Differentiation
Beginning
the Journey
Theresa Hinkle
NMSA 2009
Today’s Agenda
 Differentiation
 What is it?
 Why should we implement it?
 What are some strategies I can implement to begin
the journey?
 What is the role of assessment in differentiation?
What is Differentiation?
 A teacher’s response to learner needs
 The recognition of students’ varying background knowledge
and preferences
 Instruction that appeals to students’ differences
Differentiation is… but isn’t…
Essential elements
Does not include
-choice
-emphasis on “covering” the curriculum
-addresses student differences
-assessment just to see “who got it”
-modification of process, product or content
-domination by whole class activity
-based on student’s readiness, interests, and
learning profile
-mostly single option assignments
Examples
Non-examples
-compacting
-giving “extra” work to some
-learning contracts
-grading some “harder” than others
-tiered assignment
-giving more difficult work to some without
adjusting instruction
-
The biggest mistake of past centuries in
teaching has been to treat all children as if they
were variants of the same individual and thus to
feel justified in teaching them all the same
subjects in the same way.
~ Howard Gardner
Why should we differentiate?
 All students learn differently.
 One size doesn’t fit all.
 Students learn best when they are actively engaged, allowed
choice, and involved in the decision making process.
 To learn, students must experience appropriate levels of
challenge.
 “Instruction begins where the students are, not at the front of
the curriculum guide.”
How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-Ability Classrooms. Carol Ann Tomlinson.
How the Brain Learns. C.A. Tomlinson and M. Layne Kalbfleisch
RAPID ROBIN
The “Dreaded Early Finisher”
“I’m Not Finished” Freddie
“It takes him
an hour-and-a-half
to watch 60 Minutes.”
Teaching with student
variance in mind yields
positive results.
(Tomlinson, 2003)
Teachers Can Differentiate
Content
Process
Product
According to Students’
Readiness
Interest
Adapted from The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners (Tomlinson, 1999)
Learning
Profile
Bloom’s Taxonomy Revised
Original
Knowledge
Comprehension
Application
Analysis
Synthesis
Evaluation
Revised
Remembering
Understanding
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Creating
Differentiating Process
and Product
 Learning contracts
 Tiered assignments
 RAFT writing assignments
 Choice boards
 Interactive journals and
notebooks
 Compacting
 Different levels of
questioning
The “Equalizer”
1. Foundational
Transformational
2. Concrete
Abstract
3. Simple
Complex
5. Smaller Leap
6. More Structured
7. Clearly Defined Problems
8. Less Independence
4. Fewer Facets
Greater Leap
More Open
Fuzzy Problems
Greater Independence
Multi-facets
9. Slower
Quicker
Table Talk
What are you already doing to
differentiate instruction in your
classroom?
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)
Experts tell us…
“Assessment should
promote learning, not
simply measure it.”
Jay McTighe
Two Views of Assessment -Assessment is for:
Gate keeping
Judging
Right Answer
Control
Comparison to others
Use with single activities
Assessment is for:
Nurturing
Guiding
Self-Reflection
Information
Comparison to standard
Use over multiple
activities
“Assessment should always have
more to do with helping students
grow than with cataloging their
mistakes.”
Carol Tomlinson
WHAT CAN BE ASSESSED?
READINESS
Skills
INTEREST
• Interest Surveys
• Areas of Strength
and Weakness
•Work Preferences
• Self-Selection
• Self Awareness
Content
Knowledge • Interest Centers
Concepts
LEARNING
PROFILE
Most teachers assess students at the
end of an instructional unit or sequence.
When assessment and instruction are
interwoven, both the students and the
teacher benefit. The next slide suggests
a diagnostic continuum for
ongoing assessment.
On-going Assessment:
A Diagnostic Continuum
Preassessment
(Finding Out)
Formative Assessment
Summative Assessment
(Keeping Track & Checking -up)
(Making sure)
On-going Assessment:
A Diagnostic Continuum
Feedback and Goal Setting
Preassessment
(Finding Out)
Pre-test
Inventory
KWL
Checklist
Observation
Self-evaluation
Questioning
Formative Assessment
Summative Assessment
(Keeping Track & Checking -up)
(Making sure)
Conference
Peer evaluation
Quiz
Observation
Talkaround
Questioning
Exit Card
Portfolio Check
Journal Entry
Self-evaluation
Unit Test
Performance Task
Product/Exhibit
Demonstration
Portfolio Review
ONGOING ASSESSMENT
Some teachers
talk about---
LEARNING
Some teachers
talk about--VS.
GRADES
• Can these two coexist peacefully?
• Should one receive emphasis over the other?
Preassessment Is...
Any method, strategy or process used to determine a
student’s current level of readiness or interest in order to
plan for appropriate instruction.
Preassessment:
• provides data that can determine options for students to
to take in information, construct meaning, and to
demonstrate understanding of new information
• helps teachers anticipate differences before planning
challenging and respectful learning experiences
• allows teachers to meet students where they are
Pre-assessment
 Teacher prepared pre-test
 Student products and work
 KWL Charts /Graphic
samples
 Show of hands/EPR Every
Pupil Response
 Standardized Tests Data
 Teacher observation/Checklist
Organizers
 Writing Prompts/Samples
 Guess Box
 Student demonstrations and
discussions
Formative Assessment Is...
A process of accumulating information about a student’s
progress to help make instructional decisions that will
improve his/her understandings and achievement levels.
Formative Assessment:
• depicts student’s life as a learner
• used to make instructional adjustments
• alerts the teacher about student misconceptions
“early warning signal”
• allows students to build on previous experiences
• provides regular feedback
• provides evidence of progress
• aligns with instructional/curricular outcomes
Assessment During Learning
 Thumbs Up
 Fist of Five
 3-2-1 Cards
 Dry erase slates
 Portfolios
 Artistic response
 Oral presentations
 Writings –RAFT
 Interactive Notebooks
Experts tell us…
“Formative assessment is a process used by
teachers and students during instruction
that provides feedback to adjust ongoing
teaching and learning to improve students’
achievement of intended outcomes.”
CCSSO FAST SCASS
“Assessment is today’s means of
understanding how to modify
tomorrow’s instruction.”
Carol Tomlinson
Summative Assessment Is...
A means to determine a student’s mastery and
understanding of information, skills, concepts, or
processes.
Summative Assessment:
• should reflect formative assessments that precede it
• should match material taught
• may determine student’s exit achievement
• may be tied to a final decision, grade or report
• should align with instructional/curricular outcomes
• may be a form of alternative assessment
Understanding the Target
 What knowledge will students need to demonstrate the
intended learning?
 What patterns of reasoning will they need to master?
 What skills are required, if any?
 What product development capabilities must they acquire, if
any?
Learning Targets
Knowledge = the facts and concepts we want student to know
Reasoning = student use what they know to reason and solve
problems
Skills = students use their knowledge and reasoning to act
skillfully
Products = students use their knowledge, reasoning, and skills
to create a concrete product
Dispositions = students’ attitudes about school and learning.
Learning Targets for Today
 Knowledge
 Reasoning
 Skills
 Products
 Dispositions
Assessment Practices for
Standards-based Instruction
From
To
 Products for teacher / grading
 Products for real events / audience
 No student work displayed
 High quality / all students work
displayed
 Identical, imitative products
 Varied and original products
Assessment Practices for
Standards-based Instruction
From
 Feedback = scores or grades
 Seen / scored only by teacher
 Teacher grade book
To
 Substantive, varied, formative
feedback
 Public displays and performances
 Student-maintained portfolios,
assessments
 Standards set during grading
 Standards co-developed with
students
Assessment Practices for
Standards-based Instruction
From
 Feedback = scores or grades
 Seen / scored only by teacher
 Teacher grade book
To
 Substantive, varied, formative
feedback
 Public displays and performances
 Student-maintained portfolios,
assessments
 Standards set during grading
 Standards co-developed with
students
Principles of Assessment in
Differentiated Classroom
 Assessment drives instruction. Assessment provides
information to help the teacher plan next steps for varied
learners and the class as a whole.
 Assessment occurs consistently as the unit begins, throughout
the unit and as the unit ends.
 Assessment is varied, frequent, and relevant to the learner
Differentiation Strategies
Using Anchor Activities
Anchor Activities
 Anchor activities are
ongoing assignments
that students can work
on independently
throughout a unit, a
grading period or
longer.
Anchor Activities:
Provide meaningful work for students when they finish
an assignment or project, when they first enter the class
or when they are “stumped”.
Provide ongoing tasks that tie to the content and
instruction.
Free up the classroom teacher to work with other
groups of students or individuals.
ANCHOR ACTIVITIES
Can be
•used in any subject
•whole class assignments
•small group or individual assignments
•tiered to meet the needs of different readiness
levels
•interdisciplinary for use across content areas
or teams
ANCHOR ACTIVITIES
Work best:
when expectations are
clear and the tasks are
taught and practiced
prior to use.
when students are held
accountable for on task
behavior and/or task
completion.
Planning for Anchor Activities
Subject/Content Area:
Name and description of anchor activity:
How will activity be introduced to students?
How will the activity be managed and monitored?
- Points
- Rubric
- Checklist
- Random Check
- On Task Behaviors
- Percentage of Final Grade
- Portfolio Check
- Teacher/Student Conference
- Peer Review
- Other _______________
Using Anchor Activities to Create
Groups
1
Teach the whole class to work independently and
quietly on the anchor activity.
2
Flip-Flop
Half the class works
on anchor activity.
Other half works on
a different activity.
3
1/3 works on
anchor activity.
1/3 works on a
different activity.
1/3 works with
teacher---direct
instruction.
Some Anchor Activities
 “Brain Busters”
 Learning Packets
 Activity Box
 Learning/Interest Centers
 Vocabulary Work
 Accelerated Reader
 Investigations
 Test Practice Activities
 Magazine Articles with Generic Questions or Activities
 Listening Stations
 Research Questions or Projects
 Commercial Kits and Materials
 Journals or Learning Logs
 Silent Reading (Content Related?)
TIERED INSTRUCTION
A Different Spin on an Old Idea
SOURCE: based on work by Carol Ann Tomlinson
What is Tiered Instruction?
Teachers use tiered
activities so that all
students focus on
essential understandings
and skills but at different
levels of complexity,
abstractness, and openendedness.
By keeping the focus of the
activity the same, but
providing routes of access at
varying degrees of difficulty,
the teacher maximizes the
likelihood that:
1) each student comes away with
pivotal skills & understandings
2) each student is appropriately
challenged
WHAT CAN BE TIERED?
 ASSIGNMENTS
 ACTIVITIES
 CENTERS & STATIONS
 LEARNING CONTRACTS
 ASSESSMENTS
 MATERIALS
 EXPERIMENTS
 WRITING PROMPTS
 HOMEWORK
Creating Multiple Paths For Learning
Key Concept
or
Understanding
Struggling
With The
Concept
Reaching Back
Some
Understanding
READINESS LEVELS
Understand
The
Concept
Reaching Ahead
IDENTIFY OUTCOMES
WHAT SHOULD THE STUDENTS KNOW, UNDERSTAND, OR BE ABLE TO
DO?
THINK ABOUT YOUR STUDENTS
PRE-ASSESS READINESS, INTEREST, OR LEARNING
PROFILE
INITIATING ACTIVITIES
USE AS COMMON EXPERIENCE FOR WHOLE
CLASS
GROUP 1
TASK
GROUP 2
TASK
GROUP 3
TASK
When Tiering:
Adjust-- Level of Complexity
 Amount of Structure
 Materials
 Time/Pace
 Number of Steps
 Form of Expression
 Level of Dependence
Planning Tiered Assignments
Concept to be Understood
OR
Skill to be Mastered
Create on-level task first then adjust up and down.
