Differentiating Instruction

1. Differentiating Instruction Heather Yungbluth, NCVPS teacher and department chair

2. Dare to be different http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oAB83Z1ydE

3. The one room schoolhouse Describe the students that might attend this school. How is the student population similar to your classroom? How is the student population different?

4. An introduction Differentiationis one approach used by teachers to overcome the challenges of a mixed-ability classroom. In our session, we will explore differentiation methods of instruction to reach a student's fullest learning potential.

5. What is diversity? Diversity is the difference in a population. Diversity is well beyond physical attributes. It is everything that makes us unique.

6. Poll Enter your answer in the text chat area: Name one way you are diverse

7. What is diversity? As a teacher, we need to identify the diversity in the classroom and apply our teaching skills to best suit the needs of our diverse classroom. This methodology is called differentiating instruction.

8. Choose the best answer What store are you most likely to shop at for clothing? A. Ann Taylor B. Banana Republic C. Hot Topic D. Walmart

9. Choose the best answer What store would your students most likely shop at for clothing? A. Ann Taylor B. Banana Republic C. Hot Topic D. Walmart

10. An analogy: One size does NOT fit all Retail clothing stores have a well defined image and brand associated with it. How do you feel walking into Ann Taylor? Banana Republic? Hot Topic? Hollister?

11. One size does NOT fit all The clothing in one store seems to “fit” better than other stores. Once we have identified a store to shop from, then we can select from a range of sizes and colors. One size, one store does not fit all.

12. One size does NOT fit all Just like the clothing store analogy, student interests vary greatly, both in topic and in intensity. At any given time, one student can reflect differing levels of academic readiness in various subjects. And to complicate things further, readiness and interest can vary for a given student over time and depending on subject matter.

13. A user-friendly approach to instruction In school, differentiating instruction makes learning more comfortable, engaging and inviting. One size fits all is uncomfortable and will sag and pinch, like one size fits all clothing. Differentiation suggest that it is possible to develop your classroom and provide for both equity and excellence.

14. An example of one size fits all instruction Every unit in Mrs. Smith’s room is quite consistent. Everyone in the class reads the same chapter, takes the same notes, complete the same end-of-chapter questions and takes the same quiz. Mrs. Smith’s class is, well, very boring.

15. Differentiation is not individualized instruction In the 70’s, individualized instruction created an individual assignment for each student in the classroom. This was exhausting for the teacher and made learning fragmented and largely irrelevant. Differentiation does not assume a separate level for each student.

16. Differentiation is not homogeneous grouping Does this sound familiar? Sam, you are in the bluebird group. Pat, you are a cardinal. Mike, you are a buzzard. Once a buzzard, always a buzzard and you will always work with buzzards. What are the challenges to homogenous grouping?

17. What exactly is Differentiation? Differentiation is: Proactive Student-centered Flexible grouping Qualitative, not quantitative Multiple approaches A blended classroom

18. Two main concepts A teacher who uses differentiation needs to apply the two main concepts: 1. students differ in their learning needs 2. A classroom is more productive and effective where students are active learners than those that are passive recipients

19. How do we differentiate instruction? Where do I start? Be clear on the key concepts and generalizations Think of assessments as a road map. Lessons for all students should be engaging and promote critical thinking. Teach for success, not “gotcha”

20. Focus on what they can do A student who is “at risk” may be proficient in talents that are treated as secondary, such as leadership among peers, story telling, or building things. Relevant tasks makes a person feel empowered and engaged. Every student has potential.

21. 3 ways in which students differ

22. Assessing the needs of your students In order to determine what your students need to know, it is important to assess their current understanding. This can be accomplished with a pretest or observation. The results will help you prepare your lesson plans with the learner in mind.

23. Student-led performance goals Have students set SMART learning goals based on their current objective level and their anticipated new level. Create a written progress plan based on these coals. Students keep track of their written progress plan in their notebook Students maintain reading records, assignments, notes, and grades Student-led conferences

24. Taking notes Independent note taking (highly organized) Graphic organizers Annotations (sticky notes, comments) Guided notes (fill in the blank) Highlight the notes Record the lecture (audio visual)

25. Use a variety of reading material A textbook will not meet the needs of all learners. It can be too complex for some and too simple for others. Enrich your text-based content with notes, articles, magazines, brochures, and web resources. Vary your reading practices with teacher read-alouds, student-led reading, and independent reading.

26. A good differentiated activity Is something that students will make or do In a range at varied degrees of sophistication With varied amounts of teacher and peer support Using skills and information to understand an idea or answer an essential question A good activity Is something that students will make or do • using a skill and information in order to understand an idea or answer an essential question.

27. Differentiation by Interest:Link interests with a your choice activity

29. Assignment strategies Tiered assignments by adaptive release based on pre-assessment results novice, intermediate, advanced

30. Low and high prep activities High prep differentiation Alternative assessments Simulations Problem-based learning Graduated rubrics Varying organizers Webquests Virtual field trips Low prep differentiation • Reading buddies • Variety of journal prompts • Think-pair-share • Jigsaw • Real-time data collection

31. Collaborative activities in an online environment Wikis Blogs Discussion boards Live classroom, breakout sessions Anything else?

32. Jigsaw A jigsaw is a cooperative activity. Students work with peers on a given topic. Afterwards, they return to a home base group to share what they have learned.

33. Jigsaw Example

34. Think-Pair-Share Think-Pair-Share is a cooperative discussion strategy. It gets its name from the three stages of student action, with emphasis on what students are to be DOING at each of those stages. Why Should I Use Think-Pair-Share?We know that students learn, in part, by being able to talk about the content. But we do not want that to be a free-for-all.

35. How Does It Work? 1) Think. The teacher provides a question, prompt or observation. The students should take a few moments to THINK about the question. 2) Pair. Using designated partners, or nearby neighbors, students PAIR up to talk about the answer identify the answers they think are best. 3) Share. After students talk in pairs, the teacher calls for pairs to SHARE their thinking with the rest of the class. Often, the teacher or a designated helper will record these responses on the board or on the overhead.

36. Enrichment or remediation? What if they don’t get it? Consider that it is possible that students did not get it because of the method of approach. Another possibility is other distractions or lack of interest. Instead of allowing the students to redo an assignment, consider adding enrichment or remediation assignment to your lessons.

37. Enrichment or remediation? Remediation will help a student revisit the concepts in a different way. Vary your approach and the assignment structure. Stick to the main concepts. Provide step-by-step instructions and, when possible, a dictionary.

38. Enrichment or remediation? What if they get it at a broader level? Students working above the content level may need more of a challenge with an enrichment activity. One example: http://glencoe.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0078805775/student_view0/enrichment_activities.html

39. The grand Finale: Grading A differentiated approach to teaching also requires a different approach to grading. Portfolio-based assessments Performance-based assessments Consider two grades: a traditional grade for proficiency and another for individual goal progress

40. A high level of differentiation: Universal Design for Learning http://udltechtoolkit.wikispaces.com/

41. In summary Differentiation is a results-oriented approach to meet the needs of diverse learners through the: • CONTENT • PROCESS • PRODUCT

42. It’s your turn… Please share differentiation methods you have used in your classroom Questions?