Dare to Differentiate

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Dare to Differentiate

• Deborah Espitia
• Coordinator of World Languages ESOL
• Leslie Grahn
• World Language Resource Teacher
• Howard County Public Schools, Maryland
• despitia_at_hcpss.org
• lgrahn_at_hcpss.org

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Lets do a fuel gauge check
1/4 tank in need of more fuel
1/2 tank enough to take short trips
3/4 tank ready for a long journey
full tank enough fuel to share with others
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Warm-up Mixed readiness groups

• Create a group of 3 or 4 who have a variety of
  fuel levels indicated on their gauge.
• Sit together in a group.

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Warm-up Readiness groups

• Cut and paste activity In your groups, cut
  apart and collaboratively develop categories for
  the ideas on the strips of paper. Glue them to
  the large colored paper and label with the agreed
  upon categories.

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Differentiation Foldable
Differentiation strategies Ive tried
Challenges to incorporating differentiation
Questions I have about differentiation
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Workshop Choice Board
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Dare to Differentiate Outcomes Participants will

• Build background knowledge of research and
  application of differentiation strategies.
• Participate in simulations of differentiation
  strategies.
• Create differentiated activities for immediate
  use in their classrooms.
• Receive a packet full of differentiation activity
  templates and examples.

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What about my special needs learners?
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Who are the diverse learners in our classrooms?
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The diversity of our diverse learners

• Ability
• Gender
• Ethnicity
• Socio-economics
• Interests
• Prior experiences
• Learning preferences

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Lining it all up TRADITIONAL TEACHING LENS
????
????
Teaching to the middle ????????????????????????

• Struggling learners

Advanced learners
Regular/Average learners
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Lining it all up DIFFERENTIATION TEACHING LENS
???? ???? ???? ???? ???? ???? ???? ???? ????

• Struggling learners

Advanced learners
Students positions on this continuum change
from theme to theme, topic to topic, level to
level.
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Lining it all up DIFFERENTIATION Speaking

• Struggling learners

Advanced learners
Students positions on this continuum change
from theme to theme, topic to topic, level to
level.
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Lining it all up DIFFERENTIATION Writing

• Struggling learners

Advanced learners
Students positions on this continuum change
from theme to theme, topic to topic, level to
level.
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Lining it all up DIFFERENTIATION Preterit

• Struggling learners

Advanced learners
Students positions on this continuum change
from theme to theme, topic to topic, level to
level.
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Lining it all up DIFFERENTIATION Imperfect

• Struggling learners

Advanced learners
Students positions on this continuum change
from theme to theme, topic to topic, level to
level.
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Lining it all up DIFFERENTIATION Art Unit

• Struggling learners

Advanced learners
Students positions on this continuum change
from theme to theme, topic to topic, level to
level.
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Lining it all up DIFFERENTIATION Sports Unit

• Struggling learners

Advanced learners
Students positions on this continuum change
from theme to theme, topic to topic, level to
level.
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Suggestions for working with struggling learners

• Look for the learners positives.
• Dont let whats broken extinguish what works.
• Pay attention to relevance.
• Go for powerful learning.
• Teach up.
• Use many avenues to learning.
• See with the eyes of love.

Tomlinson, How to Differentiate Instruction in
Mixed-Ability Classrooms, ASCD
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DIFFERENTIATIONWhat is it?
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Differentiation based on research and writings of

• Carol Ann Tomlinson
• Professor of Educational Leadership
• University of Virginia

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A definition

• "What we share in common makes us human. How we
  differ makes us individuals. In a classroom with
  little or no differentiated instruction, only
  student similarities seem to take center stage.

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A definition

• In a differentiated classroom, commonalities
  are acknowledged and built upon, and student
  differences become important elements in teaching
  and learning as well ....

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A definition

• Students have multiple options for
• taking in information
• making sense of ideas
• expressing what they learn.

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A definition

• In other words, a differentiated classroom
  provides different avenues to
• acquiring content
• processing or making sense of ideas
• and developing products."

Carol Ann Tomlinson
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Differentiation Non-Negotiables

• Supportive learning environment
• Continuous assessment
• High-quality curriculum
• Respectful tasks
• Flexible grouping

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The Cogs of Differentiation
Tomlinson, 2003
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Differentiation
is a teachers response to learners needs
guided by general principles of differentiation,
such as
respectful tasks
ongoing assessment
flexible grouping
Teachers can differentiate
according to students
through a range of instructional and management
strategies
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Differentiation concepts

• Classroom elements
• Content
• Process
• Products
• Learning Environment/ Affect
• Assessment

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Differentiation

• Content
• Process
• Product
• Environment
• Assessment

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Differentiation

• Content
• Process
• Product
• Environment
• Assessment

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Differentiation

• Content
• Process
• Product
• Environment
• Assessment

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Differentiation

• Content
• Process
• Product
• Environment
• Assessment

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Differentiation

• Content
• Process
• Product
• Environment
• Assessment

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How do I know how to DIFFERENTIATE?
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Strategies for getting to know our learners
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Knowing the learner
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Differentiation Concepts

• Student characteristics
• Readiness
• Interest
• Learning Profile

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Differentiation Concepts

• Learning Profile
• Grouping Preferences
• Cognitive Style
• Learning Environment Needs
• Information Processing

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Differentiation Concepts

• Readiness Interests
• Pre-assessments
• Every Student Response
• Surveys
• ??

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TV Interest groups

• On a colored index card, write the name of your
  two favorite television shows.
• Find five other people who have at least one
  show/type of show in common with you.
• Sit together in a group.

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How well do I know my students?

• Think of a particular student.
• Create a web of information you know about that
  student.

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How well do I know my students?

• Highlight and label the learner characteristic
  for each item
• Learning profile LP
• Interest I
• Readiness R

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How well do I know my students?

• What dont you know that would be helpful?
• Reflect on how you might get to know that student
  better.

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Strategies for getting to know our
learners-LEARNING PROFILE
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Strategies for getting to know our
learners-LEARNINGPROFILE
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MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES
Visual- Spatial
Musical- Rhythmic
Naturalist
Logical- Mathematical
Bodily-Kinesthetic
Verbal-Linguistic
Intrapersonal
Interpersonal
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Strategies for getting to know our
learners-LEARNINGPROFILE
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Strategies for getting to know our
learners-INTEREST
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Strategies for getting to know our
learners-READINESS
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Time for a break!
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Digging deeper into DIFFERENTIATION
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What are respectful tasks?

• Respectful tasks
• Emphasize strengths.
• Are relevant.
• Provide choices.
• Stretch students.
• Scaffold learning.

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Differentiation Strategies

• Learning Centers
• Tiered Assignments
• R.A.F.T.s
• Choice Boards
• Flexible Grouping

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DIFFERENTIATION STRATEGIESLearning Centers
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What are Learning Centers?

• Areas set up in the classroom with learning
  activities directed at a specific
• Interest
• Skill
• Extended study of essential concept

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Learning Centers (random groupings)

(pink) A (green) B (yellow) C (orange)
D (white) E
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Reflection onLearning Centers

• How could I transform the learning centers I
  just experienced to ones I can use for my
  classroom?

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• Learning Centers
• A Picture prompt
• B Color coding activity
• C Experience with/not
• D Highlight words that relate
• E Choose from lists

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(No Transcript)
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SUGAR RUSH!!!

• Whats your favorite dessert?

Line up alphabetically based on your favorite
desserts first letter.
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Fuel gauge check

• Think about your comfort level with
  differentiation in terms of a fuel gauge.

1/4 tank in need of more fuel
1/2 tank enough to take short trips
3/4 tank ready for a long journey
full tank enough fuel to share with others
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DIFFERENTIATION STRATEGIESRAFT Assignments
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RAFT Assignments

• Focus on
• Writing and reasoning
• Ideas around a topic
• Student choice, interest
• Learning styles, preferences

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What does RAFT mean?

• R ROLE
• A AUDIENCE
• F FORMAT
• T TOPIC

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Lets build a RAFT
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RAFT Assignments

• As a group, choose a topic for your RAFT.
• Individually, choose a role and then add your
  RAFT idea to the template.

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DIFFERENTIATION STRATEGIESChoice Boards
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CHOICE BOARDS

• Students choose from a menu of options
• Tasks vary by process and interest
• Some anchor activities can be required of all
  students
• Can be used for homework, projects, and
  assessment

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Build Your OwnChoice Board

• Choose a content topic and language structure.
• Create a choice board of activities, projects, or
  performances with your diverse student learners
  in mind.

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DIFFERENTIATION STRATEGIESTiered Assignments
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Tiered Assignments

• What are they?
• Tiered assignments are parallel tasks at varied
  levels of complexity, depth and abstractness with
  various degrees of scaffolding, support, or
  direction. Students work on different levels of
  activities, all with the same essential
  understanding or goal in mind.

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Tiered Assignments

• What are they?
• Tiered assignments accommodate mainly for
  differences in student readiness and performance
  levels and allow students to work toward a goal
  or objective at a level that builds on their
  prior knowledge and encourages continued growth.

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Tiered Assignments

• Why use them?
• One of the main benefits of tiered assignments is
  that they allow students to work on tasks that
  are neither too easy nor too difficult.
• They are highly motivating because they allow
  students to be successful at their level of
  readiness.
• Tiered assignments also allow students to work in
  their specific learning styles or preferences.

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Tiered Assignments How to use them?

• 1. Make sure all tiered activities are introduced
  with the same level of enthusiasm and interest.
• 2. Take care to give different work, not simply
  more or less work, for different tiers.
• 3. Ensure that all students are equally involved
  and active.
• 4. Ensure that all activities are equally
  appealing and desirable.

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Tomlinsons Equalizer
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Analyzing aTiered Assignment

• Parallel tasks
• Varying levels of complexity
• Various degrees of scaffolding, support, or
  direction
• Different levels of activity with same essential
  goals
• Builds on prior knowledge and encourages
  continued growth

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DIFFERENTIATION STRATEGIES Flexible Grouping
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How did we group you today?

• Interest (TV shows)
• Random (colored index cards)
• Interest (favorite dessert)
• Mixed Readiness (fuel gauge)

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Fuel gauge check

• Think about your comfort level with
  differentiation in terms of a fuel gauge.

1/4 tank in need of more fuel
1/2 tank enough to take short trips
3/4 tank ready for a long journey
full tank enough fuel to share with others
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Dare to Differentiate Wiki

• daretodifferentiate.wikispaces.com

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Dare to Differentiate wiki daretodifferentiate.wi
kispaces.com
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Differentiation Buddies
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Wait! Weve got . . .
PRIZES !!!
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Dare to DIFFERENTIATE

• Take the dare.

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Dare to DIFFERENTIATE

• despitia_at_hcpss.org
• lgrahn_at_hcpss.org