Differentiating Instruction

Identifying With Your English Learners

&Success In The Making

Our Workshop Objectives

•We will recognize why we need to differentiate instruction for all students through group discussions and PowerPoint presentation.

•We will ascertain what is and what is not differentiated instruction throughout the workshop through discussion.

•We will discuss students learning styles and explore why this is important to differentiating instruction.

•We will compose a list of Before, During, and After activities that Differentiate Instruction throughout your lesson.

•We will review in small and whole group ways we can accommodate assessments for ELs

•We will share success stories we have had working with our ELs, through school or system efforts.

Today At a Glance

DI

Break10:20 10:30

DI

Lunch

11:45 12:45

End DI

Share

Dismiss

2:30

What Does Differentiating Instruction

Mean to You?

Pair and Share

From Mehlinger, 1995 . . .“Most teachers teach every child the same material in the same way, and measure each child’s performance by the same standards…. Thus, teachers embrace the value of treating each child as a unique individual while instructing children as if they were virtually identical.”

Differentiating Instruction Is… Differentiated Instruction applies an approach

to teaching and learning that gives students

multiple options for taking in information and

making sense of ideas. Differentiated

instruction is a teaching theory based on the

premise that instructional approaches should vary

and be adapted in relation to individual and

diverse students in classrooms . (Tomlinson, 2001).

To Differentiate InstructionWhat Must We Know About Our

ELs?

With a PartnerDiscussTake NotesPresent to

Whole Group

To Differentiate Instruction We Must Know Our ELs…

English Language Proficiency Level

Learning Style/s Student History Student Culture Readiness Interests

Teachers are Successful At Differentiating Instruction for ELs

When They:

Know their students learning styles Hold high expectations Employ Research Based ongoing

informal assessments Provide multiple types of assessments Adapted from Colorin Colarado

AndWhen They:

Differentiate homework

Collaborate

Use flexible grouping

Make content comprehensible

Adapted from Colorin Colarado

What are You Doing Today to Differentiate Instruction for ELs?

Jot and

Share

How Do You Make Content Comprehensible For

ELs?

Turn and ShareMake a partner

list of ideasShare in whole

group

Characteristics of A

Differentiated Classroom All students explore, apply, and

understand the same benchmarks

Continuous assessment is an integral part of the curriculum.

Flexible grouping is used consistently

Students are active explorers

What Can You Differentiate?

Activity• Walk around the room and speak to three people you do not know.•Discuss what can be differentiated in a classroom.•Take notes•Whole group share

This activity develops language acquisition and provides ideas about the content you may not have thought about.

What Can You Differentiate?

Time Teaching

Strategies Learning

Strategies Classroom

Assessments Materials and

Resources Grouping Expectations

- Tracking- A New Strategy- Static- Teaching to the

Middle- A series of activities- Lowering the Bar

- Flexible Grouping - Student Centered - Rigorous / Relevant - For all Learners - Based on academic

and personal needs - Fosters relationships

and reflection

IS NOT… IS…

Differentiated Instruction

What Does It Take To Differentiate?

Set rigorous and relevant goals

Students need to know / be able to do?

Where are they on the learning curve now?

Select instructional strategiesthat will enhance the learning.

Monitor student progress andadjust instruction if needed.

Brain Research Confirms What Experienced Teachers Have Always Known: No two children are alike No two children learn in the

identical way An enriched environment for

one student is not necessarily enriched for another

In the classroom we should teach children to think for themselves

Marian Diamond

•Discuss bullets in small group

•Share in whole group

What Is A Learning Style?

A learning style is…A way to take in and process information

A preference that gets stronger the more it is used

The way the mind operates

The way we learn!

Why Should I Care About Learning Styles?

The way a child learns affects his/her entire personality and development.

Understanding learning styles will help teachers and students to better communicate.

Understanding learning styles will help teachers to differentiate instruction.

Learning Styles

Activity Pass out one question

per table Discuss question at your

table Answer the question

with your group One person per table

will share in whole group

Sensing Thinking Learner(ST)

Likes:– Immediate responses and feedback– Details and sequential order– Hands-on activities with a specific, correct

answer– Clear, concise, step-by-step directions– Knowing exact expectations; why something

has to be done, and how well it is to be done– Drill and practice

Intuitive Thinking Learner (NT)

Likes:– Planning and organizing before working– Working independently– Analyzing and examining pros and cons– Arguing and debating– Thinking about ideas and how they are

related– Finding/designing a new way to do

something– Logical and strategic games

Intuitive Feeling Learner

(NF)Likes:

– Learning without time constraints– Praise for personal ideas and

insights– Using creativity and imagination– Open-ended activities with many

possibilities– Working on many things at once– Self-expression and self-discovery– Creative and artistic activities

Sensing Feeling Learner

(SF)Likes:

– Getting personal attention and praise– Sharing feelings and experiences– Working in groups/being part of a team– Having someone show how to do

something– Role-playing and personal expression– Non-competitive games where no one

loses– Interpersonal activities; opportunities

to learn about himself/herself

Example.. Questions Students May

Have Sensing Thinking (ST): WHAT? ST: WHAT is the correct way to do this?

Intuitive Thinking (NT): WHY? NT: WHY does is have to be done this

way?

