Differentiated Instruction

Michelle BairdCatherine Flynn

Treva KingOctober 9, 2009

Lessons

The assignment was to draw the moon.

Filled with kindergarten wonder she climbedas high as the rusting swing could offer,balanced in the phosphorescentrays of the evening’s businessand saw beyond to the airy regionswhere bands of chalky cirrus crossedtrails of jets forming tic-tac-toe battle plainsplayed by earth and sky. Too, she noted howin all the stars that flecked the ethernot a one was yellow or five-pointedbut were sparkles of pixie-dust ripefor scooping and sprinkling at show-and-tell.

That night she looked with the wonder of Copernicus, was kissed by flames that swallowed van Goghand wanted to share it all with all who cared to knowwhat she now knew to be a night sky. Using everyshade of color of her blunted crayons, she drew:from eyes to mind to heart to hands she drew.Who knew her greatest lesson would be in discoveringthe dispirited frown of an exacting teacherwho across curled lips breathed,

The assignment was to draw the moon.

by S. D. Collins

? Essential Questions ?

What is differentiated instruction?

How does differentiated instruction lead to greater student achievement?

Myths of Differentiation

Differentiated Instruction consists of students doing exercises in self-correcting workbooks.

Differentiated Instruction means that the teacher does not present information (e.g. doesn’t use whole group instruction.

Differentiated Instruction does not work in classes where students have to master a body of information for high-stakes testing.

Myths of Differentiation

Differentiated Instruction is mainly for students with learning deficits.

Differentiated Instruction means dividing the class into “bluebirds” and “redbirds”.

In a heterogeneous class, brighter students will be “used” to teach others.

Differentiated Instruction can be accomplished with a “send and fix” (e.g. send to resource room) or “send and advance” (e.g. gifted & talented goes to higher grade classroom) model.

A Definition for Curriculum Differentiation

“In the context of education, we define differentiation as a teacher’s reacting responsively to a learner’s needs...The goal of a differentiated classroom is maximum student growth and individual success.”

Tomlinson & Allan, 2002

Rick Wormeli’s Definition of DI

Differentiating instruction is doing what’s fair for students. It’s a collection of best practices strategically employed to maximize students’ learning at every turn, including giving them the tools to handle anything that is undifferentiated. It requires us to do differentiated things for different students some, or a lot, of the time. It’s whatever works to advance the student if the regular classroom approach doesn’t meet students’ needs. It’s highly effective teaching.

A Technical Definition of Curriculum Differentiation

Curriculum differentiation is a process teachers useto enhance student learning by matching various curriculum components to characteristics shared by subgroups of learners in the classroom (e.g. learningstyle preferences, interests, prior knowledge, learningrate).

Purcell & Burns, 2002

Teachers can differentiate

ContenContentt

ProcesProcesss

ProducProductt

According to student’s

ReadinessReadinessInterestsInterests

Learning Learning profilesprofiles

Through a range of instructional and management strategies Through a range of instructional and management strategies

Carol Ann Tomlinson, The Differentiated Classroom, 1999

multiple intelligencesmultiple intelligencesjigsawjigsawtaped materialstaped materialsanchor activitiesanchor activitiesvarying organizersvarying organizersvaried supplementary materialsvaried supplementary materialsliterature circlesliterature circlestiered lessonstiered lessonstiered centerstiered centerstiered productstiered productslearning contractslearning contractssmall-group instructionsmall-group instructiongroup investigationgroup investigationindependent studyindependent studyvaried questioning strategiesvaried questioning strategiesinterest centersinterest centersinterest groupsinterest groupsvaried homeworkvaried homeworkcompactingcompactingvaried journal promptsvaried journal promptscomplex instructioncomplex instruction

Teachers can differentiate at least four classroom elements:

Content--what the student needs to learn or how he/she will access the information

Process--activities in which the student engages to make sense of the information and master it

Products--culminating projects in which the student rehearses, applies or extends what he or she has learned

Learning Environment--the way the classroom looks and feels

Excerpted from Tomlinson, C.A. (August 2000) Differentiation of Instruction in the Elementary Grades, ERIC Digest, ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education

Content

• The differentiation of content is what the teacher plans for students to learn and how the student gains access to the desired knowledge, understanding and skills.

Differentiating Content

Using reading materials at different reading levels

Putting text on tape

Using spelling or vocabulary lists at readiness level of students

Presenting information through visual and auditory means

Using reading buddies

Meeting with small groups to re-teach ideas or skills for struggling learners or extend the thinking or skills of advanced learners

Excerpted from Tomlinson, C.A. (August 2000) Differentiation of Instruction in the Elementary Grades, ERIC Digest, ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education

Process

• The differentiation of process or activity involves using an essential skill for understanding an idea and is clearly focused on a learning goal. Further, process gives students options of activities in order to achieve individual success.

Differentiating Process

Using tiered activities--all learners working with same understandings and skills, but with different levels of support or challenge

Creating interest centers that encourage students to explore parts of the class topic of particular interest to them

Providing agendas--task lists containing whole class work and work addressing individual needs of students

Providing manipulatives or hands-on materials

Varying length of time to complete tasksExcerpted from Tomlinson, C.A. (August 2000) Differentiation of Instruction in the Elementary Grades, ERIC Digest, ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education

Products

• The differentiation of products refers to items used to demonstrate knowledge, understanding, and/or ability to apply or extend skills.

Differentiating Products

Giving options on how to express required learning (make a mural, write a letter, create a puppet show, etc.)

Using different rubrics to match and extend students’ skills levels

Allowing students to work alone or in groups to complete product

Encouraging students to create own product as long as it contains the required elements

Excerpted from Tomlinson, C.A. (August 2000) Differentiation of Instruction in the Elementary Grades, ERIC Digest, ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education

Learning Environment

Learning Environments must be emotionally safe for learning to take place.

To learn, students must experience appropriate levels of challenge.

Each brain must make its own meaning of ideas and skills.

Differentiated Learning Environment

Allowing for places to work quietly without distraction, as well as places for students to work collaboratively

Setting clear guidelines for independent work

Developing routines for students to get help when teacher is busy working with other students

Allowing for those students who need to move around when learning, while others need to sit quietlyExcerpted from Tomlinson, C.A. (August 2000) Differentiation of Instruction in

the Elementary Grades, ERIC Digest, ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education

Nomorerandomacts ofdifferentiation!