1. EDUC 4454 – Class 19 P/J Methods Enhancing Learning: Differentiation Bell Work: At your table discuss. When differentiating: 1. What is an accommodation? 2. What is a modification?

2. RESPECTFUL DIFFERENTIATION Reference: Education For All, Ontario Ministry of Education, p.15

3. How do teachers create differentiated tasks for children? Remember,first, that good teaching benefits all children. When you teach effectively, the needs of most children will be met. Be clear about whether you are attempting to accommodate the child’s needs or modify program to meet the child’s needs.

4. Follow the path… Structure every lesson to move from: * giving students a reason to attend to you (Motivation/Hook) * modeling and anchoring what they should do (New Learning) * providing strongly scaffolded practice (Consolidation) * providing age appropriate independent practice (Application) with tasks that students will value (“respectful tasks”)

5. EDUCATION FOR ALL, p. 15 The point of this entire document is to remind teachers that good teaching is good teaching, is good teaching…

6. Checklist for the Brain Compatible Differentiated Classroom B uilding Safe Environments Do students feel safe to risk & experiment with ideas? Do students feel included in the class &supported by others? Are tasks challenging enough without “undo or dis stress”? Is there an emotional “hook” for the learners? Are there novel, unique & engaging activities to capture & sustain attention? Are ‘unique brains’ honoured & provided for? (learning styles & multiple intelligences)

7. Checklist for the Brain Compatible Differentiated Classroom R ecognizing & Honouring Diversity Does the learning experience appeal to the learners’ varied multiple intelligences & learning styles? May the students work collaboratively & independently? May they ‘show what they know’ in a variety of ways? Does the cultural background of the learners influence instruction?

8. Checklist for the Brain Compatible Differentiated Classroom A ssessment Are pre-assessments given to determine readiness? Is there time to explore, understand & transfer learning to long term memory? Is there time to accomplish mastery? Do they have opportunities for ongoing, ‘just in time’ feedback? Do they have time to revisit ideas & concepts to connect or extend them? Is metacognitive time built into the learning process? Do students use logs & journals for reflection & goal setting?

9. Checklist for the Brain Compatible Differentiated Classroom I nstructional Strategies Are the expectations clearly stated & understood by the learner? Will the learning be relevant & useful to the learner? Does the learning build on past experience or create a new experience? Does the learning relate to their real world? Are strategies developmentally appropriate & hands on? Are the strategies varied to engage & sustain attention? Are there opportunities for projects, creativity, problems & challenges?

10. Checklist for the Brain Compatible Differentiated Classroom N umerous Curriculum Approaches Do students work alone, in pairs & in small groups? Do students work in learning centres based on interest, need or choice? Are some activities adjusted to provide appropriaret levels of challenge? Is pre-testing used to allow for compacting/enrichment? Are problems, inquiries & contracts considered? Gregory, Chapman, 2002, Differentiated Instructional Strategies

11. ACCOMMODATION AND MODIFICATION Accommodation means to provide assistance and materials for the child to help him/her be successful at meeting the same expectations all other children are meeting. Modification means to change the expectations for the child’s program, usually by reaching back to previous grades to ensure that bridges are built to support learning that has been missed.

12. CONTENT, PROCESS, AND PRODUCT EDUCATION FOR ALL shows three ways to accommodate or modify the expectations for students’ success: * change the content * change the process * change the product

13. Which one is which? When I change… This is a(n)… content modification process accommodation product accommodation

14. Looking at this through the Phases of Instruction PHASE OF INSTRUCTION Change the content Change the process Change the product Motivation/ Hook New Learning Consolidation Application

15. Here’s an example! Expectation: Grade 5 Language: Students will be able to communicate ideas and information for a variety of purposes ( e.g., to present and support a viewpoint) and to specific audiences ( e.g., write a letter to a newspaper stating and justifying their position on an issue in the news.) Phases of Instruction Change the content Change the process Change the product Motivation/ Hook * Provide the class with a newspaper article to read. * Provide the IEP’ ed student with a companion newspaper picture to examine. Allow the class to read the article independently. Provide guided observation support to some students by asking questions about what they see in the photo you have provided. Ask the class to explain what the article was about. Ask some students to give pre-determined answers about the picture to the questions Who? Where? When? Why? What? How? New Learning Provide the class with a series of questions about what they read. Tell them we’ll go on a scavenger hunt with colored markers to find answers for the questions from the article and from other text sources they will search. * Provide some students with a copy of the article with six shaded parts already highlighted ( one color for each 5W+ question). Provide the class with a model of how to use highlighters to find and source answers for two of their questions. * Provide some students with small group support to model finding answers for all of the questions related to their article. Have the class continue to use the modeled highlighter process to find answers to all of the remaining questions. Collect some students into a small group and have them use color coordinated spots on an answer sheet to collectively answer all of the questions from information on their pre-highlighted articles.

16. CONTINUED… PHASES OF INSTRUCTION Change the content Change the process Change the product Consolidation Have the class take responsibility for understanding all elements of the article and for being able to answer all questions (Who ?Where? When? Why? What? How?) Have some students in the class responsible for answering only the lower level questions in the article (Who? Where? When? What?) Have the class use the process modeled above to answer the remaining questions, using the highlighter approach. Within a small group, have some students work collaboratively, with adult support, to answer the remaining questions from their highlighted sheets Have each student demonstrate understanding of all of the remaining questions. * Have each student in the small group take responsibility for creating a finalized answer for one of the remaining questions and share their answer within the group. Application Have the class select another article from a local newspaper and, using highlighters, find the main content of the article to respond to 5W+ questions that they have created. Have some students examine another teacher selected article that they then highlight with the support of side bar questions that address the 5W+ questions. Using highlighters, have the class find the main content of the article to respond to 5W+ questions that they have created. Provide small group support for students as they complete examination of an article and highlight content to address the questions they are to answer. Have students present their article, and answers to the article they researched, in a jigsaw formation. Have students present oral answers to their questions to an adult in small group context.

