Differentiating Instruction: The Journey

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Differentiating Instruction The Journey

• "In the end, all learners need your energy, your
  heart and your mind. They have that in common
  because they are young humans. How they need you
  however, differs. Unless we understand and
  respond to those differences, we fail many
  learners."
• Tomlinson, C.A. (2001). How to differentiate
  instruction in mixed ability classrooms (2nd
  Ed.). Alexandria, VA ASCD.
• StudentsFirst Successs for All Conference
• Kennesaw State University
• Tuesday, November 15, 2005
• Judy Rex
• judyrex_at_cox.net

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• 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

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Differentiation is a Way of Thinking About
Teaching and Learning
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Dear Miss Brin, Yesterday you got really
really mad at me in class. I didnt argue with
you, because that just makes you madder and being
yelled at makes my stomach feel funny and I cant
think. But I want to say what happened. Maybe you
will understand why it looks like I dont pay
attention in class. You told us to open our
books to chapter 4 and read silently. Then you
asked everyone to put your hand up if we had
finished the third page and Sean didnt. You
waited for him to finish the page. Then you told
us to take turns reading out loud. When you got
to me, I asked you what paragraph to start on,
and you started yelling at me. You asked me a lot
of questions but you didnt let me answer any of
them. You answered them yourself but the things
you said werent true answers! This is what
happened. I started reading when you said. I
finished the chapter and stopped because you get
mad if I read any more. I didnt get out another
book because that makes you mad too. I didnt
doodle or do math or talk to Sarah or get up or
walk around because those things make you mad.
So I worked on my greek in my head until you
called on me.
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• I tried to keep track of where the other kids
  were when they were reading. And I had the right
  page. I just didnt hear where Kim stopped. Her
  voice is sooo quiet and the verb I was saying was
  too loud in my head! So its not true that I was
  day dreaming! And Im not stuck up or arrogant
  or insolent or any of the things you said I was!
  I TRY to follow along but I CANT read that
  slow!!
• You said you got mad because I was wasting
  everybodies time. But I just asked which
  paragraph Miss Brin? Look at your watch and say
  it too. It takes 2 seconds. You could have said
  the third paragraph. That takes 21 seconds. I
  timed it too. Then Sarah and Amy R and Amy B
  would have 6 minutes to read aloud. Instead you
  yelled at ME for 6 minutes and they did not get
  to read any thing!
• Peter takes almost a whole minute to read Ben
  heard the bear cough behind him. I timed him.
  Its a game I made up to pay attention instead of
  doing Greek or making up poems in my head. If I
  ask you what paragraph and you tell me it still
  takes me less than half a minute for me to read a
  whole paragraph. So I guess I dont understand
  why you are mad or why you used 6 minutes to tell
  the class what a bad stupid mean person i am
  because I wasted their time for 4 seconds. I
  think YOU wasted their time!!! And I think YOU
  were mean to call me those names in front of
  everybody!!!!

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• Miss Brinn I want to do what you tell me! I
  dont understand why I cant keep reading at the
  end of a chapter. Or get out my other books. or
  study my greek. Or draw or doodle or write in my
  journal. But you dont want me to do that so I
  dont. But I cant sit and stare at the wall. If
  i try to do that I just start thinking about
  something else! I dont know HOW to not think! I
  dont know HOW to read slow! Please tell me what
  to do so it wont make you mad at me all the
  time. And PLEASE dont yell at me in class.
• love,
• your sad student,
• Anne

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I know its been a long time since you heard from
me. I wanted to let you know what I am doing now
and that I think of you often, even though I have
not been a particularly faithful correspondent.
When you last saw me, you must have had some
doubt about what I might do with my life. The
interesting thing, though, is that if you did
have doubts, you never let me know about them.
You treated me as though I had all the
possibilities in the world in my hands. The fact
that I could not pass a vocabulary test seemed
incidental to you. What mattered was what I
could do. I didnt get that at the time. I was
too exhausted from years of lugging around my
disabilities. You need to know that I will be
receiving a Masters Degree in just a few days.
My mom asked who I wanted to know about that from
back home. You need to know. Your belief in me
when I had no belief in myself opened the door
that led here. . .
R.G. .
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Understood Betsy
Elizabeth Ann fell back on the bench with
her mouth open. She felt really dizzy. What
crazy things the teacher said! She felt as
though she was being pulled limb from limb.
Whats the matter? asked the teacher, seeing
her bewildered face. Why why, said
Elizabeth Ann, I dont know what I am at all.
If Im second grade arithmetic and seventh grade
reading and third grade spelling, what grade am
I? The teacher laughed. You arent any
grade at all, no matter where you are in school.
Youre just yourself, arent you? What
difference does it make what grade youre in?
And whats the use of your reading little baby
things too easy for you just because you dont
know your multiplication table?
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Appalachian Trail South end of Hundred Mile
Wilderness Warning!!!
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Where Do I Begin?Start small but start!
First Steps

Next Steps

Who will help or support you? ___________________
___________________ ___________________ __________
_________ ___________________ ___________________
___________________
Leaps

Bounds

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Differentiated Instruction Defined

• Differentiated instruction is a teaching
  philosophy based on the premise that teachers
  should adapt instruction to student differences.
  Rather than marching students through the
  curriculum lockstep, teachers should modify their
  instruction to meet students varying readiness
  levels, learning preferences, and interests.
  Therefore, the teacher proactively plans a
  variety of ways to get at and express
  learning.
• Carol Ann Tomlinson

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Differentiation
Is a teachers response to learners needs
Guided by general principles of differentiation
Respectful tasks
Flexible grouping
Continual assessment
Teachers Can Differentiate Through
Environment
Content
Product
Process
According to Students
Readiness
Interest
Learning Profile
Through a range of strategies such as
Multiple intelligencesJigsaw4MATGraphic
OrganizersRAFTS CompactingTiered
assignmentsLeveled textsComplex Instruction
Learning Centers
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Think of DIFFERENTIATION as the lens you look
through when using any materials, programs or
instructional strategies. If you have high
quality curriculum and materials, then it isnt
so much WHAT you use as it is HOW you use it to
meet the varying readiness, interests and
learning profiles of your students.
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Differentiation must be an extension of not a
replacement for high quality curriculum.
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What Differentiated Instruction

• IS NOT
• Individual instruction
• Chaotic or new
• Just another way to provide homogenous
  instruction (You DO use flexible grouping
  instead)
• Just modifying grading systems and reducing work
  loads
• More work for the "good" students and less and
  different for the "poor" students

• IS
• Differentiated instruction is more QUALITATIVE
  than quantitative.
• Differentiated instruction provides MULTIPLE
  approaches to content, process, and product.
• Differentiated instruction is STUDENT CENTERED.
• Differentiated instruction is a BLEND of whole
  class, group, and individual instruction.
• Differentiated instruction is "ORGANIC".

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Unlocking the Meaning of Differentiation
Affirmation Contribution Power Purpose Challenge
The Student Seeks
Important Focused Engaging Demanding Scaffolded
Curriculum and Instruction are the Vehicle
The Teacher Responds
Invitation Opportunity Investment Persistence Refl
ection
Carol Tomlinson, 2002
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• Differentiation is not so much the stuff as
  the how. If the stuff is ill conceived, the
  how is doomed.
• Carol Ann Tomlinson

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RESPECTFUL TASKS

• Respectful tasks recognize student learning
  differences. The teacher continually tries to
  understand what individual students need to learn
  most effectively. A respectful task honors both
  the commonalities and differences of students,
  but not by treating them all alike.
• A respectful task offers all students the
  opportunity to explore essential understandings
  and skills at degrees of difficulty that escalate
  consistently as they develop their understanding
  and skill.

