Differentiating Instruction One Size Doesn’t Fit All

Contents:

Tiered instruction

Anchor Activities

Learning Contracts

Cubing

www.loudoncounty.org/ourpages/auto/2007/8/7/1186503506976/October%20Differentiation%20In-Service.ppt

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Doesn’t one size fit all?

One Size?

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“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, Brown University

The biggest mistake of past The biggest mistake of past centuries in teaching has centuries in teaching has

been to treat all children as been to treat all children as if they were variants of the if they were variants of the same individual and thus to same individual and thus to

feel justified in teaching feel justified in teaching them all in the same way.them all in the same way.

-- Howard Gardner-- Howard Gardner

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Addressing Diverse Learner Needs

1. Describe one or two students you teach who have unique learning needs.

2. What would those learners need in their classes to make it a great year?

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Differentiation is...

...the recognition of and commitment to plan for student differences. A differentiated classroom provides different avenues to acquire content, to process or make sense of information and ideas, and to develop products.

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The Goals...

... of a differentiated classroom are to maximize student growth and to promote individual student success.

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At the elementary level, we are automatically differentiating through these programs.

Rio VistaElementary

Accelerated Reader

Using data to single subject accelerate

River Deep Regrouping for interest in Social

Studies and Science

Student Interest Surveys

Flexible Reading & Math Groups

What are we doing now?

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Some kids who continually aredoing what they already knoware just marching in place. Let’stake a look at how we learn...

Our brightest are marching in place!

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Like a dog sniffing,the brain scans anew situation.

The reticular activity system(RAS) in the brain is like atoggle switch with threepositions.

As in any switch, only oneposition can be activated at atime.

Brain Research

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When the switch is in the HIGHposition:

•Brain activity goes from the cortex tothe limbic area (the protectionsystem)

•You can’t think in this area!

•Fight/flight (Can I go to thebathroom?)

•out of control

•ESL/LD

Brain Research

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When the switch is in the LOWposition:

•Brain waves are in the sleepposition

•relaxation

•off-duty

•depression

•Bright kids who aren’t learning

Brain Research

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When the RAS switch is in theMIDDLE position:

•There is cortical arousal

•problem solving can occur

•in control

•There is moderate challenge

•LEARNING CAN ONLYOCCUR IN THIS POSITION!

Brain Research

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What does all this mean?

Two adverse conditions are dangerous:

1. ANXIETY

-when we (as parents or teachers) expect too much

2. BOREDOM

-when we (as parents or teachers) expecttoo little

This doesn’t work…

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When do we differentiate?

-When some work is too hard ortoo easy

-Change the degree of difficultynot necessarily the learning goal

Why do we differentiate?

1. Student variance (one size doesn’t fit all)

2. Professionalism (adapt what we know to thekids we serve)

When to Differentiate

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Some Basic Principles

We differentiate instruction when we use a variety of instructional techniques that enable us to meet the diverse learning needs of our students.

It is not the cumbersome technique of individualization.

It can be thought of as grouped individualization.

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C O N TE N T

R E A D INE S S IN TE R E S T L E A R N IN G P R O FIL E

A C CO R DING TO S TU D E N TS '

P R O C E S S P R O D U C T

W E CA N D IF FE RE N TIA TE

Some Basic Principles

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Some Basic Principles

Differentiation can be done by readiness, interest, or learning styles

Rome wasn’t built in a day. Begin with areas with which you are the most comfortable.

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Differentiation is…

Providing multiple assignments within each unit, tailored for students of different levels of readiness, interest, and/or learning style

Having high expectations for all students. Aim high and differentiate down as necessary.

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Differentiation is…

Permitting students to opt out of material they can demonstrate they know and to progress at their own pace through new material.

Structuring the class assignments so they require high levels of critical thinking but permit a range of responses.

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Differentiation is…

Allowing students to choose, with the teacher’s guidance, ways to learn and to demonstrate what they have learned.

Providing students with opportunities to explore topics in which they have strong interest and find personal meaning.

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Differentiation is…

Implementing flexible grouping strategies that cluster students by achievement in a particular subject area, interest, learning style, personal choice, and/or ability.

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Differentiation is…

Flexible. Teachers may move students in and out of groups after assessing students’ instructional needs.

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Differentiation isn’t...

Individualization. It isn’t a different lesson plan for each student each day.

Giving all students the same work most of the time, even in achievement or ability grouped classes.

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Differentiation isn’t...

Assigning more math problems or more reading at the same level to high achieving students.

Focussing on student weaknesses and ignoring student strengths.

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Differentiation isn’t…

Requiring students to teach material that they have already mastered to others who have not yet obtained mastery.

Cooperative learning delivered in rigidly grouped formats, lacks individual accountability, and/or focuses on work that isn’t new to all of the students.

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Differentiation isn’t…

Depending solely upon the differences in student response to whole class assignments to provide differentiation.

Limited to acceleration. Teachers need to able to use a variety of strategies to meet student needs.

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Assessment is Crucial to Success

Assessments should be planned prior to instruction – not an add on!

Assessment is ongoing and diagnostic. Readiness levels are identified and

lessons are planned accordingly. Students use assessment data to

evaluate their own learning.

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Most Importantly…

Assessment ALWAYS has more to do with helping students grow rather than recording their mistakes and failures!

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Assess in many ways for many reasons…

Pre-assessment necessary for effective planning

On-going assessment to determine effects of instruction and next steps for the student

Assessment to evaluate student achievement

Self-Assessment to help students see personal strengths and areas of need

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Instructional Strategies

tiered activities and/or productstiered activities and/or products learning contracts anchor activities adjusted questions compacting cubing

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Tiered Instruction

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Tiered Instruction

Tiered Instruction

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Tiered Instruction

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Tiered Instruction

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A simple tiered activity Grade K: Counting (skill)• Task 1 Find a way to count and show how many people are in

our class today.

– How did you get your answer?

• Task 2 Find a way to show how many people are in our class.– How many are absent today?– How many are here today?– How do you know?

• Task 3 Find a way to show how many boys are in our class today.– How many boys are absent today?– How many girls are here today?– How many girls are absent today?– Prove you are right.From Carol Tomlinson

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Whole Group Activities

The teacher will read portions from Arctic Memories while showing the pictures.

Whole class discussion questions: What does Inuit mean? (The people) How is the land and weather in Grosse Pointe the

same as in Arctic Memories? How is it different? What did the Inuit people do for food? Shelter?

How do they travel? What do the parents do for jobs? What do your

parents do?

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Tiered Activity Groups

Group A: Find the Arctic Region on a map or globe or use the computer. Draw a series of pictures and write captions to: Show where the Arctic regions are. Does the place

on the map effect the weather? How does the weather effect the way of life? What might happen if there was a big weather

change? What themes do you see in the art over and over?

How might the art themes change if the weather changed?

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Tiered Activity Groups

Group B: Draw a Grosse Pointe family activity and an

Inuit family activity. In the pictures show one way that an Inuit family is similar to a Grosse Pointe family and one way that it is different.

Go to the computer and use Write Along to make your own captions for your pictures. Print them and past them onto the pictures.

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Conclusion

All students explain their pictures and captions to either the whole class or a mixed group.

Pictures could be bound to make a class book.

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Instructional Strategies

tiered activities and/or products learning contractslearning contracts anchor activities adjusted questions compacting cubing

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Differentiated Learning ContractsKey skills: Graphing and MeasuringKey Concepts: Relative Sizes

Read: How Big is a Foot? Apply: Work with a

friend to graph the size of at least 6 things on the list of “ten terrific things.” Label each thing with how you know.

Extend: Make a group story – or one of your own – that uses measurement and at least one graph. Turn it into a book at the authors’ center.

Grade 3 Math Contract : Below Grade Level

Come to the Red math workshop on Monday

and Tuesday

Find a friend and do Board math with problems 1 -10 on page 71 of your

math book. remember the "no

more than four" rule.

Use the dominoes to solve the

problems in your folder. Draw then

write your answers.

Work at the measuring and graphing center

until you complete the red work.

Design an animal on graph paper using

the creature blueprint. Get your

graph approved. Then make a

drawing, painting or model of it.

Solve the great graph mystery in your math

folder. Check your answers with a buddy

first, then with the teacher.

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Differentiated Learning ContractsKey skills: Graphing and MeasuringKey Concepts: Relative Sizes

Read: Alexander who Used to be Rich or Ten Kids, No Pets

Think: Complete the math madness book which goes with the story you read.

Extend*: Now, make a math madness book based on your story about kids and pets or money that comes and goes. Directions are at the authors’ center.

*You can propose an extension of your own.

Main Idea

Grade 3 Math Contract : On Grade Level

Come to the green math workshop on Monday and

Friday

Measure your height, the height of a friend

and the height of your teacher. Graph

their relative sizes on a graph board.

Label them and give them a personality.

Work the measuring and graphing center

until you complete the green work

there.

Work the even numbered problems on p. 71 of your

bath book. Use the expert of the day to check your work.

Solve the great graph mystery in your

folder. You can work with someone on the

green team if you like. Check your answer with the

teacher.

Complete and graph the domino multiplication

challenge. Record your answers on the wall chart.

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Differentiated Learning ContractsKey skills: Graphing and MeasuringKey Concepts: Relative Sizes

Read: Dinosaurs Before Dark or Airport Control

Apply: Research a kind of dinosaur or airplane. Figure out how big it is. Graph its size compared to yours on graph paper or on the blacktop outside our room. Label it by name and size.

Extend: Make a book in which you combine math and dinosaurs or airplanes or something else big. It can be a number fact book, a counting book, or a problem book. Instructions are at the author's center.

Main Idea

Grade 3 Math Contract : Advanced Level

Come to the blue math workshop on Tuesday or

Thursday.

Find a place in the school of which you could make a pattern

graph. Make the graph and create 3

problems for a classmate to solve.

Work the measuring and graphing center

until you complete the blue work

there.

Complete the extension problems on p. 74 of your bath book. Use the peer

monitor to check your work.

Solve the great graph mystery in your

folder. You can work with someone on the blue team if you like. Check your answer

with the teacher.

