Investing Time in Differentiated Instruction:

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Investing Time in Differentiated Instruction

• An Investment Well Worth It

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• TODAY!
• Introduction to D.I.
• November
• Classroom Management
• December
• Assessment
• January-May
• Strategies! Strategies! and more Strategies!

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Why Dont We Differentiate?

• Not enough time to plan/assess for each
  individual child
• Its easier to teach to the middle and hope for
  the best
• Some dont know how to do it
• Not enough personnel in the room to help
• Not enough money/resources
• Not enough space in the classroom
• Some feel that special education, title 1
  teachers or parents should provide instruction at
  the childs level
• Its not fair to the others in the classroom

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No Excuses!

• It takes little to no space
• It takes little money/resources
• Background knowledge can be acquired
• Strategies are easy
• It makes kids feel competent
• Makes inclusion a reality
• It invigorates teachers
• Most teachers are already doing it!
• Dont need permission to do it
• Fairness is not an issue

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• Fair is not equal fair is giving a child what
  he/she needs.
• Carol Ann Tomlinson

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• To treat kids equitably, we must treat them
  differently.
• Jim Grant

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Rationale State of Ohio 2003 Annual Report

• 4th 6th graders at the proficient level only in
  writing
• 109 districts are excellent (21-22 performance
  indicators)
• 191 are effective (17-20 indicators)
• 257 are in continuous improvement (11-16)
• 33 are in academic watch (7-10)
• 18 are in academic emergency (6?)

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Parma

• Continuous improvement status (15 out of 22
  indicators)
• 4th 6th graders are not proficient in Math,
  Reading and Science
• Children with Disabilities are proficient only in
  writing (6th gd. is also in Citizenship)

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• If students arent learning from the way we
  teach, then we need to teach them in the way that
  they learn.
• Forsten, Grant, Hollas, 2002

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To affect change we as teachers must

• Assess, learn and know our students strengths
  and weaknesses
• Tailor our instruction to meet these individual
  needs
• The key to success!
• Understanding and implementing Differentiated
  Assessment/Instruction!

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What exactly is D.I.?

• Qualitative more so than quantitative
• Rooted in assessment
• Provides multiple approaches to content, process
  and product
• Student centered
• Is a blend of whole-class, group, and individual
  instruction

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• In a Nutshell
• The teacher in a DI classroom
• Focuses on the essentials by modifying content,
  process and products
• Attends to student differences, readiness,
  interests, and learning profiles and uses the
  information for planning
• Uses a variety of assessments continually and
  measures student achievement against himself, not
  others
• Has independence/decision making/problem solving
  as a goal for individual students as well as
  class as a whole
• Is flexible and uses flexible arrangements for
  learning
• Provides choice and variety to her students

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• Teachers in differentiated classrooms believe
  that instruction should not be the upholstery
  model of education covering material is not
  their sole goal.
• Jim Grant

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Basic Understandings Needed

• Brain-based learning theory
• Gardners Multiple Intelligence theory
• Knowledge of Blooms Taxonomy
• 4. Knowledge of your students strengths and
  weaknesses.

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Brain Based Learning

• Based on the philosophy that childrens brains
  operate better under certain conditions and
  teaching to these help children learn better.
• For example
• Principal 1
• The brain seeks patterns, connections and
  relationships between and among prior and new
  learning

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• 2. The brain pays attention to meaningful
  information and deletes that which is not
  relevant.
• 3. Brain responds to challenge and not to
  threat. Emotions enhance learning.
• If you dont use it, you lose it. Practice and
  rehearsal makes learning stick.
• The brain is a parallel processor. It can do many
  things at one time. Visual stimuli is recalled
  with 90 accuracy.
• 6. The brain is social. Collaboration
  facilitates understanding higher order thinking.

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• 7. The brain responds to high challenge and
  continues to strive based on feedback
• 8. The brain is curious and has an innate need
  to make meaningful patterns
• 9. The brain responds to wholes and parts. All
  learners need to open mental files into which
  new learning will be hooked.
• From Designing Brain Compatible Learning 2nd
  edition 2003 Parry and Gregory

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Multiple Intelligences/Entry Points

• Based on Howard Gardners 8 intelligences
• Verbal-Linguistic
• Logical-Mathematical
• Visual-Spatial
• Intrapersonal
• Interpersonal
• Bodily-Kinesthetic
• Musical-Rhythmic
• Naturalistic

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Blooms Taxonomy

• Original
• Knowledge
• Comprehension
• Application
• Analysis
• Synthesis
• Evaluation

• Revised
• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create

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Just to Name a Few DI Strategies That Help All
Children Succeed

• Literature circles/Book clubs
• Curriculum compacting
• Tiered activities
• Learning Contracts/Learning Centers
• Flexible grouping

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• If a teacher keeps using the same strategies
  over and over and the student keeps failing, who
  is really the slow learner?
• Eric Jensen