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KNOW (facts, vocabulary, dates, rules, people,
etc.) ecosystem elements of culture
(housing/shelter, customs, values,
geography) UNDERSTAND (complete sentence,
statement of truth or insight want students to
understand that . . . ) All parts of an
ecosystem affect all others parts. Culture
shapes people and people shape culture. DO
(Basic skills, thinking skills, social skills,
skills of the discipline, planning skills ---
verbs) Write a unified paragraph Compare
and contrast Draw conclusions Examine varied
perspectives Work collaboratively Develop a
timeline Use maps as data
Tomlinson 02
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-CHOICE-The Great Motivator!

• Requires children to be aware of their own
  readiness, interests, and learning profiles.
• Students have choices provided by the teacher.
  (YOU are 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 . . .
• GUARANTEES BUY-IN AND ENTHUSIASM FOR LEARNING!

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Learning Profile Factors
Learning Environment quiet/noise warm/cool still/
mobile flexible/fixed busy/spare
Group Orientation independent/self
orientation group/peer orientation adult
orientation combination
Gender Culture
Intelligence Preference analytic practical creati
ve verbal/linguistic logical/mathematical spatial/
visual bodily/kinesthetic musical/rhythmic interpe
rsonal intrapersonal naturalist existential
Cognitive Style Creative/conforming Essence/facts
Expressive/controlled Nonlinear/linear Inductive/
deductive People-oriented/task or Object
oriented Concrete/abstract Collaboration/competiti
on Interpersonal/introspective Easily
distracted/long Attention span Group
achievement/personal achievement Oral/visual/kines
thetic Reflective/action-oriented
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Differentiation According to Sternbergs
Intelligences
Tall Tales Grade 3

• Know What makes a Tall Tale
• Definition of fact and exaggeration
• Understand An exaggeration starts with a fact
  and stretches it.
• People sometimes exaggerate to make their
  stories or deeds seem more wonderful or
  scarier.
• Do Distinguish fact and exaggeration
• Analytical Task
• Listen to or read Johnny Appleseed and complete
• the organizer as you do.
• Practical Task
• Think of a time when you or someone you know was
  sort of like the Johnny Appleseed story and told
  a tall tale about something that happened. Write
  or draw both the factual or true version of the
  story and the tall tale version.
• Creative Task --- RAFT Assignment
• Role Audience Format Topic
  
• Someone Our Diary entry Let me tell you
• in our class class what happened while Johnny
  A. and I were on the way to school today.

Johnny Appleseeds
Facts Exaggerations
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Assessment in a Differentiated Classroom

• Assessment drives instruction. (Assessment
  information helps the teacher map 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.
  (Pre-assessment, formative and summative
  assessment are regular parts of the
  teaching/learning cycle.)
• Teachers assess student readiness, interest and
  learning profile.
• Assessments are part of teaching for success.
• Assessment information helps students chart and
  contribute to their own growth.
• Assessment MAY be differentiated.
• Assessment information is more useful to the
  teacher than grades.
• Assessment is more focused on personal growth
  than on peer competition.

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A Few Routes to READINESS DIFFERENTIATION

• Varied texts by reading level
• Varied supplementary materials
• Varied scaffolding
• reading
• writing
• research
• technology
• Tiered tasks and procedures
• Flexible time use
• Small group instruction
• Homework options
• Tiered or scaffolded assessment
• Compacting
• Mentorships
• Negotiated criteria for quality
• Varied graphic organizers

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Character Map
Character Name____________
How the character looks ____________ ____________
____________ ____________ ____________ ___________
_
How the character thinks or acts ____________ ____
________ ____________ ____________ ____________
Most important thing to know about the
character ________________________________________
__________________________________________________
_________________________
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Character Map
Character Name____________
What the character says or does ____________ _____
_______ ____________ ____________ ____________ ___
_________
What the character really MEANS to say or
do ____________ ____________ ____________ ________
____ ____________
What the character would mostly like us to know
about him or her _________________________________
__________________________________________________
__
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Character Map
Character Name____________
Clues the author gives us about the
character ____________ ____________ ____________ _
___________
Why the author gives THESE clues ____________ ____
________ ____________ ____________ ____________
The authors bottom line about this character
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__
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Ways
to Differentiate Content

