Adapted from Rick Berry Staff Development for Educators Differentiated Instruction

What is Differentiated Instruction? Same essential learning outcomes: purpose—mastery for all! Responsive Teaching based on:  Readiness  Interests  Learning profile Vary (differentiate) the content, process, product Not creating 3 lesson plans, but 1 lesson plan with 3 activities

What D.I. is Not: Grouping students by their scholastic ability (bluebirds, robins, and buzzards) Individualized Instruction (different lesson plans for every student) Modifying the amount of work students do (reward for finishing early—do more!) Just about student choice. Hard questions for some—easy questions for others

Why Differentiate? “One size fits all instruction” does not address the needs of many students. Kids come in different shapes and sizes and have a variety of interests, learning profiles, and readiness levels The primary goal of quality education and quality curriculum design is to develop and deepen student understanding. “When a teacher tries to teach something to the 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. So two thirds of the children are wasting their time.” Lillian Katz

The Vocabulary of D.I. Learner profiles Jigsaw Anchor activities Literature circles Tiered lessons Learning centers PBL Multiple Intelligences Learning contracts Wait time (average wait time) Cubing Bloom’s Taxonomy Flexible grouping Scaffolding Assessment For Learning Exit cards Compacting

Tiering Adjusting instruction and assessment according to learner’s readiness, interests, learner profiles. Lesson plans may be tiered according To a level, interest profile, or learning style.

Assessment First Need to know where they are starting from Pre-assessment (week before) Assessment for learning: Using assessment to plan instruction. D.I. is rooted in assessment for learning Difference between assessment for learning and assessment of learning Importance of good record keeping

Knowing Your Students Academic history Multiple Intelligences (hands on) Learning Styles Student interests Index Cards Gender differences

Group Activity Choose an Outcome: Develop a lesson that uses 3 groups based on readiness level Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3

Teacher Questions: How could you use this in your classroom? How do you already use this? Suggestions on how to adapt to your students? How could you assess the activities accomplished?

Sharing

When Tiering: Adjust--- Level of Complexity Amount of Structure Materials Time/Pace Number of Steps Form of Expression Level of Dependence

Anchor Activities May be… Used in any subject Whole class assignments Small group or individual assignments Tiered to meet the needs of different readiness levels or learning profiles

Examples Project based learning Think-Tac-Toe Journals or learning logs Learner Contracts Vocabulary (by M.I.) Supplementary reading about the unit (taped versions available) Silent reading Web sites Brain teasers Learning Packets Activity Box Learning/Interest Centers Accelerated Reader Investigations Magazine articles with generic questions Research projects

Think-Tac-Toe Make a pair of collages that compare you and a character in your book in physical and personality traits. Label your collage generously so viewers understand your thinking Write a bio-poem about yourself and another about a main character in the book, so your readers see how you and the character are alike and different. Be sure to include the most important traits in each poem Write a recipe or set of directions for how you would solve a problem in your life and another for how a main character in your book would solve a problem. Your list should help us know you and the character better. Draw or paint and write a greeting card that invites us into the scenery and mood of an important part in the book. Be sure the verse helps us understand what is important in the scene and why. Make a model or map of a key place in your life and an important place in the novel. Find a way to help viewers understand both what the places are like and why they are important in your life and the characters Make two timelines. The first should illustrate and describe at least six to eight shifts in setting in the book. The second should illustrate and explain how the mood changes with the changes in setting Using books of proverbs and quotations, find at least six to eight that you feel reflect what’s important about the novel’s theme. Find at least 6 to 8 that do the same for your life. Display and explain your choices. Interview a key character from the book to find out what lessons she thinks we should learn from events in the book. Use a question and answer format to present your material. Be sure the interview is meaningful. Find songs you think reflect an important message from the book. Prepare an audio collage. Write an accompanying card that helps the listener understand why and how you think the songs express the book’s meaning. Do the same with your life and its theme. back

Learner Contract Complete the following activities by ________  Attend the math workshop on Tuesday or Thursday morning.  Complete the extension problems on graphing on page 74 of our Math book. Use a peer monitor to audit your work.  Work on the graphing and measuring center until you complete the blue work.  Solve the graph mystery in your folder. You can work with someone on the blue team if you like.  Find a place in our school to make a pattern graph of. Make the graph and create 2 problems for classmates to solve.  Use a peer monitor to complete a two digit multiplication timed test.

So let’s remember why we differentiate. “Students come to school not so much seeking mastery of geometry and proficiency in paragraph writing, as seeking themselves… They are looking for a sense of their own meanings, roles, and possibilities… Wanting to make sense of the world around them and their place in that world… First looking for things like affirmation, accomplishment, and autonomy… For adults who accept them, value them, guide them, and represent for them what it means to be a competent and caring adult.” Tomlinson and McTighe, Understanding by Design.

What is Tiered Instruction? Tiered instruction is like a wedding cake; all one flavor; same color icing, but multi-layered.