Strategies for Managing Differentiation

Peg Curtis

Hall Memorial School

Willington, CT

Differentiation because…

Thinking about who we teach and where we teach

How we teach

Where we teach

What we teach

Tomlinson ‘01

Who we teach

What is differentiated instruction?

Differentiated instruction means…

Changing the paceLevelKind of instruction

To

Meet the individual needs, styles and interests of learners.

Essential question for differentiated instruction…

How do I create a place that dignifies the possibilities of each student who shares it?

A place where it’s good to be who you are A place where it’s possible to see who you

can become A place that casts each student as a

worker, winner and contributor, A place where there is always a journey

and always support for the journey.

Start small, start someplace, but don’t start over

Heacox 2007

K U D o ‘S

What do you want your students to …

KnowUnderstandBe able to DO

Heacox 2007

What can be differentiated?

ContentProcessProduct

What you need to consider…

Student readinessStudent interestStudent learning styles

Content

Start with: Pre-testing, KWL, self-assessment, brainstorming

Continue by : Compacting, providing mini lessons to re-teach or extend

Use: student interest to hook and build enthusiasm.

Content example

Science night – Long term project whose purpose was to show understanding of scientific method

Brainstormed, researched ideas

Mini lessons to teach/extend scientific method ideas

Students chose individual project

Process

Start with: What you want students to know and understand

Continue with: Tiered activities/labs, independent studies, jigsaw, problem-based learning

Use: Continual assessment to monitor progress

Process example…

Tiered Density Labs

Students solve same problem BUT

One lab requires students to identify exactly how they will solve the problem

Another version of the same lab asks questions to prompt students to solve the problem

Product

Start with: Instruction that helps students know and understand

Continue with: a menu of ways students can show understanding by doing

Use: a common rubric to access the understanding

Product examples:

What are atoms? Objective: show structure of an atom and how the subatomic particles interact

Project choices: Create the atoms family album “Who Am I” flip up book/poster Atomic poetry Fiction (write a story – model on “What is Smaller than

a Pygmy Shrew) Make a game – board or card game Create word puzzles including vocabulary Write and perform a skit Make a quiz board

Easy, Lo-prep ideas for differentiation…

Choices of booksHomework optionsReading buddiesVaried journal promptsStudent-teacher goal settingFlexible seatingVaried supplemental materialsDesign-a-day (students create goals, timeline and

assess their own progress)more…

More getting started activities…Negotiated criteria (Teachers set criteria, students

add activities based upon interest)Options for varied modes of expressionThink-pair-share by readiness, interest, learning

profileOpen-ended activitiesMini workshops to re-teach or extend learningJigsawExplorations by interestMultiple levels of questions

Tomlinson 2001

Hi-prep ideas…

Tiered activities/labs

Tiered products

Independent studies

Multiple texts

Alternative assignments

Learning Contracts

Multiple intelligence options

Compacting

Webquests

Entry points

more…

More high prep ideasCommunity mentorshipsInterest groupsTiered centersInterest centersPersonal agendasLiterature circlesStationsTape recorded materialsTeams, games, and tournamentsChoice boards

Tomlinson 2001

Burning Questions

Resources

Heacox, , Diane. Differentiating Instruction int the Regular Classroom. Minneapolis: Free Spirit Publishing Inc., 2002.

Tomlinson, Carol Ann . How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-Ability Classrooms. Alexandria: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2002.

Tomlinson, Carol Ann, dir. Best Practices Institute. <http://www.hhh.k12.ny.us/uploaded/PDFs/DI_Pdfs/Day_1/tomlinson.pdf>.