• Reading Partners / Reading Buddies
• Read/Summarize
• Read/Question/Answer
• Visual Organizer/Summarizer
• Parallel Reading with Teacher Prompt
• Choral Reading/Antiphonal Reading
• Flip Books
• Split Journals (Double Entry Triple Entry)
• Books on Tape
• Highlights on Tape
• Digests/ Cliff Notes
• Note-taking Organizers
• Varied Texts
• Varied Supplementary Materials
• Highlighted Texts
• Think-Pair-Share/Preview-Midview-Postview
• Tomlinson 00

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FRIENDSHIPS Shape up!
Reading Contract Choose an activity from each
shape group. Cut out your three choices and glue
them Below. You are responsible for finishing
these activities by _________. Have fun!
This contract belongs to _________________________
____________
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Make a poster advertising yourself as a
good friend. Use words and pictures to help
make people want to be your friend. Make sure
your name is an important part of the poster
Make a two sided circle-rama. Use it to
tell people what makes you a good friend. Use
pictures and words and make sure your name is
an important part of the display
Make a mobile that shows what makes you a good
friend. Use pictures and words to hang on your
mobile. Write your name on the top of the mobile
in beautiful letters.
Get with a friend and make a puppet show about a
problem and the solution in your book
Get with a friend and act out a problem and
its solution from your book
Meet with me and tell me about a problem and
its solution from the story. Then tell me about a
problem you have had and how you solved it
Draw a picture of a problem in the story. Then
use words to tell about the problem and how the
characters solved their problem
Write a letter to one of the characters in your
book. Tell them about a problem you have. Then
have them write back with a solution to your
problem.
Think about another problem one of the characters
in your book might have. Write a new story for
the book about the problem and tell how it was
solved.
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Ways
to Differentiate Product

• Choices based on readiness, interest, and
  learning profile
• Clear expectations
• Timelines
• Agreements
• Product Guides
• Rubrics
• Evaluation

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Possible Products

• Map
• Diagram
• Sculpture
• Discussion
• Demonstration
• Poem
• Profile
• Chart
• Play
• Dance
• Campaign
• Cassette
• Quiz Show
• Banner
• Brochure
• Debate
• Flow Chart
• Puppet Show
• Tour

• Lecture
• Editorial
• Painting
• Costume
• Placement
• Blueprint
• Catalogue
• Dialogue
• Newspaper
• Scrapbook
• Lecture
• Questionnaire
• Flag
• Scrapbook
• Graph
• Debate
• Museum
• Learning Center
• Advertisement

Book List Calendar Coloring Book Game Research
Project TV Show Song Dictionary Film Collection Tr
ial Machine Book Mural Award Recipe Test
Puzzle Model Timeline Toy Article Diary Poster Mag
azine Computer Program Photographs Terrarium Petit
ion Drive Teaching Lesson Prototype Speech Club Ca
rtoon Biography Review Invention
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Mrs. Mutner liked to go over a few of her rules
on the first day of class
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Best Practices forStandards-based
InstructionBest Practice, New Standards for
Teaching and Learning in Americas
SchoolsZemelman, S., Daniels, H. Hyde, A.
(1998). Portsmouth, NHHeinemann

• Student Voice and Involvement

• Balanced with teacher-chosen and teacher-directed
  activities
• Students often select inquiry topics, books,
  writing topics, etc.
• Students maintain their own records, set goals,
  and self-assess
• Some themes / inquiries are built from students
• own questions
• Students assume responsibility and take roles
• in decision making

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From Attache Magazine
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A Typical Day in a D.I. Class

