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Title:A Systematic Approach for Addressing Critical Differences Among

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They used manipulatives, like dominos, and counters to 'count on. ... thinking, was asked to use dominos to infer a rule (commutative principle) of addition. ...

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Title: A Systematic Approach for Addressing Critical Differences Among

1
Differentiation Revealed
A Systematic Approach for Addressing Critical
Differences Among Students
Jeanne H. Purcell Ph.D Connecticut State
Department of Education jeanne.purcell@po.state.ct
.us
2
Curriculum DifferentiationTodays Agenda

Is curriculum differentiation something new?
What are the goals for curriculum
differentiation?
What are the steps in the curriculum
decisionmaking process?
What is curriculum differentiation?
How can we modify the 10 key curriculum
componentseither singly or in combinationto
address critical learner differences?
What does curriculum differentiation look like at
different grade levels and in different content
areas?

3
An Historical PerspectiveIs This a New Concept?
A New Pedagogy?

Fourth Wave of Interest Since 1860
Tutors Pre 1860
One Room Schoolhouse
Grade Levels
Individualization
Special Education
Gifted Education
Differentiation

4
Why the Current Interest? Why the Present
Initiative?

International Comparisons
Information Age
Global Economy
Standards Movement
The Achievement Gap
Prisoners of Time
IDEA

5
The Learning Gap
Learning Gaps Persist In State Mastery Test
Scores Edge Up But Blacks Hispanics Poor Lag
BehindMarch 6 2002 By ROBERT A. FRAHM Courant
Staff Writer Black and Hispanic children
continue to make slow steady gains in academic
performance but still lag far behind most
Connecticut public school students new test
results show. Only 25 percent of black and
Hispanic children reach the states fourthgrade
reading goal for example compared with more
than 70 percent of white students according to
Connecticut Mastery Test scores being released
today. Overall scores edged upward but the
test which reached greater numbers of special
education and nonEnglish speaking students this
year identifies one in five of Connecticuts
fourthgraders as a poor reader. Aside from
the poor performance of many blacks and
Hispanics major learning gaps persist among
nonEnglish speakers and the poor. And the
latest scores show that boys lag well behind
girls in writing skills on the annual exam the
states chief measure of academic progress.
6
What is the Learning GAP?

Rich and poor
ESL and Native English speakers
Special education and regular education
Regular education and gifted education
Culturally diverse and majority students
Motivated and unmotivated
Boys and girls
College track and vocational education track
American students and their global counterparts
TIMSS

The stakes for underdevelopment in 2000 are much
high than they were in 1900.Edmund W.
Gordon professor emeritus Yale University
7
The GAP
8
Critical Student Differences We Can Attend

ACADEMIC
Prior knowledge
Reading level
Core content
Concepts/skills

COGNITIVE
Developmental readiness
Schemas
Working memory
Thinking skills
Learning rate

SOC/EMOT
Interests
Learning styles
Motivation
Selfefficacy

9
One Line of Thinking
10
One Way to Reduce the Gap
D E P T H
BREADT
KEY CURRICULUM COMPONENTS
11
Why differentiate? What do we want? What goals
are we trying to achieve?

Increase academic learning decrease learning
gaps
Improve student selfefficacy for learning
Enhance intrinsic motivation for learning
Promote selfdirected learning behaviors

12
A Technical Definition of Curriculum
Differentiation

Curriculum differentiation is a process
teachers use to enhance student learning by
matching various curriculum components to
characteristics shared by subgroups of learners
in the classroom e.g. learning style
preferences interests prior knowledge learning
rate.
The most effective and efficient
differentiation practices involve proactive
changes in the depth or breadth of student
learning. Differentiation is enhanced with the
use of appropriate classroom orientation and
management varied pedagogy preassessment
flexible small groups access to professional
development opportunities and related support
personnel and the availability of appropriate
resources.

13
THE DECISIONMAKING PROCESS

CONTENT
INTRODUCTION
INITIAL INSTRUCTION
PREASSESSMENT
DIAGNOSIS

What are the CRITICAL DIFFERENCES in my students?
How can I MODIFY one or more of the 10 curriculum
components to address difference?
CHOICE ALTERNATIVES Adjusting the Breadth
TIERING Adjusting the Depth
MANAGEMENT OF FLEXIBLE SMALL GROUPS
POST ASSESSMENT
MEASURE THE IMPACT OF DIFFERENTIATION
14
The 10 Curriculum Components An Advance Organizer

CONTENT
ASSESSMENT
Grouping
Introduction
Teaching Methods

Learning Activities
Products
Resources
Extensions
Time

15
Content Knowledge/Standards

Definition Broad statements about the knowledge
that we want all students to
acquire Purpose To communicate learning
expectations and the lessons focal point to
teachers students and interested others to
promote academic achievement to ensure
equity Characteristics Clear powerful
developmentally appropriate authentic
aligned with other curriculum components

16
The traditional approach for creating content
goals

Follow the textbook guide
Use Blooms taxonomy
Blooms Priority Develop a system to improve
communication between test designers
psychometricians and curriculum developers
Categorize the behavior or performance VERBS

17
Emphasis on the behaviors and cognitive processes
that must be observed during assessment to
demonstratemastery of the objective
Blooms Taxonomy One technique for categorizing
learning goals
Evaluation
Synthesis
Application
Analysis
Comprehension
Knowledge
18
An Alternate Approach Nouns instead of Verbs
Categorize and prioritize knowledge