Below-Level
Task
On-Level
Task
“Adjusting the
Task”
Above-Level
Task
THE TEACHER’S CHALLENGE
Developing-“Respectful
Activities”
 Interesting
 Engaging
 Challenging
Tiered Assignments
 Enable all students
focus on essential
understandings
and skills but at
different levels of
 complexity
 abstractness
 open-endedness
 Maximize the
likelihood that
 Each student is
successful
 Each student is
appropriately
challenged
Curriculum Compacting
 High-ability or high-achieving students are frequently asked to
participate in practice exercises or instruction that they have
previously mastered.
 Curriculum compacting is a process to "streamline" and modify
the grade-level curriculum by eliminating material that students
have previously learned.
Quick guide to compacting
1.
Define the goals and objectives of a particular
unit/segment.
2.
Pre-assessment
3.
Document mastery most of learning outcomes. (scores, work
4.
Providing replacement options that enable a more
challenging and productive use of the student's time
samples, etc.)
Choice…the great motivator
 Requires children to be aware of their own readiness,
interests, and learning profiles. !
 Students have choices provided by the teacher. (YOUare
still in charge of crafting challenging opportunities
for all kiddos –NO taking the easy way out!) !
 Use choice across the curriculum: writing topics,
content writing prompts, self-selected reading,
contract menus, math problems, spelling words,
product and assessment options, seating, group
arrangement, ETC . . .
Menu Planner
Menu for: ______________________ Due: _____________
All items in the main dish and the specific number of side
dishes must be complete by the due date.You may select among
the side dishes and you may decide to do some of the desserts
items, as well.
Main Dishes (complete all)
Side Dishes (Select ____ )
Desserts (Optional)
Choice Boards
 Variety of formats
 Tic-tac-toe
 Wheel
 Menu
 May be organized based on multiple intelligences, Bloom’s
taxonomy, etc.
 May include individual and group work
 May be generic
 May be used as anchor activity
Choice Boards
 Variety of formats
 Tic-tac-toe
 Wheel
 Menu
 May be organized based on multiple intelligences, Bloom’s
taxonomy, etc.
 May include individual and group work
 May be generic
 May be used as anchor activity
Choice Boards
 Tic Tac Toe
Choice Boards
Outer red band=1-2 choices
to be completed in whole
group instruction
Blue band-=3-4 choices
to be completed
independently
Bulls eye=final assessment
White band=3-4 choices
to be completed in small
groups
Inner white band=
choices to be
completed as EC or
enrichment
RAFTS Writing Assignments
 Role-Who are you as the writer?
 Audience- To whom/for whom are you writing?
 Format- What form will the writing take?
 Topic- What's the subject or the point of this piece?
 Strong verb-What is your purpose…are you pleading,
persuading, considering
RAFTS
Role-Kunta Kinte
Audience-your mother
Format-letter
Topic-your capture by
slavers
Strong verb-plead for her
forgiveness
Role-A heart
Audience-your body
Format-cheer
Topic-getting in shape
Strong verb-persuade
Student Learning Contracts
An
agreement
between
teacher and
student(s).
Learning Contracts Are:
Written agreements between
teachers and students that
clearly outline:
 what students will learn
 how they will learn it
 the time period for the learning
experience
 how they will be evaluated
Benefits of Contracts
 Require students to think about their learning
 May assist students in understanding how to manage




time
Can include choice
May be used to support students with special needs
Can include student in curriculum planning
Help the teacher manage group work, individual projects
or investigations, learning centers or curriculum
compacting
Types of Contracts
 Structured
 Partial Structured
 Mutually Structured
 Unstructured
Contract Components
 OUTCOMES
 RESOURCES
 LEARNING
ALTERNATIVES
 REPORTING
ALTERNATIVES &
ASSESSMENT
Contract Components
1. Outcome(s) - specify what is to be
accomplished, the conditionsunder
which learning will be demonstrated,
and the level of proficiency required
to meet the outcome.
2. Resources - including print,
media, and human
Contract Components
3. Learning Alternatives - include reading, writing,
viewing, creating, interviewing, and other activities the
student experiences to accomplish the outcome.
