Differentiated Instruction

Lisa Swope Radford City Schools

People learn differentlywe have various

learning styles, learning strengths, abilities, and interests.

We also learn alike in that we need to find meaning and make sense of what we study. We learn best from work that demands

we stretch ourselves, but does not intimidate us.

Differentiated Instruction is Proactive

The teacher begins with the assumption
that different learners have different

needs.

She proactively plans a variety of ways to

get at and express learning. She organizes materials and resources so learning will be purposeful and not chaotic.

Expect BETTER work, not MORE work!!!

The teacher does not simply give more
work to learners who are more capable; instead, he adjusts the nature of the assignment to meet student needs. The level of complexity, steps in a task, and levels of questioning can be geared to student ability.

Begin With Assessment

Students readiness level is determined through standardized test results, pre-

testing, conversations with the student, interest surveys, and/or instruments indicating preferred learning styles and/or multiple intelligences.

Provide Several Routes to Content, Process, and Product

Contentwhat students learn Processhow students go about making

sense of ideas and information Producthow students demonstrate what they have learned

Differentiated Learning is StudentCentered

Students are given the opportunity to take
increasing responsibility for their own

growth.

Teaching students to share responsibility

allows a teacher to work with different groups or individuals for parts of the class time.and it better prepares students for life.

Differentiation Blends Several Types of Instruction

Whole-class instruction Individual instruction Flexible grouping Cooperative/collaborative learning

Differentiation is Fluid
Teachers participate in ongoing
collaboration with students

Lessons and assignments are adjusted as

needed

There is no one right way to

differentiate as long as the basic principles of differentiated learning are followed.

Some Principles
Students are pre-assessed to determine learning needs. The teacher plans proactively to provide several learning
Students work alone, in pairs, and in small groups. Students sometimes receive whole-class instruction. The teacher gives clear directions and shares
options.

responsibility with students. The teacher provides organization to the degree that learning is purposeful and not chaotic. The teacher provides support as needed. The student takes responsibility for his/her own learning and demonstrates understanding through a studentdesigned product.

For First Grade Reading

Create a flexible reading program. Post a weekly reading schedule and allow students to find their

names on it. Allow students to move to appointed parts of the room at times designated on the chart. Sometimes the whole class will meet to listen to a story and talk about it or to volunteer to read it. Sometimes a small group meets with the teacher to work on decoding, comprehension strategies, or to share ideas. Sometimes students will meet with peers to read on a topic of mutual interest, regardless of their reading readiness (different level books on same topic). Students read alone (from books in discovery boxes based on various topics or from boxes designated by colors to match levels of reading readiness). Students may meet with a reading partner to take turns reading or, at the direction of the teacher, to choral read so stronger readers can provide leadership for a peer who doesnt read as well.

From Tomlinson

Third Grade Reading

1. 2. 3. 4.
Design a variety of centers based on student learning profiles Assign students to centers based on formal or informal assessments At centers related to people the students are studying, students can choose to work alone, in pairs, or within a small group Some possible centers include: Students select a person theyve studied and make an annotated time line of the persons early life, noting events that shaped the person. The student chooses whether to write a paper, draw a storyboard, or act out the events. Students select a biography and a fictional work each has read. Then they write about real-life events they and some of their friends have had. Students then look in all three works for common themes about growing up and decide to present their work as a matrix or through conversations between or among the subject of the biography, the fictional work, and a 3rd grader.

From Tomlinson

Seventh Grade Science

As part of an exploration of life science, students

chose a living creature and develop questions of interest to them individually. Students figure out how to find answers to their questions. Each student determines ways to share their findings with their peers.

(Questions can vary in complexity.)

High School Algebra II

Students can pre-test and compact out of a unit at any time
during the first three days of instruction Students who opt out do an independent investigation of math in the real world, given guidelines by the teacher, who works with them to tighten or focus plans, as needed Students who did not compact out receive whole group instruction, and thenbased on understandingdivide into cooperative groups for practice, or meet in a small group with the teacher for further instruction When the class has finished the chapter, everyone participates in two days of mandatory review and the entire class takes the test.
From Tomlinson

High School U.S. History

Students read biographies of their choice from a suggested reading list. Each student chooses to do one of the following:
Write a two-page summary of the persons life. Note transforming dates in the subjects life and make a timeline. Choose three events that most impacted the subjects life and make a poster explaining each.

Students read names from a posted list and go to pre-assigned groups, which include:

Students complete an assignment from the following product list:

A PowerPoint presentation A scripted presentation to the class An argumentative or comparative essay.

