DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION AWARENESS

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DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTIONAWARENESS
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West Virginia Achieves Professional Development
Series
Seeking Equity and Excellence Through
Differentiated Instruction
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Mission
  The West Virginia Department of
Education, the Regional Education Service
Agencies and the Office of Performance Audits
will create systemic conditions, processes and
structures within the West Virginia public school
system that result in (1) all students achieving
mastery and beyond and (2) closing the
achievement gap among sub-groups of the student
population.
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Robert HutchinsThe Conflict in Education in a
Democratic Society
Perhaps the greatest idea that America has
given the world is education for all. The world
is entitled to know whether this idea means that
everybody can be educated or simply that everyone
must go to school.
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What We Know

• An emerging body of research identifies
  characteristics of high performing school
  systems.
• These school systems have made significant
  progress in bringing all students to mastery and
  in closing the achievement gap.
• These systems share characteristics described in
  West Virginia Framework for High Performing
  School Systems.

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WV Framework for High Performing School Systems
HIGH PERFORMANCE SCHOOL SYSTEM
SYSTEMIC CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT PROCESS
CURRICULUM MANAGEMENT
STUDENT/PARENT SUPPORT
INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES
SCHOOL EFFECTIVENESS
CULTURE OF COMMON BELIEFS VALUES Dedicated to
Learning for ALLWhatever It Takes
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Through Differentiated Instruction
Seeking Equity Excellence
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Objectives

• Establish a common definition
• of differentiated instruction
• Review the evidence and research for
• differentiated instruction as aligned with
  
  high performing schools
• Develop an understanding of differentiated
  instruction by content, process, and product
  according to students readiness, interests, and
  learning profiles.

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DefiningDifferentiated Instruction

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When a teacher tries to teach something to
the entire class at the same time, chances are,
one-third of the kids already know it one-third
will get it and the remaining third wont. So
two-thirds of the children are wasting their
time.
- Lilian Katz
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When a teacher tries to teach something to the
entire class at the same time, chances are,
one-third of the kids already know it one-third
will get it and the remaining third wont. So
two-thirds of the children are wasting their
time.
- Lilian Katz
Activity One
Reflect on this quote by completing these
phrases

• As a student, I was in the 1/3 who
• As a teacher, I was in the 1/3 who...
• As a parent, my child is in the 1/3 who

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What is Differentiated Instruction?
(Based on C Tomlinson, 2000)
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Self-Assessment for Differentiated Instruction
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What is Differentiated Instruction?

• Differentiated instruction is a philosophy of
  teaching that
• Creates a personalized and responsive
  classroom environment
• Maximizes student growth and individual success
  while honoring and celebrating the unique
  qualities of each student
• Offers a variety of learning options within a
  student centered classroom
• Blends whole group, small group, and
  individualized instruction utilizing a
  standards-based curriculum

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Key Principles of Differentiation

• Flexibility
• Ongoing assessment
• Variety of learning opportunities and working
  arrangements
• Respectful activities
• Student/teacher collaboration for learning

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Evidence forDifferentiated Instruction

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Whats the Evidence for Differentiation?

• There are three underlying areas
• Beliefs about teaching and learning
• Educational theories and the research behind them
  that support differentiation
• Research looking at differentiation as a whole
  model

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Brain 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

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What do we know about learning?

• People learn when they accept challenging but
  achievable goals.
• Learning is developmental.
• Individuals learn differently.
• People construct new knowledge by building on
  their current knowledge.
• Much learning occurs through social interaction.
• People need feedback to learn.
• Successful learning involves use of
  strategieswhich themselves are learned.
• A positive emotional climate strengthens
  learning.
• Learning is influenced by the total environment.
• People learn what is personally meaningful to
  them.
• 
  Ron
  Brandt

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What is differentiation?
Differentiation is classroom practice that looks
eyeball to eyeball with the reality that kids
differ, and the most effective teachers do
whatever it takes to hook the whole range of kids
on learning. Tomlinson 2001


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Differentiation is responsive teaching rather
than one-size-fits-all teaching.
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Differentiation is a Response to Beliefs

