Linking Differentiated Instruction to AISI’08

Session Pre-Assessment:Complete the Teacher Self-

Assessment Tool. What is your top score?

Session Outcome:1. Know the relationship between Assessment

for Learning (A4L) & (Understanding by Design (UbD)

2. Set the stage for the future training in Differentiated Instruction (DI).

Session Concept Map1. Stage 1: Identify Desired Results

Enduring Understandings about DI

2. Stage 2: Collect Evidence of Understanding Pre-assessment for readiness

3. Stage 3: Planning for the Learning Sequence WHERETO Strategy for future directions

Stage 1: Identify Desired ResultsGoals of Differentiated Instruction:

Teachers are able to respond to the diverse needs of students using differentiated instruction.

Differentiated materials, methods and assessments are considered in advance with the full range of student differences in mind.

Stage 2: Evidence of Understanding1. Know

Rationale for differentiated instruction Key concepts of differentiated instruction

2. Understand Curriculum, teaching & assessment connections Differentiation enhances teaching & learning

3. Do Explain why we need to differentiate instruction

Stage 3: The Learning SequencePlanning the DI Learning ExperienceW – Where are we going? How?H – Hook & engage teachers?E – Experience, explore, equip teachers?R – Rethink, revise, refine teaching practices?E – Evaluate our DI progress?T – Tailor to the needs of school staffs?O – Organize & sequence learning?

Making the Links

Increased Student

Achievement

Curriculum Instruction Assessment

The Puzzle

INSTRUCTION

ASSESSMENT

CURRICULUM

BEST TEACHERS!

District Vision & MissionVision:

A culture of respect, inclusion, caring and excellence where EVERY student succeeds.

Mission:

Striving for excellence by inspiring learning and nurturing hope in EVERY student.

DI is learning to plan backwards and understand by design

What should students know, understand and be able to do? (Curriculum Design)

How will we know whether students have achieved the desired results? (Assessment for Learning)

What activities or resources are best suited to accomplish learning? (Instructional Design)

What does what?Curriculum tells teachers what to teach.

Differentiated instruction tells teachers how to teach to a range of learners by employing a variety of teaching approaches.

Assessment tells teachers when to adjust and modify so students access learning.

Why DI? Increased student diversity Students of same age differ in readiness,

learning styles, interests, etc. Decreased stigmas about being different Decreased exclusion from curriculum,

programs and activities of the school Increased student achievement.

English As A Second Language 37,500 students in Alberta 1,500 new students per month 200 students in RDPSD 35% increase in one year

Students with Special Needs 440 students with severe special needs 500+ students with mild – moderate special

needs 95 children with severe special needs 56 children with mild-moderate special needs Students with behaviour disorders Majority in regular classrooms

Responding to Diversity

The biggest mistake of past centuries in teaching has been to treat all children as if they were the same variant of the same individual and thus to feel justified in teaching them all the same subjects in the same ways.

Howard Gardner (1994)

The fact that students differ may be inconvenient, but it is inescapable.

Adapting to that diversity is the inevitable price of productivity, high standards, and fairness

to kids.

Theodore Sizer

DI Defined DI is a teaching philosophy Based on the premise that teachers need to adapt to

student diversity, not the students adapting to teacher diversity

Responsive teaching based on the assessed needs of students

Inclusive teaching Synthesis of research on how students learn best

and how to teach them better.

DI DefinedDI is proactively planning varied approaches to

what students need to learn, how they will learn it, and/or how they will show what they

have learned in order to increase the likelihood that each student will learn as much as he or she can, as efficiently as

possible.

Carol Ann Tomlinson

“In a differentiated classroom, the teacher closely assesses and monitors skills, knowledge levels, interests and effective ways of learning for all

students and then plans lessons and tasks with those levels in mind.”

