1. By: Ashley Moscaritolo 8 th Grade Science

2. What parents need to know. Differentiated instruction is for the benefit of your child as no two students learn the same way. Differentiation does not “single out” the gifted or challenged learner, DI makes everyone feel welcome. It provided a way for all students to be challenged at an appropriate level. “In differentiated classrooms, teachers begin where students are, not from the front of a curriculum grade.” – Carol Ann Tomlinson

3. Differentiated Instruction IS NOT Chaotic Teachers fear chaos. A DI classroom provides less chaos because all students are engaged and learning. Homogeneous Students learn more from those who are different from themselves. DI allows for heterogeneous groups to lean from each others strengths and weaknesses. Tailoring Teachers in a DI classroom do not just modify difficulty levels of assignments and assessments.

4. Differentiated Instruction IS Practical Not all students are alike, so not all students should be taught the same. Student centered Students get more out of their learning when they take responsibility for it. Quality Based not Quantity based Assigning more questions to a gifted student is not differentiating, changing the quality of the questions is. Multi-dimensional DI provided several approaches to instruction, learning and assessment. Fluid Di is not a strict set of rules set in stone, as the teacher learns more about their students, their approach to DI should change with this knowledge.

5. Why are teachers using DI? Will Rogers once said, "Even a man on the right track will get run over if he just stands there." We have to be dynamic in our teaching, always learning, always trying. There are students counting on us everyday to provide the best experiences possible. DI isn’t another educational fad, it is just a name put to some of the best practices of teaching.

6. How does DI benefit students? DI incorporates the multiple intelligences theory more than any “traditional” classroom will allow. DI takes each student’s strengths and works with them. “learners are more likely to retsain motivation to learn when their days allow them to concentrate on tasks that are relevant & make them feel powerful” C.A. Tomlinson (2005)

7. Examples of Low-prep DI Homework options Computer programs Think-pair-share Activities based on student interest Game for practice Different questioning levels Choice of activity/assignment Options for student expression Now does DI sound so scary? You probably already do some of these things in your classrooms now!

8. Examples of High-prep DI Tiered activities Independent study Organizers Stations Problem-based learning Interest groups Alternative assessments Complex instruction Although a bit more planning is involved, with a little effort you can soon be creating amazing DI lessons!

9. How do I get started using DI? Many people are uncomfortable when doing something that is new to them, others find new approaches in the classroom exciting and they dive in. The best way to start implementing DI is in a manner comfortable to you. Start with low-prep activities, or high- prep differentiated activities. JUST START! “If you're not already differentiating, begin. Give yourself three years, incorporating just one or two ideas per month.” – Rick Woemeli (2006)

10. Online DI Resources DI Rap http://youtu.be/Z9KKiNcXqKI?t=13shttp://youtu.be/Z9KKiNcXqKI?t=13s Just for fun, three elementary ed majors rap about DI Polk Public Schools. Differentiated Instruction. http://www.polk-schools.com/differentiated.htm http://www.polk-schools.com/differentiated.htm A great source of useful links for DI Read Write Think http://www.readwritethink.orghttp://www.readwritethink.org Teacher resources for implementing DI teAchnology; How to differentiate instruction http://www.teach-nology.com/tutorials/teaching/differentiate/ http://www.teach-nology.com/tutorials/teaching/differentiate/ Teacher resources, information and more links

11. Resources (for this presentation) Chapman, C. & King, R. (2005). Differentiated assessment strategies. Thousand Oaks, CA. Corwin Press. Polk Public Schools. Differentiated Instruction. http://www.polk-schools.com/differentiated.htm http://www.polk-schools.com/differentiated.htm Tomlinson, C.A, (2001). How to differentiate in mixed ability classrooms. (2 nd edition) Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Wormeli, Rick. (2006). Fair isn't always equal: Assessment and grading in the differentiated classroom. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.

12. Say goodbye to the ‘one size fits all’ approaches of the past and hello to Differentiated Instruction!