• Examples such as
• Schools help us understand and respect
  commonalities and differences in individuals
• Intelligence is dynamic, not static
• Students are the center of the learning process
• All learners require engaging schoolwork

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Differentiation is a Response to Beliefs

• Competition against oneself results in growth and
  progress
• Schools maximize the capacity of each learner
• Excellent differentiated classrooms are excellent
  first, and differentiated second

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Research Support for Differentiation

• Research is exhaustive and comes from a variety
  of sources
• However, the models emphasis on differentiation
  by readiness, interest and learning profile
  provides the format for presentation of research
  findings

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Differentiation of Instruction
is a teachers response to learners needs
Guided by general principles of differentiation,
such as
respectful tasks
flexible grouping
on-going assessment and adjustment
According to students
Learning Profiles
Readiness
Interests
Differentiated instruction centers around three
key curricular elements content, process, and
product.
Based on C. Tomlinson, 2000
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Its Showtime!

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Differentiation as Universal Design
At the beginning of the planning process, the
teacher asks, What supports and adaptations
should I build into the lesson to address
learning needs of particular students that will
likely help others as well? Creating an
Inclusive School by Richard A.Villa and
Jacqueline S. Thousand
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Key Principles of Differentiation

• Respectful activities
• Flexibility
• Ongoing assessment
• Variety of learning opportunities and working
  arrangements
• Student/teacher collaboration for learning

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Respectful Activities

Respectful Activities
Respectful Activities
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Respectful activities

• are planned after considering a students
  readiness, interest and learning profiles
• will maximize opportunities for student learning

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Flexible Grouping
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What is flexible grouping?

• students consistently working in a variety of
  groups
• based on different elements of their learning
• and both homogeneous and heterogeneous
• in regard to those elements
• Tomlinson (2003) Fulfilling the Promise of the
• Differentiated Classroom

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On-Going Assessment and Adjustment

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On-Going Assessment in the Classroom

• Student Data Sources
• Journal entry
• Short answer test
• Homework
• Notebook
• Oral response
• Portfolio entry
• Exhibition
• Culminating product
• Question writing
• Problem solving

• Teacher Data Mechanisms
• Anecdotal records
• Observation by checklist
• Skills checklist
• Class discussion
• Small group interaction
• Teacher-student conference
• Assessment stations
• Exit cards
• Problem posing
• Performance tasks and rubrics

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Differentiating Key Curricular Elements
Designing differentiated instruction through
content catalysts, processes, and products which
are combined in a menu-like approach to create
differentiated activities.

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Community Building

• All students are at different readiness levels in
  all topics. We all bring unique experiences and
  talents to the classroom.
• These differences are embraced and celebrated in
  our classroom. Students should gain knowledge of
  their strengths and weaknesses as a blue print
  for how they learn and where they need assistance.

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Content

• The differentiation of content is what the
  teacher plans for students to learn and how the
  student gains access to the desired knowledge,
  understanding, and skills.

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KNOWUNDERSTANDDO
KNOW the facts, vocabulary, dates, places,
names, and examples you want students to use
during the lesson.
The know is massively forgettable. Teaching
facts in isolation is like trying to pump water
uphill. Carol Tomlinson
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KNOW

• 50 states in the Unites States
• Characters in a story or a novel
• Setting
• Plot
• 1492

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KNOWUNDERSTANDDO
UNDERSTAND - the major concepts. Understandings
are purposeful. They focus on key ideas and
connections. These are what connect the parts of
the subject to the students life and other
subjects. These are the essential truths that
give meaning to the topic.
Begin with I want students to understand THAT
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UNDERSTAND

• Multiplication is another way to do addition.
• People migrate to meet basic needs.
• Voice reflects the author.
• Use of illegal drugs has both anticipated
• and unanticipated effects on the human body.
• Parts of a system are interdependent.
• All facts may not be relevant.
• Community is important

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KNOWUNDERSTANDDO
DO Basic skills, skills of the discipline,
skills of independence, social skills, skills of
production
Describe using verbs or phrases
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Able to DO Processes

• Solve a problem to find perimeter
• Write a well supported argument
• Evaluate work according to specific criteria
• Use graphics to represent data appropriately

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Process

• The differentiation of process or activity
  involves using an essential skill for
  understanding an idea, and is clearly focused on
  a learning goal. Further, process gives students
  options of activities in order to achieve
  individual success.

