Differentiated Instruction

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Differentiated Instruction

• Rob Irwin

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Purpose

• Develop shared and practical understandings of
  differentiation as related to the effective
  teaching of Mathematics
• Tiering as a differentiation strategy
• Tiering Math Games Trailblazers lessons

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Processes/Payoff

• Processes
• Question Car Park Think, Pair, Share Paired/
  Quad Brainstorm Games Rotations Discussion
  Gallery Walk Group Planning
• Payoff Leave the workshop with practical ideas
  for differentiating instruction through the
  strategy of tiering

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Protocols for working as a professional learning
community

• Adopt a sense of responsibility for the group as
  a community of learners
• One person at a time talking so as to keep the
  meaning
• Attend to and listen to others
• Accept where others are at
• Suspend judgement
• Allow and give no putdowns
• Common signal for gaining
• everyones attention

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Question Car Park

• Write down your questions and issues on the
  post-it notes provided throughout the sessions
  and park them in the Question Car Park charts
  on the walls of the room.
• I will work at answering them at the beginning of
  the next two sessions.

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Treasure Hunt for Diversity

• Using the Treasure Hunt grid, complete each
  section by finding colleagues who match the
  description.

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Challenges of todays students

• As a group, brainstorm (and jot down in your
  reflective journals) all the needs of students
  you have worked with in your classrooms this year
  or in the past.

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Challenges of todays students

• The diversity of students in your classroom
• Learning styles (visual, spatial, auditory,
  tactile, kinaesthetic)
• Interests
• Strengths/ Weaknesses
• Cognitive abilities
• ELLs

• Attitudes/ Motivation/ Persistence/ Confidence
• Readiness
• Socio-Economic and Family Factors
• Learning Pace
• Gender Influences
• Cultural/Ethnic influences

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Challenges of Todays Students

• Normal is only a setting on the washing machine
  
• Schmidt, M (2006). Losing Sight of the Shore
  Differentiating Curriculum and Instruction.

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A Once Upon A Time Story About A Blonde Student

• Once upon a time there was a lovely, young
  student named Goldilocks. She was an adventurous
  sort, so one day she went walking through the
  forest in search of a teacher.
• As Goldilocks rounded a bend in the path, she
  came into a bright clearing in the forest. She
  was very excited to find a teacher presenting a
  lesson that at first captured her attention.
  Goldilocks tried to stay engaged and learn, but
  she became frustrated as it was just too
  difficult.

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The story continues..

• She sighed, waved goodbye to the first teacher,
  and continued on her way.
• Goldilocks walked a bit longer and ambled up a
  hill where she found herself in a wide,
  flower-filled pasture. There a second teacher
  sat, seemingly waiting just for her.
• This teacher began her lesson, but Goldilocks
  soon became bored because it was just too easy.
  She waved goodbye to the second teacher, and once
  again went on her way.

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The story continues..again!

• Trudging through the forest more slowly now and
  less joyfully, she came across a magnificent
  meadow that was not only amazingly colorful but
  fragrant as well. There stood another teacher.
  The teacher began the lesson, and Goldilocks was
  enthralled! This lesson wasnt too hard! It
  wasnt too easy! It was just right!

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What is Differentiation?

• Think, Pair, Share
• Individually, jot down your own thoughts as to
  what you think differentiation is.
• Share with partner.
• Share with group of 4.

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What is Differentiation?

• At its most basic level, differentiating
  instruction means shaking up what goes on in
  the classrooms so that students have multiple
  options for taking in information, making sense
  of ideas and expressing what they learna
  differentiated classroom provides different
  avenues to acquiring content, to processing and
  making sense of ideas, and to developing products
  so that each student can learn effectively
  (Carol Tomlinson, 1999, p. 1)

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How Is It Implemented?

• Use diagnostic assessments to determine student
  readiness. These assessments can be formal or
  informal. Teachers can give pre-tests, question
  students about their background knowledge, or use
  KWL charts (charts that ask students to identify
  what they already Know, what they Want to know,
  and what they have Learned about a topic).