4. Reporting Alternatives and Assessment - should
provide evidence as to whether the outcomes have been
accomplished. Conferences, tests, projects, presentations,
real world products, portfolios of work are examples of
reporting alternatives.
Contract Do’s and Don’ts
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
explain the role &
function of contracts
start small (1 or 2 day)
contracts
negotiate contracts with
students whenever possible
help set realistic deadlines
renegotiate the contract if
it isn’t working
solicit student feedback on
process
gradually involve students
in contract development
• expect all students to
use contracts
effectively at the
beginning
• expect all students to
like contracts.
• assume contracts can
take the place of regular
instruction
• use contracts without a
good management
system
Learning Contract
To demonstrate what I have learned about _____________________________ I will
Write a report
Make a movie
Put on a demonstration
Create a graphic
organizer or diagram
Set up an experiment Develop a computer presentation
Build a model
Design a mural
Write a song
Other
____________________
This will be a good way to demonstrate understanding of this concept because
_________________________________________________________________To do
this project, I will need help with
______________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________I will need
the following resources __________________________________
My action plan is _______________________________________________
The criteria/rubric which will be used to assess my final product is _____
My project will be completed by this date: ______________________________
Student signature: ______________________________________ Date _____
Teacher signature: ______________________________________ Date _______
Thoughts about Learning Contracts
Contracts provide efficient means of prescribing for students,
based on assessed needs, strengths, or interests.
Contracts are usually negotiated between the teacher and the
student and sometimes the parent.
Both the teacher and the student share responsibility for the
completion of the terms of the contract.
A contract may require a student to use certain resources or to
contact other people in the school or in the community.
A contract may have certain prerequisites as conditions that the
student has to meet before beginning a study or investigation.
Learning Centers
at the middle level???
Inboxes
Teacher Station 1
Bookshelf
Teacher
Station 2
Schedule
Group
Assignments
IN THE DIFFERENTIATED CLASSROOM
 Teachers and students accept and respect one
another’s similarities and differences
 Assessment is an on-going activity that guides
instruction. Learning plans are made and
adjusted based on assessment data.
IN THE DIFFERENTIATED CLASSROOM
 Students have a voice in setting class and
individual goals
 Students work in a variety of group
configurations as well as independently.
 Flexible grouping is evident.
IN THE DIFFERENTIATED CLASSROOM
 Time is used flexibly since pacing is based on
student needs
 All students participate in respectful work--work
that is challenging, meaningful, interesting, and
engaging.
.
IN THE DIFFERENTIATED CLASSROOM
 The teacher is primarily a coordinator of time,
space, and activities rather than a provider of
information. The aim is to help students become
self-reliant learners.
 Students are assessed in multiple ways, and each
student's progress is measured at least in part
from where that student begins
Now what?????
In YOUR Differentiated Classroom…
 What are the needs of your students?
 Which strategy appeals to you the most?
 Can you collaborate with colleagues?
 What worries or concerns do you have about
implementation?
Implementing Differentiated Instruction in
your District or School
 Start with Committed Staff
 Look for Existing Resources/Infrastructure
 Start with One or Two Strategies
 Try it and Be Willing to Alter and Extend
Where do I Go From Here?
Some Tips for Implementing
Differentiation in your Classroom
o Start slowly
o Organize your classroom space
o Create a culture that supports
differentiation including
students and parents
o Analyze standards and current
practice
Investing Students
 Student “buy-in”
 Provide choice
 Allow students to assess their own mastery
 Adjust physical environment
 Increase student responsibility
Where do I Go From Here?
Some Tips for Implementing Differentiation
in your Classroom
o Devise a plan to get to know students and maintain records
o Student files
o Student portfolios
o Use clipboard
o Sharpen assessments (maybe common?)
o Use task cards, a tape recorder, or an overhead for directions
o Have systems for student questions
o Vary instructional strategies, grouping, learning preferences,
and activities
Implementing Differentiated Instruction:
Additional Considerations
 Administrative Support to Teachers
 Professional Development
 Adequate Planning Time