Why take the leap … …to Differentiated Instruction? Why take the leap … …to Differentiated Instruction?

Legal Responsibilities  Teachers are legally responsible to make modifications for students with an Individual Education Plan (IEP) or 504 Plan.  It is your responsibility to check which students have these plans and to know what modifications/accommodations are required.  These modifications need to be met in the regular classroom.  Teachers are legally responsible to make modifications for students with an Individual Education Plan (IEP) or 504 Plan.  It is your responsibility to check which students have these plans and to know what modifications/accommodations are required.  These modifications need to be met in the regular classroom.

Discussion Activity  Turn to page A-1 and read the student’s modifications.  At your table, discuss how you would make these modifications work in your classrooms.  Be prepared to share ideas and questions with the group.  Turn to page A-1 and read the student’s modifications.  At your table, discuss how you would make these modifications work in your classrooms.  Be prepared to share ideas and questions with the group.

Background Information  Each child that enters our classroom is different.  They differ by:  Ages  Academic Ability  Interests  Culture  Each child that enters our classroom is different.  They differ by:  Ages  Academic Ability  Interests  Culture

What is Differentiated Instruction? It is:  A way of setting up your classroom and offering instruction so that it fits all of the children’s needs.  A way of thinking about teaching and learning.  Aimed at maximizing each students’ growth by meeting each student where she/he is at and helping the student to progress. It is:  A way of setting up your classroom and offering instruction so that it fits all of the children’s needs.  A way of thinking about teaching and learning.  Aimed at maximizing each students’ growth by meeting each student where she/he is at and helping the student to progress.

What is Differentiated Instruction is Not It is not…  One size fits all approach.  Teaching different things to all students. It is not…  One size fits all approach.  Teaching different things to all students.

Differentiated Instruction is Rooted in Research! “ 1. Multiple Intelligences:  The Theory in Practice by Howard Gardner 2.Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development. 3. Brain Research:  “We know from brain research that students need to see patterns and make connections”. - Lynn Erikson 1. Multiple Intelligences:  The Theory in Practice by Howard Gardner 2.Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development. 3. Brain Research:  “We know from brain research that students need to see patterns and make connections”. - Lynn Erikson The greatest enemy to understanding is coverage” - Howard Gardner

Patterns …  Our brains constantly seek patterns and connections.  By bunching facts into categories or organizing them into around concepts, the brain can make sense out of the information and begin to understand it.  Therefore, to help students see connections and make sense of the curriculum, it should be organized around concepts and principles.  Our brains constantly seek patterns and connections.  By bunching facts into categories or organizing them into around concepts, the brain can make sense out of the information and begin to understand it.  Therefore, to help students see connections and make sense of the curriculum, it should be organized around concepts and principles.

“When we teach by the key concepts and principles, it helps students develop frameworks of meaning.” - Carol Ann Tomlinson Facts:Are discrete pieces of information that we believe to be true. Ex: Early American settlers migrated to the west. Concepts: Are ways of organizing or categorizing things that have something in common. Ex: Concept of migration is a way of viewing the topic of Westward movement. Principles:Are the ideas and deeper understanding that give meaning to concepts. “Big Ideas” Ex: People migrate for a variety of needs.

Therefore:  When you are creating a differentiated task, you really aren’t all trying to find something different for each student to do.  What you are trying to do is have all of the students focus on the same big idea or essential understanding … but according to their style, needs, etc.  When you are creating a differentiated task, you really aren’t all trying to find something different for each student to do.  What you are trying to do is have all of the students focus on the same big idea or essential understanding … but according to their style, needs, etc.

“In differentiated classrooms, teachers begin where the students are, not the front of the curriculum guide.” - Carol Ann Tomlinson  Teacher is clear about what matters in the content areas.  Teacher understands, appreciates and builds upon the student differences.  Assessment and instruction are inseparable.  All students participate in respectful work.  Teacher is clear about what matters in the content areas.  Teacher understands, appreciates and builds upon the student differences.  Assessment and instruction are inseparable.  All students participate in respectful work.  Students and teachers are collaborators in learning.  Teacher adjusts content, process, and product in response to student readiness, interests, and learning profile.  Goals are maximum growth and continued success.  Flexible is the hallmark of a differentiated classroom.

Discussion Activity  Turn to page A-2 and take the self-assessment.  Look at the chart on page A-3. How does your classroom compare with those on the chart? What can you do to move toward the differentiated model?  Turn to page A-2 and take the self-assessment.  Look at the chart on page A-3. How does your classroom compare with those on the chart? What can you do to move toward the differentiated model?

