Differentiated Instruction

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Differentiated Instruction

• When teachers recognize diversity in their
  students, in terms of how and what they identify
  with and how they learn, and when this
  recognition is reflected in how teachers teach,
  students are free to discover new and creative
  ways to solve problems, achieve success, and
  become lifelong learners.
• (Ferguson et al., 2005)

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Introduction

• students come individually packaged we dont
  buy in bulk
• although the curriculum is standard, the
  instruction doesnt have to be
• must attack teaching from all different
  perspectives to ensure all students needs,
  abilities and strengths are being addressed
• students also need different opportunities to
  demonstrate their learning hence D.A.
• choice is key both in lesson delivery and
  assessment
• gradual release of responsibility teach them
  how to learn in ways that work for them
• focus on the process, not the product the
  how, not the what

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What is DI?

• Differentiated instruction is . . .
• . . .effective instruction that is responsive
  to students readiness, interests, and learning
  preferences.
• Ministry Publication

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Easy to remember . . .
Interests
R. I. P.
Preferences
Readiness
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R.I.P. explained
Readiness
Measuring the students prior knowledge leading
into the topic
Interests
What are the students interested in learning
about?
Preferences
Different ways individual learners prefer to
acquire, process, and work with information
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Is this making sense???
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Consider these classrooms
Classroom 3 Ms. Cassell has planned her year
around a few key concepts that will help students
relate to, organize, and retain what they study
in history. She has also developed principles or
generalizations that govern or uncover how the
concepts work. Further, for each unit, she has
established a defined set of facts and terms that
are essential for students to know to be literate
and informed about the topic. She has listed
skills for which she and the students are
responsible as the year progresses. Finally, she
has developed essential questions to intrigue her
students and to cause them to engage with her in
a quest for understanding. Ms. Cassell's master
list of facts, terms, concepts, principles, and
skills stems from her understanding of the
discipline of history as well as from the
district's learning standards. As the year
evolves, Ms. Cassell continually assesses the
readiness, interests, and learning profiles of
her students and involves them in goal setting
and decision making about their learning. As she
comes to understand her students and their needs
more fully, she modifies her instructional
framework and her instruction.
Classroom 2 Mrs. Baker is also teaching about
ancient Rome. She gives her students graphic
organizers to use as they read the textbook
chapter and goes over the organizers with the
class so that anyone who missed details can fill
them in. She brings in pictures of the art and
the architecture of the period and tells how
important the Romans were in shaping our
architecture, language, and laws. When she
invites some students to dress in togas for a
future class, someone suggests bringing in food
so that they can have a Roman banquetand they
do. One day, students do a word-search puzzle of
vocabulary words about Rome. On another day, they
watch a movie clip that shows gladiators and the
Colosseum and talk about the favored
"entertainment" of the period. Later, Mrs. Baker
reads aloud several myths, and students talk
about the myths that they remember from 6th
grade. When it's time to study for the test, the
teacher lets students go over the chapter
together, which they like much better than
working at home alone, she says. She also wants
students to like studying about Rome, so she
offers a choice of 10 projects. Among the options
are creating a poster listing important Roman
gods and goddesses, their roles, and their
symbols developing a travel brochure for ancient
Rome that a Roman of the day might have used
writing a poem about life in Rome dressing dolls
like citizens of Rome or drawing the fashions of
the time building a model of an important
ancient Roman building or a Roman villa and
making a map of the Holy Roman Empire. Students
can also propose their own topic.
Classroom 1 Mr. Appleton is teaching about
ancient Rome. His students are reading the
textbook in class today. He suggests that they
take notes of important details as they read.
When they finish, they answer the questions at
the end of the chapter. Students who don't finish
must do so at home. Tomorrow, they will answer
the questions together in class. Mr. Appleton
likes to lecture and works hard to prepare his
lectures. He expects students to take notes.
Later, he will give a quiz on both the notes and
the text. He will give students a study sheet
before the test, clearly spelling out what will
be on the test.
Which classroom do you see yourself in?
Which classroom do you think your students would
learn best in?
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Why Differentiate?
Lecture (5)
Reading (10) Audio/Visual
(20) Demonstration (30)
Discussion Group (50) Practice by Doing
(75) Teach Others (90)
Percentage of Retention (Hume)
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Essentially . . .

• By attending at various times, to a learners
  readiness, interests, and learning preferences,
  we increase the likelihood that the students will
  be able to build new learning through connection
  to existing knowledge and preferred ways of
  working and that they will be engaged in the
  learning.
• Ministry Publication

KEY COMPONENTS
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Offering choice

• Differentiated instruction involves
• Using assessment to gather information about
  students readiness, interests and learning
  preferences (e.g. KWL, interest inventories,
  learner profiles . . .)
• Using this information to differentiate the
  learning environment, instruction, and assessment
  and evaluation (e.g. group work, graphic
  organizers, simulations, learning stations,
  RAFTs . . .)
• Selecting from a varied repertoire of strategies
  to meet the particular needs of students

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Where do I fit? A continuum . . .
Developing the Routines, Habits and Skills for
Differentiated Instruction
Sustaining a Differentiated Instruction Culture
in the Classroom
Developing Instructional Routines and Skills
Expanding Instructional Routines and Skills
Little Differentiation
Much Differentiation
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How much DI?

• 80/20

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Final thoughts. . .

• we have a moral obligation to teach students
  not program
• we CAN manipulate the program to fit individual
  students needs
• focus on skill development not just content
• put yourself in their shoes how would you want
  to learn?
• DI is not catering to each learner every day
  the goal should be grouping based on learning
  preference/ability
• dont offer too much choice either (2-4 options
  max.)
• 80/20

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Special thanks to . . .

• Matt Biggley PD Co-ordinator
• Chris Thomas Co-facilitator
• Karen Hume DI PD Instructor
• Educational Leadership (http//pdonline.ascd.org/p
  d_online/diffinstr/el199909_tomlinson.html)
• Curriculum Services Canada Differentiated
  Instruction Beginning the Conversation (Webcast)

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And now. . .

• DIFFERENTIATED
• ASSESSMENT