Alfred North Whitehead 1920s
Ralph Tyler 1940s1990s
Mortimer Adler 1940s 2000
Jerome Bruner 1960s now
Hilda Taba 1960s
Phillip Phenix 19601980
National and State Standards 1990 now
Robert Marzanno and John Kendall 1990s now
Lynn Erickson 1990s now
Understanding by Design Wiggins and McTighe
1988 now

19
Identify emphasize and teach the CORE knowledge
in each subject area

Each discipline or subject area has a small set
of essential core facts concepts principles
generalizations and skills that is related to
all/many topics in that subject area.
This core content provides the structure for
studying and understanding any topic in that
subject area that subject area.
Teaching students to understand this core content
and structure makes learning deeper more
connected and easier to learn.
Some of the major concepts and principles in a
subject area are general enough to be valid in
other disciplines. Teaching these ideas supports
interdisciplinary wisdom.

20
Discipline Based Knowledge
Theme
THEORY
Thinking skills tools techniquesstrategies
and methods
GENERALIZATIONS
PRINCIPLES
CONCEPTS
Representative Topics
FACTS
21
Categories of Knowledge
Facts A fact is a specific detail verifiable
information or characteristics about a
particular object person or event.
PARTICULARS Concepts A concept is a general
idea or abstraction especially a generalized
idea of a thing or class of things a
category or classification. VOCAB
WORDS Principles A principle is an underlying
truth law or rule that explains the
relationship between two or more concepts.
HOW THINGS WORK Generalizations A
generalization is a statement that explains or
describes a category of things or ideas. FAT
FACT Skills Skill is a proficiency ability
technique strategy method or tool. HOW
TO
22
Examples of Factual Knowledge

There are nine planets.
The capital of Connecticut is Hartford.
2 2 4
Cat has one syllable.
There are 7 food groups.
Andrew Wyeth was a painter.

23
Examples of Concepts

Planet
Constellation
Capital
Government
Nutrition
Transportation
Conflict
Horizon
Symmetry

Balance
Irony
Emergency
Science Fiction
Addition
Octagon
Force
Gravity
Precipitation

24
Examples of Principles and Generalizations

Planets revolve around the sun. G
Gravity is needed to hold planets in their orbit.
P
Capitals were located near the center of a state
and near bodies of water to make it easier to
travel. P
People must work together to develop laws and
policies that they can support and implement. P
A balanced diet helps us stay healthy. P
Different body functions and systems require
different types of nutrients. G
Most trees are green. G

25
What makes a principle?
What makes a generalization?

Explains a relationship
Explains how things work
Axiom proverb rule
Cause/effect location location location
Law rule
If/then air pressure and storms
Influences
Conditions

General descriptions
Details about a category of things
Overarching
Stereotypical
Parts and the whole
Common characteristics

26
SkillExamples

Comparing and contrasting
Listening
Note taking
Using an index
Controlling a variable
Writing a business letter
Measuring temperature

27
SkillCategories

Thinking Skills
Affective Skills
Reading and Study Skills
Reference Skills
Research Skills
Communication Skills
Subject Area Methods and Techniques

28
What is a representative topic?

A representative topic is specific subject
matter that is selected purposefully as a focus
for teaching and learning because of the topics
potential for illuminating the essential
concepts principles and skills in a related
discipline for students of a specific
developmental level.

29
The role of representative topics

The Domains of Knowledge

Understanding is supported by careful attention
to the developmental appropriateness of the topic
and students use of cognitive and methodological
inquiry
sheds light on core knowledge within a discipline.

Representative Topics
30
Where do standards fit in with this picture?

National and state committees of content experts
Identified core concepts principles
generalizations skills attitudes and
applications in various content areas.
Spiraled the content across grade levels

31
What is a standard?

A content standard is a declarative statement
that identifies the essential knowledge in a
given subject area that students should attain as
a result of instruction. Performance standards
or benchmarks specify ascending levels of
understanding across various grade levels.

32
Categorizing Content in Standards
Facts A fact is a specific detail verifiable
information or characteristics about a
particular object person or event.
PARTICULARS Concepts A concept is a general
idea or abstraction especially a generalized
idea of a thing or class of things a category
or classification. VOCAB WORDS Principles A
principle is an underlying truth law or rule
that explains the relationship between two or
more concepts. HOW THINGS WORK Generalizations
A generalization is a statement that explains or
describes a category of things or ideas. FAT
FACT Skills Skill is a proficiency ability
technique strategy method or tool. HOW
TO Attitudes Inclinations beliefs state of
mind appreciations dispositions efficacy
VALUES Applications The ability to
generalize and transfer knowledge to familiar and
novel contexts PROBLEM SOLVING
33
Understanding the standards is only the first
step.

A major challenge facing any designer is the
inadequacy of most district state and national
standards in helping to clarify which are the big
ideas and how to uncover them.
1988 Understanding by Design ASCD.

34
Discipline Based Knowledge
THEORY
Activities cognitive processes tools
techniquesresourcesand products
Representative topics
GENERALIZATIONS
PRINCIPLES
CONCEPTS
FACTS
35
How Can We Use Content to Differentiate
Instruction?

