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PRESENTED BY:

Quintin Robertson Superintendent of Student Services

And

Tracy HuckellStudent Services Coordinator

Differentiated Instruction

We Belong | We Are Responsible We Nurture | We Respect | We Learn

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Who is our audience and what do they know regarding differentiated instruction?

With no fingers up representing no knowledge of differentiated instruction and 5 fingers representing a deep understanding of DI, what is your current level of understanding?

Fist of Five Pre-Assessment

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Differentiated Instruction is…

First and foremost good instruction

Teachers acknowledging that kids learn in different ways, and responding by adapting their instruction based on student readiness, interests and considering how individual students learn best.

“Children already come to us differentiated. It just makes sense that we would differentiate our

instruction in response to them.”

- Carol Ann Tomlinson

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Teachers providing specific ways for each student to learn as deeply and as quickly as possible, without assuming anyone’s road map for learning is identical to anyone else’s.

“I like this class because there’s something different going on all the time. My other classes are like peanut butter for lunch every single day.

This class, it’s like my teacher really knows how to cook. It’s like she runs a really good restaurant

with a big menu and all.”

7th grader comment on a course evaluation - Carol Ann Tomlinson

Differentiated Instruction is…

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Carol Ann Tomlinson on Differentiated Instruction

http://differentiationcentral.com/videos.html

“Differentiation addresses the needs of struggling and advanced learners, for those whom English is a second language, for students who have strong

learning style preferences, and for cultural differences. Differentiation pays homage to the

fact we are not born to be replicas of one another.”

- Carol Ann Tomlinson

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In a Differentiated Classroom you should see…

Teachers helping students understand the big ideas from the curriculum

Students who can explain what they are doing and why

Students setting goals and reflecting on them

Multiple ways for students to take in and explore ideas

Teachers using assessment to inform their instruction

Multiple ways of students showing what they know

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Key Elements of DI

1. Curriculum Cultivates Meaning

Teachers need to articulate to students what’s essential for all learners to know, understand and be able to do so students are clear on what they will be learning and how it connects to the world around them

Students need the opportunity to connect what they already know with the essentials they are trying to learn

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2. Teachers understand, appreciate, and attend to student differences

Needs of students with less developed readiness

Needs of advanced students

Teachers plan with student learning preferences in mind

Key Elements of DI

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Key Elements of DI

3. Assessment and Instruction are Inseparable

Assessment is today’s means of understanding how to modify tomorrow’s instruction to meet students at their current level of understanding

At benchmark points in learning, such as the end of a chapter or unit, assessment is used formally to record student growth

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Key Elements of DI

4. Teachers and Students Collaborate in Learning

In a differentiated classroom, the teacher is the leader. Like all effective leaders, they attend

closely to their followers and involve them in the journey.

Classrooms are student centered…the students are the workers and the teacher coordinates time, space, materials, and activities

Students are frequently guided in making interested based learning choices

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Key Elements of DI

5. Teachers and Students work together flexibly

Flexible materials

Pacing

Groupings

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Key Elements of DI

6. Tasks that are Moderately Challenging

Learning tasks must be adjusted to each student’s appropriate learning

zone

Readiness level

Risks of too difficult vs. too easy

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Think Pair Share

Turn to a partner (or two) and take a minute to discuss how differentiating instruction would benefit one of your

children based on what you’ve learned so far

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Differentiated Instruction Visual

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Grade 1 Science Lesson Example

Students working in groups practicing the concepts of classifying:

Some groups are classifying actual objects and other groups may be sorting picture cards that bear the object’s name to support early readers excited about their newly evolving skill

The teacher is differentiating through the use of varied materials and through different instructions based on the readiness of each group

This supports early readers in using their newly learned skills and when the groups share their work, non-readers will encounter examples of the object-word connection which is essential to learning to read

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Grade 4 Proofreading Center Example

Students refine their ability to detect and correct errors in punctuation, spelling and sentence structure at this center

The teacher provides written messages, often humorous, from characters in stories they are reading, people in current events, sports heroes, and other topics to engage students and appeal to their interests

The teacher varies the degree and types of errors depending on which students will be called to edit the writing piece

Students also leave their own writing in an ‘inbox’ so peers can help them polish their drafts. The teacher often asks particular students to edit certain papers based on the writer’s needs and the reviewer’s interest and proficiency in providing meaningful feedback

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Grade 10 French Example

Practicing the Formation of Past-tense verbs

Lesson is differentiated based on readiness and degree of complexity:

One group of students may be working on pattern drills where much of the French sentence is provided and they have to supply the correct form of the past-tense French verb

A more proficient group has a similar activity but they encounter a greater number and complexity of missing words including a few irregular verbs

Yet another group may have the same sentences as the previous group, but the sentences are in English and they must translate them to French

A task that one group completes today may become the homework for a less-advanced group in the near future

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Grade 8 Physical Education Example

Sometimes the whole class plays a game of volleyball; other times the teacher splits the class

in half:

On one half of the gym, the teacher organizes volleyball game and has students who enjoy a leadership role refereeing

On the other half of the gym, he assembles groups of students needing work on a common skills such as setting, spiking, or receiving

Student in the groups for direct instruction vary often and widely. This allows the teacher to address student readiness and support students in mastery of skills.

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3 2 1 Formative Assessment

1. 3 New things you learned about DI:

2. 2 Things you still want to know:

3. 1 Clarifying Question:

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Thank You

Thank you for joining us tonight to learn more about Differentiated Instruction

This presentation and other resources/links on Differentiating Instruction can be found

on our Student Services blog at:

http://www.blogs.gssd.ca/studentservices/