Running head: DIFFERENTIATION STRATEGIES TO PROMOTE INLCUSION

Differentiation Strategies to Promote Inclusion

Ethan Carter
Bethel University

DIFFERENTIATION STRATEGIES TO PROMOTE INCLUSION

ThinkDots is a differentiation strategy that uses activity cards to arrange student groups
by cards of the same color. Students will then roll the die and complete the activity on that card
that corresponds with number of dots shown on the die. If the first roll is an activity that the
student doesnt want to do, a second roll is allowed. You should use the 6 levels of Bloom
intelligences to write your statements that correspond with the number on the die. For instance,
you could use colored paper to indicate different readiness levels, or learning styles for each
group. Also, by letting the child choose their activity, you help to peak their interest. I think the
ThinkDots activity can be very beneficial to differentiating instruction in the classroom, but a lot
of it will depend on the teachers ability to create and implement the activities. The activities
selected should be interesting and appeal to the students learning style. I would use this activity
to hit all of the learning styles in my classroom. First, I would have them take a learning styles
test. The learning styles test would allow for me to modify each class and really be able to
differentiate the activities. This activity can be an ongoing assessment process throughout the
year to measure where your students are. Another thing that I like that ThinkDots incorporates is
the use of socialization skills. The students work with their group and talk through the problems.

DIFFERENTIATION STRATEGIES TO PROMOTE INCLUSION

Thinking Maps are used to promote provide more effective instruction for all student. By
using thinking maps, teachers can take many different strategies and use them consistently across
content areas and different grade levels. There are many different types of thinking maps. The
circle map uses two concentric circles and in the middle you will list the key ideas and on the
outside you will put everything you know about those ideas. The bubble map is used for
describing things but it only uses one part of the speech, which is the adjective. The alternative to
the bubble map is the double bubble map. It compares and contrasts by showing similarities and
different qualities. Another thinking map is the tree map, which in a sense, is just an outline. It
helps students look at text and understand text structures. The brace map helps identify whole
and part relationships. The brace map is used more for math than any other subject. Another type
of thinking map is the flow map. The flow map works with sequence of events. You can even
correlate this with the circle map described previously. It helps to prioritize and give a sequence.
The multi-flow map shows cause and effect and you would list the event in the middle. The
bridge map illustrates analogies and metaphors. It is extremely effective in showing the
relationship of the concrete to the abstract. Thinking maps are used mainly to help transfer the
thinking process. This method also helps to continually assess student progress. It helps students
to organize information in a way they can relate. It also allows them demonstrate their way of
thinking and gives them a strategy to understand the way information is being presented. All
students can benefit from the use and helps them think about their thinking. In the end, this
method of differentiated instruction can be beneficial to student learning and to determine
whether student centered learning is taking place and the kinds/levels of thinking being taught.

DIFFERENTIATION STRATEGIES TO PROMOTE INCLUSION

A Socratic Seminar is a teaching strategy to encourage students to engage in critical

thinking, communicating, listening, and curiosity. In this particular strategy, the teacher acts as a
facilitator and the students determine the flow of discussion. This strategy promotes conversation
and intellectual engagement. The ultimate goal is to generate more questions, not necessarily to
answer them. The teacher will not give responses to questions. The teacher can ask more
questions to move discussion. The group will sit in a circle where each on can make eye contact.
The teacher will emphasize respect prior to the seminars and only one student is allowed to speak
at a time. Post-seminar reflection time is encouraged. The students responsibilities are to be well
prepared for the seminar and for directing the flow of the discussion. The students should utilize
critical thinking, listening, and communicating skills. A few guidelines for the seminar should be
to support your opinions with evidence, dont be afraid to ask questions, and there is no one
right answer. Pre-seminar the kids should activate prior knowledge and become
knowledgeable about the topic. Some post-seminar activities would be to help kids make
personal connections based on insights gained and apply those to their own life. They could have
a journal writing based on the discussions and how they feel about it. To differentiate this you
could assign varying levels or reading or texts. Use a variety of types of thinking prompts and
use different follow-up activities. The most important thing you can do with this strategy is to
choose an interesting topic. Be prepared with follow up questions if conversation stalls. The
teacher should never take over the discussion and just be a participant like everyone else. The
last thing the teacher must do is model respective behavior which will trickle down towards how
the students conduct themselves.

