Beginning Our Journey





Welcome to our Differentiated Instruction journey. As a
way to begin please:
Reflect on 1-2 of the most powerful learning experiences
you’ve had in your life, from your earliest memories,
through your years as a student and teacher.
Record a short description of each of your experiences
on the note card provided.
Place your note card on the appropriate place on the
timeline.
When you are finished, take a few moments to share
your reflections with a partner, and hear their stories. We
will meet as a whole group to complete our discussion.
The Ten Principles of Successful
Classrooms
Listed below are four of The Ten Principles of Successful Classrooms.
1.) Connected Learning
2.) Individual Learning Path
3.) Student Responsibility for Learning
4.) Focus on Higher-Order Open-Ended Problem-Solving
Discuss what you think each principle means with a small group.
Connected Learning
Technology Infusion
Individual Learning Path
Students see learning as being
connected, both across the
disciplines and to their lives.
Technology is used as a tool and a
resource to support learning and not
seen as a goal unto itself.
Teachers differentiate instruction
to meet the needs of each
individual learner.
The
Ten Principles
Of
Successful
Global Citizenship
Working Well
Collaboratively
Students engage in collaborative
problem-solving on open-ended
problems with peer, working
independently on subtasks.
High Social Capital
Students have strong, consistent
relationships with adults in school;
parents are involved as partners in
the learning process.
Student Responsibility
for Learning
Students take responsibility for
setting goals, scheduling time,
utilizing resources, and making
other decisions.
Classrooms
Learning from a Felt Need
Students are presented with
meaningful, higher-order activities that
create the context for learning and
build a “felt need” to learn the lowerorder skills.
Students understand their role as
contributors to a global society
and make strides to contribute to
the betterment of their world.
High Academic Standards
All students are expected to
achieve at high levels utilizing the
teacher, peers, and other
resources to meet with success.
Focus on Higher-Order,
Open-Ended ProblemSolving
Problem solving activities are the
focus of the learning environment,
setting a context within which to
learn lower-order skills.
DIFFERENTIATED
INSTRUCTION
What is Differentiated
Instruction?
It means changing the pace, level,
or type of instruction provided in
response to an individual
learners’ needs, learning style or
interests
Key Principles of a Differentiated Classroom

The teacher is clear about what matters in subject matter.

The teacher understands, appreciates, and builds upon student
differences.

Assessment and instruction are inseparable.

The teacher adjusts content, process, and product in response to
student readiness, interests, and learning profile.

All students participate in respectful work.

Students and teachers are collaborators in learning.

Goals of a differentiated classroom are maximum growth and
individual success.

Flexibility is the hallmark of a differentiated classroom.
Source: Tomlinson, C. (2000). Differentiating Instruction for Academic Diversity. San Antonio, TX: ASCD
How Does Research Support DI?



Differentiated Instruction is the result of a
synthesis of a number of educational theories and
practices.
Brain research indicates that learning occurs when
the learner experiences moderate challenge and
relaxed alertness –readiness
Psychological research reveals that when interest
is tapped, learners are more likely to find learning
rewarding and become more autonomous as a
learner.
Agenda
June 26,2009







Beginning our Journey
10 Principles of a Successful Classroom
Differentiation Overview – power point
Centers – How to sheets, Exit Cards, Special Child,
Totally Ten, Powerful Facilitation, Instructional
Strategies, Differentiation Grid, Student Responsibility
Gum Drop Houses
Rubrics
Assessment
OPTIONS FOR DIFFERENTIATION OF INSTRUCTION
To Differentiate
Instruction By
Readiness
To Differentiate
Instruction By
Interest
To Differentiate
Instruction by
Learning Profile
‫٭‬add
or remove scaffolding
‫ ٭‬vary difficulty level of text &
equalizer adjustments (complexity,
open-endedness, etc.
‫٭‬supplementary materials
‫ ٭‬adjust task familiarity
‫ ٭‬vary direct instruction by small group
‫ ٭‬adjust proximity of ideas to student
experience
‫٭‬
encourage application of broad
concepts & principles to student
interest areas
‫ ٭‬give choice of mode of expressing
learning
‫ ٭‬use interest-based mentoring of
adults or more expert-like peers
‫ ٭‬give choice of tasks and products
(including student designed options)
‫ ٭‬give broad access to varied
materials & technologies
‫٭‬
create an environment with flexible
learning spaces and options
‫ ٭‬allow working alone or working with
peers
‫ ٭‬use part-to-whole and whole-to-part
approaches
‫٭‬Vary teacher mode of presentation
(visual, auditory, kinesthetic, concrete,
abstract)
‫ ٭‬adjust for gender, culture, language
differences.
useful instructional strategies:
- tiered activities
- Tiered products
- compacting
- learning contracts
- tiered tasks/alternative forms of
assessment
useful instructional strategies:
- interest centers
- interest groups
- enrichment clusters
- group investigation
- choice boards
- MI options
- internet mentors
useful instructional strategies:
- multi-ability cooperative tasks
- MI options
- Triarchic options
- 4-MAT
CA Tomlinson, UVa ‘97
Planning Lessons
Readiness








Foundational to
Transformational
Concrete to Abstract
Simple to Complex
Single Facet to Multiple Facets
Small Leap to Great Leap
Structured to Open-Ended
Dependent to Independent
Slow to Fast
Planning Lessons

Interest Areas-Fine
arts, athletics, travel, hobbies,
etc.
Student Interest

Modes of Expressionoral, written, designed/built,
artistic, service to community
Planning Lessons

Intelligence Preferences

Culture-Influenced
Preferences

Gender-based
Preferences
Learning Styles
Assessing Your Students
Differentiating in the Classroom By:
*Readiness
*Student Interest
*Learning Styles
Differentiating By Content





Concept-based
Teaching
Curriculum
Compacting
Using Varied test and
resource Materials
Learning Contracts
Mini-lessons
Varied Support
Systems:
 Audio/Video/DVD
 CDs/CD-ROMS
 Note-Taking /Graphic
Organizers
 Study Guides
 Peer and Adult Tutors
Differentiating By Process
Learning Logs
Literature Circles
Journals
Graphic Organizers
Role Playing
Think-Pair-Share
Learning Contracts
•
•
•
•
•
Jigsaw
Model Making
Choice Boards
Labs
Centers
Differentiating By Product






Tiered Assignments
Totally Ten
Design a Web Page
Design a Game
Present a Mock Trial
Present a Radio
Program
•
•
•
•
•
Make a Video
Design and Make
Costumes
Write Letters to the
Editors
Develop a Collection
Create Authentic
Recipes
Tiered Instruction
Tiered Activities are important when we want to ensure that
students with different learning needs work with the
same essential ideas and use the same key skills
Tiered Instruction is a stairway providing access within the
large building of learning.
Bottom Floor – Students with less readiness & fewer Skills.
We move students UP the stairway to reach the
appropriate challenge level.
Within each tier there can be multiple small-group activities
presenting different ways to learn.
On certain floors there can even be multiple stairways or
elevators as our students access higher learning levels
differently and at different rates.
Center Tips

Expectations -Make sure students know how they are to move from
center to center.
Students should know what to do with finished work.
 System for what students should do when they are have a
question
 Students should know if they can talk quietly or must be
silent
 Clearly communicate expectations for their center tasks
 Always let students know you trust them to be responsible,
active learners during centers.
Organizing Centers
 We need to be clear about where materials are located.
 Centers can be in a specific location or just in folders.
 Noisy centers should be away from where students are
working quietly.

A Student who UNDERSTANDS
Something can…













Explain it clearly, giving examples
Use it
Compare and contrast it with other concepts
Relate it to other instances in the subject studies, other subjects and
personal life experiences
Transfer it to unfamiliar settings
Discover the concept embedded within a novel problem
Combine it appropriately with other understandings
Pose new problems that exemplify or embody the concept
Create analogies, models, metaphors, symbols, or pictures of the
concept
Pose and answer “what-if” questions that alter variables in a
problematic situation
Generate questions and hypotheses that lead to new knowledge and
further inquiries
Generalize from specifics to form a concept
Use the knowledge to appropriately assess his or her performance, or
that of someone else.
Adopted from Barell, J. (1995) Teaching for thoughtfulness: Classroom Strategies
Exit
Cards
Exit cards are..

A quick and efficient way to informally assess whether students understand a
concept that has been taught.

Written student responses to questions posed at the end of a class, learning
activity, day or unit.

used at any grade level and every subject area

A vehicle for students to express in writing some of their thinking.



Help students condense or summarize.
Encourage deeper processing of the material.
Facilitate review of key ideas.
Exit Cards Continued

Exit Cards are useful to:

Act as a part of ongoing assessment
Reveal important information about student understanding of a concept
Diagnose misconceptions early in the learning process when an intervention
would have the greatest impact
Provide regular review of major concepts of a curriculum
Tap into higher level thinking on a regular basis




Exit Cards are not:



Formal Evaluation (not for marks)
A one correct answer proposition
Long and drawn out (5 minutes to complete)
What conclusions can we
draw about learning in a
Differentiated Classroom?
There
is a great variation in how
are students learn
There is no substitute for high
quality curriculum and instruction.
We will never help students reach
their goals unless we build a bridge
between the learner and learning.
New Home Builder Seeks Answer to Your Dreams
A local Builder will be creating a new home
development based upon his vision of
geometry and art,
But he needs your help. While his vision is
important, he believes that every family
should live in the house of their dreams, but
for every family the dream is different.
Unfortunately, he can’t build a different home
for each family, but he can incorporate many
different dream in each one. Help him to
understand your dreams by constructing a
model dream house with your team members
that reflects aspects of each individuals
dreams! You will have about 15 minutes to
design the model using the materials
provided: gumdrops and toothpicks!
Each team will present their “Dream Home”
Comparison of Types of Assessment
Formative
Assessment
Summative
Assessment
Purpose
To improve instruction
and provide student
learning
To measure student
competency
When
administered
Ongoing throughout unit
End of unit, book, topic
How students use
results
To self-monitor
understanding
To gauge their progress
toward goals and
benchmarks
How teachers use
results
To check for
understanding
For grades
Checking for Understanding
Completes the circle of assessment,
planning, and instruction
 Provides teachers with real evidence of
learning
 The results of formative assessment are
used to modify and validate instruction
 Ongoing reviews and observations in a
classroom

Types of Formative Assessment






Checklists
Student Journals
Student Folders
One Sentence
Summary
Do Now
Facilitation Grid







Exit Cards
Self-Assessment
Peer Evaluation
Notebook Check
Portfolio Check
Higher Order
Questions
Conferences
Exit Card

Which strategies that were presented can
you use in your classroom in September?