1. Echo Wu, Ph.D. Murray State University KAGE, February 24, 2015
You Can Do it! Daily Practice Using Differentiation Strategies in Regular Classroom
Echo Wu, Ph.D.
Murray State University
KAGE, February 24, 2015

2. Today’s Outline Why differentiation? Myths in gifted education
What can teachers do without too much
extra work?
Strategies for daily practice

3. Why Do We Need Differentiation?
Gifted Ed vs Special Ed
Differences between GT & regular kids
-- Readiness (Content: depth & breadth)
-- Pace of learning (process)
-- Learning styles (process)
-- Learning preferences (products)

4. Myths of Gifted Education
To look closer at the needs of gifted students, let’s see this video on myths in gifted education:

5. A Quick Discussion
Think about your students: What are the most important reasons you need to differentiate in your own classroom?
Share one or two cases you have experienced
Have you differentiated before? How do you feel about differentiation?

6. Too Much Already! And Extra Work?

7. No! It’s a Myth! Differentiation Can be Easier Than You Think!

9. What Do You Want to Differentiate?
Content: Providing different levels of content, allowing GT students to gain deeper, broader understanding of a subject
Process: Adjusting the pace of instruction, allowing GT students to work in their own speed or style
Products: Giving them options to produce different products, bringing their own talents into classroom

10. Daily Practice: Differentiate Content
Understand students’ readiness
Understand what they are interested
It can be quick! (Within 1-2 minute)
-- Exit cards
-- Quick quiz
-- Questions
-- Multiple choices

11. Daily Practice: Differentiate Process
Understand how students learning style
Multiple Intelligence
You may use a survey to check MIs of your students:
For older students:
For younger kids:
For adults:

12. Daily Practice: Differentiate Products
-- autobiography -- documentary -- essay
-- experiment -- hands-on activity -- reading
-- song lyrics -- story/poem -- chart
-- oral report/speech -- design drawing
-- illustrations -- photo essay drama
-- exhibit animated movie -- flip chart
-- game puppet show -- map
-- role-play -- sculpture TV broadcast

13. Eight Intelligences
1. Verbal/Linguistic 2. Logical/Mathematical 3. Visual/Spatial 4. Bodily-Kinesthetic 5. Musical 6. Interpersonal 7. Intrapersonal 8. Naturalist

14. What Is Your MI?
Discuss in small group, and see the order you choose for your own MIs & the reasons

15. Example: Choice Board
Choice Boards offer students a way to make decisions about what they will do in order to meet class requirements. They could be for a single lesson, a week long lesson, or even a month long period of study.

17. You Need to… Setting Standards
It is important that no matter which choices
students make, they must learn the basic/key
ideas and use the skills central to the topic or
area of study
Create minimum requirement
Make sure students understand that you expect ALL of them to achieve

18. Example: Learning Contract
A learning contract is a collaboratively written agreement between a student and a teacher that describe clearly what is to be learned, how it will be learned, and how that learning will be evaluated.

19. Some Easy Ways for Daily Classroom Differentiation
Carol Tomlinson Interview (Wu, 2009)
Use some time to work with a small group of your students
Anchor activities
Find learning stations/centers
Tiered lesson (essential knowledge & skills but different degrees of difficulty or complexity)

20. A List of Differentiation Strategies

21. Need to Pay Attention to…
Start slowly! “Start with some strategies that don’t radically change the way you teach. In that way, neither planning nor management seems beyond your grasp”
Tell students what you are doing and tell them why and what! They can understand and enjoy DI more quickly than you may think
Think about practical ways, e.g., how to move around in the classroom; directions for multiple tasks; how they can get help etc.
Both formal and informal assessments are important

22. Shine On Today!

23. Thank You!
Contact Information
Echo Wu, Ph.D.
College of Education
Murray State University
Tel: