Differentiation in the Classroom

JANUARY 6, 2014

PRESENTED BY PATSY BRUNER, DENA HARSHBARGER, MIRIAM SIEGAL, & BRIAN WOJCIK.

You may hear some people say that

differentiating isn’t fair.

Those are people who believe “Fair” means “Equal”

WHY DIFFERENTIATE INSTRUCTION?

Children need teachers who commend and

command excellence.

Children need teachers who

help them experience, accept, and

embrace personal challenge

Both equity and excellence must be a part

of our road map for students

“All children are entitled to teachers who will do everything in their power to help them realize their potential .”

(Tomlinson, 1999)

Survey results…

Adapting Lessons for Gifted Individualizing Instruction for Gifted Identifying Gifted Students0

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Working with Gifted Students

Not Comfortable Somewhat Uncomfortable NeutralSomewhat Comfortable Very Comfortable

Survey results…

Adapting Lessons for Remedial Individualizing Instruction for Remedial

Identifying Remedial Students0

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Working with Remedial Students

Not Comfortable Somewhat Uncomfortable NeutralSomewhat Comfortable Very Comfortable

Survey results…

Accommodating Varying Abilities

Assessing and Designing

Using Learning Styles Using Technology to Differentiate

Using Universal Design for Learning

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Putting DI into Practice

Not Comfortable Somewhat Uncomfortable NeutralSomewhat Comfortable Very Comfortable

What are some things you do to meet the needs of diverse learners in your classroom?

1. Go to our wiki2. Choose the

‘Intro to DI and UDL’ link from the menu

3. Find the Padlet Link

4. Contribute.

HOW are differentiated classrooms different from traditional classrooms?

TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM

Student differences are addressed when they become a problem.

Assessment is summative, at the end of a unit.

Interests and learning styles have no effect on instruction.

DIFFERENTIATED CLASSROOM

Student differences become the basis for planning instruction.

Ongoing assessment is formative and diagnostic – allowing you to respond to the learner.

Students are provided opportunities to make choices based on interests and learning styles

HOW DO I GET STARTED?

1. Go to our wiki2. Choose the ‘Intro

to DI and UDL’ link from the menu

3. Find the Video.4. Consider the

Following Questions

Think-Pair-Share1. What are some challenges Laura faces in her

classroom on a day to basis?

2. Why does Rick Wormelli refer to differentiation as “responsive teaching”?

3. Assessment has to be accurate. What will you use to make instructional decisions?

4. What is the principle of “tiering”?

5. What is the “scaffolding?”

Content Process Product

According to Your Students’

Readiness Interest LearningProfile

You Can Differentiate

Adapted from The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners (Tomlinson, 1999)

to Differentiate Content

Using materials at varying readability levels.

Creating auditory versions of text.

Using spelling or vocabulary lists at readiness levels of students;

Presenting ideas through auditory, visual and kinesthetic means; multiple representations

Using partner reading, small-group reading, shared reading, and other reading supports (e.g., text-to-speech)

Tiered instruction

Meeting with small groups to re-teach an idea or skill for struggling learners or to extend the thinking or skills of advanced learners.

Cooperative learning

To Differentiate Process

◦Tiered activities◦ Interest centers◦Manipulatives or other hands-on supports◦Varying the length of time◦Cooperative learning◦Allowing students to work alone or in small groups on their products

◦ Independent contracts

For Differentiating Product

Giving students options of how to express required learning puppet show, write a letter, or develop a mural with labels:

Menus

Choice Boards

RAFTS Interest Groups

Various Forms of Evaluation/Assessment

4 w

ays

to d

iffere

ntiate

the c

urr

iculu

m

Source: (Tomlison & Imbeau, 2010)

Content – What the students need to learn or how the student will get access to the information

Process – Activities to engage students in learning the content.

Product –Culminating projects that ask the student to rehearse, apply, and extend what he or she has learned in a unit; ways to demonstrate mastery of the content.

Affect/Learning Environment – The way the classroom works and feels.