DIFFERENTIATION STRATEGIES TO PROMOTE INCLUSION

Show and tell boards are a method for differentiating instruction where the student is the
main object of the classroom. Students get to show their object and tell about it. The teacher may
have to rotate or set aside certain time for this activity. The student should have at least ten
minutes. This may mean that only a few students or groups will have a chance to go in a given
day, depending on the schedule of your school. The first thing the teacher should do is model to
the students how show and tell is conducted. The teacher should introduce his or her self and
describe what your project is on. Tell the story behind your particular project being sure to use
adjectives to describe the project. Ask if there are any questions and then have the class thank
you or applaud. The show and tell should be centered on a theme. If you were to do a writing
activity, teach the students how to write a thank you note. If you were doing a science activity,
you could have the students create a journal of the object and its descriptions. If you were doing
a social studies activity, have the students write how they connect to the object. By using the
show and tell method, the students will learn to speak and listen, learn how to be an audience,
learn how to make connections, practice critical reasoning, use descriptive language, and
increase confidence. These different things incorporated in the show and tell method of
instruction will help children with all types of different learning styles. The student will learn to
speak clearly in front of an audience, guide a listener, increase vocabulary, and paraphrase what
theyve learned. It touches on almost every learning style. This method of teaching is time
consuming, but I feel it is well worth for the students. It teaches so many positives for each child
involved.

DIFFERENTIATION STRATEGIES TO PROMOTE INCLUSION

Tic-Tac-Toe Boards will enable the teacher to differentiate for all learning styles in a
classroom. This strategy uses the three-by-three grid of a tic-tac-toe board into which you can
insert different activities in each square. Students choose three activities to create three in a row
just like the original game. You will need to make sure students are supported and comfortable
with the tasks, but challenged, also. The 9-cell grid is designed to make sure that no matter which
way a student chooses to make 3-in-a-row, they are still showing their understanding of key
concepts and ideas. Make sure to format the grid to incorporate different levels of understanding.
Place the squares strategically to make sure students have to choose at least one high level skill.
Students will show their knowledge of a concept by labeling, defining, or listing. The students
will have a square which shows that they comprehend or summarize, predict, or contrast. The
application square will make them apply knowledge in a new way by illustrating or modifying.
The analysis square will make them analyze certain content by explaining, inferring, or dividing.
The synthesis square will have them integrate or modify certain content. The evaluation square
will evaluate content by measuring, arguing, or convincing. The squares can be modified based
on the learning objectives. Also, the teacher will keep in mind the certain types of learning styles
pertaining to that class. Whatever way the students best learn in that class should be took into
consideration when designing the board. I found this method to really incorporate a lot of
different styles of learning and would be very effective in the classroom. Arranging the skills
listed from lowest to highest are very critical when creating the board.

DIFFERENTIATION STRATEGIES TO PROMOTE INCLUSION

The jigsaw teaching strategy is used to help students create their own learning. The
teacher will arrange students in groups. Each group member is assigned a different piece of
information. The group members will then join with members of other groups assigned the same
piece of information. After this has taken place, the students will return to their original groups to
try to put together a clear picture of the given topic. One student in each group will be defined as
the leader. This can change each lesson so everyone will have a chance to be the leader of the
group. When the student is presenting their information, encourage others in the group to ask
questions for clarification. After the session is complete, give a quiz on the material. By doing
this, the students realize that the sessions count towards their grade. This of differentiated
instruction has been shown to have positive outcomes and improved test performance. Each part
the student plays is essential to that group and helps the group to fully understand all the
components. This helps to boost confidence in the students and shows how important a team
member is. This is a great alternative method to lecturing and promotes mutual learning. Jigsaw
instruction methods encourage listening and engagement. I think this method would also help
inner-city schools or a diverse classroom where certain students may not like each other and
creates a bond between the learners. The jigsaw classroom is noisy but the noise is a sound of
learning and living and socializing with fellow classmates. The lesson must be carefully planned
and combine a lot of energy. One method that could also be used is coaching. You could pair the
higher-achieving students to where they could work directly with the lower students. How this
lesson is used goes back to how well-planned the lesson is.

