1. Supporting Diverse Learners Within the Classroom
Programming using Differentiated Instruction: Getting to Know Your Students
Introduction
my past,
my present position
Setting the Direction
5 min
Chinook’s Edge School Division
Presenter: Dawn Normoyle

2. Reaching Students Who Learn in Different Ways
Animal School
Do you know the story about the Animal School?
It goes something like this:
Once upon a time there was a school for animals. The teachers were certain it had a very comprehensive curriculum but somehow all of the students were failing.
The duck was the star in the class for swimming but flunking tree climbing.
The monkey was great at tree climbing, but was getting F’s in swimming.
The chickens excelled in grain research, but disrupted the tree climbing so much that they were sent to the principal’s office daily.
The rabbits were sensational in running, but had to have private tutoring in swimming.
Saddest of all were the turtles, who, after many diagnostic tests, were diagnosed as having a cognitively disability. Yes, they were sent to a special education class in a remote gopher hole.
Like the animals in the story, each student is unique with there own interests, ways of learning, strengths and challenges.
The question becomes: All are not tree climbers, but are great swimmers or runners doomed to failure because they are in a system designed solely for a different type of animal.
5 min

3. Today’s Outcomes:
Understand some key elements of differentiated instruction
Improve understanding of mild/moderate disabilities
Appreciate the importance of knowing your students when programming
Learn some strategies to get a deeper understanding of your students
Discover inclusionary strategies to support the programming of all students
Reflection on your own practice
1 min

4. Graffiti Activity
With the others at your table create your “graffiti” using words, phrases, and graphics that represent your tables thinking
Leave your sheet behind, and rotate to the other tables to add your comments/visuals
Discuss added comments and summarize
Share as a group
Questions on chart paper:
Differentiated instruction is not…
Some ways I already differentiate in my classroom are…
Some of the fears/ concerns/ questions I have around differentiated instruction are…
Some things I would be interested in knowing more about differentiated instruction would be…
Could continue and post on the Wiiki
 20 min (3 min per group) min

5. Differentiated instruction is a philosophy and an
approach to teaching in which teachers and
school communities actively work to support the learning of all students through strategic assessment, thoughtful planning and targeted, flexible instruction.
Making a Difference: Meeting Diverse Learning Needs with Differentiated Instruction
37 min

6. Fairness is not everyone getting the same thing
Fairness is not everyone getting the same thing. It is when everyone gets what they need!
42 min

7. Why Differentiate? Benefits
Effective for all students including those with disabilities
Offers multiple pathways to learning
Starts where students are at
Provides meaningful choice
Creates opportunities to demonstrate their interests and skills
Helps students understand what they’re expected to learn, evaluate their own progress, and express their learning strengths, challenges and interests
Increases engagement, motivation, self-confidence and willingness to assume responsibility
Gives them strategies to figure out and cope within the world when things are not differentiated
45 min

8. Programming for All Learners: Key Elements
Collaboration- learning team involvement; parents, teachers, students…
Purposeful Planning- knowing your students (needs, strengths, learning styles), understanding the curriculum, multiple pathways of learning, tasks respectful of each learner, flexible and reflective teaching…
Ongoing assessment- wide range of approaches, pre- assessment, profiles, FOR/OF, grade for growth, “Assessment informs practice, and we take action.” (Rick Wormelli)
Transition planning- between grades, leaving high school…
Self advocacy- sharing responsibility, creating independence…
Add some research articles with texts to Wiki
45 min

9. Classroom Elements to Differentiate
Affect/ Learning Environment
Content
Process- how students make sense of learning
Product- how students demonstrate learning
47 min

10. Various Disabilities Cognitive Disabilities
Emotional/Behavioural Disabilities
Learning Disabilities
Hearing/ Visual/ Communication Disabilities
Communication Disability
Physical/ Medical Disability (i.e. cerebral palsy, fetal alcohol, autism)
Briefly discuss main disabilities we see in the classroom
Some strategies- connect diagnosis to differentiation ideas
55 min

11. Programming: Diverse Learning Needs
Diagnosis may have implications for educational programming, social and emotional learning and overall well-being
Knowledge can help teachers align supports and strategies with student’s needs and strengths
Knowledge helps teachers know what to look for in ongoing assessments (what the student can do and potential barriers)
* Critical to get to know your students
Find diagnosis in Cum file- important to understand
Access to special education liaisons in all schools
60 min

12. Use the sheet to reflect on your learning so
3 Minute uzzzz…
Use the sheet to reflect on your learning so
far…
Reflection sheet
Allow students:
to reflect individually, in pairs, small groups, as a whole group
To tell about, draw, write
1 hour 5 min

13. Start with Assessment Rich ongoing source of information
Helps teachers identify and begin to address student strengths and needs
Helps plan meaningful learning activities
Establishes organizational and grouping structures
Mold the classroom environment
Ongoing
Requires a “photo album” approach to assessment, as opposed to a “snapshot”
(Wiggins and McTighe,2005)
1 hour 10 min

14. “Teaching in the dark is a questionable business!”
Assessment: Ongoing
Differentiated assessment informs differentiated instruction
provides information about readiness, strengths and needs in relation to particular outcomes or activities. This shapes your planning.
Differentiated instruction leads to differentiated assessment
students work toward learning outcomes at different paces and in different ways so you will need assessment tools and strategies that accommodate diversity while still usefully measuring learning outcomes.
“Teaching in the dark is a questionable business!”
1 hour 15 min

15. Knowing Your Students: Student Learner Profiles
Describes ways a student learns best
Reveals student’s unique knowledge, prior experience, abilities, learning strengths and needs, interests, learning preferences and styles, attitudes, gender, culture, personality…
Helps teachers choose responsive and meaningful supports, planning
Dynamic, as individual learners constantly grow and change
For students with disabilities it is an opportunity to get to know that student and to see beyond the student’s disabilities
1 hour 20 min

16. Learner Profiles: Goals
Find out as much as possible about how a student learns
Not to label students as certain kinds of learners
Help them develop multiple pathways for learning
Create more confidence and motivation when working on unfamiliar and/or challenging tasks
1 hour 22 min

17. Learning preferences and styles: Environment
Typically refers general environment where student learns best
Examples:
quiet vs. noisy
busy with lots to look at/ interact with vs. bare with few distractions
movement friendly vs. sitting still
flexible schedule vs. fixed schedule
warm vs. cool
1 hour 25 min

18. Types of intelligence
Brain-based predisposition to excel in particular area
Howard Gardner (1994):
identified eight intelligences
individuals possess varying combinations
Thomas Armstrong (1994):
student-friendly terms for each intelligence
verbal-linguistic intelligence (or word smarts)
logical-mathematical intelligence (or number smarts)
interpersonal intelligence (or people smarts)
intrapersonal intelligence (or self smarts)
spatial intelligence (or picture smarts)
musical-rhythmic intelligence (or music smarts)
bodily-kinesthetic intelligence (or body smarts)
naturalistic intelligence (or nature smarts)
1 hour 27 min

19. Gender, Culture & Personality
Can influence learning
Examples:
expressive or reserved in class interactions
competition or collaboration
work individually or in a group
creative or practical way of thinking
part-to-whole or whole-to-part learning
contextual and personal learning or learning that is discrete and impersonal
time as fixed and rigid or fluid and flexible
impulsive or reflective in one’s thinking and actions
valuing creativity or conformity
1 hour 30 min

20. Interests Creates motivation and engagement
Identifying interests in learner profiles helps in planning when varying projects, themes and examples
1 hour 37 min

21. Gathering information
Inventories, surveys, conferencing, interviews
Learner preference inventories
Reading inventories
Social inventories
Interest inventories
Assessment information
Classroom assessments (interviews, observation, assignments, etc.)
Cumulative records
Individualized program plans (IPP)
Standardized assessments
Parents
Previous teachers and other school staff involved with the student
1 hour 40 min

22. Learner Profile Examples
Share examples of Learner profiles
1 hour 50 min

23. Using the Learning Profile to…
Differentiate Content
Differentiate Process
Differentiate Products
Present material in visual, auditory, and/or kinesthetic modes
Use applications , examples, and illustrations from a wide range of intelligences and both genders
Use wait time
Allow for student reflection
Allow multiple options for how students will show learning
Encourage a variety of groupings (individual, pairs, small groups, large group)
Balance competitive, collegial, and independent work arrangements
Create activities seeking multiple perspectives on topics and issues
Encourage a variety of groupings
Teach how to use a wide range of product formats
Provide visual;, auditory, and kinesthetic product options
Provide analytic, creative, and practical options

24. Flexible Grouping: Appointment Clock
This is a tool that can be used to differentiate groups in your classroom!

25. My Appointment Clock
Rationale: This is an activity that will create partners within the classroom. There partnerships are
based on student choice, readiness, interest, and learning profiles (which are assessed at the beginning
of the year).
If students are all doing the same activity use choice partners, if ability is needed use readiness, if want
to promote interest use interest, and if want to focus on how they learn best use learning profile.
Use this in building your lesson plans. 
Example of Partners
1:00 Interest based 2:00 Readiness based 3:00 Learner profile 4:00 Student’s choice
5:00 Interest based 6:00 Readiness based 7:00 Learner profile 8:00 Student’s choice
9:00 Interest based :00 Readiness based 11:00 Learner profile 12:00 Student’s choice
Have students find choice partners for 4:00, 8:00, and 12:00. Collect them and fill in the rest of the
partnerships based on the assessment material that you have gathered. Copy and keep in keep in a duo
or binder. Hand back the originals to the students and have them put in the front of their binders for
quick access.

26. Here’s What, So What, Now What??
I Learned
So What
My interpretation of this learning
Now What?
My action Plan to build on this new learning
What is the most important thing I learned?
How can I explain DI (tell, write, draw it)?
What was the most difficult part? The easiest part?
What do I need to learn next?

27. Differentiation of today’s Presentation
Learning Profiles OR
Instructional Strategies

28. RESOURCES