1. Differentiating Instruction
Dr. Michael Nelson
Grand Canyon University
Mike

2. Agenda Welcome & Opening Activity Learner Objectives
What is Differentiated Instruction?
Ways to Differentiate Instruction
How to begin using DI in the classroom
Deb

3. Learner Objectives Learners will be able to:
Define differentiated instruction
Determine learning styles of students
Participate in a PLC by reading research-based articles about a topic
Apply the three elements of how to differentiate instruction in a lesson
Develop ways to use differentiated instruction on daily basis
Mike

4. Secondary Symbionts of Acyrthosiphon pisum
What did you learn? How did you feel about the complexity? Here it is a little easier to understand….
Jaime

5. Mutualism: both species benefit
Jaime
Commensalism: one species benefits, the other is neither hurt nor helped.
Parasitism: parasite benefits, host is hurt.

6. Jaime

7. What is Differentiated Instruction?
Video Link :
Mike

8. Activity- What’s your learning style?
Circle the letter of the phrase that is true for you most of the time.
When finished add the number of responses for each letter and enter the total in the space provided.
Mike

9. Is this your classroom?
Deb

10. Think-Pair-Share
Think about what your definition for the term “differentiated instruction” is?
When you have your response, please turn to your partner
Share your response with them
Deb

11. Defining Differentiating Instruction
a process for “ensuring that what a student learns, how he/she learns it, and how the student demonstrates what he/she has learned is a match for that student’s readiness level, interests and preferred mode of learning.” - Carol Ann Tomlinson
Jaime

12. Three Elements of Differentiating Instruction
content – what you want the students to learn
process – the way students make sense out of the content
product – the outcome at the end of a lesson
Mike

13. 1. Differentiating Content
Content differentiation involves a varying what we teach or how students gain access to that content.
Strategies for differentiating by content:
Utilize pre-tests to assess where individual students need to begin study of a given topic.
Break assignments into small, more manageable parts that include structured directions for each part.
Encourage thinking at various levels of Bloom’s taxonomy.
Deb

14. 2. Differentiating Process
Differentiating by process involves providing varied opportunities for students to process or make sense of the content being taught.
Strategies for differentiating by process:
Provide access to a variety of materials which target different learning preferences and reading abilities.
Develop activities that target auditory, visual, and kinesthetic learners.
Use flexible grouping to group and regroup students based on factors including content, ability, and assessment results.
Jamie

15. 3. Differentiating by product
Product differentiation involves allowing students to show, in varied ways, what they know, understand and are able to do.
Strategies for differentiating by product:
Use a variety of assessment strategies, including performance based and open ended assessments.
Balance teacher assigned and student selected projects.
Offer students a choice of projects that reflect a variety of learning styles and interests.
Mike

16. Common Misconceptions regarding DI
Disconnect with standards- DI is a instructional model, not a curriculum model.
It is only for certain students. – every student is different and bring unique interests to the table.
Teachers must learn to manage a classroom flexibly to reach all learners.
Deb

17. Article Jigsaw Activity
Read the article your group was given independently .
Highlight or underline the 5 most important ideas that you think everyone should know.
Meet together with your group and discuss what you underlined.
Decide as a group which ideas are the most important and write the top 5 into a poster to present to the class.
Mike

18. Differentiation for All
Students should have:
Multiple ways for how they receive new information
A variety of ways to actively process and comprehend new ideas
Opportunities to show their understanding using different products.
Jaime

19. How to get started? Video w/ Carol Tomlinson
Discussion
Mike

20. Differentiation starts with:
Approaching all learners the same way – doesn’t work.
Begin where each child is in their learning process in order to meet their needs and help them grow.
Mike

21. Closing Activity
You will differentiate various lessons by adding some strategies learned from the session today.
Deb

22. “All students can learn and succeed, but not in the same day, in the same way.” – William Spady
Mike