Carol Ann Tomlinson (2001). How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-Ability Classrooms., Association for Supervision and

Curriculum Development, Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Differentiated Instructionis a teacher’s response to learner’s

needsguided by general principles of differentiation

such asRespectful Respectful

taskstasksFlexible groupingFlexible grouping Pre-Assessment Pre-Assessment

Teachers can differentiate

ContentContent ProcessProcess ProductProduct

according to students’

Readiness Interests Learning Readiness Interests Learning StyleStyle

DI ProcessPlanning What are the General Learner Outcome(s) (GLO) What do I want students to know, understand, do?Pre-assessment Who already knows the GLO? KUDo? Who does not know the GLO? KUDo?Differentiation How can students be grouped for learning? How can I increase or extend learning?

Elements of DIContent: What is taught and how all students are

provided access to the program of study.

Process: How students develop the knowledge, understanding and skills to master the learner outcomes.

Product: How the student is able to demonstrate what he/she knows, understands and is able to do as a result of learning.

Student Characteristics Readiness: current knowledge, skills, and

understanding a student has in relation to the learner outcomes

Interest: Connect activities to what students enjoy or are interested in to motivate learning

Learning Profile: use student’s preferred mode of learning to extend learning

DI Teaching Activities1. Readiness is for GROWTH

Tasks that match skill level

2. Interest is for MOTIVATION Tasks that ignite curiosity

3. Learning Profile is for EFFICIENCY - Tasks encourage excitement or confidence

DI Example:Graphing and Measuring: Student Choices

1. Find a friend & measure the length and width of the classroom. Draw onto paper in centimeters.

2. Work at the Graphing Centre to complete 2 activities. Place into your Math folder when done.

3. Measure your height, the height of 2 friends and the height of an adult. Rank order from smallest to tallest.

DI Example:Physics: Aerodynamics (KUDo: Bernoulli & Newton)

Construct objects that project through space in different ways to demonstrate knowledge & understanding.

Construct one of the following:

1. Paper airplanes for max distance & hang time

2. Pinwheels for best forward, backward & upward motions

3. Kite shapes for best thrust, drag & lift.

Instructional Leaders Leaders of school-based learning teams are

part teacher, leader, change agent, mentor, motivator, coach and cheerleader.

Help teachers in learning and applying new knowledge and skills necessary to increase the performance and achievement of students.

Teacher collaboration is a significant contributor to increased student learning.

Cutting Edge TeachingIf you want to feel safe and secure, continue to

do what you have always done. If you want to grow, go to the cutting edge of our profession. Just know that when you do, there will be a temporary loss of sanity. So know when you don’t quite know what you are doing, you are probably growing.

Madeline Hunter

Stage 3: The Learning SequencePlanning the DI Learning ExperienceW – Where are we going? How?H – Hook & engage teachers?E – Experience, explore, equip teachers?R – Rethink, revise, refine teaching practices?E – Evaluate our DI progress?T – Tailor to the needs of school staffs?O – Organize & sequence learning?

Group Activity (Chose 1 to do)1. You are appointed as the District’s DI Consultant.

Draft out an implementation plan with the “what, how & when” to get started.

2. You are asked to present to parents on why staff use DI. What key principles and messages will you share with parents?

3. You are a newly appointed principal & staff want DI as the AISI focus. List 10 ways the principal supports staff development for DI.

Collaboration Collaborative teams enhance teachers’ skills for

educating a diverse student body and holding high expectations for appropriate behaviours.

Collaborative teams enhances teachers’ potential for survival by creating regular opportunities for exchange of needed resources, expertise and technical assistance.

Villa, R.A. and Thousand, J.S. (Eds). Restructuring for Caring and Effective Education:

Piecing the Puzzle Together. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.

Implementation ProcessAwareness

Interest Information Gathering

Commitment Preparation/Planning

Awkward, Refine, Practice, Students Respond

Collaboration Habit of Mind

Future Directions Instructional Leadership Teams Carolyn Chapman Staff Learning Day DI Coaches Training Print Resources Aligning Curriculum, Intervention Services &

Information Technology Services for AISI

Exit CardPlease complete and leave on the table:

Know:I know enough about DI to get started

Yes or NoUnderstand

I understand the following DI concepts: Content Readiness Process Interest Product Learning Profile

DoI am able to explain the need for DI to my colleagues. Yes or NoTo do this, I need the following: