BURPENGARY STATE SECONGARY COLLEGE
At BSSC we believe that effective differentiation maximizes student learning and lies at the heart of quality pedagogy and
classroom practice. It is reflected in curriculum planning and enacted through the differentiated daily interactions between the teacher and
student. This document provides teachers with a plan of attack for HOW to differentiate subject units. Teachers use OneSchool to record
differentiation within the classrooms and attach the appropriate documentation to show the adjustments and varied pathways.
Teacher: _____________________________
Key Learning Area: ____________________
Class: ______________
Year Level: _______________
Unit: ___________________________________________
‘What we share in common makes us human. How we differ makes us individuals
individuals..’
The GOAL of the Differentiated Classroom = Maximum
Maximum Growth & Individual Success
‘Differentiation is the teacher’s response to the learner’s needs.’ Tomlinson
It’s as easy as ……!!
KNOW the
CURRICULUM
INTENT
The WHAT ‘Curriculum’
KNOW
your
STUDENTS
VARY
the
PATHWAYS
Through Learner Profiling
The HOW ‘Pedagogy’
KNOW the CURRICULUM INTENT
Read and understand the unit to interpret the CURRICULUM INTENT.
Brainbloom key words & phrases from the unit in the BIG IDEAS DoT&L below to decide what’s important and valid. (Underline refers to sections of the unit.)
Curriculum Intent
What is the Relevant prior curriculum?
What do my students need to learn?
The WHAT ‘Curriculum’
Cognitive Demands
Assessment
What are my students are being asked to do?
What are the Formative/Summative assessments?
How do I Monitor student learning?
List the key Inquiry Questions from the lessons. List the
VERBS from the Content Descriptions, lessons &
assessment to identify the level of cognitive demand
using a taxonomy of thinking e.g. Blooms, which build
on Curriculum working towards.
The BIG IDEA
for this unit is: (Purpose)
Sequenced Teaching & Learning
What are the key concepts/models of teaching in the
teaching sequence? Outline the Learning Intentions
for lessons in advance & build on the previous
ones to show scaffolding. e.g. WALT=
‘We are learning to…’
Feedback
What are the misunderstandings & misconceptions?
How and when will I give Feedback?
How will students self-assess
& reflect?
Pedagogy – The HOW
What pedagogy is evident? What is needed? (e.g. levels of questioning, inquiry-based
learning, tiered tasks, modelling, graphic organisers, digital tools, models of teaching)
Set Clear Standards
How do my students know what they are striving towards?
View the ‘C’ Standard ACARA work samples that relate to
the Year Level Achievement Standard.
Work in teams to create an ‘A’ exemplar to understand
what an ‘A’ looks like and build a clear picture of what
you need to teach. Model the ‘A’ exemplar to the
students and work from it across the unit.
Making Judgments
How do I know how well my students have
learned? What is the Achievement
Standard working
towards?
KNOW your STUDENTS Through Learner Profiling
Teachers can differentiate the…
Content
Product
Environment
The ‘end’ product or documented evidence
of learning called Summative Assessment.
The physical space of the classroom
and how it looks and makes one feel.
Process
The knowledge and skills students need
to explore, learn, apply and master
• Pre-Assessment
• Vary teaching intensity (adjust group size)
• Vary levels of questioning
• Vary frequency of exposure
• Know student readiness levels (instructional
level books, spelling lists)
• Acceleration and compacting
• Variety of resources
The lessons/activities or alternative
ways students learn the content.
• Flexible groupings (e.g. reading groups)
• Learning Behaviours (independent/co-operative)
• Vary duration/pace of tasks
• Tiered tasks
• Graphic Organisers to present information
• Multiple Intelligences choice
• 6 Thinking Hats
• Blooms Taxonomy
• Productive Pedagogies
• Vary mode for presenting learning
• Vary duration/pace of tasks
• Tiered tasks
• Flexible groupings to complete tasks
• Negotiated assessment to suit needs, interests
& abilities.
• Self-monitoring using explicit criteria & rubric
• Student self-assessment & reflection
• Co-operative learning
• Independent learning
• Flexible groupings
• Peer tutoring
• Supportive classroom
• Intellectual peer groups
• Acceleration to other class groups
• Varied use of ICTs
student’s…
according to the student’s
Learning
Styles
(VAK, MIs)
Passions,
Interests
& Talents
Ability
Needs
Learner Profiling Tools
Readiness
Motivation
& Working
Style
Culture &
Background
Gender
What does my student data say?
How do I get to know my students?
Form a picture of your class through the analysis of available data.
• Surveys/questionnaires
(Visual/Auditory/Kinaesthetic
Learning Styles,
Multiple Intelligences)
• Student interviews/conferences
• Student profiles
• Class discussions
• Letter to teacher
• Goal-setting activities
• Presentations about self/ family/
background/culture/ancestry
• Self-reflection activities
• Learning logs
• Getting to know you games
EXTERNAL DATA (NAPLAN bands/item level summaries/relative gain, QCATS, Year 2 Net Phases)
BELOW Year Level
AT Year Level
ABOVE Year Level
INTERNAL DATA (% of A-E Report Data compared to NAPLAN bands, Assessment Schedule e.g. PAT)
BELOW Year Level
AT Year Level
ABOVE Year Level
What Pre-Assessment Will I do?
Prior
Knowledge
Pre-Assessment Tools
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Standardised test information
Summative ‘end of unit’ assessment
Portfolio/ folio analysis
Open diagnostic task/questioning
Student products & work samples
Graphic organizers: KWL, mind map
Teacher observation/checklists
Student demonstrations
Class discussions
Writing prompts/samples
Drawing related to topic or content
Picture Interpretation
Surveys/questionnaires/inventories
Student interviews/conferences
Reflection and prediction journals
Self-evaluations
‘Why teach children what they already know?
know? Why teach children what they aren’t ready to learn?’
Design and perform a Pre-Assessment (Diagnostic) using the BIG IDEAS DoT&L to identify what students already know about the topic.
Choose pre-assessment tools that allow students to demonstrate an understanding of key concepts - from within the unit or design your own.
Analyse the data to: Form a class overview of results. Identify the misconceptions of key concepts from the student responses.
Compare the pre-assessment data to current external (NAPLAN Item Level Summaries) and internal data to Set whole-class, group & individual targets/goals.
Pre-Assessment
Tool/s I will use for
this C2C unit:
Whole-class Overview of Pre-Assessment
Student Name
Pre-Test
Student 1
Student 2
Student 3
Student 4
No. Correct
% Correct
Question 1
C
A
2
75%
Question 2
D
B
B
2
50%
Total Score
out of 15
15
11
9
3
Using the pre-assessment
results, what misconceptions &
misunderstandings
do the answers reveal?
Students
Whole-class
Groups
Student 1
Student 1
Once you KNOW the Curriculum Intent & Your Learners,
Learners, you can…
VARY the PATHWAYS
Set goals/targets for class,
groups & individuals. Students
monitor & review goals and set new
targets. Celebrate successes!
The HOW ‘Pedagogy’
Target
Our target is…
Our goals are …
I am working to…
My goals are…
You can’t Vary the Pathways until you analyse the
misconceptions from the pre-assessment student responses!
‘Learning begins when the level of challenge fits the learner.’
Use the table below as a framework to support differentiation in your classroom!
(An example is given for a Year 8 class)
Use lessons and resources provided in the Teaching Sequence of your unit plans to organise HOW you will VARY THE PATHWAYS to cater for all students.
MODIFY (this may involve re-organising) the Teaching Sequence to ensure scaffolding & transference of learning appropriate to each student.
Make informed decisions about DIFFERENTIATION using these questions to assist:
• What do my students already know or are they able to do? (Make flexible groupings from teacher judgments about student pre-assessment data)
• What existing curriculum is already mastered? (Can be skipped or eliminated)
• What was/might be grasped easily/quickly? (Teach at faster pace)
• What misconceptions/misunderstandings do I need to take into account? (Scaffold thoroughly, provide multiple opportunities, vary teaching strategies)
• What parts of the curriculum can be ‘compacted?’ (Core curriculum is reduced to skills & content areas not already mastered)
• Which parts will be taught to whole-class, small groups through ‘whole-part-whole’ blocks or individuals? (Teach parts relevant only to each student)
Standards in report cards reflect achievement of year level content, however where CONTENT is modified to a lower/higher year level, the report comment can describe
the actual level of achievement (e.g. Working at a Year 6 ‘B’ Standard). Where the PROCESS and PRODUCT are modified but the Content stays the same, the same
assessment rubric is used. When designing tiered tasks, ensure the bottom tier is a ‘C’ Standard and work upwards.
Give ALL students time, scaffolding, practice & feedback before commencing the PRODUCT (Summative Assessment task).
SIGNIFICANTLY Below Year
Level (Verified Disability)
What MAJOR support is needed?
• CONTENT
Year 10 Content Descriptions and
Achievement Standard for Student 4
Work one-on-one with adult.
• PROCESS
Reduced quantity of concepts
• PRODUCT
BELOW Year Level
‘The Scaffolded’
What MINOR support is needed?
• CONTENT
What adjustments are needed?
• CONTENT
Teach Students 3 & 4 about concepts
related to Question 2 in small group.
Whole-class lessons about common
misconceptions.
• PROCESS
Modified texts and reduced quantity
of concepts
• PRODUCT
Assistive technology & extra time
AT Year Level
‘The Benchmark’
Extra time to complete task
• PROCESS
Tiered task with increased complexity
• PRODUCT
Negotiate modes for presenting
learning with all students
ABOVE Year Level
‘The Exemplar’
What MINOR extension is needed?
• CONTENT
Extend Students 1 & 2 on concepts
related to Questions 1 & 2 in small
group. Peer tutor Student 4.
• PROCESS
Tiered task with increased complexity
• PRODUCT
HOT task using Blooms Taxonomy
SIGNIFICANTLY ABOVE Year
Level (Verified G & T)
What MAJOR extension is needed?
• CONTENT
Year 9 Content Descriptions and
Achievement Standard for Student 1.
Accelerate to year 9 class.
• PROCESS
Tiered task with increased complexity
• PRODUCT
HOT task using Blooms Taxonomy
Working together to ensure that every day, in every classroom, every student is learning and achieving.