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How is it implemented?

• Determine student interest. This can be done by
  using interest inventories and/or including
  students in the planning process. Teachers can
  ask students to tell them what specific interests
  they have in a particular topic, and then
  teachers can try to incorporate these interests
  into their lessons.

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How Is It Implemented?

• Identify student learning styles and
  environmental preferences. Teachers can get
  information about student learning styles by
  asking students how they learn best and by
  observing student activities. Identifying
  environmental preferences includes determining
  whether students work best in large or small
  groups and what environmental factors might
  contribute to or inhibit student learning. For
  example, a student might need to be free from
  distraction. PLUS you need a good understanding
  of M.C.

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What Does it Look Like for Math?

• Math instruction can be differentiated to
  allow students to work on skills appropriate to
  their readiness level and to explore mathematics
  applications through -
• Math games are a very good and easy way to
  differentiate learning. Played correctly students
  can experience fun activities while playing
  different levels of a game.
• Tiering is another way. Tier the group or
  individual activities after the mini lesson.

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Differentiated Instruction
is the proactive acceptance of and planning for
student differences, including their
readiness interests
learning profiles Teachers can respond to
student differences by differentiating
content process products
environment while always keeping in mind the
guiding principles of respectful tasks
ongoing assessment adjustment flexible
groups
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What is reality now and Where you want to be
Self-Assessment

• Traditional Classroom Vs Differentiated Classroom
  
• Using the handout, place an X on each
  continuum where you believe your teaching is now
  and a Y where youd like to be.
• Discuss with your group.

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• Tiering
• as a
• Differentiation Strategy
• What is it?

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Tiered activities are really quite essential.
They are almost the meat and potatoes of
differentiation. (Tomlinson)

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Differentiating by Readiness/Tiered Lessons

• Involves having students work on the same concept
  at different levels of complexity and with
  different levels of support or open-endedness.
• Not more work or less work, just different work.

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Planning Tiered Assignments
Concept to be Understood OR Skill to be Mastered
Create on-level task first then adjust up and
down.
Below-Level Task
On-Level Task
Above-Level Task
Adjusting the Task
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When Tiering

• Adjust---
• Level of Complexity
• Amount of Structure
• Materials
• Time/Pace
• Number of Steps
• Form of Expression
• Level of Dependence

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The Equalizer
5. Smaller Leap
1. Foundational
Transformational
Greater Leap
6. More Structured
More Open
2. Concrete
Abstract
7. Clearly Defined Problems
Fuzzy Problems
3. Simple
Complex
8. Less Independence
Greater Independence
4. Fewer Facets
Multi-Facets
9. Slower
Quicker
Low Readability
High Readability
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Using the Equalizer A Tool for Planning
Differentiated Lessons (Tomlinson, 2000)

• Similar to using the equalizer buttons on a CD
  player/stereo, you can slide the buttons across
  several different continuums to get the best
  combination of sounds for a musical piece.
• In a differentiated classroom, adjusting the
  buttons appropriately for various students needs
  equalizes their chances of being appropriately
  challenged by materials, activities, products in
  your classroom
• (Tomlinson, 2000).

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What is Tiered Instruction?

• By keeping the focus of the
• activity the same, but
• providing routes of access at
• varying degrees of difficulty,
• the teacher maximizes the
• likelihood that
• each student comes away
• with pivotal skills
• understandings
• 2) each student is appropriately
• challenged.

Teachers use tiered activities so that all
students focus on essential understandings and
skills but at different levels of complexity,
abstractness, and open-endedness.
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Use of State Standards

• Use the standards (current state standards or
  Common Core standards) to inform the tiering by
  seeing the sequence of development of the concept

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Tiering

• Lets look at how to tier a game
• Importance of teachers knowing content
  Standards
• Lets look at and then later play
• Flash
• HANDOUT IN FOLDER

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Now consider this.

