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Honoring Student Diversity: Differentiated InstructionEDUC – 503 Fall 2011Instructor: Kimberly BeckKimberly_Beck@greenwich.k12.ct.us

Session I

What is your chocolate personality?Milk Chocolate: You are a “back to basics” kind of thinker. You are level headed,

good PR person, great fundraiser, also kind, thoughtful, and playful. You would be called nurturing, will help others to shine, dependable

and loyal. Others often turn to you for help.

Krackel: Creative, optimistic, always see the cup ½ full, messy but organized (can find the missing item amongst disarray).

You like to be a hands-on person, funny, friendly, outgoing, and always willing to help. You like the surprising things in life, the “krackel.” Like situations that allow flexibility, change and growth.

Mr. Goodbar: You’re analytical, logical. You gather data first before giving an opinion, play the devil’s advocate at meetings, tend to see all possibilities and drive people crazy by sharing all the what if’s. Hate deadlines, put off starting things, procrastinator. Like to be the expert but in your own time frame. Can analyze things to death. Like there to be rules that everyone follows. Like a lot of structure, hate surprises.

Special Dark: Patient, thoughtful, individualist, problem solver. Like to see a project through from start to finish. Good grant writers, work well with difficult people, insightful, reflective. Little patience with incompetence or liars. Set high standards for self and others. Dependable and resourceful. Loyal.

Hershey Bar Krackel Mr. Goodbar Special DarkWhat part of your chocolate personality was “right on?”

What part (if any) of another personality describes you?

Increasing Engagement: THINK • TURN • TALK

What do you think this course is going to be about?This course will be

co-designed and in many ways co-taught.

The wiki http://educ-503.wikispaces.com/

will be a place to keep all of our ideas and to collaborate with one another.

DIFFERENTIATION

• What is it?

• What does it look like?

• Why does it matter?Think (individually) • Turn (to anyone) • Talk

(about it)

Talk it Out

Be ready to share the ideas of SOMEONE ELSE in your pair or group.

Getting to know YOU…Individual Survey…Complete the survey honestly, knowing the information you provide will guide the contents of this course

So much more than textbooks…

“Parallel texts” include:

The Element by Sir Ken Robinson • The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman

A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink • The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

Mindset by Carol Dweck • How to Think Like Leonardo DaVinci by Michael Gelb

Your ideas?????

In preparation for next class:

1.Read Chapter 1 of Differentiated Instructional Strategies: One Size Does Not Fit All (REQUIRED text)

2.Read the distributed Carol Ann Tomlinson handouts

3.Create a 1 page visual (can be back-to-back) that summarizes the reading and answers the questions:

What is differentiation? What does it look like? Why does it matter?

•Bring copies of your visual for each member of the class

•Select and purchase “parallel” reading for the semester