1. IMPROVING INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICE WITH DIFFERENTIATION
Sponsored by Teachers’ Center
Facilitated by Kim Lewis
May 12, 2014
Based on the work of
Carol Ann Tomlinson

2. Your Students… come from different cultures
have different learning styles
come to school with varying levels of emotional and social maturity
have varying interests in both topic and intensity
reflect differing levels of academic readiness in various subjects
all of the above can vary over time and depending upon the subject matter

3. SO…CONSIDER THIS…..
How does recognizing that kids perceive the world differently help us as practitioners?
Does all learning look the same?
Does all success look the same?

4. Goals for Today: WHAT? WHY? HOW? WHICH?
Review Differentiated Instruction
Take away 3 new or “re-newed” strategies to use this month
WHAT?
WHY?
HOW?
WHICH?
Want more?

6. What is Differentiated Instruction?
Take the slips of paper out of your envelope.
Sort them into two groups on your table
“What DI is”
“What DI is NOT”
Be ready to share the rationale for your decisions. IS
IS NOT

7. What DI is NOT DI Separate learning goals for each student
Same assignments for all students
Single approach to learning
Allowing students to skip questions
Unstructured or chaotic
Homogeneous grouping that never changes
Using mostly direct instruction all the time
Different grading system for each student

8. What DI IS : Proactive Flexible Grouping Learning Options
Assignment Choices based on learning styles or interests
On-going Assessment
Matching Content to the Learner
Multiple Approaches to Instruction
Student Directed

9. It is not the goal of a teacher to differentiate everything all the time.
Try to meet learners where they are in order to further their knowledge, understanding, and skill.
Use student-selected and teacher- assigned tasks and working arrangements.
REMEMBER:
Curriculum is WHAT we teach.
Differentiation is HOW we teach.
Fair does NOT mean equal…fair means everyone gets what s/he needs.
Keeping a Balance

10. The Goal :
“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 profile.”
Carol Ann Tomlinson

11. What Kind of Learner Are YOU?
Conditions for Learning Quiz
Are you more like
a beach ball?,
clip board?, microscope?,
or a puppy?
Differentiation Based on Learning Profiles

12. Far West Teacher Centers
Variety of Resources
Organization
Investigative Learning
Comfortable Environment
Choice of activities
Structure
Critical Thinking
Encouraging Atmosphere
Spontaneity
Visual Directions
Deep Explorations
Supportive Grouping
Personal Freedom
Sequential Learning
Analyzing Concepts
Respectful Colleagues
Extensions to activities
Clear Procedures & Expectations
Discussions
Empathic Listeners
Various Manipulatives
Consistent Routines
Focus on Details
Sensitive Peers
DIRECTIONS
Show the traits for each type of learner one at a time and ask participants which one it represents (Beach ball, Clipboard, Microscope or Puppy).
You may want to have a discussion here about how knowing the learning styles of your students can help you plan appropriate instruction. *

13. 3 Ways to Differentiate Your Students:
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3 Ways to Differentiate Your Students:
Readiness
Interests
Learning Profiles
DIRECTIONS
This is an introduction to three ways students can be differentiated. Before you choose instructional strategies that meet your students’ needs, you need to assess where/who they are. We can assess students based on readiness, interests, and learning profiles.
Participants will complete activities in each of these areas to assess their students. These activities can be replicated for classroom usage. *

14. Differentiation by Learning Profiles:
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Differentiation by Learning Profiles:
Refers to the way we learn BEST
Intelligence preferences
Verbal, auditory, kinesthetic, tactile, interpersonal, intrapersonal, right/left brain, etc.
Culture-influenced preferences
Gender-based preferences
Strategies:
VAK modality survey
Beach Ball activity
Learning style inventories
“How I Like to Learn” Questionnaires
DIRECTIONS
This is an introduction to  differentiating by learning profile.
You might want to connect this to what we did at the beginning of the workshop with learning preferences. *

15. Differentiation Based on Students’ Interests can…..
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Differentiation Based on Students’ Interests can…..
Be a tool to engage students
Demonstrate a connection with them by focusing on something that is personally relevant to them
Can be a motivator for further learning
DIRECTIONS
Review the slide as reasons why differentiating by interests can be useful. *

16. Strategies to Differentiate by Student Interests:
KWL Chart
Rank types of movies/books that student likes best
Show and tell
Interest survey
America’s Got Talent
6 Hats Self Reflection

