1. Differentiated Instruction: How it can look at the Middle Level
January 25, 2008
Introduce myself, then ask them to use the notecards on their tables to write one word that describes differentiated instruction. We’ll use these words later to generate a group understanding of DI

2. A Fable
One time the animals had a school. The curriculum consisted of running, climbing, flying and swimming, and all the animals took all the subjects.

3. The duck was good in swimming, better than his instructor, and he made passing grades in flying, but was practically hopeless in running. He kept this up until he was only average in swimming. But, average is acceptable, so nobody worried about that but the duck.

4. The eagle was considered a problem pupil and was disciplined severely
The eagle was considered a problem pupil and was disciplined severely. He beat all the others to the top of the tree in the climbing class, but he had used his own way of getting there.

5. The rabbit started out at the top of his class in running, but had a nervous breakdown and had to drop out of school on account of so much makeup work in swimming.

6. The squirrel led the climbing class, but his flying teacher made him start his flying lessons from the ground instead of the top of the tree, and he developed charley horses from overexertion at the takeoff and began getting C’s in climbing and D’s in running.

7. The practical prairie dog apprenticed their offspring to a badger when the school authorities refused to add digging to the curriculum.

8. - Printed in The Instructor, April 1968
At the end of the year, an eel that could swim well, run, climb, and fly a little was made valedictorian.
- Printed in The Instructor, April 1968

9. Fairness is not everyone getting the same thing
Fairness is not everyone getting the same thing. It is everyone getting what they need.
Read “What’s Fair?”

10. Today’s Objectives Understand the model for Differentiated Instruction
Discover strategies to differentiate a lesson based on student interest
Discuss considerations for creating a differentiated lesson and building a differentiated classroom

11. When I skate, I go where the puck is.
Wayne Gretsky
When we teach, we should go where the student is.

12. Why Do We Need to Differentiate?
When a teacher tries to teach something to the whole entire class at the same time, chances are, one-third of the kids already know it; one-third will get it; and the remaining third won’t.
Lillian Katz
Lillian Katz is an internationally known expert on young children's intellectual and academic development.
Think of the students in your classroom right now. If this quote is true, could you put your students into each one of these three categories?
Willis, S (November 1993). “Teaching Young Children: Educators Seek ‘Developmental Appropriateness.” Curriculum Update, 1-8.

13. Differentiated Instruction is NOT…
“Individualized” Instruction
Chaotic
Just another way to provide homogeneous grouping
Just “tailoring the same suit of clothes”
Pgs 1-3

14. Differentiated Instruction IS…
Share the descriptive words from “ticket in the door”
Proactive planning to meet the needs of ALL learners
Student Centered
An atmosphere of learning for both students AND teacher
Rooted in assessment
Making meaningful adjustments in quality, not quantity
A purposeful blend of whole-class, group, and individual instruction

15. “At its most basic level, differentiation means ‘shaking up’ what goes on in the classroom so that students have multiple options for taking in information, making sense of ideas, and expressing what they learn.”
Tomlinson, C.A. (2001) How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-Ability Classrooms

16. Teachers Can Differentiate:
Content
Process
Product
According to Students’
Content- is what students should know, understand, and be able to do as a result of the segment of study. “it’s the stuff we want students to learn, therefore it is the stuff we teach”…..content standards, curriculum provide guidance for this.
Process- a purposeful activity that is unambiguously focused on essential learning goals. It requires students to work directly with a subset of the key knowledge, understanding, and skills specified as content goals. It requires students to think about ideas, grapple with problems and use information.
Products – refers to the major or culminating demonstration of students learning. Products can take many forms and this is what makes them potentially powerful in classrooms that are sensitive to learner variance. Tests are a form of products and when the only form many students find themselves restricted in the ability to show what they have learned.
Readiness
Interest
Learning
Profile

17. We know that students learn better IF…
Tasks are a close match for the skills and understanding of a topic (readiness)
Tasks ignite curiosity or passion in a student (interest)
The assignment encourages students to work in a preferred manner (learning profile).

18. How does Interest Impact Student Learning?
This would be a good place to let them talk about a time when you saw a student more actively engaged because his/her interest level was peaked.
Barb

19. Primary Consideration:
What is your learning target?
What must ALL students:
Know
Understand
be able to Do

20. Learning Target
Students may have different paths to the target.

21. (C.)R.A.F.T. (S). Assignments
Context, Role, Audience, Format, Topic, Strong Verb
Aids students in formulating ideas that are outside of the typical response paragraphs and essays
Allows for high student choice and differentiation by interest
Allows for leveling by difficulty and differentiation by readiness
Raft- a writing strategy that helps the students build personal understanding or connection to the text
RAFT – role of the writer, audience, format, topic
Students select a character from a book and write as that person…example – sailor on Columbus’ ship
Students select and audience – sailor’s family
Students select a format – examples could be ….obituaries, speech, thank you note, memo, love letter, book review, sermon, etc.
Topic – example – what was written – sailor wrote about discovering new land
Share writings with group to build connections to written text.
For students this activity is analytical, forces students to make decisions, help with rich reading of text when forced to look at text through the eyes of another person.