• predictable, not rigid, schedule
• blocks of time for units of study
• procedures defined and in place
• students assuming responsibility
• voice and choice for students
• a variety of materials are in use
• flexible grouping occurs regularly
• daily reflection on learning
• regular community gatherings
• (for fun and problem solving)

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FLEXIBLE GROUPING

• Should be purposeful
• may be based on student interest, learning
  profile and/or readiness
• may be based on needs observed during learning
  times
• geared to accomplish curricular goals (K-U-D)
• Implementation
• purposefully plan using information collected
  interest surveys, learning profile inventories,
  exit cards, quick writes, observations, etc.
• list groups on an overhead place in folders or
  mailboxes
• on the fly as invitational groups
• Cautions
• avoid turning groups into tracking situations
• provide opportunities for students to work within
  a variety of groups
• practice moving into group situations and asuming
  roles within the group

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Round the Clock Learning Buddies
My Appointment Clock
Make an appointment with 12 different people
one for each hour on the clock. Be sure you both
record the appointment on your clocks. Only make
the appointment if there is an open slot at that
hour on both of your clocks.
Tape this paper inside a notebook, or to
something that you will bring to class each day.
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Anchor ActivitiesWhat Do I Do If I Finish Early?

• Work on independent study of your choice
• Play a math or language game
• Find out how to say your spelling words in
  another language
• Practice ACT / SAT cards
• Solve a challenge puzzle with write it up
• Practice anything!
• Get a jump on homework
• Use your imagination and creativity to challenge
  yourself!

• Read comics, letters, books, encyclopedia,
  poetry, etc.
• Write a letter, poetry in your Writers
  Notebook, a story, a comic, etc.
• Practice your cursive or calligraphy
• Keyboarding
• Help someone else
• Create math story problems or puzzles

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10 Strategies for Managing a Differentiated
Classroom

• Have a strong rationale for differentiating
  instruction based on student readiness, interest
  and learning profile.
• Begin differentiating at a pace that is
  comfortable for you.
• Time differentiated activities for student
  success.
• Use an anchor activity to free you up to focus
  your attention on your students.
• Create and deliver instructions carefully.

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10 Strategies for Managing a Differentiated
Classroom

• Have a home base for students.
• Be sure students have a plan for getting help
  when you are busy with another student or group.
• Give your students as much responsibility for
  their learning as possible.
• Engage your students in talking about classroom
  procedures and group processes.
• Use flexible grouping.

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• Students in a differentiated classroom do not
  need to work the system . . . . .
• because the system works for them!

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Remember to think of DIFFERENTIATION as the lens
you look through when using any materials,
programs or instructional strategies. How will
you use what you learn about today to
differentiate for YOUR students?
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Ask yourself . . . .

• SO WHAT?
• NOW WHAT?

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A Game Plan for Differentiation
1. Sharpen the curriculum

• Focus (K-U-D)
• Hook
• Ratchet
• Tighten

2. Assess the students

• Pre-assessments for Readiness
• Interest Inventories
• Learning Preference Surveys
• Anecdotal Data

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3. Design instruction

• Map the content, process, and product
• Whole class, small group, individual
  (flexible grouping)

4. Match tasks to learner need

• Adjust for Readiness, interest, learning profile
• Vary strategies
• Align with KUD

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5. Bring the students on board

• Develop rationale
• Establish routines and procedures
• Focus on shared decision-making
• Build autonomy

6. Reflect and refine

• Keep the loop going

Adapted from C. Tomlinson
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Begin Slowly Just Begin!
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OPTIONS FOR DIFFERENTIATION OF INSTRUCTION
To Differentiate Instruction By Readiness
To Differentiate Instruction By Interest
To Differentiate Instruction by Learning Profile
CA Tomlinson, UVa 97
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Where are you on the continuum of
DIFFERENTIATION?

• What will it take for you to move?
• What roadblocks are in your way?
• How can you remove them?

