•We
will recognize why we need to differentiate
instruction for all students through group discussions
and PowerPoint presentation.
will ascertain what is and what is not
differentiated instruction throughout the workshop
through discussion.
•We
•We
will discuss students learning styles and explore
why this is important to differentiating instruction.
will compose a list of Before, During , and After
activities that Differentiate Instruction throughout
your lesson.
•We
•We
will review in small and whole group ways we can
accommodate assessments for ELs
•We
will share success stories we have had working
with our ELs, through school or system efforts.
Today At a Glance
DI
Break
10:20
10:30
Dismiss
2:30
End DI
Share
DI
Lunch
11:45
12:45
What Does
Mean to You?
“Most teachers teach every
child the same material in the
same way, and measure each
child’s performance by the same
standards…. Thus, teachers
embrace the value of treating
each child as a unique individual
while instructing children as
if they were virtually
identical.”
Differentiating Instruction Is…

Differentiated Instruction applies an approach to
teaching and learning that gives students multiple
options for taking in information and making sense
of ideas. Differentiated instruction is a teaching
theory based on the premise that instructional
approaches should vary and be adapted in relation to
individual and diverse students in classrooms .

(Tomlinson, 2001).
What Must We Know About Our ELs?

English Language Proficiency
Level

Learning Style/s

Student History

Student Culture

Readiness

Interests
Teachers are Successful At
Differentiating Instruction for ELs
When They:

Know their students learning styles

Hold high expectations

Employ Research Based ongoing informal
assessments

Provide multiple types of assessments
Adapted from Colorin Colarado
And

Differentiate homework

Collaborate

Use flexible grouping

Make content comprehensible
Jot
and
Share
How Do You Make
Content Comprehensible For ELs?
Turn and Share
 Make
a partner list
of ideas
 Share
group
in whole
Characteristics
of A
Differentiated Classroom

All students explore apply and
understand the same
benchmarks

Continuous assessment is an
integral part of the curriculum

Flexible grouping is used
consistently

Students are active explorers
What Can You Differentiate?
Activity
• Walk around the room and speak
to three people you do not know.
•Discuss what can be differentiated
in a classroom.
•Take notes
•Whole group share
This activity develops language acquisition and provides ideas
about the content you may not have thought about.
What Can You Differentiate?
 Time
 Teaching Strategies
 Learning Strategies
 Classroom Assessments
 Materials and Resources
 Grouping
 Expectations
Differentiated Instruction
IS NOT…
- Tracking
- A New Strategy
- Static
- Teaching to the
Middle
- A series of activities
- Lowering the Bar
IS…
- Flexible Grouping
- Student Centered
- Rigorous / Relevant
- For all Learners
- Based on academic
and personal needs
- Fosters relationships
and reflection
What Does It Take To Differentiate?





Brain Research Confirms What
Experienced Teachers Have
Always Known:

No two children are alike

No two children learn in the identical
way

An enriched environment for one
student is not necessarily enriched for
another

In the classroom we should teach
children to think for themselves
Marian Diamond
•Discuss bullets in
small group
•Share in whole group
A learning style is…
A way to take in and process
information
A preference that gets stronger
the more it is used
The way the mind operates
The way we learn!
Why Should I Care About
Learning Styles?

The way a child learns affects his/her entire
personality and development.

Understanding learning styles will help teachers
and students to better communicate.

Understanding learning styles will help teachers to
differentiate instruction.
Learning Styles
Activity

Pass out one question per table

Discuss question at your table

Answer the question with your
group

One person per table will share
in whole group
Sensing Thinking Learner
(ST)
Likes:
– Immediate responses and feedback
– Details and sequential order
– Hands-on activities with a specific, correct answer
– Clear, concise, step-by-step directions
– Knowing exact expectations; why something has to be
done, and how well it is to be done
– Drill and practice
– Planning and organizing before working
– Working independently
– Analyzing and examining pros and cons
– Arguing and debating
– Thinking about ideas and how they are related
– Finding/designing a new way to do something
– Logical and strategic games
Likes:
– Learning without time constraints
– Praise for personal ideas and insights
– Using creativity and imagination
– Open-ended activities with many possibilities
– Working on many things at once
– Self-expression and self-discovery
– Creative and artistic activities
Likes:
– Getting personal attention and praise
– Sharing feelings and experiences
– Working in groups/being part of a team
– Having someone show how to do something
– Role-playing and personal expression
– Non-competitive games where no one loses
– Interpersonal activities; opportunities to learn about
himself/herself
Example..
Questions Students May Have

Sensing Thinking (ST): WHAT?
ST: WHAT is the correct way to do this?

Intuitive Thinking (NT): WHY?
NT: WHY does is have to be done this way?

Intuitive Feeling (NF): WHAT IF?
NF: WHAT IF we tried doing it this way?

Sensing Feeling (SF): WHAT DOES
IT MEAN TO ME?
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO ME to do this?
In A Nutshell…

No one learning style is better than another.

We all have characteristics of each learning style;
some characteristics are just stronger than others.