CONTENT MODIFICATIONS
Its not about giving facts to the students who
have little experience with knowledge and
concepts and principles to the top students.
Its about using preassessment data to tie
teaching to existing schemas and teaching
concepts to everyone TIMMS.
Increase/Decrease the abstractness of the
representative topic
Change the representative topic to something more
familiar/less familiar
Change the representative topic i.e. within the
discipline across disciplines time periods
people or events
Offer the opportunity to explore an application
the methodology of a field or the lives of
contributor s in a field
Provide background information about a
representative topic
Break the representative topic into smaller parts
Provide more/fewer examples offer choice
Offer students the opportunity to explore related
representative topics
Identify and address students misconceptions

DIFFERENCES AMONG STUDENTS
Academic Differences
Developmental readiness
Prior knowledge/Opportunity to learn
Reading level
Concept and skill attainment
Cognitive Differences
Schemas
Thinking skills
Learning rate
Social and Emotional
Interests
Learning styles
Motivation

36
KindergartenPresidents DayPerformance
Standard Students will apply the process of how
leaders are selected and how people monitor and
influence decisions of their government p. 155.

DIFFERENTIATED
To celebrate Presidents Day Janet Henry decided
to link the holiday to a discussion about
leaders. She collected some picture books about
presidents coins of all types and paper
currency in small denominations.
She began by giving each child a penny and asked
her students to tell her about the face on the
coin. Then she asked them a series of
questions Whose face is on the coin? Do other
coins have different people on them? What might
you have to do to get your face on a coin?
Some students wanted to find out more about
famous American presidents. She had a separate
conversation with these students about Lincoln
and birthday celebrations. She made a mental
note to watch the kiddos who wanted to learn more
for other opportunities to facilitate their
learning in this area.

CORE
To celebrate Presidents Day kindergarten
teacher Emily Rosen planned a special day for
her students. She showed students pictures of
George Washington and President Lincoln. Then
she had her students paste lengths of black yarn
onto a picture of Lincoln to show his beard.
They put elastics around their pictures to make
masks and wore them in a parade around the school
to celebrate this special day.

37
Developmental Readiness in Mathematics
38
Grade 2 Addition Performance standard Develop
proficiency with basic addition subtraction
multiplication and division through the use of a
variety of strategies and contexts K4 p. 90.

EXAMPLE 1
Katie Martin prepared to teach her 2nd grade
students about addition. She gathered together
gummed stars in two colors and construction
paper. She gave pairs of students construction
paper on which she had written an addition fact.
Each child was asked to display an addend with
different colored stars and then the pair was
asked to add all the stars by counting on from
the greater number of stars. The students
displayed all their work to make a sky full of
addition facts.

EXAMPLE 2
Ms. Brennan knew from her preassessment that her
grade two students were at very different
developmental levels with respect to their
understanding of addition. One group of students
needed manipulates to visualize the addition
facts and practice skip counting. They used
manipulatives like dominos and counters to
count on. Another more sophisticated group was
working on accuracy and speed with their addition
facts. They worked in pairs to check each others
work. A final group ready for more abstract
thinking was asked to use dominos to infer a
rule commutative principle of addition.

39
6th Grade Spelling
Students will demonstrate proficient use of
capitalization punctuation usage and spelling
skills and develop proficiency in the use of
resources for proofreading and editing all
appropriate for their grade level and individual
goals.

EXAMPLE 1
Mr. Jenkins pretests his students on the required
lists of spelling words at two week intervals.
When students demonstrate at least 80 mastery on
the list they do not have to write out the
words a definition and an accompanying
sentence. He does require all students to take
the posttest at the end of the two week period
because he want to make sure everyone really
knows the words.

EXAMPLE 2
Mr. Forrester pretests his students on the
required lists of spelling words at two week
intervals. Students have a spelling notebook in
which they write the next ten words. Each writes
the word a definition and a sentence. Students
work in pairs correcting each others work
which is then reviewed by the Mr. Forrester.
Peers administer the quizzes. Words missed are
recycled into next weeks list. Repetitions help
students internalize key spelling patterns.
Students who demonstrate mastery are provided
with other words that emphasize roots and/or
students own personal list of vocabulary words.

40
8th Grade Social Studies
Content Standard 4 Students will recognize the
continuing importance of historical thinking and
the role of historical knowledge in their own
lives an in the world in which they live.

EXAMPLE 1
Ms. Kahlid realized that it was important for her
students to understand the role of the
archeologist. These researchers played a key
role in helping historians recover the stories of
ancient civilizations. Every year she assigned
students to look over the page in their textbook
called A Moment in Time The Anthropologist.
It showed a picture of a woman studying a coal
mine in West Virginia. The picture illuminated
her tools a notebook a camera a lantern her
shoulder bag and lunch pail. Ms. Swift made a
point to review this picture with her students
the next day in class and answered any questions
they had about anthropologists.

EXAMPLE 2
Ms.Budzinsky an 8th grade social studies
teacher had looked forward to her trip to Peru
for many years. Way in advance she had decided
to bring back a collection of 50100 inexpensive
artifacts. She made a point to collect items
that reflected the family life technology and
art of this South American culture inexpensive
musical instruments inexpensive pottery
articles of clothing some books kitchen
utensils childrens inexpensive games
bandaids and the like.
Upon her return she used the artifacts in her
social studies class to help students understand
the role of the archeologist and historian. She
grouped the artifacts around the three aspects of
culture. Then she asked students to form small
groups of scientists and researchers. Using the
artifact cluster of their choice she asked
students to infer the culture of this ancient
South American society.

41
11th Grade Chemistry
CT 15.912.4 Recognize that the ability of a
reaction to occur and the extent to which is
proceeds depends upon the relative stability of
the reactants compared to the products and the
conditions under which the reaction occurs.

