Achievement for All Implementing Differentiation

“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.” Lilian Katz ASCD Wilis, S., “Teaching Young Children: Educators Seek Developmental Appropriateness.”

What is Differentiated Instruction? Differentiation is consistently using a variety of instruction approaches to modify content, process, and/or products in response to learner readiness and interest of academically diverse students.

The “Individualized Instruction” of the 1970’s Just another way to provide homogeneous grouping Chaotic Just “tailoring the same suit of clothing” One traditional assessment for all students Differentiation is NOT...

n What are the most important concepts, ideas, and skills for my students to learn? n How and when do I differentiate instruction so that I can meet my students’ individual learning needs and promote growth? Deciding What to Differentiate

Differentiation should respond to learner needs through…. n Content – what a student learns n Process – opportunities through which the students process, or make sense of, understandings and skills; and n Products – how students demonstrate and extend what they have learned

Content n Does the level and pace of the content match the student’s ability and interest? n Does he or she fall behind in any area? n Does he or she finish assignments quickly and well?

Process n Does the student learn more by doing (through experiments, building, constructing, designing, etc.), or by listening to information? n Does the student show his or her greatest gifts in creative processes such as open-ended assignments?

Product n Does the student have a hard time relating to the materials, the products needed to express what he or she knows?

Principles of Differentiation n Based on diagnosis of student readiness, interests, and learning profile n Students doing engaging and challenging work n Continual progression for every learner n Flexible use of time and space n Use of a variety of instructional strategies n Adaptation of materials and resources

Instructional and Management Strategies for a Differentiated Classroom n Curriculum Compacting n Independent Projects n Interest Centers or Learning Centers n Tiered Assignments/Scaffolding n Flexible Skills Grouping n Learning Contracts

Curriculum Compacting n Assessing what the student knows about the material to be studied and what the student still needs to master n Plans for learning what is not known and excusing the students from what is known n Plans for freed-up time to be spent in enriched or accelerated study n In discovery learning and inquiry based instruction, curriculum compacting may not be appropriate

Independent Study n Process through which student(s) and teacher identify problems or topics of interest to the student n Student(s) and teacher plan a method of investigating the problem or topic and identifying the type of product the student will develop n The product should demonstrate the students’ ability to apply skills and knowledge to the problem or topic n Discourse and collaboration should be embedded in the study

Learning Centers n Can be “stations” or collections of materials learners can use to explore topics or practice skills n Can be to provide study in greater breadth and depth on interesting and important topics n Can have learning-center tasks that require transformation and application n Should provide a balance between student and teacher choice about centers to be completed

Tiered Assignments/Scaffolding n Prescribing particular assignments based on particular needs of groups of students n Can be tiered by challenge level (starting with application based on Bloom’s taxonomy), complexity, resources, outcome, process or product n Tiering means creating different work, not simply more or less work and assignments should be equally active, interesting, and engaging

Flexible Skills Grouping n Students are matched to skills work by virtue of readiness, not with the assumption that all need the same task, drill, writing assignment, etc. n Movement among groups is common, based on the readiness on a given skill and growth in that skill n Students are exempted from basic skills work in areas where they demonstrate a high level of performance

Learning Contracts n An agreement between student and teacher n Teacher grants certain freedoms and choices about how a student will complete tasks n The student agrees to use the freedoms appropriately in designing and completing work according to specifications n Contracts should focus on themes, concepts, or problems and integrate skills into the required product or project n Should be in writing and have clear and rigorous standards for success

Resources n Bertie Kingore, Differentiation: Simplified, Realistic and Effective n Susan Winebrenner, Teaching Gifted Kids in the Regular Classroom n Differentiated Instruction, Joan Franklin Smutny n Carol Tomlinson, ASCD Association for Supervisrino and Curriculum Development n Dr. Denise Pupillo, Parkway School District Gifted Coordinator