Learning about each style will help us to better
understand and communicate with our students.

Knowing about each learning style will help
teachers to better understand how students learn
and how to differentiate instruction.
Differentiated Instruction
IS NOT…
- Tracking
- A New Strategy
- Static
- Teaching to the Middle
- A series of activities
- Lowering the Bar
IS…
- Flexible Grouping
- Student Centered
- Rigorous / Relevant
- For all Learners
- Based on academic
and personal needs
- Fosters relationships
and reflection
Differentiating
Instruction
Video Clip
Differentiating Instruction
 Before
 During
 After
DI Before The Lesson
Plan Ahead
Student’s Background
Vocabulary
Student’s Knowledge
Link to previous lesson
DI Before The Lesson Continued
 Pre-teach
 Reflect
 Supplementary Materials
 Word Banks
 Adapt Materials
 Lower level non-fiction
materials
DI During The Lesson
Now It’s Your Turn

Select a Partner/group

With Partner brainstorm DI During
the Lesson

Compose a List of Ideas

Partners/group writes 2 ideas on
chart paper

Share in whole group
Other Suggestions For
DI During The Lesson

Simplified language/vocabulary

Pre-Questions

Present concrete concepts/vocabulary

Categorize content information

Highlighting
More Suggestions For
DI During The Lesson
DI After The Lesson
 Provide
quality notes
 Watch
content videos/listen to
recorded lesson
 Provide
activities to reinforce
content and vocabulary
 Support
language development in
small groups
 Adjust
assignments to ELs
proficiency level
Differentiating Assessments
For English Learners,
A Brief Look
Maintain A
Balanced Assessment System
“To maximize student success, assessment
must be seen as an instructional tool for
use while learning is occurring, and as
an accountability tool to determine if
learning has occurred.
Because both purposes are important, they
must be in balance.”
From Balanced Assessment: The Key to Accountability and Improved Student Learning, NEA
(2003)
“Assessment should
promote learning, not
simply measure it.”
“Assessment should always have
more to do with helping students
grow than with cataloging their
mistakes.”
Carol Tomlinson
Categories Of English Learners
• Newly arrived students with adequate
formal schooling
•Newly arrived students with limited
formal schooling
•Long-term English-language learners
•Students exposed to two languages
simultaneously
Consider The Purposes For
Assessment
 “Does
my assessment connect to
the language and content
standards and goals?”
 Think
about your assessment
practices and are they consistent
with your own instructional
objectives and goals?
Use Authentic
Assessment Tools

Conduct multiple forms of
evaluations

Anecdotal records

Checklists

Portfolios

Rating Scales
Access In Non-Traditional
Ways

Involve student in performance
assessment.

Students show knowledge through
non-language ways such as Venn
diagrams, charts, drawings, mind
maps, or PowerPoint slides.

Access learning through participation
activities.

Teach students reading strategies and
use these to access literacy.
Newcomers
•Students
•
answer orally
Bilingual professional assists with assessment
•Demonstrate
assessments
reading progress through group
•Allow
students to provide responses in multiple
formats
•Accept
response in students’ native language if
translation is possible.
•Use
bilingual dictionary
Developing
•
Have an aide record student answers
•Divide
•Use
assessment into small chunks
visuals
•Simplify
•Begin
the assessment with several examples
•Simplify
•Add
•Ask
vocabulary
assessment directions
glossaries in English or the first language
questions in the affirmative rather than the
negative and teach the language of testing
Forms of Assessments
1.
Dictation
2. Cloze tests The student must decide the appropriate words
for the blanks.
3. Multiple-choice tests. Possibly omit choices to three.
4. Strip stories where EL students put back in the correct order.
5. Role play
6. Using writing samples determines certain grammatical
strengths and weaknesses.
7. Portfolios show their progress and achievements in one or
more areas.
What have you learned today
about Differentiating
Instruction and Assessments
for English Learners?
Activity
Parallel Lines
Success In The
Making
Works Cited
Bailey, Kathleen M. Learning About Language
Asessment: Dilemmas, Decisions, and
Directions . Boston: Heinle & Heinle Publishers, 1998.
Susan Davis Lenski, Fabiola Ehlers-zavala, Mayra C. Daniel,
Xiaoqin Sun-irminger, Assessing English-language learners,
in mainstream classrooms
Freeman, D., & Freeman, Y. (2004). Essential linguistics:
What you need to know to teach reading, ESL,
spelling,phonics, and grammar. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Freeman, Y., & Freeman, D. (2003). Struggling English
language learners: Keys for academic success. TESOL
Journal, 12(3), 18–23.
Questions ?
Comments
Thank You for Participating
Today!
Hope to See You Next Year!
Dely V. Roberts –
Title III/EL Specialist
droberts@alsde.edu
Dr. Tammy Hallman Starnes–
Title III/EL Coordinator
tstarnes@alsde.edu
Presentation and handouts available:
Click- ALEX…
Professional Learning…
English Learners…
Professional Development…
SAMUEL