Content Process Product

According to Your Students’

Readiness Interest LearningProfile

You Can Differentiate

Adapted from The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners (Tomlinson, 1999)

Adapted from The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners (Tomlinson, 1999)

Differentiation

Content

Readiness

Interest

Learning Profile

Process

Readiness

Interest

Learning Profile

Product

Readiness

Interest

Learning Profile

Addressing ReadinessEnglish Language Learners: Front-loading• Create meaning and purpose • Focus on Vocabulary• Add visuals Struggling Students: Add support

• Chunk the lesson into manageable parts

• Add visuals • Increase teacher support (reading &

writing)

Students Who Need More Challenge: Not MORE work, Add complexity• Add open-ended activities• Add creativity-based activities• Research-based activities

CONTENT: ReadinessGROUP 1 (STRUGGLING STUDENTS)

GROUP 2(READY)

GROUP 3(NEED ADDITIONAL CHALLENGES)

• How can we get a light bulb to light in 2 different ways, using one light bulb, two wires, and two batteries?

• Create and test several circuits.

• Sketch each circuit on an index card.

• Sort and label your sketches as either parallel or series examples.

• Make conclusions: When is the bulb brighter-series or parallel?

• What are multiple ways that we can get a light bulb to light, using several light bulbs, wires, and batteries?

• Create multiple examples.

• Sort and label each as either parallel or series circuits.

• Create a chart showing which circuits work, which do not work, and why.

• Make conclusions: When is the bulb brighter-series or parallel?

• What is the relationship of resistance, voltage, and current in series and parallel circuits?

• Create multiple examples of parallel and series circuits.

• Create a matrix to show the level of bulb brightness in each circuit.

• Use the terms, resistance, voltage, and current to describe what is causing the differences in brightness. You’ve just discovered Ohm’s law!

Addressing Interest

Start with Assessing Students’ Interests

Configure Learning Experiences to Tap Into

Students’ Areas of Interest

Content• Topic• Theme

Tools

• Books• Videos• Technologies

Engagement Methods

• Watching• Listening• Collaborating• Doing

Interests

Addressing Learning Profile

Background Experiences

Language

Skills and Abilities

Learning Styles/

Preferences

Gender

Culture

Learning Profile: Multiple Intelligences1. Go to the Wiki

2. Click on ‘Intro to DI and UDL’ from menu

3. Locate Multiple Intellegence Profile

4. Complete Your Own Multiple Intelligences Profile

24

THINK-TAC-TOE: Book Report Example

VISUAL: Draw a picture of the

main character.

KINESTHETIC: Perform a play that

shows the conclusion of a story.

MUSICAL: Write a song about one

of the main events.

LINGUISTIC: Write a poem about two

main events in the story.

FREE CHOICE (with teacher permission)

AUDITORY: Dress up as your

favorite character and perform a speech

telling who you are.

LOGICAL: Create a Venn diagram

comparing and contrasting the

introduction to the closing.

INTERPERSONAL:Perform a play that

shows the conclusion of a story.

INTRAPERSONAL: Draw a picture of the

main character.

Secondary Science: PlanetsVISUAL: Use the computer to make a drawing showing how the earth’s tilt, rotation, and revolution work to create day and night and seasons.

AUDITORY: Write and present a news report about how the earth’s tilt, rotation, and revolution work to create day and night and seasons.

KINESTHETIC: Construct a 3-D model showing how the earth’s tilt, rotation, and revolution work to create day and night and seasons.

INTRAPERSONAL:Write a blog post reflecting on how the earth’s tilt, rotation, and revolution work to create day and night and seasons.

LOGICAL:Make labels showing how the earth’s tilt, rotation, and revolution work to create day and night and seasons.

VERBAL: Write a summary or story of how the earth’s tilt, rotation, and revolution work to create day and night and seasons.

NATURE: Write a Haiku poem showing how the earth’s tilt, rotation, and revolution work to create day and night and seasons.

INTERPERSONAL: Work in a small group to make a drawing showing how the earth’s tilt, rotation, and revolution work to create day and night and seasons.

Another Lens - UDL

Universal Design for Learning

Multiple Means of

Representation

Multiple Means of Action or Expression

Multiple Means of Engagement

Give learners various ways of accessing

information

Provide leaners with alternatives for

demonstrating evidence of their learning

Provide learners with choices based on

learner profile for how they engage in learning

DI and UDL – Parallel Lenses

CONTENT PRODUCTAFFECT/LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

PROCESS