EXAMPLE 2
Mr. Luther knew at the outset of his chemistry
unit on reaction rates that he had students who
not only had different levels of prior knowledge
about aspects of chemistry but also learned more
quickly than others in the class. He decided to
provide most of his students with a handson lab
that helped students understand that there is a
direct relationship between the concentration of
an acid and the reaction rate.
He provided the remaining students with the same
metal and solutions as the other group but
invited them to find the ideal conditions for the
fastest reaction time.

EXAMPLE 1
Ms. Barnes prepared for the lab on simple
reactions between metals and acids. At the
conclusion of the experiment she wanted students
to understand that there is a direct relationship
between the concentration of an acid and the
reaction rate. To help them understand this
important direct relationship she set up
different test stations for students to observe.
Each station had the same mass of a given metal.
Each of the containers held increasing
concentrations of HCl. Students had to combine
the reactants and analyze the data for trends in
the reaction rates.

42
Grade 11 U.S. History
Students will demonstrate knowledge of the rights
and responsibilities of citizens to participate
in and shape public policy and contribute to the
maintenance of our democratic way of life. .

EXAMPLE 2
As she began the unit on the Constitution and
the Bill of Rights Ms. Polanski realized that
she had students with widely differing reading
abilities in her classrooms. She designed a
simple plan to scaffold for her students.
She divided her class into two groups based upon
her knowledge of their reading comprehension.
For the struggling learners she developed a one
sheet twocolumn table that listed each of the
10 amendments in the Bill of Rights in the
lefthand column and definitions of troublesome
words in the righthand column. Using this
information students were asked to write down
their own understanding of the meaning of the
first ten amendments.
Ms. Polanski provided her more advanced readers
with the original text of each amendment and
asked them to derive in their own words the
meaning of each.
At the conclusion of the lesson students
reconvened as a whole group to share their new
understandings about the Bill of Rights.

EXAMPLE 1
Mr. Todd loved teaching his students about the
Constitution. He especially liked the
simulations he had collected over his career that
dealt with the debates that occurred between the
Federalists and the Antifederalists over the
ratification of the Constitution. Another of his
favorites was the interdisciplinary culminating
activity in which students were required to take
on the role of a responsible citizen and voice
their opinion about a local matter. Each had to
compose a letter to the editor of a local
newspaper and express their opinion about a
community issue.

43
Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening
by Robert
Frost Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village thoughHe will not
see me stopping hereTo watch his woods fill up
with snow. My little horse must think it queerTo
stop without a farmhouse nearBetween the woods
and frozen lakeThe darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shakeTo ask if
there is some mistake.The only other sounds the
sweepOf easy wind and downy flake. The woods
are lovely dark and deep.But I have promises to
keepAnd miles to go before I sleepAnd miles
to go before I sleep.
44
Its Your Turn

Content Standard 1 Reading and Responding
1.910.12 Students will use the literary
elements theme symbolism imagery etc. to
draw conclusions about a text
1.910.13 Students will understand that a single
text may elicit a wide variety of responses

45
10th Grade American Lit
Content Standard 1 Reading and
Responding 1.910.12 Students will use the
literary elements theme symbolism imagery
etc. to draw conclusions about a text 1.910.13
Students will understand that a single text may
elicit a wide variety of responses

EXAMPLE 1
Mr. Johnson spent a bit more than a week on
Robert Frosts poetry including Stopping By
Woods on a Snowy Evening. He wanted his
students to appreciate the down homeness of
Frosts poetry. He had students read selected
poems aloud to appreciate the sounds and cadence
of each selection. With respect to Stopping
he asked students to write responses to the
following questions
How do you interpret the speakers attraction to
the woods?
What do the last three lines suggest about
everyones life? Why did Frost repeat the last
line? What is the effect of the repetition?

EXAMPLE 2
Ms. Mody wanted her students to understand that
poetry can evoke many viable interpretations from
the skillful use of literary elements by the
author. At the same time she knew that her
juniors were at very different levels with
respect to abstract thought. For one group of
learners she provided a list of symbols the
owner of the land the horse the woods.
promises sleep some possible interpretations
for each and asked them to interpret the poem
from their point of view in a onepage essay.
For a second group of learners she provided the
poem only. She asked them to identify the
symbols think about how they interact within the
poem and generate a reflective essay about its
meaning to their lives. For the sophisticated
learners she provided them with a copy of the
poem and carefully selected quotations by Frost
reflecting on his art. She asked them to select
one or two of Frosts quotations and explainin a
short essay how there can be so many
irreconcilable interpretations of Stopping the
poem that Frost called his best bid for
remembrance.

46
Selected Quotations

It should be the pleasure of a poem itself to
tell how it can. The figure a poem makes. It
begins in delight and ends in wisdom. The Figure
a Poem Makes 1939
[Metaphor] saying one thing and meaning another
saying one thing in terms of another the
pleasure of ulteriority. Poetry is simply made
of metaphor. The Constant Symbol 1946
Like a piece of ice on a hot stove the poem must
ride on its own melting. The Figure a Poem
Makes 1939

Ulteriority Lying beyond what is evident or
revealed
47
No Transcript
48
Assessments

Definition Varied tools technique and criteria
teachers use to measure students content
expertise Purpose To ascertain the extent to
which students have attained the knowledge
contained within the learning goals to make
decisions about future areas of
emphasis Characteristics Aligned with the
learning goal reliable valid varied
efficient equitable motivating have a low
baseline and a high ceiling

49
The Assessment Equation

PARTICIPANT
TASK
KNOWLEDGE
COGNITIVE PROCESSING
ASSESSMENT

50
Sample Assessment Formats
51
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ASSESSMENT AND CURRICULUM
STANDARDS Content Knowledge
PREASSESSMENT and resulting modifications if
warranted are based upon critical differences
among students
TEACHING AND LEARNING ACTIVITIES AND FEEDBACK
ONGOING POST ASSESSMENT
52
Why Should We Increase the Depth in Our Rubrics?

Addresses differences in students zone of
proximal development
Attends to varying levels of prior knowledge.
Fosters continuous progress on the noviceexpert
continuum.
Reduces frustration.
Increases challenge levels.
Makes teaching more efficient.

.

53
The Ladder A Tool for Climbing Out of the Box
Grade 5 Benchmark Content Students will
understand the characteristics and properties of
two and three dimensional geometric shapes. NO
students understand the properties of platonic
solids. A FEW students can explain how triangles
and rectangles can be classified by their sides
and angles. SOME students can explain the
features of three dimensional figures edges
vertices face and volume. ALL students can
already identify 2dimensional shapes triangle
quadrilateral rectangle rhombus trapezoid
circle and square.
None
Few
Some
All
54
So how might theladder look when its finished?

Often the grade level expectation is in the
some rung.
If we review worldclass standards related to
this objective we might find that the content in
those standards could be listed on the few
rung.
Knowledge addressed in the previous grade level
if often listed on the many rung.
Knowledge listed on the all rung is often
gained from life experiences.
The knowledge listed on the no one rung may
related to big ideas themes or students
interests and questions.

55
How Can Assessment Help Us to Differentiate Our
Instruction?

DIFFERENCES AMONG STUDENTS
Academic Differences
Developmental readiness
Prior knowledge/Opportunity to learn
Reading level
Concept and skill attainment
Cognitive Differences
Schemas
Thinking skills
Learning rate
Affective Differences
Interests
Learning styles
Motivation

ASSESSSMENT
Use wellaligned preassessments and preassessment
data to monitor and communicate growth
Align assessment datapre post and ongoingwith
instructional components to ensure impact on
achievement
Use gain scores to determine how individual
students are progressing with the acquisition of
content
Use trait rubrics rather than holistic scoring to
illuminate student learning gains and
misconceptions/gaps
Offer students alternative product formats to
demonstrate their understanding e.g. written
kinesthetic visual multimedia
Provide for selfassessment

56
Examples AssessmentStandard Student will
develop a healthy eating plan

EXAMPLE 2
Student will design a daily diet for one week
that is based on the U.S. dietary guidelines. In
several paragraphs the student will explain how
his/her plan adheres to the guidelines pre and
post.

EXAMPLE 1
The student will design and construct a collage
of the seven different food groups.

57
Rubrics Essential Assessment Instruments
Sample Rubric Health Performance Standard Plan
and select a nutritious daily diet based on U.S.
dietary guidelines.
58
Rubrics Essential Assessment Instruments
Sample Rubric Chemistry Performance Standard
Reactions and Interactions
59
Grouping Strategies

Definition The varied approaches to arranging
students for effective learning in the
classroom Purpose To enhance the depth or
breadth of student learning to promote
reflection to address student differences to
provide teachers with opportunities to observe
students in varied settings to provide
students with opportunities to work in varied
settings that nurture their unique abilities
and talents to minimize heterogeneity to make
learning more efficient Characteristics
Aligned with the content goals teaching
methods and students learning needs
varied

60
Examples of Grouping Formats
61
Other Options

Homogeneous
Heterogeneous
Cross Grade Grouping
Cluster
Interestbased
Across Class

62
How Can We Use Grouping Formats to Support
Differentiation?

GROUPING
Avoid the onesizefitsall model of curriculum
and instruction
Teach to small groups to address learners
academic and cognitive differences
Use a variety of factors to group students
Locate contracts and centers to deliver and
manage small group learning
Develop inclass extensions around the interests
of individuals and small groups of students
Provide opportunities for students to work in
small groups or individually to pursue their own
questions
Provide opportunities for students to present
their work to small groups of peers
Offer afterschool clubs and Power Hour
programs to address students interests and
learning needs

DIFFERENCES AMONG STUDENTS
Academic Differences
Developmental readiness
Prior knowledge/Opportunity to learn
Reading level
Concept and skill attainment
Cognitive Differences
Schemas
Thinking skills
Learning rate
Cognitive Differences
Interests
Learning styles
Motivation

63
Grouping World LanguagePerformance standard
912 Students will analyze various elements
of the target language such as tense and
compare and contrast them with comparable
linguistic elements in English

EXAMPLE 2
In a series of skill lessons Madame Cailliard
emphasized the formation of the future tense for
her French students. One group challenged by
the formation of this tense worked in a small
group to supply the correct verb form for simple
sentences written in French that contained
regular verbs. Another group with greater
familiarity and proficiency worked on a similar
exercise. Their sentences were more complex and
contained a number of irregular verb forms. A
final group worked on a skill sheet that
contained complex sentences in English only and
needed translation. The English sentences
contained a variety of irregular verb forms. Two
students did not need practice in the formation
of the future tense. These two students worked
collaboratively to tape record an advertisement
for a selfselected French product.

