1. What is differentiated instruction?

2. Differentiation based on research and writings of:
Carol Ann Tomlinson
Professor of Educational Leadership
University of Virginia

3. What is differentiated instruction?
“In a differentiated classroom, the teacher proactively plans and carries out varied approaches to content, process, and product in anticipation of and response to student differences in readiness, interest, and learning needs.”
How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-Ability Classrooms (Tomlinson, ASCD, 2001)

4. Differentiation isn’t a strategy
Differentiation isn’t a strategy. It’s a way of thinking about all you do when you teach...
Carol Ann Tomlinson, The Differentiated Classroom (1999)

5. Differentiation Non-Negotiables
Supportive learning environment
Continuous assessment
High-quality curriculum
Respectful tasks
Flexible grouping

6. The Cogs of Differentiation
Tomlinson, 2003

7. What Do I Differentiate?

8. What Do I Differentiate?
Content
Process
Product
Learning Environment
Assessments

9. What Do I Differentiate?
Content
Process
Product
Environment
Assessments
Curriculum
Presentation
Pacing
Materials

10. What Do I Differentiate?
Content
Process
Product
Environment
Assessments
Grouping
Complexity
Higher-order
Choice

11. What Do I Differentiate?
Content
Process
Product
Environment
Assessments
Grouping
Modes of Expression
Format
Materials

12. What Do I Differentiate?
Grouping
Seating
Movement
Atmosphere
Content
Process
Product
Environment
Assessments

13. What Do I Differentiate?
Rubrics
Grading
Modes of Expression
Format
Content
Process
Product
Environment
Assessments

14. How Do I Know How to Differentiate?

15. Knowing the Learner
Interests
Learning Profiles
Readiness Levels

16. Differentiation is a teacher’s response to learners’ needs
guided by general principles of differentiation, such as
respectful
tasks
ongoing
assessment
flexible
grouping
Teachers can differentiate
Content
Process
Product
according to students’
Readiness
Interests
Learning Profile
through a range of instructional and management strategies

17. A differentiated classroom will have a combination of teacher directed, teacher selected activities, and learner centered, learner selected activities; whole class instruction, small group instruction, and individual instruction.
Leslie

18. Why Differentiate?

19. Why Use Differentiated Instruction?
Enables teachers to provide learning opportunities for all students by offering varied learning experiences.
Allows teachers to put research-based best practices into a meaningful context for learning.
Helps teachers to understand and use assessment as a critical tool to drive instruction.
Debbie

20. Why Use Differentiated Instruction?
Encourages teachers to plan proactively for student-centered learning.
Adds new instructional strategies to teachers’ “toolboxes”- introducing or reinforcing techniques to help teachers focus on essentials of curriculum.
Debbie

21. Student Voices on Differentiated Instruction…
I like this class because there’s something different going on all the time. My other classes, it’s like peanut butter for lunch every single day. This class, it’s like my teacher really knows how to cook. It’s like she runs a really good restaurant with a big menu.
5th grade student, in a comment from a course evaluation