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Differentiating Instruction: Beginning the Journey
"In the end, all learners
need your energy, your heart and your mind. They have that in common because they are young humans. How they need you however, differs. Unless we understand and respond to those differences, we fail many learners."
Tomlinson, C.A. (2001). How to differentiate instruction in mixed ability classrooms (2nd Ed.). Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Differentiated Instruction
Defined“Differentiated instruction is a teaching philosophy based on the premise that teachers should adapt instruction to student differences. Rather than marching students through the curriculum lockstep, teachers should modify their instruction to meet students’ varying readiness levels, learning preferences, and interests. Therefore, the teacher proactively plans a variety of ways to ‘get at’ and express learning.”
Carol Ann Tomlinson
Research
• Varying language readiness levels,• Varying interests, and• Varying learning profiles.
Brain research suggests three broad and interrelated principles that point clearly to the need for differentiated classrooms, that is, classrooms responsive to students’:
http://www.ascd.org/pdi/demo/diffinstr/tomlinson.html
How the Brain Learns, Carol Ann Tomlinson and M. Layne Kalbfleisch
Research
Brain Research confirms what experienced teachers have always known:
No two children are alike. No two children learn in the same identical
way. An enriched environment for one student
is not necessarily enriched for another. In the classroom, children should be
taught to think for themselves. Marian Diamonds: Professor of Neuroanatomy at Berkeley
http://www.ascd.org/cms/objectlib/ascdframeset/index.cfm?publication=http://www.ascd.org/publications/ed_lead/199811/darcangelo.html
Brain Research
• An enriched environment gives students the opportunity to make sense out of what they are learning.
• The brain constantly seeks connections between the new and the known.
• Allow the child to be an active participant rather than a passive observer.
• Students need appropriate challenge.
Research says . . .
• Most teachers and students have not been in effective differentiated classrooms.
• Most teachers believe differentiated instruction would benefit students but do not believe it is feasible.
• Most teachers who try differentiated instruction often are more reactive than proactive in planning.
• Even special class settings seldom differentiate for multiple exceptionalities.
Tomlinson, 2005Schumm & Vaughn, 1991
A New Paradigm
• Curriculum is defined as to what a student will be able to demonstrate
• Each student experiences successful outcomes• Essential that we understand what the student
knew at the beginning and move forward from that point in a successful manner
• Need to understand how each student learns best
• Need to build on what each student already knows
Ways Individuals Can Differ—Know Your Students
• Cognitive and Affective Domains
• Prior Knowledge and Skill Experience
• Learning Rate
• Learning Style Preferences
• Motivation, Attitudes, and Effort
• Interests, Multiple Intelligence Strengths, and Talents
Differentiation:Differentiated Instruction
• Learning styles, skill levels, and rates• Learning difficulties• Language proficiency• Background experiences and knowledge• Interests• Motivation• Ability to attend• Social and emotional development• Various intelligences• Levels of abstraction• Physical needs
Differentiation is a teaching concept in which the classroom teacher plans for the diverse needs of students. The teacher must consider such differences as the students’:
Insanity is
doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results
--Albert Einstein
25-Year History in Education
• Acknowledge that one size does not fit all
• Research showed students benefited most from heterogeneous classes
• Demand to eliminate segregation based on color, disability, and language
• Look at Learning Styles, Multiple Intelligences, Cognitive and Affective Domains—Physical, Social, and Emotional
Differentiate
Differentiate
(Verb) To:
“mark as different, a distinctive feature or attribute or characteristic; become different during development; develop in a way most suited to the environment; become distinct and acquire a different character.”
What is Differentiation?
• A teacher’s response to learner needs
• The recognition of students’ varying background knowledge and preferences
• Instruction that appeals to students’ differences
In a Differentiated Classroom Teachers Differentiate
• Content• Process• Products
According to a student’s• Readiness• Interest• Learning Profile
Good Teaching is Differentiating Content, Process, and Products
• Pace/Level
Compacting, Learning Stations, Tiered Activities• Depth/Breadth
Integrated Curriculum, Learning Styles, Creative Processes
• Grouping
Cluster, Interest, Tiered, IndependentSmutney & Von Fremd, 2004
The Key
The Key to a differentiated classroom is that all students are regularly offered CHOICES and students are matched with tasks compatible with their individual learner profiles.Curriculum should be differentiated in three areas:1. Content:
Multiple options for taking in information2. Process:
Multiple options for making sense of the ideas3. Product:
Multiple options for expressing what they know
Key Characteristic of a Differentiated Classroom
An obvious feature of the differentiated classroom is that it is “student centered.” Shifting the emphasis from the "teacher and instruction" focus to the "student and learning" focus means redefining the role of the teacher.
Content Process Product
According to Students’
Readiness InterestLearningProfile
Teachers Can Differentiate
Adapted from The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners (Tomlinson, 1999)
Some Differentiation Strategies
• Choice Boards
• Tiered Activities
• Learning Contracts
Differentiation Strategies
Low Preparation Differentiation
• Choice of books• Homework options• Multiple level texts• Multiple level questions• Journal prompts• Explore by interest• Think-Pair-Share• Flexible groups by
readiness, interest, and learning profile
• Computer programs
• Multiple levels of questions
• Work alone or together• Reading buddies• Vary pacing• Negotiated criteria• Open-ended activities• Jigsaw• Games
Tomlinson, 2001
High Preparation Differentiation
• Tiered Activities• Tiered Projects• Multiple Texts• Multiple Testing Options• Alternative Assessments• Course Compacting• Spelling by Readiness• Varying Organizers• Learning Contracts• Compacting
• Tiered Centers• Interest Centers/Group
Stations• Group Investigations• Choice Boards• Think-Tac-Toe• Graduated Rubrics
Tomlinson, 2001
Where do I Go From Here?Some Tips for Implementing
Differentiation in your Classroom
• Start slowly• Organize your classroom space
Teacher Station 1
Teacher Station
2
Group
AssignmentsSchedule
Inboxes
Bookshelf
• Concrete Abstract
• Simple Complex
• Basic Transformational
• Fewer Multi-facets
• Smaller Leaps Greater Leaps
• More Structure More Open
• Slower Quicker
Where do I Go From Here?Some Tips for Implementing
Differentiation in your Classroom
• Start student files• Start student portfolios• Use a clipboard• Use of technology• Start class with familiar tasks• Use task cards, a tape recorder, or an
overhead for directions• Have systems for student questions
Differentiation is . . .
• A way of thinking about teaching and learning• A philosophy based on a set of beliefs• A blend of whole class, small group, and
individual instruction• A teaching theory based on the premise that
instructional approaches should vary and be adaptable to diverse students
• Not new and not whole class all the time• Is necessary but not needed every day
If everyone is doing the same thing, it is not differentiation.
What Differentiated Instruction Is Not
• A recipe for teaching• What the teacher does when he/she has time• Grouping by scholastic ability• Synonymous with individual instruction• Lines of students waiting for help from the
teacher• Hard to keep track of student knowledge• Just about student choice
Concept of Differentiated Instruction
• As old as Confuciouswho taught over 3,000 students
was willing to teach anyone
advised that people differ in their abilities
counseled you have to start where they are
• As old as a one-room school housestudents vary greatly in age, experience, abilities, and proficiency
More about the one-room schoolhouse . . .
• Teachers had to be flexible in use of time, space, materials, groupings, and instruction.
• Teachers had to plan for different instruction based on what level of mastery the student performed.
The past 25 years in education
• Consolidated schools
• Assigned students to classrooms according to age
• Had wisdom that teacher’s job would be easier if age was factored out of the teaching/learning equation.
• Believed one lesson worked for the whole group—teaching to the middle
Teaching is one of the greatest joys of life.
• Let all students have an equal chance to learn.
• Since the 1970s the numbers in special education have increased 400%.
• Now the ratio is 7:1.For every 7 students there is 1 special education student.
• Why? Assessment instruments, Psychologists, better informed parents, and teachers have become more compassionate
Today
• High-stakes testing• Testing mandates• Appear to be moving beyond one-size fits
all• Hearing about the concept of
Differentiated Instruction• Advanced learners likely to suffer in
heterogeneous placement unless opportunities are consistently available
Research reports . . .
Most teachers persist with a single-size approach and are repeatedly disappointed by test scores and shortfall in student achievement.
Students learn best when
• Supportive adults push them slightly (moderately) beyond where they can work without assistance
• They make connections between curriculum and interests in life experiences
• Learning opportunities are natural• Classrooms and schools create a sense of
community where students feel significant and respected
Why Differentiate?
• At school every student’s job is to learn
• Ultimate goal is effective classroom practices
• Every student learning—whatever it takes
How to Differentiate
• Survey student interests, learning styles, and multiple intelligences
• Assess prior knowledge• Vary content, process (activities), and product• Keep it simple, start small, take small steps, take
it slow• Use learning centers• Use Different Grouping Strategies• Use Technology (Internet research and
Webquests)
Differentiate Content
• Determine what you want the student to be able to know, understand, and do
• Requires pretesting• Compacting curriculum to identify students
who do not require direct instruction who can proceed to tasks of solving a problem or accelerating rate of progress
• Means some students can work independently and cover content faster
Differentiate Process
• Use a variety of learning activities and strategies• Give students alternate paths• Use varied complexity of graphic organizers,
maps, diagrams, and charts to display comprehension
• Grouping strategies• Provide variety of resources• Provide extension activities• Ongoing assessment to modify strategies• Provide frequent feedback
Layered Curriculum• C Level
Most assignments, general understanding, 15-20 choices• B Level
where student looks forward to finishing C and getting to B• A Level—ultimate goal
Turn out students who can critically think about issues, analyze, research, and form an opinion
Kathy Nunley’s Layered Curriculum
http://help4teachers.com/samples2.htm
TIERED INSTRUCTION
A PLANNING STRATEGY FOR MIXED ABILITY
CLASSROOMS“A Different Spin on an Old Idea.”
SOURCE: based on work by Carol Ann Tomlinson
WHAT CAN BE TIERED?• ASSIGNMENTS• ACTIVITIES• CENTERS & STATIONS• LEARNING CONTRACTS• ASSESSMENTS• MATERIALS• EXPERIMENTS• WRITING PROMPTS• HOMEWORK
IDENTIFY OUTCOMESWHAT SHOULD THE STUDENTS KNOW, UNDERSTAND, OR BE ABLE
TO DO?
THINK ABOUT YOUR STUDENTSPRE-ASSESS READINESS, INTEREST, OR LEARNING PROFILE
INITIATING ACTIVITIESUSE AS COMMON EXPERIENCE FOR WHOLE CLASS
GROUP 1TASK
GROUP 2TASK
GROUP 3TASK
Planning Tiered Assignments
Concept to be UnderstoodOR
Skill to be Mastered
Below-LevelTask
On-LevelTask
Above-LevelTask
Create on-level task first then adjust up and down.
“Adjusting theTask”
When Tiering:
Adjust--- • Level of Complexity• Amount of Structure• Materials• Time/Pace• Number of Steps• Form of Expression• Level of
Dependence
Develop Tiered Activities for Advanced Learners
• Tiered means different work not more work
• Encourage broader reading
• Focus on problem solving
• Develop creative talents
• Provide meaningful work with peers of similar interests
• Promote higher level thinking
The “Equalizer”1. Foundational Transformational
2. Concrete Abstract
3. Simple Complex
4. Fewer Facets Multi-facets
5. Smaller Leap Greater Leap
6. More Structured More Open
7. Clearly Defined Problems Fuzzy Problems
8. Less Independence Greater Independence
9. Slower Quicker
Differentiate Products
• Vary the complexity of the product to demonstrate mastery of concepts
• Have reduced performance expectations for students working below grade level
• Require more complex and advanced thinking for advanced learners
• Offer a choice of products to address multiple intelligence strengths and motivate student learning
to Differentiate Product
• Choices based on readiness, interest, and learning profile
• Clear expectations• Timelines• Agreements• Product Guides• Rubrics• Evaluation
Curriculum Tells Us What To TeachDifferentiation Tells Us How To Teach
What do you want students to know, understand, and do?
• Need a flexible learning environment• Need student-centered focus on student interests• Encourage independence• Modifications in content, process, and projects• Richer, more rigor, more diverse, and encourage
abstract and complexity
A Student who UNDERSTANDS Something can…
• Explain it clearly, giving examples• Use it• Compare and contrast it with other concepts• Relate it to other instances in the subject studies, other
subjects and personal life experiences• Transfer it to unfamiliar settings• Discover the concept embedded within a novel problem• Combine it appropriately with other understandings• Pose new problems that exemplify or embody the
concept• Create analogies, models, metaphors, symbols, or
pictures of the concept• Pose and answer “what-if” questions that alter variables
in a problematic situation• Generate questions and hypotheses that lead to new
knowledge and further inquiries• Generalize from specifics to form a concept• Use the knowledge to appropriately assess his or her
performance, or that of someone else.Adopted from Barell, J. (1995) Teaching for thoughtfulness: Classroom Strategies
These are the basic skills of any discipline. They include the thinking skills such as analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing. These are the skills of planning, the skills of being an independent learner, the skills of setting and following criteria, the skills of using the tools of knowledge such as adding, dividing, understanding multiple perspectives, following a timeline, calculating latitude, or following the scientific method.
The skill portion encourages the students to “think” like the professionals who use the knowledge and skill daily as a matter of how they do business. This is what it means to “be like” a doctor, a scientist, a writer or an artist.
Skills
Build Self-Efficacy
• Can-do Attitude
• Successes build belief
• Most effective is through mastery experiences
• Failures can undermine
• One’s judgment of one’s capability to perform given activities
Siegle, 2005
A New Paradigm in Education
• People learn at different rates• Students are not learning enough• Students need mastery learning and sense of
self-efficacy• Make continuous progress• Teacher as coach/facilitator• Need for thinking skills and problem solving
skills• Strengthen Interpersonal skills
Our new mission is Learning
• Produce learning with every student• Work backwards by design—identify the desired
outcomes• Provide a variety of learning strategies• Provide more opportunities to learn• Offer different pacing• Increase collaboration between students and
teachers• Differentiate the core curriculum by modifying
content, process, and product based on students interests, learning profile, and readiness
Differentiation—Goal of the Teacher
Become an expert on differentiation• Powerful curriculum is what will make the best
difference in student achievement• Increase challenge in the core curriculum• Reflective understanding• Network with other teachers• Attend professional development workshops• Become a professional in the field of
differentiation.
for
Interest – Readiness – Learning Profile
by
Self – Peers - Teachers
Differentiation Instruction