Differentiated Instruction: Knowing our students to teach our

studentsThe Dr. G.W. Williams Secondary School-January 30,

2009

Academic and Social Goals

• To deepen our understanding of effective instruction

• To develop a plan to get to know our learners’ strengths, needs and interests to be able to intentionally instruct effectively

• To invest in our own learning and the learning of others

Making Connections

PICK ONE OPTION:

A. Think of a student who was struggling that you were able to help because you followed his/her IEP, or found another way to reach him/her.

B. Think of a situation in your life when people in a group were reached in different ways.

THINK/PAIR/SHARE

Seeing the strengths

Artistic Ambitious Adaptable Active Athletic Analytical Articulate Avid Agile Accurate

Balanced Benevolent BubblyCareful Considerate Cheerful Coordinated Caring Clever

Creative Compassionate Committed Capable Courageous Consistent Cooperative

Daring Disciplined Dedicated Dependable Determined Diligent Deliberate

Exact Empathetic Energetic Encouraging Efficient Expressive Eager Ethical

Friendly Fair-minded Flexible Fun-loving Focused Goal-directed Graceful Honourable Humorous Humble Imaginative Industrious Influential Inquiring Intellectual Joyful Judicious

Big Idea – Non NegotiableBig Idea – Non Negotiable

• Differentiation is responsive teaching rather than one size fits all teaching.

Big IdeaBig Idea

• Knowing your learner in order to teach them well

Big Idea – Non NegotiableBig Idea – Non Negotiable

• Quality differentiation depends on having clear curriculum targets

Differentiation must be an extension of, not a Differentiation must be an extension of, not a replacement for, high quality curriculum.replacement for, high quality curriculum.

» Tomlinson, 2000

Big IdeaBig Idea

• Using varied instructional strategies for responding to readiness, interest, and learning profiles

Big Idea – Non NegotiableBig Idea – Non Negotiable

• Flexible grouping that varies depending on readiness, interests and learning profile.

Big Idea – Non NegotiableBig Idea – Non Negotiable

• On-going assessment and adjustment is essential

Ongoing assessment

and adjustment

Teachers Can Differentiate Through:

Content Process Product

according to students’

Readiness – Start where they are!

Interests-Make it meaningful!

Learning Profile-Build on their strengths!

Differentiating Instructionis a teacher’s response to learner’s needs guided by:

Environment

Based on The Differentiated Classroom - Carol Ann Tomlinson

Start Here!

Understanding the Learner

“Students taught in their preferred learning styles demonstrated higher levels of achievement, showed more interest in the subject matter, approved of instructional methods, and wanted other subjects to be taught similarly.”

Bell, L. (1986).

Learner Profile Cards

Auditory, Visual, Kinesthetic

Modality

Multiple Intelligence Preference

Gardner

Analytical, Creative, Practical

Sternberg

Student’s Interests

Favorite subject

Gender Stripe

Nanci Smith,Scottsdale,AZ

Why do we need learning profiles?

• Learning profile refers to how an individual learns best - most efficiently and effectively.

• Teachers and their students may differ in learning profile

preferences.Janet Rex ASCD 2009

Creating the Learner Profile

Interactive ToolsV.A.K.http://www.usd.edu/trio/tut/ts/stylest.html

M.I.http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks3/ict/multiple_int/questions/questions.cfmStudent Interests/Strengthswww.careercruising.ca

(Matchmaker & My Skills)

Paper Toolshttp://www.e2c2.com/uploads/Learning_Profiles_Retyped.doc

Karen Hume’s Start Where

They Are CD-ROM (permission to copy, share, modify)

A New Semester: Continued Learning

• What supports do my students need to self-assess?

• How will this data about students inform my practice?

• How will I know I am on the right track?

Ongoing assessment

and adjustment

Teachers Can Differentiate Through:

Content Process Product

according to students’

Readiness – Start where they are!

Interests-Make it meaningful!

Learning Profile-Build on their strengths!

Differentiating Instructionis a teacher’s response to learner’s needs guided by:

Environment

Based on The Differentiated Classroom - Carol Ann Tomlinson

Start Here!

Tools for going deeper…

Materials available at www.caroltomlinson.com

www.e2c2.com/

fileupload.asp

Karen Hume’s Start Where They Are

One Tool: Choice Board

Visual Auditory Kinesthetic

Create an acronymCreate an acronym Tell a partnerTell a partnerGet in a small group Get in a small group

and play summary and play summary ballball

Design a test questionDesign a test questionCreate a Create a

15-second radio 15-second radio commercialcommercial

Make a tableauMake a tableau

Design a bumper Design a bumper stickersticker

Compose new lyrics Compose new lyrics for a songfor a song

and sing itand sing itPlay charadesPlay charades

From Karen Hume, Start Where They Are

One Tool: Learning Stations

Station A: Computer simulation• Students use the website to view an animated 3D model of the atom

they are drawing. The website allows students to view the atom from a nuclear view or an electron view. www.colorado.edu/physics/2000/applets/a2.html

Station B: Atomic structure demonstration kit• Students use a kit to model atomic structure before drawing the

diagram. Students are given bingo chips that represent protons (red), electrons (blue), and neutrons (green), and a template of an atom. They then place the bingo chips on the template to create a Bohr-Rutherford model of the atom they are drawing.

Station C: Arts and crafts • Students will be given pipe cleaners, beads, and paper to build models

of the atom they are drawing.Station D: Textbook• Students will be provided with several textbooks that explain how to

draw BR diagrams. Students will use the resources to draw a BR diagram.

From Karen Hume, Start Where They Are

There are a lot of Stevens out there

From Karen Hume, Start Where They Are

“Know who I am.”

“Accept that we all learn differently.”

“Value me for who I am.”

“I may need to learn in a different way than you.”

“Stop teaching me. Help me learn.”

“We need to challenge each other to work together toward change.”

Students’ Voices

From Student Panel, Quest 2008

Exit Card

What I like about explicitly getting to know my students is:

One question I am asking myself right now about DI is:

One strategy I would use in my classroom to reach my students is:

One strategy I would like to learn more about is: