books to Readers: Using Leveled Books in Guided Reading, K-3. Heinemann.  Gillies – flexible grouping (Construction) Gillies, R.M. (2007). Cooperative Learning: Integrating Theory and Practice. Sage Publications, Inc.  Ladson-Billings – culturally relevant teaching (Construction) Ladson-Billings, G. (1994). The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African American Students. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.  Gardner – multiple Intelligences (Context) Moran, S., Kornhaber, M., & Gardner, H. (2006). Orchestrating Multiple Intelligences. Educational Leadership, 64(1),  Parrish – number talks (Facilitation) Parrish, S. (2010). Number Talks: Helping Children Build Mental Math and Computation Strategies. Sausalito, CA: Math Solutions; Parrish, S. (October, 2011). Number Talks Build Numerical Reasoning. Teaching Children Mathematics. National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.  Ready, Set, SCIENCE! – argumentation (Facilitation) Michaels, S., Shouse, A.W., & Schweingruber, H.A. (2007). Ready, Set, SCIENCE! Putting Research to Work in K-8 Science Classrooms. National Research Council. Retrieved from  Tomlinson – differentiation strategies (Data, Construction) Tomlinson, C.A. (2001). How To Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-Ability Classrooms. 2nd edition. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development; Tomlinson, C.A. & McTighe, J. (2006). Integrating Differentiated Instruction & Understanding by Design: Connecting Content and Kids. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.  Vaughn et al. – differentiating for diverse learners (Construction) Vaughn, S.R., Bos, C.S., & Schumm, J.S. (2011). Teaching Students Who Are Exceptional, Diverse, and At Risk in the General Education Classroom. 5th edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.