Tony Shaddock PhD Professional Learning Association for Learning Support & NSW Department of Education and Communities 19 February 2014 Reasonable Adjustments & Differentiation: Pathways to Successful Learning – Reasonable adjustments, differentiation and current best practice pedagogy

Good pedagogy, adjustments & differentiation – an overview 2 Trends and developments in pedagogy What does theory and research tell us about effective teaching and learning tell us? How do ‘reasonable adjustments’ and differentiation fit with everything else we know about teaching? Differentiation is a means to an end – not an end!

3 Please quickly complete the ‘Teaching Self Assessment’ that is in your folder.

4 44 A shift in mindset. From … Dimension ‘Special Education’ discourse EducabilityAbility is normally distributed and individuals can be ‘placed’ at a particular level. Education failureThe source of educational difficulties is in the child. School responseIdentify and group students under various labels and work to remediate students’ weaknesses Theory of teachingSpecialist knowledge, specialist placements and individualization, e.g. through IEPs CurriculumAlternative curriculum for the less able. (Adapted from Skidmore, 2004, p.113 & Marsh, 2003, p. 4-5) 4

5 55 To …? DimensionDiversity discourse EducabilityEvery student has individual needs and has potential for learning Education failureResults from unresponsive curricula and education systems School responseReform school organisation and curriculum, integrate supports, and personalize learning to connect with every student Theory of teachingMainstream teachers develop the expertize to respond to the needs of each student CurriculumCommon curriculum that is well differentiated, relevant, and engaging for all students. (Adapted from Skidmore, 2004, p.113 & Marsh, 2003, p. 4-5)

Responding to diversity in the Department 6

Responding to diversity globally (UNESCO, 2009) 7

8 Practical theory 1 from Walberg in The Review of Special Education ACT (2009) 8

9 Practical theory 2 (after Hattie 2009) 9 Student ES 0.39 Home ES 0.31 School ES 0.23 Curricula ES 0.45 Teacher 0.47 Teaching ES 0.43

Differentiation and diversity 10 Differentiation or differentiated instruction means changing the pace, level or kind of instruction you provide in response to individual learners’ needs, styles or interests. Heacox (2002) In contrast to ‘reasonable adjustments’ for students with a disability, differentiation is not legally required. However, differentiation is a way of personalizing learning – one of the goals of Australian schooling.

Differentiation means … 11 accommodating the different ways that students learn. It involves a hefty dose of common sense but has sturdy support in the theory and research of education (Tomlinson & Allan, 2000). It is an approach to teaching that advocates active planning for student differences in classrooms. The idea of differentiating instruction is an approach to teaching that advocates active planning for and attention to student differences in classrooms, in the context of high quality curriculums.

12 So strategies for adjustments are not unlike strategies for differentiation 12 Content Process Product Readiness Interest Learning profile Curriculum content Activities Resource materials Products Environment Teaching strategies Pace Amount of assistance Testing and grading Classroom groupings Homework assignments

13 The contemporary challenge Provide adjustments for any student who needs them Teach in ways that reduce the need for adjustments in the first place

What we can influence most 14 Teach in ways that reduce the need for adjustments in the first place Teaching and curriculum School

15 E FFECTIVE TEACHERS AND TEACHING Focuses on student achievement and high standards for all Ensures groupings are caring, inclusive and cohesive learning Enables effective links between school and other cultural contexts with a focus on learning Is responsive to how students learn Ensures that opportunities to learn are effective and sufficient Allows students to engage in and complete learning processes so that what is learned is remembered Ensures that curriculum goals, resources including ICT usage, task design, teaching and school practices are effectively aligned Scaffolds and provides appropriate feedback on student engagement Promotes learning strength, self-knowledge, student self-regulation Enables teachers and students to collaborate in goal-oriented assessment. (Alton-Lee, 2003)

16 E FFECTIVE SCHOOLS Whole school improvement agenda Systematic performance monitoring Focused use of school resources Collaboration to improve teaching Curriculum clarity and coherence Support for individual needs Use of proven teaching strategies Commitment to professional learning. Masters (2012, p. 3)

How to differentiate 17

18 F EASIBLE DIFFERENTIATION Differentiation is primarily a different way of thinking about the classroom Differentiation is not a ‘must do at all costs’ educational technique that we must retro-fit to the way we teach Student learning – not differentiation – is the main game (Just a taste) See ‘Death by Differentiation: A Play in One Act’

Getting Started 19

Take-home message 20 Every teacher is an individual with a unique style – as are our students Adjustments and differentiation are not just for students who struggle with the curriculum, e.g. see Munro (2012) Adjustments and differentiation will be more successful if students are given choices about how they learn Adjustments and differentiation are neither stand alone strategies nor silver bullets Differentiation does not require us to throw out everything we have learned about teaching Differentiation will be more successful if our school already functions, and if we already teach, in ways that are known to be effective and are responsive to how students learn The bottom line is always – how can I change what I do in order to improve the learning outcomes of all of my students?