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My teacherdid not careas much aboutpage 51as
she didaboutME! S. Kronos
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Whatever it Takes!
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Where Do I Begin?Start small but start!
First Steps

Next Steps

Who will help or support you? ___________________
___________________ ___________________ __________
_________ ___________________ ___________________
___________________
Leaps

Bounds

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Suggested Resources Related to Differentiated
Instruction ASCD.org, Educational Leadership
magazine, ASCD video series Brandt, Ron (1998)
Powerful Learning. Alexandria, VA Association
for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Coope
r, J. David (2000). Literacy Helping Children
Construct Meaning, Fourth Edition. Boston, MA
Houghton Mifflin Co. Cummings, Carol (2000).
Winning Strategies for Classroom Management.
Alexandria, VA Association for Supervision and
Curriculum Development. Erickson, H. Lynn (1998).
Concept-Based Curriculum and Instruction
Teaching Beyond the Facts. Thousand Oaks, CA
Corwin Press, Inc. Erickson, H. Lynn (2001).
Stirring the Head, Heart, and Soul, Second
Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA Corwin Press,
Inc. Gibbs, Jeanne (1995). Tribes A New Way of
Learning and Being Together. Sausalito,
California Center Source Systems Jensen, Eric
(1998). Teaching With the Brain in Mind.
Alexandria, VA Association for Supervision and
Curriculum Development. Keene, Ellin Oliver
Zimmerman, Susan (1997). Mosaic of Thought
Teaching Comprehension in a Reader's Workshop.
Portsmouth, NH Heinemann Levine, Mel (2002). A
Mind at a Time. New York Simon and
Schuster. Marzano, Robert J. (2000).
Transforming Classroom Grading. Alexandria, VA
Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development. Marzano, Robert J. Pickering,
Debra J. Pollock, Jane E. (2001). Classroom
Instruction That Works Research-based
Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement.
Alexandria, VA Association for Supervision and
Curriculum Development. Silver, Harvey Strong,
Richard W. Perini, Matthew J. (2000). So Each
May Learn Integrating Learning Styles and
Multiple Intelligences. Alexandria, VA
Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development.
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Reeves, Douglas B. (2004). Accountability for
Learning How Teachers and Leaders Can Take
Charge. Alexandria, VA Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development. Sternberg,
Robert. (1998). Successful Intelligence How
Practical and Creative Intelligence Determine
Success in Life. Stiggins, Richard J. (1997).
Student-Centered Classroom Assessment, Second
Edition. New Jersey Prentice-Hall
Inc. Strachota, B. (1996). On Their Side
Helping Children Take Charge of Their Learning.
Greenfield, MA Northeast Society for
Children. Stronge, James H. (2002) Qualities of
Effective Teachers, Alexandria, VA Association
for Supervision and Curriculum
Development. Tomlinson, C. (1996).
Differentiating Instruction for Mixed Ability
Classrooms A Professional Inquiry Kit.
Alexandria, VA Association for Supervision and
Curriculum Development. Tomlinson, C. (1999).
The Differentiated Classroom Responding to the
Needs of All Learners. Alexandria, VA
Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development. Tomlinson, C. Allan, Susan D.
(2000). Leadership for Differentiating Schools
and Classrooms. Alexandria, VA Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Tomlinson, C. Eidson, Caroline Cunningham
(2003). Differentiation in Practice A Resource
Guide for Differentiating Curriculum, Grades
K-5. Alexandria, VA Association for Supervision
and Curriculum Development. Tomlinson, C.
(2003). Fulfilling the Promise of the
Differentiated Classroom Strategies and Tools
for Responsive Teaching. Alexandria, VA
Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development. Wiggins, Grant McTighe, Jay
(1998. Understanding By Design. Alexandria, VA
Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development. Winebrenner, S. (2001). Teaching
Gifted Kids in the Regular Classroom (revised,
expanded, updated edition). Minneapolis, MN
Free Spirit. Winebrenner, S. (1996). Teaching
Kids With Learning Difficulties in the Regular
Classroom. Minneapolis, MN Free Spirit.