Do a timed test of two-digit multiplication. Use a

peer monitor.

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Poetry ContractPoetry Contract

Creating a Rhyming Creating a Rhyming WheelWheel: Use your : Use your spelling lists as a way spelling lists as a way to get startedto get started

Use Your Rhyming Use Your Rhyming WheelWheel: to write a : to write a poem that sounds like poem that sounds like Shel Silverstein might Shel Silverstein might have written it.have written it.

Write an Acrostic Write an Acrostic Poem:Poem: Be sure it Be sure it includes alliteration.includes alliteration.

WriteWrite: A cinquain and : A cinquain and check with another check with another cinquain writer to cinquain writer to make sure you got make sure you got the pattern right.the pattern right.

Computer Art:Computer Art: Use Use Kid Pix or other clip Kid Pix or other clip art to illustrate a art to illustrate a simile, metaphor, or simile, metaphor, or analogy on our class analogy on our class list or ones you list or ones you create.create.

Write About You:Write About You: Use good descriptive Use good descriptive words in a poem that words in a poem that helps us know and helps us know and understand understand something important something important about you.about you.

Research a Famous Research a Famous Person:Person: Take notes. Take notes. Write a clerihew that Write a clerihew that uses what you uses what you learned.learned.

Illustrate a Poem:Illustrate a Poem: Find a poem you like, Find a poem you like, illustrate it, write why illustrate it, write why you illustrated it as you illustrated it as you did.you did.

Student Choice:Student Choice:

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Poetry ContractPoetry ContractCreating a Rhyming Wheel: Use your spelling lists and the dictionary as a way to get started

Use Your Rhyming Wheel: to write a poem about something that makes you laugh or smile.

Write an Acrostic Poem: Be sure it includes alliteration and onomatopoeia.

Write: A diamonte and check with another diamonte writer to make sure you got the pattern right.

Illustrate a Poem: Find a poem you like that we haven’t read in class, illustrate it to help the reader understand its meaning, write why you illustrated it as you did.

Write About You: Use good description, figurative language, and images to write a poem that helps us understand something important about you.

Research a Famous Person: Take notes. Write a bio-poem that uses what you learned.

Computer Art: Use Kid Pix or other clip art to illustrate a simile, metaphor, or analogy you create.

Student Choice:

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Instructional Strategies

tiered activities and/or products learning contracts anchor activitiesanchor activities adjusted questions compacting cubing

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Anchor Activities

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Anchor Activities

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Instructional Strategies

tiered activities and/or products learning contracts anchor activities adjusted questionsadjusted questions compacting cubing

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Adjusted Questions: Varying Adjusted Questions: Varying Journal PromptsJournal Prompts

A. Why did Max go to visit the wild things? Do you think that was a good or bad idea? Why did he decide to come home? Was that a good or bad idea? Why do you say so?

B. If you were Max’s Mom or Dad, write about what you would think when he went to his room, when he went where the wild things were, when he came home?

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Adjusted Questions: Varying Adjusted Questions: Varying Journal PromptsJournal Prompts

C. Max sometimes talks to himself. Tell us what he says when he goes to his room, goes through his visit to the wild things, decides to come home and gets back to his room. What do he and his parents say the next morning?

D. What does it really mean to go where the wild things are? Tell a story about a time when that happened to you or a friend. Tell enough so we can see how the two stories are alike or different.

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Instructional Strategies

tiered activities and/or products learning contracts anchor activities adjusted questions compactingcompacting cubing

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Compacting Students take a simple pre-assessment.

Quiz K-W-L Do a web with the key concept as the main idea Tell the teacher what they know about the topic

The teacher develops an alternate assignment with the student

Teacher and student put the alternative in contract form

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tiered activities and/or products learning contracts anchor activities adjusted questions compacting cubingcubing

Instructional Strategies

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Offer a different task at varying degrees of difficulty on each side of the cube.

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Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

http://www.teach.virginia.edu/files/nagc_cubing__think_dots.pdf

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Outcomes Observed by Elementary School Teachers

Greater understanding of the concepts All students experience challenge Ability to apply concepts/skills to new

situations and daily life Students are excited Students have ownership Students are more independent

learners

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Outcomes

Students have more evaluative skills Students have more metacognitive

skills Students have greater mastery of

content Students have problem solving skills Students are able to initiate their

own projects.

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Things to look for: Hands-on projects

Rubrics

Learning contracts

Student Choice

The way to the end is not always the same for every student.

Flexible Grouping

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“You miss 100% of theshots you never take.”

-Wayne Gretsky-

We are invested in making differentiatedinstruction an expectation, not a

suggestion.

Wise Words…

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Final Thoughts

Teachers moving toward differentiated instruction in an inclusive, integrated classroom find greater success if they

(1) have a clear rationale for differentiation (2) prepare students and parents for a differentiated

classroom (3) attend to issues of classroom structure and

management as they move toward more student-centered learning

(4) move toward differentiation at a pace comfortable to both teacher and learners

(5) plan with team members and other colleagues interested in differentiation (Tomlinson, 1995b).

Questions?

Contact:

Chantal Cravensccravens@emcsd.org626-575-2331 X2532

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