22. R.A.F.T.(S). Prompts
Imagine that you are Goldilocks’ mother (role). Explain (strong verb) to Goldilocks (audience) the importance of using good manners (topic).
The leaves from a tree (audience) would like to know why they are changing color (topic). Pretend you are a scientist (role) and write them a letter (format) to explain (strong verb) why.

23. Create a (C).R.A.F.T.(S). Prompt
Think of a topic you are currently studying that would lend itself to a writing assessment
Identify a variety of each:
Context- This may be added for beginning writers it provides the background or scenario for the writing
Role
Audience
Format
Topic
Strong verb – direct the writer to the purpose
Write your prompt in sentence format, leaving blanks for student choice where appropriate .
Refer the group to handout of: forms of writings for assignments and strong verbs sheet

24. Another Way to Design a R.A.F.T.
Role
Audience
Format
Topic
King
The Subjects
Proclamation
Read my Lips, New Taxes
Knight
Squire
Job Description
Chivalry, is it for you?
Lord
Contract
Let’s Make a Deal
Serf
Animals
Lament Poem
My So Called Life
Monk
Masses
Illuminated Manuscript
Do as I say, not as I do
Lady
Pages
Song
ABC, 123
Teacher must pre-generate the sentence structure!
Teacher-created prompt
Student-generated role, audience, format or topic
Blend of teacher-student generated (non-negotiables generated by teacher)
Group generated ideas

25. Student Choice Boards
Enable students to choose learning activities that are designed by the teacher
Can be used in any subject area and enhanced with nonlinguistic representation

26. Fractions Choice Board
Learning Goals: Students will…
KNOW: Fractions show parts of a whole and can be expressed numerically.
UNDERSTAND: Fractions represent equal sized portions or fair shares.
Be able to DO: Use different materials to demonstrate what the fraction looks like.
Turville, J. (2007) Differentiating by Student Interest

27. Turville, J. (2007) Differentiating by Student Interest

28. Insects Choice Board Learning Goals: Students will…
KNOW: The characteristics of insects.
UNDERSTAND: Insects have particular characteristics and parts and are different from other kinds of bugs.
Be able to DO: Create a product that demonstrates an understanding of characteristics that are particular to insects.
Turville, J. (2007) Differentiating by Student Interest

29. Turville, J. (2007) Differentiating by Student Interest

30. Learning Contracts
Allow student choice with a range of specified activities.
“Pact” between teacher and learner to complete a series of tasks that are designed to achieve specific learning goals
Encourage responsibility and time management
Turville, J. (2007) Differentiating by Student Interest

31. Sample Learning Contract
Activities Chosen:
My activities will be complete and handed in and/or ready to present by _______________________________.
Student Signature ________________
Teacher Signature ________________
Parent Signature _________________
Turville, J. (2007) Differentiating by Student Interest

32. Considerations for Planning a Differentiated Lesson
Identify the student learning target/s that ALL students must reach
Decide WHAT you will differentiate:
Decide HOW you will differentiate and the assessment method you will use
Determine what assessment method/s you will use

33. Creating a Differentiated Classroom
Start Slowly…But Start
One subject or one class
Where the need is greatest
Where you feel most comfortable
Deliberately plan to differentiate Content, Product, or Process
Based on your Students’ Readiness, Interest or Learning Preference
Don’t Bother Differentiating Fluff

34. Remember…
“A teacher in a differentiated classroom does not classify herself as someone who ‘already differentiates instruction.’ Rather, that teacher is fully aware that every hour of teaching, every day in the classroom can reveal one more way to make the classroom a better match for its learners.”
Tomlinson, C.A. (2001) How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-Ability Classrooms

35. “I like this class because there’s always something different going on all the time. Other classes are like peanut butter for lunch every single day. In this class, it’s like my teacher really knows how to cook. It’s like she runs a really good restaurant with a big menu.”
~ 7th grader

38. Resources
Tomlinson, C.A. (1999). The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Tomlinson, C.A. (2001). How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-Ability Classrooms. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Turville, Joni. (2007). Differntiating by Student Interest: Strategies and Lesson Plans. Larchmont, NY: Eye On Education.
Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (2005). Seeing with new eyes: A guidebook on teaching & assessing beginning writiers (6th ed.). Portland, OR: Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory.