Differentiated Instruction August 2013

Super Sleuth Directions: Walk around the room and find someone to respond to the questions on your Super Sleuth paper. After a verbal answer the person will initial the square. Rules: -A person can only answer and initial one square. -The goals are to activate prior knowledge and to meet new people with new ideas.

Super Sleuth What is your definition of differentiated instruction ? Give an example of when you have used DI? What is something you would like to learn about DI? When do you use small group instruction? Differentiation means as many lesson plans as you have students. Agree? How do you discover how your students learn? What is one way you can form groups in your classroom? What are some quick on-going assessments in your class? Are DI and assessment related?

Differentiated Instruction in the Elementary Years Differentiated Instruction in the Elementary Years “Differentiating in elementary classrooms means that teachers proactively engage learners where they are, recognizing that an elementary classroom is a mixed bag of readiness levels, interests, and learning preferences.” (Carol Tomlinson) “Teachers in all classes and in all grades should be committed to every child learning new things in school and making achievement gains on an ongoing basis” (Julia Link Roberts)

The Rationale for Differentiated Instruction Different levels of readiness Different Interests Different Cognitive Needs

COUNT THE F’S FEATURE FILMS ARE THE RESULT OF YEARS OF SCIENTIFIC STUDY COMBINED WITH THE EXPERIENCE OF YEARS

One-Size-Fits-ALL? You’ve Got to Be Kidding! “Strategies for Differentiating Instruction best practices for the classroom By Julia Roberts &Tracy Inman

Looking for Respect in All the Right Places

Differentiation Is … Differentiation Is … Student Centered Best practices Different approaches 3 or 4 different activities Multiple approaches to content, process, and product A way of thinking and planning Flexible grouping

Differentiation Isn’t Differentiation Isn’t One Thing A Program The Goal Hard questions for some and easy for others 35 different plans for one classroom A chaotic classroom Just homogenous grouping

So How Do I Differentiate? You can start by differentiating Content Process Product according to a student’s Readiness Interests Learning Profile through a variety of instructional and management strategies.

Planning Ask yourself: What do I want students to know ? What do I want students to understand ? What do I want students to be able to do ?

Looking for Respect in All the Right Places

Key Elements Classroom differentiation should have clearly defined instructional purpose, focus key understandings, ensures students will have to understand (not just repeat) the idea, help students relate new understandings and skills to previous ones, and match a student’s readiness level.

Video

First Step Pre assessment o Find out where your students are in their understanding of the topic o A few strategies: K-W-L charts general discussions pre-tests (not multiple choice) Think Pair & Share Super Sleuths Stoplight questions

Tiered Assignments “Meat and Potatoes” of differentiated assignments A differentiation strategy that addresses a particular standard, key concept, and essential understanding, but allows several pathways for students to arrive at an understanding of these components, based on student’s readiness, interests, or learning profiles. Various levels

Looking for Respect in All the Right Places

In Summary….. What is fair isn’t always equal… and Differentiation gets us away from “one size fits all” approach to curriculum and instruction that doesn’t fit anyone

“Muddiest Point” or Exit Card

Bibliography Roberts, Julia L. & Boggess, Julia Roberts. Teacher’s Survival Guide: Gifted Education, Prufrock Press,2011. Roberts, Julia L. & Inman, Tracy. Strategies for Differentiating Instruction, Prufrock Press,2009. Smutney, Joan Franklin & Fremd, S.E. Vond. Differentiating for the Young Gifted Child, Corwin Press, Tomlinson, Carol Ann. The Differentiated Classroom. Alexandria, VA: ASCD Tomlinson, Carol Ann. Differentiation in Practice K-5, Alexandria, VA: ASCD Wormeli, Rick. Fair Isn’t Always Equal: Assessment and Grading in the Differentiated Classroom, Stenhouse Publishers, 2006.