Differentiated Instruction

Tracy QuattroneHamilton County Educational Service Center

January 2008

Differentiated Instruction

Responding to All Students’ Needs

Programming for Talent Development:

“Levels of Service”

I: Services for ALL students in the classroom, building, district – General Differentiation(Ohio Content Standards, Thinking Skills, Learning Styles, Group Projects…)

II: Service for MANY students – General Differentiation(projects and groupings based on interest and emerging talents, activities and groupings

targeting readiness, advanced classes…)

III. SOME students-need alternative opportunities – Systematic Differentiation based on learner need

(ELO Resource Room and Math for a Grade options…)

IV: A FEW students- benefit from services that are highly individualized

(Activities planned through careful, detailed assessment of student’s unique characteristics, acceleration, self-contained classes)

(Grade and/or subject Acceleration…)

Adapted from Center for Creative Learning 1997

Understanding Differentiation• Differentiation is a philosophy which includes pre-

planning as well as a set of instructional strategies.• Differentiation is not always visible, but is a way of

thinking about instruction.• Differentiated lessons have rigorous expectations for all.• Differentiation offers time for choice, however the teacher

guides students in making those choices.• Differentiation means providing appropriate scaffolding

to help all learners reach common learning goals.• Differentiated lesson planning takes professional

understanding and often a change in beliefs which may result in more planning time for teachers.

• Differentiation is different and thus not “fair”.

ContentProductProcess

Readiness Learning ProfileInterest

Differentiation of InstructionIs a teacher’s response to learners’ needs

Guided by general principles of differentiationsuch as

Respectful Tasks

Ongoing AssessmentAnd Adjustment

Flexible Grouping

Teachers can differentiate

According to Student’s

Through a range of instructional and management strategies

From works by Carol Ann Tomlinson

As a parent you may notice that thoughtful Differentiation

can be delivered through instructional and management strategies

such as:Questioning Strategies

Menu BoardsTiered Assignments

Reading GroupsFlexible GroupingAnchor Activities

Classroom Community and Environment

Bloom’s Taxonomy

SynthesisEvaluation

AnalysisApplication

ComprehensionKnowledge

Reading Assignment Tiered by ChallengeExamine the dimensions of setting, character, plot, mood/tone/point of view,

theme.

BEYOND

Justify which setting best furthers the plot or theme in a critical essay.

OR

Devise alternative settings and describe how they might affect the plot or ending. (essay, drama, or chart)

AT

Compare and contrast the impact of point of view on character development in first and in third person stories.

Share your findings in an essay or chart.

WORKING TOWARD

Define the elements and place on a chart.

Describe how the author addresses each dimension in the short story.

Share your work in a journal or self-selected product.

FLEXIBLE GROUPING

Anchor Activities are ongoing

assignments that students can work on independently throughout a unit, a grading period or longer. Enrichment FoldersCenters Independent StudiesTechnology Programs and Exploration

Addressing Fairness

in the Classroom Community

“Not that everyone gets the same, rather,

everyone gets what he/she needs.”

“In order to be fair, we must

treat them differently.”

Planning for Differentiation

Visioning… for DifferentiationUnderstands that implementation is a multi-year approach and has many implementation facets.

Provides consistency of direction and sustainability of action over a long period of time.

Focuses on classroom practices that are responsive.

Connects to current initiatives and compliments professional learning.

Assesses, meets and trains teachers where they feel comfortable (zone of proximal development).

Sparks the interest and excitement of stakeholders.(Leadership for Differentiating Schools and Classrooms)

Forest Hills

• Past professional learning that included specific differentiation strategies

• Current Technology and T.A.B.L.E.T. Initiative provides avenues in which to implement differentiation

• Current Understanding by Design Initiative provides a framework for differentiation to fit authentically

• Current analysis of student data provides a rationale and need for differentiated instruction

• Future Curriculum Reviews allow for strategies to be embedded as well as targeted training to occur

Differentiated Schools

Community Building

High Quality Curriculum

Flexible Grouping

On Going Assessment

Teachers as leaders

Collaboration and Sharing of Ideas, Resources and Materials

Targeted Professional Learning

Varied Instruction Based on Student Need

Choices

What can parents do:

• Ask questions• Support rigorous learning at home• Understand you may not see differentiation every

day• Realize differentiation could look different

depending on the topic of study• Provide avenues for deeper exploration• Discuss fairness with your child• Promote effort and not just grades

Differentiation Resources

• Carol Ann Tomlinson• Bertie Kingore• Carolyn Coil• Diane Heacox• Susan Winebrenner• Sheryn Spencer Northey• Joan Smutny