• Tier 1 One group of students in the class are
  very unsure of the basic Count-On (count on
  1,2,3,0) facts
• Tier 2 One group of students in the class may
  need to practice doubles
• Tier 3 One group of students in the class have
  automaticity with addition facts to 12, including
  Make Ten strategy
• WHAT TO DO?

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Differentiate the Game using the Equalizer
Addition Flash
Tier 1 John, Robyn, Liz, Rob, Karen Unsure of very basic count-on facts Count-on 1,2,3,0 Choose specific cards/ specific dice (e.g. 1, 2,3,0 singly or combinations of count-on facts based on students needs) Use of visuals (number line) Play game Count-On 1, 2, 3, 0 Foundational Less independence Simple Observation notes Exit slips
Tier 2 Judith, Barry, Kate, Jessica, Richie Need to develop strategy of doubles facts Play game with doubles dominoes Concrete Game recording slips Observation notes Journal
Tier 3 Dan, Angie, Peter, Jacinta, Mia Play game with different numbers (2x6 sided dice cards 0-12) Missing addend game 3 addend game Transformational Multiple facets Complex Game recording slips Observation notes Journal
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• Tiered Games
• Lets Experience It

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Flash Activity Cont.

• Work with a partner
• 1 Sequence the games in order of
• development
• 2 Find as many activities that you could
  
• differentiate into 3 tiers

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Lets Experience It

• You are going to participate in several games
  that have been tiered at three different levels.
• Your group needs to play each tier of each game.
  Compare the three tiers. What is the big math
  idea?
• Complete the template, match each tiered set of
  games to the Standards and the Equalizer
• What are the implications for your own classroom?

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Carousel the Games Around the Groups/Tables

• Well move the games on a given signal clock-wise
• Table 1
• Table 2
• Table 3
• Table 4
• Table 5
• Table 6

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Tiered Games

• Group Report
• What did you notice?

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Differentiate the Games using the Equalizer- Its
your turn!

• Each group will find a Math game, planning
  template and butchers paper on their table.
• As a group and using the Equalizer and the
  Standards in your handout, adapt the game and
  plan for a variety of students needs- tier for
  three groups of children
• Tape your groups poster up for the gallery walk

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Gallery Walk

• One member from each group stays with the tiered
  games poster.
• All groups rotate and the poster leader describes
  the tiering.
• Ask questions
• Get ideas
• Complete template
• Rotate on given signal

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• Tiering a Daily Math Lesson in the Workshop Model

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Tiering the Student Activity Portion
of the Workshop Model Lesson
Whole Math Message/Warm-Up
Whole Mini-Lesson
Part Student Activity- Group 1 Group 2 Group 3
Whole Share Time

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• Tiering a Trailblazer Lesson

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Your Turn

• Using the template in your packet, choose some
  lessons from the program (eg. first weeks of
  school in September) and,
• consulting the standards,
• tier the student activity portion of each lesson

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How do I begin to differentiate?

• Consider Low Prep/High Prep differentiation
• See handout on Hints to Begin

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• Lets Recap

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Explicit Visuals of Expectations- Y Chart -
Kindergarten
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Establishing a Co-operative Framework- Developing
a Y Chart for Group Work
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Flexible Groups- Differentiated Games
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Using Assessment to Inform the Differentiation
within each Game
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Varying Content of Games to Meet Students Needs
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Rubric for Differentiation (developed by Julie
Howie A.U.S.S.I.E. Math Consultant)

• Use for reflecting on your practice

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Things Take Time

• Put up in a place where its easy to see,
• The cryptic admonishment,
• T.T.T.
• When you feel how depressingly slow you climb
• Its well to remember that
• THINGS TAKE TIME.
• From Tomlinson, C.

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Evaluation Form

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• HAVE A GREAT NEW
• SCHOOL YEAR!