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Process
Process

• Multiplication is another way to do addition.
• People migrate to meet basic needs.
• Voice reflects the author.
• Use of illegal drugs has both anticipated and
  unanticipated effects on the human body.
• Parts of a system are interdependent.
• All facts may not be relevant.
• Community is important

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Products

• The differentiation of products refers to
  items used to demonstrate knowledge,
  understanding, and/or ability to apply or extend
  skills.

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Three Ways to Differentiate Student
Characteristics

• Readiness teacher constructs tasks and activity
  choices at different levels of difficulty to
  address student readiness.
• Interests teacher aligns learning concepts with
  student interests to increase learning.
• Learning Profiles teacher addresses student
  learning, talents, and intelligence in order to
  individualize and maximize learning.

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Sample Research Related to Readiness
Differentiation

• 80 success rate optimum for growth (Berliner,
  1984, 1988 McGreal, 1985)
• Higher performance by students in multiage
  classrooms (Miller, 1990)
• Effective teachers craft challenges commensurate
  with skill levels
• (Rathunde, Whalen, 1993)

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READINESS

• Determining student readiness to work with
  essential knowledge, understanding and skill as a
  unit begins (pre-assessment), as a unit
  progresses (formative or on-going assessment),
  and as a unit concludes (summative assessment).

• Assessment provides direction to teachers on
  who needs particular kinds of support in
  particular areas of study to grow and succeed.

• Assessment is also key to understanding and
  attending to student interest and learning
  profile needs.

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Sample Research Related to Interest
Differentiation

• Fostering individual interest - enhances
  motivation, achievement and productivity
  (Amabile, 1983 Torrance, 1995)
• Student interest in a task key to talent
  development (Csikszentmihalyi, 1993)
• Positive influence on learning exists, both short
  and long term, when students are interested in
  what they study (Herbert, 1993 Renninger, 1990)

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Sample Research Related to Learning Profile
Differentiation

• Learning-style accommodation significant gains
  for students from all cultural groups (Sullivan,
  1993, Delpit, 1995)
• Students matched to instruction suited to their
  learning patterns improved student achievement
  (Sternberg, 1997, 1998)
• Multiple-intelligence focus in instruction
  increased test scores (Campbell Campbell, 1999)

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Whats the point?
Learning Profile
Readiness
Interest



Growth
Motivation
Efficiency
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If tasks are a close match to their skills
Readiness
Interest
If tasks ignite curiosity or passion


If the assignment encourages students to work in
a preferred manner
Learning Profile
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Back to the Beginning

• If the question is whether we have research
  evidence to support the effort to create more
  academically responsive classrooms, the answer
  is yes, we do.
• Do we need more research?
• Of course!

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What Do Young Adolescents Crave?

• Positive social interactions with adults and
  peers
• Structure and clear limits
• Physical activity
• Creative expression
• Competence and achievement
• Meaningful participation in families, school and
  communities
• Opportunities for self-definition
• --From Turning Points, 2000

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Pulling It All Together
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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.


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Differentiating Instruction Rules of Thumb

• Be clear on the key concepts and generalizations
  or principles that give meaning and structure to
  the topic, chapter, unit, or lesson you are
  planning
• Lessons for all students should emphasize
  critical thinking.

• Lessons for all students should be engaging.
• In a differentiated classroom, there should be a
  balance between student-selected and
  teacher-assigned tasks and working arrangements.

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In the Final Analysis

• We differentiate instruction because we cannot do
  otherwise.
• We know too much about student variance to
  pretend that it does not exist or that it is
  unimportant.
• We know too much about the art of teaching to
  assume it can happen effectively in template
  fashion.
• Learning for All Whatever it Takes

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Reflection Sheet