EXAMPLE 1
Students work as a whole class to complete
several worksheets related to the formation of
the future tense in French

64
Introductory Activities

Definition A forward or segue to a curriculum
unit the first interaction between the
student and the ideas contained within the
curriculum unit Purpose To introduce
challenge orient preassess motivate
provide students with a rationale provide
clarity about learning expectations to
increase students cognitive engagement or
provide rules and guidelines Characteristics
Purposeful enlightening motivational
useful aligned with other curriculum
components

65
The Introduction Six Features

I Interrogative focusing question
N Needs assessment preassessment
T Teaser or hook
R Rationale
O Objectives expectations
S Students schemas and interests

66
How Can We Use Introductions to Support
Differentiation?

DIFFERENCES AMONG STUDENTS
Academic Differences
Developmental readiness
Prior knowledge/Opportunity to learn
Reading level
Concept and skill attainment
Cognitive Differences
Schemas
Thinking skills
Learning rate
Affective Differences
Interests
Learning styles
Motivation

INTRODUCTIONS
Ensure introductions are included in the teaching
sequence
Ensure that a preassessment is completed and that
preassessment data has been analyzed and linked
to forthcoming instruction
Ask students to complete a concept map to uncover
prior knowledge and misconceptions
Provide an advanced organizer
Use a discrepant event to heighten interest and
motivation
Use community resources to demonstrate relevance
Develop developmentally appropriate guiding
questions

67
Examples IntroductionsContent Standard
Students will demonstrate knowledge of major
trends in state and local history including
history of original people

EXAMPLE 1
After students read the chapter title The First
People of the Americas ask them to describe in
one word the culture that existed in America in
AD 1200 varied old active.

EXAMPLE 2
Students were provided with copies of an original
map of Native American Indian tribes in
Connecticut as well as the goals and purposes of
the unit and a timeline for its completion. The
teacher knew that her students liked to learn by
listening so she made arrangements for a local
archeologist to kick off the unit. The
archeologist brought artifacts with her that were
collected from a recent archeological dig nearby.

68
Teaching Strategies

Definition Activities designed and/or conducted
by the teacher in order to explicitly or
implicitly provide students with the
information challenge support and ongoing
experiences they need to process knowledge and
improve performance related to the lessons
learning goal s Purpose To mediate
learning increase the likelihood of student
success and selfdirected learning promote
cognitive processing rehearsal and transfer.
Characteristics Aligned with the content and
students learning needs varied motivating
promote cognitive engagement

69
The Teaching Strategies Continuum
Direct

Lecture
Drill and recitation
Direct instruction
Strategybased instruction
Coaching
Concept attainment
Synectics
Demonstration
Socratic Questioning
Visualization

Role playing
Cooperative learning
Jurisprudence
Simulation
Inquirybased instruction
Problembased learning
Shadowing experiences
Mentorships
Independent study
Independent investigations

Indirect
70
Teachers Role
ExplicitImplicit

Drill Instructor
Illustrator
Trainer
Inquirer
Coach
Facilitator
Designer

71
How Can We Use Teaching Strategies to Support
Curriculum Differentiation?

DIFFERENCES AMONG STUDENTS
Academic Differences
Developmental readiness
Prior knowledge/Opportunity to learn
Reading level
Concept and skill attainment
Cognitive Differences
Schemas
Thinking skills
Learning rate
Affective Differences
Interests
Learning styles
Motivation

TEACHING STRATEGIES
Avoid being the sage on the stage.
See teaching as FACILITATING students sense
making
Use direct or indirect teaching methods to
respond to students learning needs
Vary the amount of teaching time for different
groups of learners
Vary the amount and source of feedback
Provide skill strategies only if learners need
them
Provide practice and reinforcement only if
warranted
Change the pace of teaching

72
Examples Teaching StrategiesContent Knowledge
Students will identify physical changes as
changes in state or form evaporation and
condensation the rain cycle

EXAMPLE 1
Lecture
Wholeclass discussion
Assign homework

73
Examples Teaching StrategiesContent Knowledge
Students will identify physical changes as
changes in state or form evaporation and
condensation the rain cycle
EXAMPLE 2Students were assigned to small
flexible groups based upon preassessment data
that revealed critical differences in students
prior knowledge. One group of students was
provided with a demonstration about the two
processes asked to work as a small group to come
to consensus in a small group discussion about
their observations and make a list of everyday
examples of these two processes at work. Another
group with greater prior knowledge than the
first was asked to watch the same demonstration
come to consensus in a small group discussion
about their observations and conclusions and to
compare their findings to the weather outside.
The third group who demonstrated a thorough
understanding of the two processes was provided
with topographical maps and related weather
information and was asked to draw conclusions
about why it rains in some parts of the United
States than in other parts. The teacher roved to
each of the small groups and used Socratic
questioning and feedback to advance students
thinking.
74
Learning Activities

Definition Tasks for students that are designed
to develop the knowledge understanding and
skills specified in the content and learning
goals. Purpose To help students perceive
process store and/or transfer new
information and skills. Characteristics
Aligned with the content goals teaching
methods and students learning needs
varied motivating promote cognitive
engagement efficient causes perturbation
and dissonance

75
Evolving Definitions of Learning A Good
Learner Is One Who Can

1st Generation Memorize and recite
2nd Generation Paraphrase summarize and
synthesize
3rd Generation Analyze and infer
4th Generation Transfer and apply
5th Generation Solve problems creatively

76
Information Processing Model
Sensory input Selective encoding Working
memory Short Term memory Mental
representation Schema storage Rehearsal Long term
memory Retrieval
77
Then and Now Perspectives on Learning
THEN

Fixed Intelligence
Rote Learning
Drill and Recitation Methods
Behavioral Psychology

NoviceApprenticePractitionerExpert

Cognitive Psychology
Thinking and Learning
Cognitive Apprenticeship

NOW
78
What is the Learners Role?

