Technology In Support of

Differentiated Instruction

Willa Spicer

Jennifer Hunsinger

Definition

“Differentiating instruction is not an instructional strategy or a teaching model. It’s a way of thinking about teaching and learning that advocates beginning where individuals are rather than with a prescribed plan of action, which ignores student readiness, interest, and learning profile.”

- Tomlinson

Differentiated InstructionTeacher’s Response to Learner’s Needs

Guided By General Principles

Respectful TasksLearningEnvironment Ongoing Assessment

Process ProductContent

Teacher Can Differentiate:

Through A Range of Instructional Strategies-Tomlinson

According to Student’s

Readiness Interests Learning Profile

Assumptions

Flexible Groups

Assumptions

• The information can be useful for your purposes.• Students and teachers have access to the

Internet.• Teacher knows the 21st Century Skills and wants

to teach them.– Search strategies– Ability to evaluate information on the basis of what

you want to know – Ability to recognize bias, falsehoods, propaganda

The Learning Environment

Click here to view“How People Learn”

The Teacher

The Student The Content

Policy Teaching

Learning

BALANCED ASSESSMENT

Summative Formative

Content

Facts, Principles, Concepts,

Generalizations, Skills

Which are

Relevant, authentic, usable, essential

* Content doesn’t often change because we differentiate!!

Learning Styles -Lens on the Learners

• Multiple Intelligences

• Jung - Myers-Briggs

• 4MAT

• Gender

• Cultural

Readiness

•Prior Knowledge and/or skill set

•Speed of Learning

NCREL’s Critical Issue: Promoting Children's Readiness to Learn

Respectful Tasks

Guiding Principles

• Classroom is flexible

• Instruction stems from ongoing assessment

• Flexible grouping

• All learners have tasks that are interesting, engaging and moderately challenging.

• Students and teachers are collaborators in learning

Process: Activities

Product: Demonstrating Learning

• Tests• Interviews• Survey• Performance and

Exhibition• Portfolio

• PowerPoint Presentations

• Newsletters, Publications

• Podcasts• Blogs, Wikis• Movies (YouTube)• Inspiration Maps

Instructional Strategies

• Anchoring Activities• Jigsaw• Literature Circles• Tiered Lessons• Learning Contracts• Cooperative Learning• Independent Learning• Orbital Studies

• Questioning Strategies• Interest Groups • Varied Homework• Compacting• Group Investigation• Varied Supplementary

Materials• Varied texts

Task

• Find a strategy that relates to the needs of your students.

• Write one or two sentences on that relationship.

News Sources• CBC Kids - from Canada• CBBC - from the UK for kids• Channel One• Discover• Earth & Sky Radio Show • Environmental News Network• Kid's Castle from Smithsonian• KidsNewsroom• LA Youth - by youth for youth• Newz Crew from PBS • National Geographic Kids• National Geographic News • National Geographic Today -

great list of stories; leads to other stories

• Nature.com• News Hour Extra from PBS• NOAA.com• NY Times Student Connection

s• Scholastic News Zone - listen

to scholastic radio• Student News Net• Time for Kids• Washington Post for Kids -

registration required • Weekly Reader - subscription

based • Why Files• World Wildlife Federation New

sroom • Yahooligans News

Your Task

Find what interests you the most within the context of the technology shared in this presentation.

Write one or two sentences that explain why you found this topic most interesting.

What Differentiation is Not

• A set of strategies, but a way of thinking about teaching and learning.

• Individualization of learning

• More work at the same level

• All the time differentiation, whole group activities continue to have role

• Group work without accountability

• Limited to acceleration

Differentiation into Practice

Thank you

Willa Spicer at wspicer@njpsa.org

Jennifer Hunsinger at jhunsinger@njpsa.org

Materials available on www.njelite.org