Differentiated Instruction

1
Differentiated Instruction

• Southborough School Committee
• October 5, 2006

2
History of Differentiation

• The concept of differentiation is as old as
  Confucius
• To teach them, you have to start where they are.

3
One Room Schoolhouse

• DI was a way of lifeteachers were flexible in
  their use of
• Time Space
• Materials Grouping

4
Evidence from the Literature

• Educational researchers and theorists are in
  agreement
• Teaching with student variance in mind yields
  positive results.
• Carol Ann Tomlinson

5
Simple Definition of DI

• Making sure individual students get the support
  they need to learn as much as they can as
  efficiently as they can
• Carol Ann Tomlinson (2005)

6
Common Sense

• One size does NOT fit all!
• In the Southborough Public Schools, we attempt to
  tailor instruction to individual success

7
Differentiated Instruction Makes Sense

• What the best and wisest parent wants for his
  own child, that must the community want for all
  of its children(Dewey, 1900).

8
Mission of the District

• To maximize academic achievement, social
  responsibility, and lifelong learning by
  attending to the intellectual and developmental
  needs of individual students in supportive
  classroom environments.

9
Some Concerns

• Because differentiated instruction is often
  subtle, students and parents are not always aware
  of its extent in the classroom
• Most teachers and parents were not students in
  effectively differentiated classrooms so there is
  a learning curve for all
• Most teachers believe students benefit from
  differentiated instruction but worry about its
  feasibility it is not really that cumbersome

10
Recent Research Tells Us

• Students learn best when there is a moderate
  level of challenge
• Motivation increases when student interests are
  linked to desired outcomes
• Students learn more efficiently when learning
  preferencesare addressed in their classrooms

11
Activities for 2006-2007

• 1. Principals and administrators will be taking
  a two-day refresher course on DI from consultant
  Louise Thompson
• Principals will continue to work with teachers on
  DI strategies as part of their formal
  observations and during their frequent
  walk-throughs
• 3. DI will be integrated into several
  professional development offerings in the district

12
Southborough Schools Overview

• Mary Ryan Mary Finn School
• Jim Randell Woodward School
• Joanne Irish Neary School
• Linda Murdock Trottier Middle School