4j Differentiation Workshop

Session 1 K-1

Presented byElizabeth Hynes, Raquel Gwynn, Kathy Luiten, Marlee Litten, and Kerri Sage

Get ready for blast off!

Goals for TodayLearn about the key components of differentiation.

Acquire tools to help with differentiation in the classroom

Collaboration time with colleagues

Norms for Collaborative Work

•Equity of Voice

•Active Listening

•Safety to Share Different Perspectives

“To get through the hardest journey we need take only one step at a time, but we must

keep on stepping”

Chinese Proverb

Differentiated Instruction

What we call differentiation is not a recipe for teaching. It is not an instructional strategy. It is not what a teacher does when he or she has time. It is a way of thinking about teaching and learning. It is a philosophy.

-Carol Ann Tomlinson

What is Differentiation?• Differentiation can be defined as a way of teaching in

which teachers proactively modify curriculum, teaching methods, resources, learning activities, and student products to address the needs of individual students and/or small groups of students to maximize the learning opportunity for each student in the classroom.

• Differentiation is a way of thinking about teaching and learning that seeks to recognize, learn about, and address the particular learning needs of each student. To that end, teachers use varied approaches to curriculum, instruction, and assessment.

• Differentiation adapts what we teach, how we teach, how students learn, and how students show what they have learned based on the readiness levels, interests, and preferred learning modes of students.

Tomlinson, C.; Brighton, C; Brimijoin, K.; Callahan, C.; Hertberg, H.; Moon, T.; Canover, L.; Reynolds, T. (2003). Differentiating instruction in response to

student readiness, interest, and learning profile in academically diverse classrooms: A review of literature. Journal for the Education of the Gifted,

27 (2/3), pp. 119-145

Why Differentiate?• The number of English Language Learners in classrooms across the country

is increasing. (Center for Immigration Studies, 2001). English Language learners face the daunting task of mastering complex subject matter even as they learn a new language.

• The achievement gap for minority learners continues in schools across the country. (Haycock, 2001) Closing the achievement gap and increasing student achievement are a major goals of most school districts in our state.

• Special education has moved steadily toward the goal of inclusive instruction for many students with disabilities. (U.S. Department of Education, 2006). This is based on the premise that ALL students are an important part of general education, both benefiting and benefitting from interactions with a wide variety of learners.

• Our brightest students may be losing academic and motivational ground in classrooms ill-equipped to ensure that they, like other students, are expected to progress at least a year’s worth in an academic year. (Callahan, et al., 2000)

Video

Pre-Assessment

Unless a teacher uses some form of pre-assessment to make decisions about instruction, students’ levels of readiness, interest, and learning profiles will remain untapped.

-Carol Ann Tomlinson

Zone of Proximal Development

Smart Goal•S- specific, significant, stretching

•M- measurable, meaningful, motivational

•A- agreed upon, attainable, achievable, acceptable

•R- relevant, realistic, reasonable, rewarding, results

•T- timely, time-based, tangible

Readiness

Readiness vs. Ability

Readiness levels vary over time, topic, and circumstance

Zone of proximal development

Student self efficacy

General cognitive proficiency

Prior learning and life experiences

Attitudes about school

Habits of mind

Readiness is influenced by:

A student’s knowledge, understanding, and skill related to a particular sequence

of learning. (Tomlinson, 2003)

Learning ProfileThe ways in which we learn best as

individuals

Learning-Style preferences

Intelligence Preferences

Culture-Influenced Preferences

Gender-Based Preferences

The Categories of Learning Profile Factors:

Interest

By drawing on existing student interest:Teachers help students realize that there

is a match between school and their own desire to learn.

Teachers demonstrate the connectedness between all learning

Teachers Use skills or ideas familiar to students as a bridge to ideas or skills less familiar to them

Teachers enhance student motivation

Affect

Students emotions and feelings

How students feel about themselves, their work, and the classroom as a whole

Positive affect is more likely to support student learning than negative or neutral affect. (Given, 2002; Wolfe, 2001)

“All children can learn” does not mean “all children learn the same.” Furthermore, diversity is not merely about external characteristics. If

we’re really going to take this seriously, that means we start looking at diversity on the inside as well as diversity on the outside.

-Donald Reeves

10 Minute Break

How is pre-assessment different from other

assessments?

Summative Assessments- Assessments OF learning

Formative Assessments- Assessments FOR learning

Pre-assessments- Assessments directing us where to start (formative)

Types and Frequency of

Pre-assessmentsReadiness- Prior to introduction of a new skill set or unit

Interest- One time, usually beginning of the year

Learning Profile- One time, usually beginning of the year

Affect- One time, usually beginning of the year

Rate Yourselfteaching art

teaching math

driving in the snow

getting up in the morning

hearing an argument

riding on a plane

going to the mall

bright lights

not having enough time

having a schedule change

attending a district training

the IIPM model

listening to music

Compare Results At your table discuss:

1.What did you have in common?

2.What was different?

3.Think how this might also be true for your class

4.How might you use this in your class?

5.What might you ask them to rate?

Using Pre-assessments

to build a differentiated class

environment

Components of a Class EnvironmentPhysical and visualFurniture, materials, sensory, wall space, etc.Routines and expectationsOpening, large group, small group, etc.AtmosphereSafe, inviting, active learning, respect, etc.

How might you use information from pre-assessments to create

a differentiated environment?

ActivityBuilding a

differentiated class environment

Find your sample class (Class A, B, or C)

Gather materials- poster paper, felt pens, etc.

Overview of activity

Activity- Part 1Physical/Visual

Look at your class description

Draw a physical layout of the room

Furniture and wall items

List materials you would have available

Activity- Part 2Routines/Expectations

List or create examples of specific routines you would establish in your class

List class expectations (may have more than one set based upon activities) that would help support a differentiated classroom

Activity- Part 3Atmosphere

Describe what someone would see when they visited your classroom that would show evidence of:

safety respect learninginclusion of all students

Followed by our Gallery Walk and debrief of the activity

Break

Pre-assessment of

Readiness

Readiness

Readiness vs. Ability

Readiness levels vary over time, topic, and circumstance

Zone of proximal development

Student self efficacy

General cognitive proficiency

Prior learning and life experiences

Attitudes about school

Habits of mind

Readiness is influenced by:

A student’s knowledge, understanding, and skill related to a particular sequence

of learning. (Tomlinson, 2003)

What information do we already

have?•EasyCBM benchmark data

•Weekly/Unit assessments from the core

•Progress Monitoring

•Teacher observation and work samples

OAKS

EasyCBM Benchmark

Pre-Assessment

Unit/Weekly Test

State

District

Grade Level

Classroom

Individual Diagnostic

Susan Bray Video

•Look for systems and routines she has in place that facilitate differentiation.

•Look for examples of how she used pre-assessment.

Examples of Pre-assessment for

ReadinessEntry/Exit Cards

Quick Response

Walk arounds or observational notes

White boards

Walk through your tool kit & discuss

Pre-assessing Readiness

Know where you want students to be (clear goals)

Begin where they are

Don’t assume that they are low in all areas if they are low in one area

Keep groupings flexible

Zone of Proximal Development

Preparing Pre-assessments

Readiness1.Look at your instructional unit

2.Choose one strand of the Big 5

3.Identify the focus skill for that strand and unit (e.g. comprehension- sequence of events)

4.Identify what you want your students to know, understand, and demonstrate. (Clear Goal)

5.Match a pre-assessment format that will tell you the readiness levels of your students for the desired goal.

Establish Clear GoalsGoal (what I want students to know):•Sequence the events in the story. (EL.01.LI.06)

Understand (big ideas, principles, generalizations):•Good readers think about how parts of a story are organized. They do this to better understand what they read.

Demonstrate (what I want my students to be able to do):•Identify important information•Identify sequence words in reading (e.g. first, last, then, after, next, second)•Use sequence words to write, illustrate, and/or retell

Which Pre-assessment?1.After reading aloud a short story,

students will select 4 pictures from the story to place in order to show the stories sequence.

2.After reading aloud a short story, students will draw pictures or write about the sequence of events that occurred in the story

Descriptor Student

•Sort pre-assessments into 4 groups

•Describe one student in each group to use as a guide to help you plan your differentiated smart goals

Lesson Planning TemplateActivity

Planning a Differentiated

Lesson1.Clear Goal- What do I want students to know, understand, and do?

2.Pre-assessment tool3.How students performed4.Description based on one student per

level5.Differentiated goals (Next session)6.Differentiated instruction (Next session)

A differentiated start, based upon pre-assessment of a clear goal

+Differentiated goals based upon student

growth +

The use of research based instructional strategies in instruction of the skills

=

STUDENT SUCCESS

Homework•Using a planning sheet in your tool kit packet, identify what you want your students to know, understand, and demonstrate. (Clear Goal)

•Match a pre-assessment format that will tell you the readiness levels of your students for the desired goal.

•Give the pre-assessment

•Group your students according to the sample student descriptions you come up with from your pre-assessment

•Next time we will work on differentiating goals, products, and process.