17. Far West Teacher Centers
Differentiation Based on Readiness
Provides teacher with
clarity regarding students’ prior knowledge
information about the students’ level of master of the unit’s new content to target instruction
What do they know?
How can I build on what they know?
How can I support them in the process?
DIRECTIONS
Readiness is about academic levels of students.
When teachers are aware of students’ readiness they can plan on how best to bridge their level with content which must be learned.
It is also important to note that readiness can vary from subject to subject and student to student. *

18. Strategies to Differentiate by Student Readiness:
Informal
Thumbs Up/ Thumbs Down
KWL Charts
Four Corners
Response Cards
Clickers
Geddit , Quizlet, etc.
Teacher Observation
PRE- ASSESSMENT

19. Strategies to Differentiate by Student Readiness:
Formal
Frayer Diagrams
Graphic Organizer
Journal Entries
Quizzes
Student Self Rating

20. Readiness: Four Corners
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Readiness: Four Corners
DIRECTIONS
These four charts will be posted in four separate locations of the room. *

21. Path to Differentiated Learning
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Path to Differentiated Learning
What is a strategy you use in your classroom to gauge your students’ readiness, interest, or learning profiles?
Write your strategy on a post-it.
DIRECTIONS
This can be used as a closing/summary activity. You could have participants do in class or set it up electronically as a blog, through Todaysmeet.com, or another application.
Using an electronic location allows for an easier venue to share information with the entire group. *

22. Far West Teacher Centers
Place a post-it on the color that best represents your learning so far:
Green – post something valuable you learned or “your” strategy
Yellow – post a question you have still have about DI
Red – post something you don’t understand from first section
DIRECTIONS:
Click on the Stop Light  and participants will view a video on this “Ticket-out-the-Door” strategy.
Direct them to post their comments. - This could also occur electronically for ease of sharing.
Using this method in your classroom
Survival Guide :
Differentiation 12 min
Frames for Discussion
Secondary Literacy 7 min *

24. Lesson/Unit Design with DI: Teachers Can Differentiate by…
DIRECTIONS:
This is just a reference slide to give another perspective on the differentiation process.
Through a range of instructional and management strategies *

25. Differentiating CONTENT involves Varying INPUT:
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Differentiating CONTENT involves Varying INPUT:
How students will gain access to new learning
Readiness differentiation: matching material to student’s capacity to understand it.
Interest differentiation: using materials that build on or extend student interest.
Learning Profile differentiation: using materials/methods that best match students’ preferred way of learning.
DIRECTIONS:
Review the slide and point out the following information:
The content of lessons may be differentiated based on what students already know. Content of a lesson should cover the learning standards/goals. The teacher may differentiate the content by designing activities for groups of students that are reflective of their levels. When a teacher differentiates content they may adapt what they want the students to learn or how the students will gain access to the knowledge, understanding and skills (Anderson, 2007). Educators are not lowering performance standards for students. They use different texts, novels or short stories at a reading level appropriate for each individual student. Teachers can use flexible groups and have students assigned to like groups (homogenous) or mixed groups (heterogeneous). *

28. LETS PLAY! DI STRATEGY BINGO

29. How does Assessment relate to DI?
On-going Assessment: A Diagnostic Continuum
Pre-assessment
(Finding Out)
Pre-test
Graphing for Greatness
Inventory
KWL
Checklist
Observation
Self-evaluation
Questioning
Formative Assessment
(Keeping Track & Checking Up)
Conference
Exit Card
GEDDIT
Peer Evaluation
3- minute pause
Talkaround
Portfolio Check
Quiz
Journal Entry
Self-Evaluation
Summative Assessment (Making Sure)
Unit Test
Performance Task
Product
Exhibit
Demonstration
Portfolio Review
FIST TO FIVE

31. Letsgeddit.com Hint Cards for Scaffolding TIERED Exit Card
Infinitely Reusable
Folder
Letsgeddit.com
For Practice &
Assessment
Hint Cards
for
Scaffolding
Clipboards for
Informal Assessment

33. Differentiating CONTENT Examples:
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Differentiating CONTENT Examples:
I-Search
Learning Contracts
Learning Centers
Compacting
Interest Centers/Groups
Flexible Grouping
Tiering
DIRECTIONS:
BINGO ACTIVITY: Each person will receive a BINGO style card that has 9 differentiation strategies from slides 36, 41 and 47.
Each table will have some of the strategies (1-3 from each slide depending on number of tables) on cards on their table; except Tiering which is explained in depth next.
The facilitator will pick a few of the strategies from this slide out of an envelope. The table that has that strategy will read it aloud.
The facilitator should ask if anyone has used this strategy and explain how or if no one has used it, have groups think about how they could use it their classrooms.
Anyone who has this strategy on their BINGO card gets to mark it off. The first person to get a BINGO any which way, will win a prize. This includes all 3 slides of examples. *

34. Far West Teacher Centers
Tiering by Content : giving students pathways aligned with their levels.
Great strategy when you are able to use materials which are matched to student needs and readiness.
Same content but varying levels ie. reading levels, varied directions, varied materials/resources for task
All students explore same essential content but varied degrees of difficulty
Equally active
Equally engaging and interesting
Fair in terms of expectations (targeted to students’ readiness) and allotted time
Task incorporates key concepts, skills, and/or ideas
DIRECTIONS:
Use this slide to demonstrate that Tiering provides varying access to the same content.
The Bullets indicate the criteria which should be present for each student. *

35. Differentiating PROCESS:
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Differentiating PROCESS:
Student activities or opportunities for learning, understanding, and application
Students make sense of ideas and information when instruction:
Matches their level of readiness
Causes them to think at high levels
Relates new ideas/skills to previous learning
Causes them to use a key skill(s) to understand a key idea(s)
Is of interest to them
DIRECTIONS:
Review the slide and point out that differentiating by process can be based on student interest, readiness, or learning profile.  
A teacher may provide guidelines or an activity in which students can use their learning “strengths” as they complete an assignment.
The activity we are about to do (Cubing) fits Differentiation by Process as it encourages students to think about a topic or idea from varied points of view. It includes paths to learning that take into consideration students’ interests, learning styles, and/or readiness levels. *

36. Differentiating PROCESS Examples:
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Differentiating PROCESS Examples:
Learning Logs & Journals
Graphic Organizers
Think-Pair-Share
Two Sided Debates (Discussion Webs)
Jigsaw
Six Hats
PMI (pluses, minuses, interesting points)
Cubing
DIRECTIONS:
BINGO ACTIVITY: Each person will use their BINGO card from earlier.
Each table will have some of the strategies (1-3 from this slide depending on number of tables) on cards on their table; except Cubing which is explained in depth next.
The facilitator will pick a few of the strategies from this slide out of an envelope. The table that has that strategy will read it aloud.
The facilitator should ask if anyone has used this strategy and explain how, or if no one has used it, have groups think about how they could use it their classrooms.
Anyone who has this strategy on their BINGO card gets to mark it off. The first person to get a BINGO any which way, will win a prize. *

37. Differentiating PRODUCT:
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Differentiating PRODUCT:
Refer to ways students will demonstrate their ability to use, transfer, and extend what they have learned.
Differentiated product assignments can be excellent forms of assessing student knowledge.
DIRECTIONS:
Students have choices about final activities or culminating products they will complete to demonstrate what they have learned.
A teacher needs to provide a range of choices which are comparable in terms of learning goals. *

38. Differentiating PRODUCT:
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Differentiating PRODUCT:
Choice Boards
4-MAT
Portfolios
Independent Study
Group Investigation
Orbital Studies
RAFTS
Learning Menus
DIRECTIONS:
BINGO ACTIVITY: Each person will use their BINGO card from earlier.
Each table will have some of the strategies (1-3 from this slide depending on number of tables) on cards on their table; except RAFTS and Learning Menus which are explained in depth next.
The facilitator will pick a few of the strategies from this slide out of an envelope. The table that has that strategy will read it aloud.
The facilitator should ask if anyone has used this strategy and explain how, or if no one has used it, have groups think about how they could use it their classrooms.
Anyone who has this strategy on their BINGO card gets to mark it off. The first person to get a BINGO any which way, will win a prize. *

39. Check out the activities in as many folders as you can
Write your name on the list for any you want
Later ~with your certificate~ you’ll get a personalized (DIFFERNTIATED) folder of documents !
You can also sign on to computer and check out links on next page and print what you’d like to have

40. Far West Teacher Centers
Additional
resources:
iPad TECHNOLOGY
DIRECTIONS:
Additional resources on Differentiation can be found at the websites on the slide. *

41. Far West Teacher Centers
The PRESENT requires us to remember:
DIRECTIONS:
This is a nice closing video emphasizing how students today are different from us and we need to address all their needs in order for them to be successful. *