See Relationships
Critique
Apply
Evaluate
Decide
Plan
Problem Solve
Create
Metacogitate

Recall
Memorize
Practice
Sequence
Describe
Paraphrase
Categorize
Analyze

79
The ThinkingLearning Connection
Analytic
Critical
Practical
Creative
80
ThinkingLearning Activities Analysis

Draw Conclusions
Infer
Inductive Reasoning
Deductive Reasoning

Make an Observation
Find Similarities and Differences
Compare and Contrast
Sequence Rank Prioritize
Categorize
Classify
Predict
Look for Patterns
Find Cause and Effect
Make an Analogy

81
ThinkingLearning ActivitiesCritical

Critique
Evaluate
Judge
Persuade
Argue

Detecting Fact and Opinion
Determining Bias
Determining Credibility of a Source
Identifying Assumptions
Detecting Warranted and Unwarranted Claims
Determining Strength of an Argument
Identifying Fallacies

82
ThinkingLearning Activities Practical

Decision Making
Problem Solving
Planning
Decision Making
Hypothesizing
Formulating Questions
Criteria Setting

83
ThinkingLearning ActivitiesCreative

Design
Innovate
Invent
Develop
Improve

Fluency
Flexibility
Originality
Elaboration
Brainstorming
Creative Problem Solving
Synectics

84
How Can We Use Learning Activities to Support
Curriculum Differentiation?

LEARNING ACTIVITIES
Make students think
Listen and watch students thinking purposively
and frequently use your observations to tailor
instruction
Ensure that the learning activities are not too
easy or too frustrating
Ensure that the learning pace is not too fast
not too slow but just right
Offer more or less scaffolding
Provide more or less time
Provide advance organizers that have more/less
detail
Create more reflection opportunities
Vary grouping options for learning activities
e.g. heterogeneous homogeneous provide some
opportunity for students to selfselect group
membership

DIFFERENCES AMONG STUDENTS
Academic Differences
Developmental readiness
Prior knowledge/Opportunity to learn
Reading level
Concept and skill attainment
Cognitive Differences
Schemas
Thinking skills
Learning rate
Affective Differences
Interests
Learning styles
Motivation

85
Examples Learning ActivitiesLearning Goal
Students will identify physical changes as
changes in state or form evaporation and
condensation the rain cycle

EXAMPLE 2
Observe a demonstration
Make observations and write them down your
observations in a scientific log
Work with students in your group. Come to
consensus within your group about your
observations
Compare your observations to the weather outside.

EXAMPLE 1
Read pages 7479 in your textbook. Answer the
first three questions on page 80 Review
Questions.

86
Resources

Definition Materials that support learning
during the teaching and learning
activities. Purpose To provide a context or
format for delivering receiving processing
or communicating new knowledge . Characterist
ics Aligned with the content goals teaching
methods and students learning needs
varied authentic motivating appropriate
levels of readability and cognitive demand

87
How Can We Use Resources to Support Curriculum
Differentiation?

DIFFERENCES AMONG STUDENTS
Academic Differences
Developmental readiness
Prior knowledge/Opportunity to learn
Reading level
Concept and skill attainment
Cognitive Differences
Schemas
Thinking skills
Learning rate
Affective Differences
Interests
Learning styles
Motivation

RESOURCES
Use advance organizers
Incorporate manipulatives
Develop skill/strategy sheets that include
varying levels of detail
Use mnemonics
Provide postits@ and highlighters
Provide resources at appropriate levels
Dont put a ceiling on resources
Use www.iconn.org
Consider students interests
Ensure that resources reflect a variety of
formats e.g. visual auditory

88
Examples ResourcesLearning Goal Students will
describe and explain some of the reasons people
have moved and relate these reasons to some
historic movements of large groups of people

EXAMPLE 1
The textbook
Stories about Native Americans
Books about Native Americans

EXAMPLE 2
Primary Source Documents
Faith Unfurled The Pilgrims Quest for Freedom
American Quakers
www.ushistorydocs.com
Simulations
Interact www.interactsimulations.com
Web Sites
Caleb Johnsons Mayflower PageResource dedicated
to the historic vessel provides educational
resources original documents passenger lists
biographies and Pilgrim writings. http//
members.aol.com/calebj/mayflower.html
Related Literature
Childrens Literature in Social StudiesDean M.
Krey

89
Grade 11 U.S. History
CPNTENT STANDARD 1 Historical Thinking Students
will develop historical thinking including
chronological thinking and recognizing change
over time. .

EXAMPLE 2
As she began the chapter on the roots of the
Constitution Ms. Polanski wanted her students to
understand many different aspects related to this
important time in American history. Equally
important she saw the critical need to teach her
students how to trace and analyze influential
ideas that shaped US History.
She gathered together easily accessible primary
source documents The Magna Carta 1215 the
Mayflower Compact 1620. The Fundamental Orders
of Connecticut1639 and the Bill of Rights
Ratified 1791. She organized her students into
three flexible groups based upon their ability to
make inferences and analyze dense text and
provided each group a copy of the Bill of Rights
and one of the other 3 documents. She asked each
group to 1 identify their other historical
document 2 analyze the ideas contained within
the document 3 compare and contrast its ideas
to these contained within the Bill of Rights and
4 trace the succession of the ideas related to
rights and freedoms.

