FULFILLING THE PROMISE OF

DIFFERENTIATION:RESPONDING TO THE

NEEDS OF ALL LEARNERS

"If you honor growth you will consistently do what is best for all kids.“

Linda Foote, Instructional Technology Specialist Poway Unified School District

The idea of differentiating instruction to accommodate the different ways that students learn involves a hefty dose of common sense, as well as sturdy support in the theory and research of education (Tomlinson & Allan, 2000). It is an approach to teaching that advocates active planning for student differences in classrooms.

Differentiation

“Effective teachers know that their students vary --- in their interests and motivation, their background knowledge and prior experiences, and their culture and language proficiency as well as their literacy achievement --- so it’s important to take these individual differences into account as they plan for instruction.”

-Gail E. Tompkins (2010)

Differentiation is NOT…

Writing 30 different lesson plans.Teaching at a slow pace so that everyone can keep

up.Abandoning whole-class teaching, setting a task, and

then letting pupils/groups work at their own pace through a worksheet.

Expecting some students to do better than others and calling it ‘differentiation by outcome’.

Humiliating the slow learners by drawing attention to their limitations.

Allowing less able learners to copy or draw. Making more advanced learners do extension

assignments after completing their "regular" work

What it is NOT…NOT a separate individualized set of lessons for each

childNOT chaoticNOT homogeneous groupingNOT giving all the students the same work and

assignments all of the timeNOT merely having centers in the roomNOT assigning extra work to those who need a challengeNOT quantitativeNOT assigning worksheets for struggling students

"Guide on the Side rather than the Sage on the Stage“

Dr. Roger Taylor (Curriculum Design for Excellence, Inc.)

•Differentiation is a process through which teachers enhance learning by matching student characteristics to instruction and assessment.

•Teachers can differentiate content, process, and/or product for students (Tomlinson, 1997).

• It is proactive, student-centered,

•The teacher becomes a facilitator, assessor of students and planner of activities rather than an instructor.

What it IS…

What else it IS…Having a vision that all students can succeedProviding a variety of assignments to meet the

various ways that students learnRecognize the learning styles of your studentsAllowing for students to choose (with teacher

direction) the route for learningProviding opportunities for students to

demonstrate proficiency in an area they already know and allowing them to move forward

Qualitative

Ways to Differentiate Instruction

Teachers modify instruction in three key ways:

1. content 2. process 3. productThe content is “what” is taught. The process is the “how” of teaching.The product is the end result of learning.

The Content

Meeting Standards for your grade level

The knowledge, the strategies, the skills

Teachers decide how to differentiate the content by assessing students’ knowledge before they begin to teach

Matching students with appropriate activities

The Process

The type of instruction that teachers provide

The instructional materials that teachers use

The activities that students are involved inThe lesson design which includes

variations of the three groups patterns:1.Whole group2.Small group3.One-on-one (Individual)

The Product

Shows the student’s personal interpretationShows what the student knowsDemonstrates what the student

understandsDemonstrates how well the student can

apply what they have learnedDemonstrated through a variety of forms:

Created projects, posters, oral reports, board games, websites, poems, etc.

Grouping Patterns:Students must read and write

everyday!

Mini-lesson: whole group or small group instruction or one-on-one

Guided Reading: small groupsLiterature Circle: small groupMaking words: Whole group, small group,

individualLearning Centers: Partners or small groupQuick Write: IndividualReaders Theatre: small groups

Best Classroom Blending

Whole group: Ex. The mini-lessonSmall group: Ex. Guided ReadingIndividual: Ex.

Effective Teachers Believe That…

All students have areas of strength.All students have areas that need to be strengthened.Each student’s brain is as unique as a fingerprint. It is never too late to learn.When beginning a new topic, students bring their prior

knowledge base and experience to the learning, Emotions, feelings, and attitudes affect learning.All students can learn.Students learn in different ways at different times.

THROUGH ASSESSMENT

Beginning where the children are at and moving them

on is surely the key to good teaching.

Let’s Try the Jigsaw

Differentiation is customizing instruction-

A one size does NOT fit all philosophy.

“Differentiation of instruction means “shaking up” what goes

on in the classroom so that students have multiple options

for taking in information, making sense of ideas, and

expressing what they learn.”

-Tomlinson (2001)

“In differentiated classrooms, teachers provide specific ways for

students to learn as deeply as possible and as quickly as possible

without assuming one student’s road map

for learning is identical to anyone else’s.”

-Tomlinson(2001)

If a child does not learn the way you teach,

then teach him the way he learns.

Classroom Formats

Tiered lessons/assignmentsCompactingIndependent Study/ProjectsLearning Stations or CentersFlexible GroupingMultiple Leveled QuestionsLearning ContractsChoice BoardSimulationsPresentations

Tapping into Multiple Intelligences

Three Key Implementations:1. Learning Centers or Stations2. Simulations3. Presentations

Learning Stations and Centers

Small group or individual activitiessupplies /materials available to complete

activityResearch supports centers work at

elementary, middle and high school levelsMeaningful, standards based, student

accountabilityVary activities to blend multiple intelligences

and learning styles

SimulationsActivities that allow students to experiment

with real-world activitiesRather than hear about HOW to do a

behavior, students will learn how to DO the behavior with greater understanding

Behavior is learned by experienceExamples include:

debate role-playing

PresentationsAllow students to :Speak to an audienceSuccessfully demonstrate an understanding

of the subject matterPresent using different strategiesOrganize information in a an effective wayExamples include:

Simple taking in front of class A written report A power point

Multiple IntelligencesWhat are they?• Verbal-Linguistic• Mathematical-Logical• Musical• Visual-Spatial• Kinesthetic-Bodily• Interpersonal• Intrapersonal• Naturalist• Existential

Instructional Best Practices and StrategiesKWL

Think-pair-shareLiteratute cirlces and guides reading groupsMarking the text Do Not Like this slide

Assessment & Evaulaution

Portfolio assessmentsObservationsSkills checklistOral reportsWritten reportsDemonstrationsRecording sheets from centersSamples of student workRubrrics

“Fair is when everyone doesn’t

necessarily get the same.Fair is when everyone

gets what he or she needs!”

-Carol Ann Tomlinson