1. Differentiation from Planning to Practice
Presented by
Debbie McHale
and Maria Papoutsakis
January 2011

2. Carol Ann Tomlinson on Critical Transformations
video>

3. A major component of differentiation is mind set.
Everything else is craft. We can’t get to the craft – the tips for management and the orchestration of the differentiated less unless our mind grasps this liberating emphasis.

4. “I never teach my pupils; I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn.” Albert Einstein

5. Similar to Einstein’s description, Differentiated Instruction is the result of teachers providing conditions to ensure effective and efficient learning for all students.

6. Differentiated Instruction begins when teachers perceive student diversity that will strengthen or pose challenges for effective and efficient learning. Teachers respond through differentiated instruction that will leverage students’ strengths to facilitate learning or eliminate a challenge that would impede learning.

7. Knowing the Learner WHO Knowing the Learner Development Personal
Cognitive
Development
Personal
Social

8. Goals of Differentiated Instruction
ensuring each member of the learning community is engaged, valued and stretched.
precise instruction that results in efficient and effective learning within the established curriculum.
part of daily classroom culture focused on developing relationships among people, building curricular understanding, knowledge and skills and valuing diversity.

9. Differentiation Nonnegotiables
Supportive learning environment
Continuous Assessment
High Quality curriculum
Respectful Tasks
Flexible grouping

10. Why is this important?
“We are not all the same; we do not all have the same kinds of minds (that is, we are not all distinct points on a single bell curve); and education works most effectively if these differences are taking into account rather than denied or ignored.” Gardner H (1999) Intelligenced Reframed. New York: Basic Books. (91)

11. MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES
Visual-
Spatial
Naturalist
Musical-
Rhythmic
Logical-
Mathematical
Bodily-Kinesthetic
Verbal-Linguistic
Intrapersonal
Interpersonal

12. Howard Gardner draws our attention to the….
diversity among learners that is always present in every classroom. When diversity is ignored in the classroom, some students are learning while other students are waiting for an opportunity to engage in learning
When diversity is recognized through thoughtful precise instruction, then all students are engaged and stretched reaching learning goals.

13. Differentiation is…
Not about requiring less or more work from students of varying degrees of readiness. We change the nature of the work, not its quantity.
Differentiation means we increase what students can achieve, and that takes focused work on everyone’s part.

14. Our diversity….. Ability Gender Ethnicity Socio-economics Interests
Prior experiences
Learning preferences

15. Let’s Begin…. Refer to Handout #1
Steps to take Before, During and After while implementing the Learning Experiences.
Guiding Questions for Lesson Modification

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. Classroom Differentiation
Content
Process
Products
Learning Environment/ Affect
Assessment

18. Flexible Grouping
Handout Number 2
Clock Partners Grouping

19. With your clock partners complete the following activity:
Make a web of all that you know about the readiness, interests and learning profile of the students you are working with for inquiry team.
Clock Partners

20. Differentiation
Content
Process
Product
Environment
Assessment

21. Differentiation
Content
Process
Product
Environment
Assessment

22. Differentiation
Content
Process
Product
Environment
Assessment

23. Differentiation
Content
Process
Product
Environment
Assessment

24. Differentiation
Content
Process
Product
Environment
Assessment

25. TIERING
Teachers adjust instruction and assessment according to the learner’s readiness level (the capacity to handle different levels of challenge in an assignment) interests, and or learning profile.

26. CHOICE BOARDS LEARNING MENUS
Students choose from a menu of options
Tasks vary by process and interest
Some anchor activities can be required
of all students
Can be used for homework, projects, and assessment

27. “In differentiated instruction, teachers begin where the students are, not in front of the curriculum guide” Carol Ann Tomlinson