EXAMPLE 1
Mr. Todd loved teaching his students about the
roots of the Constitution. He especially liked
the simulations he had collected over his career
that dealt with the debates that occurred between
the Federalists and the Antifederalists over the
ratification of the Constitution. Another of his
favorites was the culminating activity in which
students collected photographs from newspapers
and magazines that illustrated the freedoms
guaranteed under the Bill of Rights. Each
student made a poster entitled Pictures of
Liberty.

90
Products

Definition Performances or work samples created
by students that provide evidence of student
learning Purpose To assess student growth
to provide for student reflection to monitor
and adjust instruction to evaluate
students. Characteristics Aligned with the
content goals teaching methods and students
learning needs varied authentic motivating
efficient

91
Products

Advance organizer
Advertisement
Animation
Annotated bibliography
Argument
Assignment
Audiotape
Biography
Blueprint
Board game
Book jacket
Bulletin board
Bulleted list
CD disc
Calendar
Campaign
Card game
Census
Ceramics

Costume Critique Dance Debate Diagram Diary Dictio
nary Diorama Display Dramatic monologue Drawing Ec
onomic forecast Editorial Elegy Essay Etching Expe
riment Fable Fact file Fairy tale Family
tree Festival Filmstrip Glossary Graph Graphic
organizer Greeting card Haiku Hypercard
stack Hypothesis
Illustrated story Interview Invention Investment
portfolio Journal Landscape design Learning
profile Lecture Lesson Letter Limerick Line
drawing List Magazine article Map Maze Memoir Memo
ir Montage Movie Museum exhibit Musical
composition Newspaper Notes Observation log Oil
painting Oral history Oral report Outline Overhead
transparency
Pamphlet Pantomime Paragraph Pattern Photo
essay Photo journal Play Picture
dictionary Picture book Poem Portfolio Poster Pott
ery Powerpoints Prediction Protocol Proposal
Puppet Puppet show Questions Radio show Relief
map Reflection Reflective essay Research
report Rubbing Rule Science fiction
story Scrapbook
Sculpture Set design Short story Silk
screening Simulation Skitshow Smallscale
model Social action plan Song Sonnet Stencil Summa
ry Survey Table Terrarium Textbook Timeline Theory
Think piece Topographical map TV documentary TV
newscast Video Video game Vocabulary list Weather
instrument/log Web Worksheet Wrapping paper design
92
How Can We Modify Products to Attend to Learner
Differences?

DIFFERENCES AMONG STUDENTS
Academic Differences
Developmental readiness
Prior knowledge/Opportunity to learn
Reading level
Concept and skill attainment
Cognitive Differences
Schemas
Thinking skills
Learning rate
Affective Differences
Interests
Learning styles
Motivation

PRODUCTS
Dont spend more time than is necessary to figure
out the nature and extent of learning
Use daily formal or informal assessments
Develop rubrics with a low baseline and high
ceiling
Link drafts final products learning
opportunities and reteaching
Dont make everyone write all the time use a
variety of product formats
Encourage selfassessment
Provide choice allow students to express
themselves in their preferred expression format
some of the time
Keep selected exemplars to showcase as
possibilities
Provide time for students to share their work in
large and small groups

93
Examples ProductsLearning Goal Students will
describe and explain some of the reasons people
have moved and relate these reasons to some
historic movements of large groups of people

EXAMPLE 2
Throughout the unit students have the
opportunity to work on a variety of products.
All students create their own concept map about
migration as well as other protocol or thinking
skill worksheets related to the unit. They also
have the opportunity to create a reflective essay
about the diversity of people in their
neighborhood an audiotape created to chronicle
the thoughts of immigrants coming to America and
a collage.

EXAMPLE 1
The preparation of the Thanksgiving dinner for
the class parents and invited officials to
coincide with Thanksgiving Day

94
Determining Cause and Effect
Leader ______________ Colony ______________

Reasons for leaving Europe
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________

Effects of the migration
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________

95
Making GeneralizationsCauses/ Effects
of Migration Colonization
Generalization s
Evidence to support the generalization s
96
Concept Map Migration
Movement across time and space
Ideas
Goods
LIVING THINGS Migration The study of interactions
among people and other life forms located in
different places times and different
environments
Animals
People
Barriers
Effects/Changes
Cultural Reasons
People
Land
Push Factors
Pull Factors
Economic
Cultural
Physical
Famine
Lack of Freedom
Land
Wealth
People Leaving
New Land
Indigenous People
Former Land
Speech
Religious
Political
Refugees
Assimilation
Innovation Diffusion
Acculturation
Dissension
Conflict
97
Extensions

Definition Preplanned or serendipitous
experiences that emerge from the learning
goals debriefing and reflection activities
and students interests. Purpose To extend
students learning promote the transfer and
application of content goals to realworld
contexts and problems to generate excitement
for learning to address individual interests
to promote intrinsic motivation for
learning. Characteristics Linked to the content
goals aligned with students interests
openended guided authentic

98
Extension Activities
Extension Activity Time Support
Required Print article S Videotape S Communit
y Speaker S Simulation SM Performance SM Libra
ry research SM Field Study M Web
Quest M Pro