Intuitive Feeling (NF): WHAT IF? NF: WHAT IF we tried doing it this way?

Sensing Feeling (SF): WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO ME?

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO ME to do this?

In A Nutshell… No one learning style is better than

another. We all have characteristics of each learning

style; some characteristics are just stronger than others.

Learning about each style will help us to better understand and communicate with our students.

Knowing about each learning style will help teachers to better understand how students learn and how to differentiate instruction.

- Tracking- A New Strategy- Static- Teaching to the Middle- A series of activities- Lowering the Bar

- Flexible Grouping - Student Centered - Rigorous / Relevant - For all Learners - Based on academic

and personal needs - Fosters relationships

and reflection

IS NOT… IS…

Differentiated Instruction

Differentiating Instruction Video Clip

Differentiating Instruction

Differentiating InstructionBefore the

Lesson

During the Lesson

After the Lesson

DI Before The Lesson

Plan AheadStudent’s

BackgroundVocabularyStudent’s

KnowledgeLink to

previous lesson

DI Before The Lesson Continued

Pre-teach Reflect

Supplementary Materials

Word Banks Adapt Materials

Lower level non-fiction materials

DI During The Lesson

Now It’s Your Turn Select a Partner/group With Partner brainstorm

DI During the Lesson Compose a List of Ideas Partners/group writes 2

ideas on chart paper Share in whole group

Other Suggestions For DI During The Lesson

Simplified language/vocabulary Pre-Questions Present concrete

concepts/vocabulary Categorize content information Highlighting

More Suggestions For DI During The Lesson

Repeat/Paraphrase

Real life experiences

Teach text skills

Model and reinforce learning strategies

Teach note taking/recording

DI After The Lesson

Provide quality notes Watch content videos/listen to

recorded lesson Provide activities to reinforce

content and vocabulary Support language

development in small groups Adjust assignments to ELs

proficiency level

Differentiating Assessments

For English Learners, A Brief Look

Maintain A Balanced Assessment System

“To maximize student success, assessment must be seen as an instructional tool for use while learning is occurring, and as an accountability tool to determine if learning has occurred.

Because both purposes are important, they must be in balance.”

From Balanced Assessment: The Key to Accountability and Improved Student Learning, NEA (2003)

Experts Tell Us…

“Assessment should promote learning,

not simply measure it.”

Jay McTighe

“Assessment should always havemore to do with helping studentsgrow than with cataloging theirmistakes.”

Carol Tomlinson

Categories Of English Learners• Newly arrived students with adequate formal schooling •Newly arrived students with limited formal schooling

•Long-term English-language learners

•Students exposed to two languages simultaneously

Consider The Purposes For Assessment

Ask Yourself“Does my assessment connect

to the language and content standards and goals?”

Think about your assessment practices and are they consistent with your own instructional objectives and goals?

Use Authentic Assessment Tools

Conduct multiple forms of evaluations

Anecdotal records Checklists Portfolios Rating Scales

Access In Non-Traditional Ways

Involve student in performance assessment.

Students show knowledge through non-language ways such as Venn diagrams, charts, drawings, mind maps, or PowerPoint slides.

Access learning through participation activities.

Teach students reading strategies and use these to access literacy.

Assessment Accommodations For

Newcomers•Students answer orally• Bilingual professional assists with assessment•Demonstrate reading progress through group assessments•Allow students to provide responses in multiple formats•Accept response in students’ native language if translation is possible.•Use bilingual dictionary

Assessment Accommodations For Developing ELs

• Have an aide record student answers•Divide assessment into small chunks•Use visuals•Simplify vocabulary•Begin the assessment with several examples•Simplify assessment directions•Add glossaries in English or the first language•Ask questions in the affirmative rather than the negative and teach the language of testing

Forms of Assessments1. Dictation

2.  Cloze tests The student must decide the appropriate words for the blanks.

3.  Multiple-choice tests. Possibly omit choices to three.

4.  Strip stories where EL students put back in the correct order.

5.  Role play

6.  Using writing samples determines certain grammatical strengths and weaknesses.

7.  Portfolios show their progress and achievements in one or more areas. 

What have you learned today about Differentiating Instruction and Assessments for English Learners?

ActivityParallel Lines

Success In The Making

Works CitedBailey, Kathleen M.  Learning About Language Asessment:   Dilemmas, Decisions, and Directions .  Boston:  Heinle & Heinle Publishers, 1998.

Susan Davis Lenski, Fabiola Ehlers-zavala, Mayra C. Daniel, Xiaoqin Sun-irminger, Assessing English-language learners, in mainstream classrooms

Freeman, D., & Freeman, Y. (2004). Essential linguistics: What you need to know to teach reading, ESL, spelling,phonics, and grammar. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Freeman, Y., & Freeman, D. (2003). Struggling English language learners: Keys for academic success. TESOL Journal, 12(3), 18–23.

Questions ?

Comments

Thank You for Participating Today!

Hope to See You Next Year!

Dely V. Roberts – Title III/EL Specialist droberts@alsde.edu

Dr. Tammy Hallman Starnes– Title III/EL Coordinator

tstarnes@alsde.edu

Presentation and handouts available: Click- ALEX…

Professional Learning…English Learners…

Professional Development…SAMUEL