Using Differentiation Techniques to Design WebQuests for High Ability Students

1
Using Differentiation Techniques to Design
WebQuests for High Ability Students
Nancy Heilbronner University of
Connecticut Nancy.heilbronner_at_uconn.edu With
Thanks to Sheelah Sweeny, Rhode Island College
2
Presentation Agenda

• Differentiation
• Webquests
• PPA Webquests
• Ways to Differentiate PPA Webquests

3
Differentiation A Definition

• Matching the given content with a students
  interests, abilities, and learning styles through
  various instructional strategies.
• Sally Reis

4
From Get Off My Brain, by Randy McCutcheon,
illustrated by Pete Wagner
5
Students who finish early need more work to keep
them busy.

• MYTH!
• Busy work is a waste of students time. If
  students finish early, have them do something
  challenging and meaningful. However, with
  appropriate differentiation, down time should
  occur less frequently.

6
Differentiation consists of capable students
getting more work and homework than other
students.

• MYTH!
• Capable students should get work that is
  qualitatively different, not quantitatively more.
  Also, gifted students need only 1-2 repetitions
  on something that an average child needs 7-8
  repetitions to learn.

7
Why Differentiate?
8
Differentiation Is It Effective?
An Analysis of the Research on Ability Grouping
Historical and Contemporary Perspectives James
A. Kulik, Ph.D.
http//www.gifted.uconn.edu/nrcgt/reports/rbdm9204
/rbdm9204.pdf

• Meta-analysis
• Differentiation is effective (learning gains)
  when you alter the curriculum for students to
  adjust for their previous knowledge and skills,
  and its ineffective when you dont.

9
What Differentiation IS

• Multiple Approaches - differentiate through the
  content, process product
• Student Centered - engage all learners at their
  own level

• Varied Groupings - whole group, small group
  individualized instruction
• Organic - teaching learning evolves from needs
  of the students

Tomlinson, 2001
10
Ways to Differentiate

• Interest
• Readiness
• Learning Style

11
Differentiation According to Learning Style

• Assignment

• On a piece of paper rank from highest (1) to
  lowest (4) your preferred expression style
• Write
• Draw
• Act
• Sing

Activity
12
Assignment

• Create a representation that would explain the
  characteristics of gifted students to others.
• You MUST use your LEAST favorite learning style.
  Find your group and begin.

13
Reflection

1. How did you feel while doing this activity?
2. What is this like in our classrooms?

14

• This simulation, however, is a bit like using
  remedial instruction. If we never let students
  do what they like and are good at, we never see
  their potential.

15
Is It Fair?How Do We Address Students Concerns?

• Is it fair?

• Addressing Concerns
• SET THE EXPECTATION EARLY, SET IT OFTEN.

16
Differentiation Through Variation
17
Content Differentiation

• The content is what students are learning about.
  Differentiate by
• Providing a wide variety of learning materials
• Providing texts and trade-books with different
  levels of sophistication (e.g. viewpoint,
  technical language)
• Requiring the use of primary source materials
• Requiring Interviews with individuals in the
  field.

18
Process Differentiation

• The process is what students are doing - how
  they are using the information. Differentiate by
• Increasing the complexity of the task
• Requiring higher-order thinking skills
• Requiring skills used by working professionals in
  the field.

19
Product Differentiation

• The product is the final work product - it is how
  students demonstrate their learning.
  Differentiate by
• Making the product more complex
• Assigning leadership and more complex roles
  during the webquest
• Use of higher-order thinking skills through
  debate and/or presentation by the identified
  students.

20
WebQuest Design

• Introduction
• Task
• Process
• Evaluation
• Conclusion
• Credits

21
WebQuest Design Sites

• Webquest Page http//webquest.org/index.php
• A Guide for Creating a Webquest
• http//www.teachersfirst.com/summer/webquest/ques
  t-a.shtml

22
WebQuest Resource Sites

• Science Sites
• Franklin Institute Museum of Science
• http//www2.fi.edu/
• Keystone Science Network
• www.keystone.fi.edu/index.shtml
• The Scientific Method
• http//teacher.nsrl.rochester.edu/phy_labs/Appendi
  xE/AppendixE.htmlHeading3
• National Science Teachers Association
• http//www.nsta.org/

23
WebQuest Resource Sites

• Social Studies Sites
• American Memory
• http//memory.loc.gov/ammem/amhome.html
• Library of Congress
• www.loc.gov
• History Matters
• http//historymatters.gmu.edu/
• National Council for the Social Studies
• http//www.ncss.org/
• ASPCA
• http//www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagenamekids
  _ri_home

24
WebQuest Resource Sites

• English/Language Arts Sites
• The Write Site
• http//www.writesite.org/
• Time for Kids
• http//www.timeforkids.com/TFK/
• Research Writing
• http//www.ipl.org/div/aplus/stepfirst.htm

25
WebQuest Resource Sites

• Research Sites
• The Research Process
• http//www.crlsresearchguide.org/
• Thinkfinity
• http//www.thinkfinity.org/home.aspx
• Rand Corporation
• http//www.rand.org/
• Kaiser Family Foundation
• http//www.kff.org/

26
WebQuest Resource Sites

• Math Sites
• Math Forum
• http//mathforum.org/
• The World of Math Online
• http//www.math.com/
• Interactive Math Dictionary for Kids
• www.amathsdictionaryforkids.com
• NCES Kids Zone
• http//nces.ed.gov/nceskids/index.asp

27
PPA Design

• What is the problem?
• Where is the evidence?
• What are the causes?
• What is the existing policy?
• What policies can you create to correct the
  problem?
• What is the best policy to correct the problem?

