Strategies for the Differentiated Classroom

7/22/2019 Strategies for the Differentiated Classroom

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IS IT

DIFFERENTIATEDOR JUST DIFFERENT?

Strategies for the Differentiated Classroom

Teacher Resource BookletDeveoped By

Jan Osier and Marjorie Rodman

DoDDs!urope


2/13

Differentiated Instruction is.Proactive: planning ahead to address the varied needs of the learners in the classroom"

Qualitative: #djusting the $uantity of an assignment is less effective than adjusting thenature off the assignment" More is not necessarily %etter &hen it comes to masterying a

skill"

Assessment Based: Discussions' &ork' o%servation' informal and formal assessment are

all opportunity to learn more a%out students as individuals in order to plan instruction tomeet the needs of all students"

Varied: By differentiated content' process' or product different approaches are offered to&hat students learn' ho& they learn it and ho& they demonstrate &hat they(ve learned"

#ll approaches are designed to foster ongoing su%stantial gro&th in all students"

Student Centered) Students participate in engaging' relevant and interesting learning

e*periences"

Blending&holeclass' group' and individual instruction"

Organic: Differentiated +nstruction isn(t a strategy %ut a &ay of life in a classroom

utili,ing a &ide range of resources to do &hatever it takes to reach out to each learner"

Differentiated Instruction is NOTIndividualized Instruction: +t doesn(t provide a separate avenue for learning for eachindividual students' %ut instead utili,ed &hole group' small group' and individual learning

to maintain a community in the classroom"

Chaotic: -urposeful student movement and talking is esta%lished" .round rules androutines are esta%lished"

Homogeneous Grouping: /le*i%le grouping is a key component so that groupassignment is fluid"

a!ing assignments "harder# or "easier# to accommodate students: #dvancedstudents may need enrichment and struggling students may need %ackground

development"


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Strategies for Differentiating Instruction:

-rovide varied learning options to create the %est possi%le fit for all learners in the

classroom"

!sta%lish guidelines and procedures for all students to follo&" -ost visually" !nsure students understand &hy there are varied approaches to learning in the

classroom"

Create fle*i%le groups to pull together &hen needed 0groups %ased upon skill

level' interest' learning styles1

2se tiered activities) #ctivities and3or assignments given to students %ased upon

their various level of understanding and prior kno&ledge 0see e*amples at end of

%ooklet1

/ollo& this four step process for esta%lishing a teaching unit)

o !sta%lish clear concepts' principles' and skills for the unit

o 4ary materials used %ased upon learner readiness and interest

o Create tiered activities that reflect key understanding and skills %ased on

learner readiness and interest

o !nsure a variety of groupings for students occur during the unit"

Think a%out &hat could go &rong in an activity or task and structuring student

&ork to avoid potential pro%lems"

Build a sense of community in the classroom %y follo&ing these guidelines)

o !veryone feels &elcome and contri%utes to everyone else feeling &elcome

o Mutual respect is nonnegotia%le"

o Students feel safe in the classroom"

o #n e*pectation of gro&th is e*pected %y all"

o The teacher teaches for success"o /airness is not sameness) students and teachers &ork together so that the

class &orks &ell for everyone

Teachers and students colla%orate

#nchor #ctivities) Ongoing assignments tied to the curriculum that students can

&ork on independently throughout a period of time"

Multiple right ans&ers) openended assignments that focus on the process of

solving the pro%lem and3or critical thinking"

-erformance assessment tasks) roleplays' simulations

Centers

Chunking) Breaking assignments into smaller parts and activities &ith morestructured directions

Compacting) -reassessing students' giving them credit for &hat they kno& and

allo&ing them to move ahead in the curriculum either vertically or hori,ontally"

!mphasis on thinking skills so that the students have the opportunity to share their

thinking' process' and reflect"

Thematic teaching units


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Managing a Differentiated !assroo":

5" Communicate to parents and students &hy and ho& you are differentiated

instruction %ased upon student readiness' interest' and learning profiles"6" Start at a pace that is conforta%le for 7O2"

8" Time activities to support student success)

a" Time allotted for a task should %e a %it shorter than the attention span ofthe students &ho &ork on the task

%" #dvanced learners often have e*tended attention spans"

9" 2se an :anchor activity; to free you up to focus your attention on your students"0reading' journal &riting' centers' practicing a skill1

" ?ave a :home %ase; for students"

@" Be sure students have a plan for getting help &hen you(re %usy &ith anotherstudent or group"

A" Minimi,e noise" 0use a student monitor in each group' esta%lish a noise signal1

5" Make a plan for students to turn in &ork" 0use an e*pert of the day that checks&ork to see if it is ready to %e turned inif so' they sign at the %ottom and it is

turned inif not' it is given %ack to %e finished1

55" Teach students to rearrange the furniture"56" Minimi,e :stray; movement" 0only one person at a time &ith the :e*pert; of the

day' or at the pencil sharpener1 Don(t over do &ith rules' %ut just enough to keep

things smooth and not chaotic"

58" -romote ontask %ehavior" 0define :ontask; %ehavior for your class1"59" ?ave a plan for :$uick finishers;"

5" !ngage your students in talking a%out classroom procedures and group processes"


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$i%%erentiating &earning '( )eadiness:

4aried te*t %y reading level

4aried supplemental material %y reading level

Scaffolding

o More or less structured &ritten directions or task cards

o +cons to help interpret print

o Reteaching3e*tended teaching

o Modeling

o Clear criteria for success 0ru%rics1

o Reading %uddies

o Journals at appropriate level

o Te*tsurvey type strategies

o Manipulative &hen needed

o Study guides

o Organi,ers

Tiered tasks and products

?ome&ork options

Compacting

Mentorships

egotiated criteria for Euality

4aried .raphic Organi,ers

/le*i%le time

Contracts

.raduated task and product ru%rics

Computer programs

Centers


6/13

$i%%erentiating &earning '( Interest:

+Search) Students research %ased upon a topic of their personal interest"

Or%itals) Students raise $uestions and then figure out ho& to ans&er their

$uestions and share &ith their peers"

Design# Day) Students decide &hat to &ork on for one or more class periods"

They set goals' time line' &ork' and assess their progress"

.roup +nvestigation %ased upon common interest

Fe%Euests) Teacher designed internet lesson"

Jigsa&) Cooperative group strategy

Giterature Circles) student led discussion %ased upon common reading interest

egotiated Criteria) +ndividual criteria for a product is esta%lished %ased upon

students personal interest in activity"

Student choice of task

+ndependent Study

Differentiated #earning $% #earning &rof!ies:

-rofiles can %e esta%lished %y learning styles' intelligence preferences 0multiple

intelligences1' Cultureinfluenced preferences' .ender%ased preferences'

Some %ut not all of your students share your learning preferences"

?elp your students reflect on their o&n preferences"

2se teacher structured and student choice for learning"

Select a fe& learningprofile categories to %egin" Gearn a%out ho& your students prefer learning"

4ary teacher presentation 0auditory' visual' kinesthetic' &holetopart' partto

&hole1

4ary student mode of e*pression

Fork choice arrangements

9Mat approach 0lesson designed using the 9mat approach1

Multiple modes of assessment

Organi,ers 0story %oards' concept mapping' outlining' summari,ing1

!ntry points 0Students %egin a task using one of these entry points1

o

arrational 0telling a story1o Euantitative 0scientific approach1

o /oundational0 looking at the foundation of the topic or underlying %elief1

o #esthetic 0sensory' arts %ased1

o !*periential 0handson1


7/13

Differentiating for t'e Strugg!ing #earner:

Reading partners

Taped Te*t

otetaking organi,ers ?ighlighted print materials

Summary of Hey +deas from the teaching unit 0sentences' paragraphs' flo& chart'

concept map1

#dult mentors

-eer Mentors 0only if the advanced peer feels comforta%le and &ants to &ork &ith

the struggling learnerpeers must share similar interests1

.raphic organi,ers

Gearning centers

Gearning contracts

+nterest centers Choice %oards

Jigsa&

Think-airshare

Model making

Ga%s

-arallel tasks

+nteractive Journals &ith different &riting prompts %ased upon need or interest"

#llo& students to e*press themselves in &ays other than &ritten language alone"

.ive assignments in smaller increments and allo& them to complete one part

%efore going to another" -ut directions on audio tape or video tape so students can revisit"

-repare timelines that are managea%le for the student"

2se mini&orkshops to teach underlining skills to complete task 0research

strategies' study skills' summari,ing' editing1

?elp students find resources %y %ookmarking &e%sites' creating %ook %o*es on

specific topics' summaries of key ideas1

-rovide templates or organi,ers that sho& step%ystep &hat to do"

-rovide consultation' guidance' and coaching &ith others"

?elp students analy,e models of products from prior years to see the important

components" +f the student doesn(t have support outside of school to complete project' provide

the support in school"

/or !SG students' consider having the student perform in their primary language

and then help to translate into !nglish"


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It is important to remem'er that struggling learners should 'e challenged to *or!

+ust a'ove their level o% com%ort, -he( need lots o% positive rein%orcement, -he(

ma( 'e struggling *ith readiness. 'ut gi%ted in thin!ing,


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Differentiating for t'e Ad(anced #earner:

Curriculum Compacting 0see article at end of %ooklet1

4aried te*ts and resource material

Gearning contracts #s much as possi%le include advancedlevel research"

Structure assignments to stretch student

#llo& appropriate time for the comple*ity of the assignment"

?ave student help to develop criteria for e*pert level content and product" 2se

these for planning and assessment"

4arying $uestions

2se strategies for e*panding 0see end of %ooklet for strategies1

#llo& independent study

?igh Gevel $uestioning

/ocus on synthesis' evaluation and analysis rather than kno&ledge'comprehension' and application"

o Synthesis) #sks students to derive relationships' produce products'

organi,e theories' etc"

o !valuation) #sks students to give opinions' defend choices' judge merit'

etc"

o #nalysis) #sk students to make inferences' find generali,ations' identify

causes' etc"

+nterdisciplinary activities that cross different curricular areas

#dult mentors &ith the same areas of interest

It is important to remem'er the %ollo*ing *hen *or!ing *ith advanced and/or

gi%ted learners:

5" $on0t as! (our advanced/gi%ted students to serve as tutors *ith (our

struggling students, Just like struggling students' advanced students often learnand think differently" Just %ecause they can do the &ork successfully' doesn(t

mean they can teach others" Often this type of pairing results in frustration for

everyone"6" $on0t give (our advanced/gi%ted student more *or! *hen the( %inish earl("

This might %e a clue that the &ork might need to %e more challenging" +nstead

use anchor activities that the student can &ork on &hen finished"8" $on0t restrict an advanced/gi%ted student %rom moving ahead 'ecause the(

didn0t %inish their grade/age *or! *ith 1223, Offer them opportunities that

are consistent &ith their a%ility" Many people don(t like to complete %oring' easy

&ork" +f the &ork is so easy that they are never struggling or challenged' thentheir coping skills for dealing &ith challenging &ork may not %e developed"


10/13

On!ine Resources:

http)33manhattan"k56"ca"us3staff3p&are3diff3 #lready developed differentiated lesson

plans and units for primary to secondary grades"

http)33ideanet"doe"state"in"us3e*ceptional3gt3tieredIcurriculum3&elcome"html #lready

developed lesson plans using tiered curriculum for H56 in math' science' andlanguage arts" Differentiated lessons are divided into lessons %y readiness' interest'

and learning styles"

http)33&&&"ldonline"org3ldIindepth3gtIld3jldIgtld"html#rticle on the difficulties that

the gifted learning disa%led student has in the classroom"

References:Tomlinson' Carol #nn :?o& to Differentiate +nstruction in Mi*ed#%ility Classrooms;'6ndedition" #SCD' 65

!ducational Geadership) ?o& to Differentiate +nstruction' 4olume


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S#M-G! 5

#EARNIN) #ADDER: DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUTION *% READINESS

Su%ject) .rade Gevel)

ST#D#RD3OBJ!CT+4!3.O#G)

Hey Concept to Master)

Background3-re#ssessment3Materials eeded)

Basic &earners On Grade &evel Advanced

Differentiated Content0Fhat you teach and ho&

students &ill learn it1)

Differentiated Content0Fhat you teach and ho& students&ill learn it1)

Differentiated Content0Fhat you teach and ho&

students &ill learn it1)

Differentiated -rocess0#ctivities1



Differentiated -roduct

0?o& students sho& &hat theykno&1






12/13

S#M-G! 5

Readiness Gevel) Basic Minimal Background

information

Concrete ideas'

applications' materials

Simple pro%lems' skill'

goals' resources'research

Single /acet directions'

solutions' approaches

Small leap in

application' insight'

transfer

More structured

solutions' decisions'

approaches

Gess independent

planning' designing'

selfmonitoring

Slo& pace of study and

thought

Readiness Gevel) .rade

Gevel Satisfactory %ackground

information

#verage ideas'


On level pro%lems' skills'

goals' resources' research

Multiple step directions'


#verage application'

insight' transfer

On level solutions'

decisions' approaches

+ndependent or guided

planning' designing' and

selfmonitoring

#verage pace of study

and thought

Readiness Gevel) #dvanced #%stract ideas'


Comple* resources'

research' skills' goals'

pro%lems

Multiple facetdirections' pro%lems'


.reat Geaps in

application' insight'

transfer

More open solutions'

decisions' approaches

.reater +ndependence in

planning' designing'

selfmonitoring

Euick pace of study and

thought


13/13

S#M-G! 6

Differentiated Instruction $% Readiness+Interest+#earning St%!e

Su%ject) .rade Gevel)

ST#D#RD3OBJ!CT+4!3.O#G)

Hey Concept to Master)

Background3-re#ssessment3Materials eeded)

-his &esson is tiered in 4Content. Process. Product5 According to 4)eadiness/ Interest.

&earning St(le5

-ier 1:

-ier 6:

-ier 7:

Assessment:

Documents

Strategies for the Differentiated Classroom