Discussion Activity  Read over the chart on page A-4.  What strategies do you already use in your classroom? What strategies can you begin to use right away? How can you move towards providing even more differentiation to meet the needs of every student?  Read over the chart on page A-4.  What strategies do you already use in your classroom? What strategies can you begin to use right away? How can you move towards providing even more differentiation to meet the needs of every student?

What can be assessed?  Readiness:  Skills, content, concept knowledge.  Interests:  Interest surveys, interest centers, self-selection.  Learning Profile  Areas of strength and weakness, work preferences, self-awareness.  Readiness:  Skills, content, concept knowledge.  Interests:  Interest surveys, interest centers, self-selection.  Learning Profile  Areas of strength and weakness, work preferences, self-awareness.

Discussion Activity  Look at the Learning Profile Questionnaire (A-5). This is one way to assess your students’ learning style.  The Student Interest Survey (A-6) can help you get to know your students and differentiate by their interests.  Look at the Learning Profile Questionnaire (A-5). This is one way to assess your students’ learning style.  The Student Interest Survey (A-6) can help you get to know your students and differentiate by their interests.

Tiered Instruction  … is a planning strategy for teachers with mixed ability classrooms.  … teachers can use tiered lessons as a means of assessing different tasks within the same lesson.  … is a planning strategy for teachers with mixed ability classrooms.  … teachers can use tiered lessons as a means of assessing different tasks within the same lesson.

More on tiered lessons …  Tiered lessons allow the teacher to vary tasks according to :  Readiness, interest and learning profile.  Tiers are based on knowledge of students through:  Pre-assessment, ongoing assessment, and teacher judgement.  Tiered lessons allow the teacher to vary tasks according to :  Readiness, interest and learning profile.  Tiers are based on knowledge of students through:  Pre-assessment, ongoing assessment, and teacher judgement.

What can be tiered?  Assignments  Activities  Homework  Centers  Experiments  Writing prompts  Assignments  Activities  Homework  Centers  Experiments  Writing prompts

Discussion Activity  Look at the elementary and secondary examples of a tiered lesson plan (A-7).  As a group, develop a tiered lesson plan for a concept you cover in your class.  Decide how you will differentiate your lesson - by content, process, or product - by interest, readiness, or learning profile.  Include three levels of instruction, an assessment strategy, and additional modifications.  Look at the elementary and secondary examples of a tiered lesson plan (A-7).  As a group, develop a tiered lesson plan for a concept you cover in your class.  Decide how you will differentiate your lesson - by content, process, or product - by interest, readiness, or learning profile.  Include three levels of instruction, an assessment strategy, and additional modifications.

Anchor Activities  … are ongoing assignments that students can work on independently throughout a unit, a grading period or longer.  Purpose: To provide meaningful work for students when they finish work.  … are ongoing assignments that students can work on independently throughout a unit, a grading period or longer.  Purpose: To provide meaningful work for students when they finish work.

Some anchor activities  Brain busters  Learning Packets  Learning/Interest Centers  Vocabulary work  Accelerated Reader  Investigations  Magazine article with generic activities or questions  Brain busters  Learning Packets  Learning/Interest Centers  Vocabulary work  Accelerated Reader  Investigations  Magazine article with generic activities or questions  Listening stations  Research questions or projects  Commercial kits and materials  Journals or learning logs  Silent reading

Planning for anchor activities  Subject content area  How will you introduce the activity?  How will the activity be managed and monitored?

Managing and monitoring anchor activities  Points  Rubric  Checklist  Random check  Peer review  On task behavior  Portfolio check  Conference  Student presentation  Points  Rubric  Checklist  Random check  Peer review  On task behavior  Portfolio check  Conference  Student presentation

Discussion Activity  Read “Looking Inside Three Classrooms” on page A-8.  As a group, list the evidence of differentiated instruction you see in each class.  Read “Looking Inside Three Classrooms” on page A-8.  As a group, list the evidence of differentiated instruction you see in each class.

Follow-Up Activities  Choose one of the following:  Scenarios - Read the given scenarios (A-9). Select the one that is most appropriate to your teaching context. Write a list of strategies the teacher could consider to meet the needs of all students in his or her class.  Interview - Interview a colleague who uses differentiated instruction in his or her classroom and answer the given questions (A-10).  Choose one of the following:  Scenarios - Read the given scenarios (A-9). Select the one that is most appropriate to your teaching context. Write a list of strategies the teacher could consider to meet the needs of all students in his or her class.  Interview - Interview a colleague who uses differentiated instruction in his or her classroom and answer the given questions (A-10).