DIFFERENTIATION STRATEGIES TO PROMOTE INCLUSION

Graffiti Boards can be a very effective part of a classroom. All you need is a very large
sheet of paper, a white board, or chalkboard where the students can engage in a written
discussion. The whole purpose of the graffiti board is to help students hear each others ideas.
This is a quick strategy and helps shy students engage in conversation. It also provides a record
of students ideas and questions in which the teacher can refer back to at other points in the
lesson. It will help students process material and reflect on it with their own thoughts and
thoughts of others and get another view point. You could use it as a preview or even a warm-up
to introduce a new topic. One thing the teacher may want to consider is to what an appropriate
response is and how to express your point of view without causing discomfort for a fellow
student. The students can draw lines connecting their comments to those of other students. You
should require each student to post at least one comment or question to the graffiti wall. The
teacher usually allows 5-10 minutes for silent writing on the board. The time can vary based on
the particular activity. After the students write on the board, the teacher can induce a
conversation by asking the students to summarize what they see or notice on areas of agreement
or disagreement. Graffiti boards are a excellent strategy to enhance students thinking skills and
promote writing skills. It can really stimulate the mind and get students to participate who
normally wouldnt be active in the classroom.
.

DIFFERENTIATION STRATEGIES TO PROMOTE INCLUSION

The Think-Pair-Share is a strategy in which students work together to solve a problem or

answer a question about an assigned reading or topic. This technique requires students to think
individually about a topic or answer to a question and share ideas with another student. By
discussing their answer with a partner it allows for maximum participation and engages students
in comprehension. This particular strategy is very versatile and simple way to improve
comprehension. It allows for students to think about an answer and activates prior knowledge. It
also helps with oral communication skills as they share their ideas. This allows for active
participation in class and discussions. The teacher will have to decide on the set of questions or
prompts and will then describe the purpose of the strategy and the guidelines for discussions. It is
best for the teacher to first model the procedure so that students will understand how to use this
strategy. The teacher will then monitor and support the students as they begin the activity.
Students think independently about the question and are then grouped in pairs to discuss their
thought. The last part is when the students share their ideas. Multiple partners are allowed to help
present, which may make some students more comfortable with the process. This whole strategy
offers opportunities for students talk work on their social skills and elaborate on ideas. It also
allows for internal organization of ideas and even helps to retain them. The student could see
positive trends in self-esteem and will learn to respect others views that may differ from their
own. In all, this strategy makes classroom discussions more productive. This particular strategy
can be used in a variety of context. Think-Pair-Share can be used in reading, writing, math,
social studies, and science.

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References
Differentiating Instruction With Think-Tic-Tac-Toe. (n.d.). Retrieved October 24, 2016, from
http://www.teachingwithsimplicity.com/2014/01/differentiated-instruction-with-thinktac-toe.html
Graffiti Wall. (n.d.). Retrieved October 24, 2016, from
https://k12teacherstaffdevelopment.com/tlb/can-graffiti-be-used-to-facilitate-learning/
Jigsaw. (n.d.). Retrieved October 24, 2016, from http://www.adlit.org/strategies/22371/
Socratic Seminar. (n.d.). Retrieved October 24, 2016, from
https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/teaching-strategies/socratic-seminar
Think-Pair-Share. (n.d.). Retrieved October 24, 2016, from
http://www.readwritethink.org/professional-development/strategy-guides/using-think- p
pair-share-30626.html
THINKDOTS. (n.d.). Retrieved October 24, 2016, from
https://daretodifferentiate.wikispaces.com/file/view/thinkdots.pdf/51080641/thinkdots.pd
f

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Thinking Maps. (n.d.). Retrieved October 24, 2016, from

http://www.nuatc.org/_old_site/projects/greene_county/institute_files/STRATEGYThinking Maps all.pdf
Using Show-and-tell to develop children's listening and speaking skills. (n.d.). Retrieved October
24, 2016, from http://www.language-education.com/eng/doc/pbt_skel/Using_show-andtell_to_develop_children_s_listening_and_speaking_skills.pdf