17. Now it’s your turn! Return to Slide 9 and follow the steps. Use the same expectation or an expectation of your choice: Expectation: Grade 5 Language: Students will be able to communicate ideas and information for a variety of purposes ( e.g., to present and support a viewpoint) and to specific audiences ( e.g., write a letter to a newspaper stating and justifying their position on an issue in the news.) Be prepared to share this in a small or large group.

18. GUIDELINE DIRECTIONS ABOUT ACCOMMODATIONS AND MODIFICATIONS OF PROGRAMS TO MEET A STUDENT’S NEEDS

19. WHAT GUIDELINES SAY ABOUT PLANNING FOR EXCEPTIONAL STUDENTS Teachers must determine which of these options is appropriate for the student: - no accommodations or modifications - accommodations only - modified expectations, with the possibility of accommodations

20. RECORD KEEPING “If the student requires either accommodations or modified expectations, or both, the relevant information … must be recorded in his or her Individual Education Plan (IEP)”.

21. STUDENTS REQUIRING ACCOMMODATIONS ONLY Accommodations do not alter the provincial curriculum expectations for the grade level. A student’s IEP is likely to reflect the same accommodations for many, or all, subject areas.

22. THREE TYPES OF ACCOMMODATIONS ACCOMMODATIONS INSTRUCTIONALENVIRONMENTALASSESSMENT

23. INSTRUCTIONAL ACCOMMODATIONS Include: - changes in teaching strategies - changes in styles of presentation - methods of organization - use of technology and multi-media

24. ENVIRONMENTAL ACCOMMODATIONS Include: - changes within the classroom ( e.g., preferential seating, special lighting, weighted vest, stimulation cushion, mask, pencil grips, sound projection system) - changes within the school ( e.g., ramps, barrier free washrooms, latex free areas, therapy areas)

25. ASSESSMENT ACCOMMODATIONS Changes in procedures designed to allow the student to demonstrate his/her learning. Examples: - additional time to complete tests - oral testing - scribing - questions read to the student

26. MODIFIED PROGRAMS Expectations differ from the regular grade level expectations. May be based on the regular program expectations, but differ in number and/ or complexity. Revisited each reporting period; typically the next term’s expectations are sent to parents attached to the term report card.

27. MODIFIED EXPECTATIONS Expectations must be: - specific - realistic - observable - measurable * The student must be able to demonstrate this learning independently.

28. THE MODIFIED PROGRAM May comprise only a small subset of the regular grade expectations. The combination of regular and modified expectations that the student is expected to achieve must be stated on the IEP. Must be reviewed every reporting period and must be updated regularly ( IEP is a working document).

29. ASSESSING A MODIFIED PROGRAM Assessment must be based on: - learning expectations identified in the student’s IEP - achievement levels outlined in the relevant curriculum guideline.

30. REPORTING FOR A MODIFIED PROGRAM IEP box for the relevant subject areas must be checked on the report card. Opening statement must contain comment as per p.8 of the “Guide to the Provincial Report Card, Grades 1-9” (e.g., “Expectations for this program are modified and may differ from the regular grade level expectations”.)

31. REPORTING FOR A MODIFIED PROGRAM Teacher’s reporting comments need to include: - relevant information about the student’s demonstrated learning of the modified expectations - next steps for the student’s learning in the subject

32. Case Study – Differentiation - “What do you mean? …They’re not all the same???” The principal has been doing his regular daily “walk-abouts” to examine what has been going on in the school and to manage the school in a proactive way. Over several weeks, he has noticed that each time he has visited the Grade 5/6 classroom, led by Mr. Wright, students are seated in rows and are all completing the same paper and pencil tasks. He has never witnessed any student interaction during these casual visits. The principal has made notes about his concerns, with the intention of addressing concerns about his observations with the teacher. Today, a parent called to express concern about her daughter’s program in Mr. Wright’s classroom. She shared with the principal some comments that her daughter made. Her daughter, Susan, complained that she worked on many photocopied pages, day after day, and she was very bored, as were many of her friends.

33. Susan’s mother knew that some of the children in Susan’s classroom were students with very specific and specialized learning needs. She wondered how the teacher could teach them all the same way and still optimize their learning. She certainly knew that Susan had special learning needs, as she had a Learning Disabilities (LD) identification. Susan’s mother contacted the school principal, requesting a meeting to discuss her concerns. She wants to meet with the teacher and the principal to discuss this. Prior to the meeting including the parent, the principal asked to meet with Mr. Wright to discuss his concerns, and those raised by Susan’s mother.

34. At that meeting, the principal inquired about how Mr. Wright was differentiating his program. Mr. Wright replied, “I have so many behaviour problems in this classroom that I have to keep a tight rein on them. They work best with structure and quiet.” Questions for the Case Study Briefly explain how Mr. Wright is required to respond to the learning needs of an identified student. List 6 strategies Mr. Wright could use in his classroom to allow his students to demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways

35. Assigned Readings: pp.9-18 in Education For All – see PDF file in Handouts - Class 20