28
What is the Problem?

• Use this description to hook students - get them
  excited and interested. Include questions, strong
  verbs and examples of higher order thinking to
  engage students at all ability levels.

29
Where is the Evidence?

• When directing students to resources, make sure
  the resources are varied in type (web-based,
  books, reports, graphs, surveys, etc.), reading
  level and level of analysis.

30
What are the Causes?

• Choose a topic that is multi-faceted, which will
  increase the complexity of the research and
  analysis. Give students opportunities to explore
  multiple causes.
• Provide opportunities for students to utilize
  different formats as they evaluate causes.

31
What is the Existing Policy?

• Choose resources that are varied in form and
  reading level. Consider newspapers, news
  magazines, online news sources as well as books,
  websites and government reports.
• Give students opportunities to explore why
  certain policies were put into place. What role
  does politics play in policy making?

32
What Policies Can You Create to Correct the
Problem?

• Have students consider more than one
  solution/policy. The team can evaluate the
  choices to choose the best option.
• Policies should consider multiple criteria and
  constituencies (social, economic, academic,
  political, emotional, etc.)

33
What is the Best Policy to Correct the Problem?

• All students should be involved in higher-order
  thinking, including evaluation.
• Provide structures to help students evaluate
  policy options.

Content Process
34
Presentation

• Consider multiple presentation options to pique
  student interest and take advantage of students
  strengths.

35
WebQuest Examples

• Poverty
• http//www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/crit7/donaldsonw
  q1.html
• English Suffragists
• http//www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/crit7/chomawq3.h
  tml
• Industrial Revolution
• http//www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/crit7/archerwq2.
  html

36
Differentiated WebQuest Design Two Paths

• By ROLE
• Works well if roles are meaningful (e.g.,
  researcher, project manager, editor, presentation
  manager)
• Roles must be CONTRIBUTE TO LEARNING.

• By TASK
• Each role is tiered by readiness.
• Students select roles based on interest.
  Instructor selects tiered groups.

37
Differentiation by Role

• Make sure each role is meaningful, and
  contributes to the overall process and to student
  learning.
• Example
• Group manager for student with strengths in
  people skills, conflict management, etc.
• Researcher for student with strengths in
  reading, organization, note-taking, outlining,
  etc.
• Production for students with strengths in
  writing, storyboarding, language, layout, etc.
• Technology for students with strengths in
  computer software such as PowerPoint
• Artist for students with strengths in the arts.

38
Differentiation by Role

• A word of warning
• Each student should contribute to the
  knowledge-building process
• Each student should contribute to the overall
  presentation(s)
• Roles are primarily for whos in charge
  purposes.

39
Differentiation by Task

• Differentiation is by readiness.
• Form 2-3 groups for each role that are
  differentiated by complexity.

40
Blooms Taxonomy
http//chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/cogsys/bloom
.html
41
Higher Order Thinking

• Sentence Stems
• \http//www.teachers.ash.org.au/researchskills/dal
  ton.htm
• Knowledge - Content What happened after?
  Product Make a timeline of events.
• Comprehension - Content Tell what happened in
  your own words. Product Illustrate what you
  think the main idea is.
• Application - Content Group by characteristics
  Product Construct a model to show how it works.
• Analysis - Content How was this similar to
  Product Construct a graph to illustrate selected
  information.
• Synthesis - Content Devise your own solution
  Product Create your own product
• Evaluation - Content Judge the value of
  Product Prepare a list of criteria to judge

42
Critical Thinking Skills

• Determining reality fantasy
• Determining benefits drawbacks
• Identifying value statements
• Identifying points of view
• Determining bias

• Identifying fact opinion
• Determining the accuracy of information
• Inductive Deductive thinking
• http//www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/dedind.ph
  p

http//www.gifted.uconn.edu/sem/typeiips.html
43
Critical Thinking Skills

• Recognizing assumptions
• Recognizing fallacies
• Detecting inconsistencies in an argument
• Identifying ambiguity
• Identifying exaggeration
• Determining the strength of an argument

• Judging essential and incidental information
  Determining relevance
• Identifying missing information
• Judging the credibility of a source
• Determining warranted unwarranted claims

http//www.gifted.uconn.edu/sem/typeiips.html
44
ExamplesA webquest differentiated by interest
and rolesChange the World
45
ExampleA webquest differentiated by
interest and readinessPoor Attendance in NYC
Public Schools
46
It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken
joy in creative expression and knowledge.

• -Albert Einstein

47
Its time to get your ducks in a row
48
Resources

• www.gifted.uconn.edu
• www.creativelearningpress.com
• How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-Ability
  Classrooms, 2nd ed. By Carol Ann Tomlinson