Students meet in small groups and tell the story in first person of the subject of each biography Students make a chart listing similarities and differences in their characters personalities, lives, and accomplishments Students brainstorm qualities of greatness and create a matrix they will use to rank all of their subjects Students choose one or a few topics making news in their lifetimes and conduct a timetravel/round-table discussion in character as their subjects.

The Equalizer: A Tool for Planning Differentiated Lessons

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Foundational.Transformational Concrete.Abstract Simple Complex Single FacetMultiple Facets Small Leap..Great Leap More Structured..More Open Less IndependenceMore Independence Slow..Quick

Tiering Instruction
Change the nature of the task, not the
and/or the students response to it
workload Change the sophistication of the prompt

Remember to keep all students above

water by adjusting challenge levels so all

students can make sense of their learning

Tiering Formats
Learning Contracts Learning Menus Cubing Summarization Pyramid Change the Verb

Learning Contracts
Students enter into independent study with an agreed-upon set of tasks supporting adjusted goals.

Learning Menus
Students are given choices of tasks in a unit or for an assessment. They most do one entre task, may select from two side dish tasks, and may choose to do one of the dessert tasks for extra enrichment.

Cubing
Students receive foam or poster board cubes with a different task written on each face; each task has a different complexity level than the others. Given a topic, students: Describe it, Compare it,

Associate it, Analyze it, Apply it, Argue for it or against it.

Summarization Pyramid
Create a pyramid of horizontal lines, then ask students at different readiness levels to respond to tiered prompts as they interact with the topic.
SOME GREAT PROMPTS Synonym Analogy Question Three attributes Alternative title Causes Effects Reasons Arguments Ingredients Opinion Formula/sequence Insight Larger category Tools Sample People Future of the topic

Change the Verb

Raise or lower the challenge level by changing the verb in your prompt:
CONSIDER USING: Analyze Revise Decide between Why did Defend Devise Identify Classify Define Compose Interpret Expand Imagine Suppose Construct Recommend Predict Argue for (or against) Contrast Critique

Some Tips
All students need coherent lessons that
are relevant, powerful, and meaningful. Good curriculum pushes students a bit beyond what is easy or comfortable. Encourage students to work up and complete tasks that stretch them.

 Sidebar Studies Interest Centers Specialty Teams Real-Life Applications of Ideas and Skills New Forms of Expression

Strategies That Support InterestBased Studies

Studying concepts and principles through the lens of interest Student choice of tasks Independent Study I-Searches Orbitals Mentorships Group Investigations Interest Groups Jigsaw Literature Circles WebQuests Student-selected audiences

Four Factors
Learning Style Preferences Intelligence Preferences Culture-Influenced Preferences Gender-Based Preferences

Strategies for Learning Profile Preferences

Vary teacher presentation (auditory,
visual, kinesthetic) Vary student mode of expression (Gardners Multiple Intelligences) Working choice arrangements Multiple modes of assessment Varied approaches to organizing ideas and information

Strategies for Differentiating Content

Curriculum Compacting Learning Contracts Mini-lessons

Ways to Support Students

Reading partners or audio/video recorders Note-taking organizers Highlighted print materials Digests of key ideas Peer and adult mentors

Processing: Making Sense of the Content

Present activities that are interesting to
the student Provide opportunities for students to think at a higher level Cause students to use key skills to understand key ideas

Strategies for Differentiated Processing

Cubing Learning logs or journals Graphic organizers Centers or interest groups Role playing Choice boards Jigsaw Think-pair-share PMI Model-making Labs Tiered activities

Creating Product Assignments

What students must know, understand, be able

to do as a result of the study. Identify the format of the project. Determine expectations for quality (content, process, product). Decide on scaffolding (brainstorming, rubrics, time lines, planning/goal setting, storyboarding, critiquing, revising/grading). Differentiate based on readiness, student interest, student learning profile.

Why have you been looking at the ocean during this presentation????????

Because.
Like being on the ocean, when you differentiate you must:

Find exactly where students are before you know how to

take them someplace new Organize your resources Adjust for varying degrees of depth Support those who cant keep their heads above water Modify your strategy as you go Recognize there are different ways to reach the same destination

The content of this presentation is based on the work of Carol Ann Tomlinson of the University of Virginia and on her book,

How to Differentiate Instruction in MixedAbility Classrooms.

Supplementary Resources
Glossary of terms Learning Style inventory Sample lessons List of additional resources