Differentiated Learning Strategy Instruction

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Differentiated Learning Strategy Instruction

• Anna Uhl Chamot
• National Capital Language Resource Center
• The George Washington University
• Washington, DC

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OBJECTIVES

• Suggest guidelines for teaching language learning
  strategies.
• Explain how to identify and expand students
  learning strategies.
• Suggest ways to differentiate instruction for
  diverse learners.

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DIVERSITY IN LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY AND LEARNING
STRATEGY KNOWLEDGE/ USE

• Low to high language proficiency levels.
• Low to high levels of learning strategy
  knowledge/ use (how to learn skills).
• Means at least four combinations of language
  proficiency learning strategy knowledge/ use.

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UNDERSTANDING STUDENTS VARIED APPROACHES TO
LEARNING

• Ask students how they complete specific tasks.
• Ask students' other teachers how your students
  learn in their classes.
• Have students identify favorite subjects,
  interests, special abilities.
• Identify students learning strategies for both
  language and content tasks.

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WHAT ARE LEARNING STRATEGIES?

• Students thoughts and actions that assist their
  learning.
• Ways to understand, remember, and recall
  information.
• Ways to practice skills more efficiently (Chamot,
  2009).

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IDENTIFY STUDENTS CURRENT LEARNING STRATEGIES

• Class discussions about strategies.
• Interviews with students.
• Learning strategy journals.
• Student think-alouds.
• Questionnaires and checklists.

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EXPAND STUDENTS CURRENT LEARNING STRATEGIES

• Model how to use the learning strategy.
• Name the strategy in the target language.
• Tell when and how to use it.
• Students tell how they use it (if they already
  do).
• Make strategies concrete with visuals and realia!
• Have students practice and evaluate their use of
  learning strategies.

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DEVELOP STUDENTS METACOGNITION

• Model metacognitive awareness.
• Ask students to describe their thinking
  processes.
• Have students take increasing responsibility for
  their own learning.

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WHAT IS DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION?

• Provides instruction for diverse learners
• Builds on learners prior knowledge
• Addresses students interests and needs
• Provides alternate paths to achievement
• Assesses important concepts and skills
• Uses varied rates of instruction and
• Organizes the classroom into collaborative
  learning teams.

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WHY DIFFERENTIATE INSTRUCTION?

• Provides access and success for all students.
• Increases student motivation.
• Leads to more efficient learning.

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WHEN TO DIFFERENTIATE

• When students are unmotivated, bored, or
  struggling.
• As a reward for accomplishment.
• When teaching a combination level class.
• When disparity exists in students language
  proficiency and their content knowledge.
• When the teacher needs to work with one group.

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PLANNING DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION AND
ASSESSMENT - 1

• Identify important concept or big idea
  enduring understanding all students should
  achieve (Wiggins McTighe, 2006).
• Identify language proficiency and learning
  strategy knowledge/ use of each student and use
  to group students.
• List different ways you could teach the concept
  (listening, reading, Internet search,
  demonstration, video, role play, game, project,
  oral and written reports, etc.).

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PLANNING DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION AND
ASSESSMENT - 2

• Develop language, content, and learning strategy
  objectives and assessments for mid group (Anchor
  Task).
• Plan learning activities to achieve Anchor Task
  objectives.
• Identify scaffolding needed by LLP and LSKU
  students to achieve the same objectives
  (Scaffolded Task) plan assessment.

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PLANNING DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION AND
ASSESSMENT - 3

• Plan expansion and independent activities for HLP
  and HSKU students to achieve the same objectives
  (Independent Task) plan assessment.
• Assign LLP HLSKU and HLP LSKU students to one
  of the three groups, depending on the task.

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EXAMPLES OF DIFFERENTIATED ACTIVITIES

• Complexity Ladder
• Individual Agendas
• Learning Contracts
• Group Folders
• Learning Stations

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COMPLEXITY LADDER

• Select major concept/skill all students need to
  learn.
• Identify each students language level,
  interests, talents, prior content knowledge.
• Create activity to develop concept/skill.
• Situate activity on Complexity Ladder.
• Create more and less complex versions.
• Match students to appropriate version.

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INDIVIDUAL AGENDAS

• Personal list of tasks.
• Can be done in any order.
• Completion date (2-3 weeks).
• Teacher provides class time to work on agendas.
• Frees teacher for direct instruction to small
  group.

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LEARNING CONTRACTS

• Specifies task(s) to accomplish.
• Sets time line for completing each part.
• Establishes criteria for success.
• Can be varied to meet individual needs (Anchor,
  Scaffolded, Independent).
• Signed by student and teacher.

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GROUP FOLDERS

• Teacher prepares folders with differentiated
  tasks.
• Teacher presents topic of lesson.
• Students work in their groups.
• Each student assigned a role.
• Groups work on their tasks.
• Teacher provides assistance as needed.

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LEARNING STATIONS

• Classroom spots with independent tasks.
• Signs Stories and Poems Think and Write Drama
  Words I Need Solve This! Science Lab History
  Mysteries.
• Teacher/student chooses task.
• Clear directions for each task.
• Monitoring system for work completed.
• Teacher provides assistance as needed.

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SUMMARY PLAN THREE LEVELS OF DIFFERENTIATION

• Identify an important concept to teach (a big
  idea).
• Develop objectives for content, language, and
  learning strategies.
• Identify an assessment for each objective.
• Plan 3 learning tasks (Anchor, Scaffolded,
  Independent) to teach concept.
• Modify the assessment for each task.

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REFERENCES and RESOURCES

• Chamot, A. U. (2009). The CALLA handbook
  Implementing the Cognitive Academic Language
  Learning Approach, (2nd Ed.). White Plains, NY
  Pearson-Longman.
• National Capital Language Resource Center (2007).
  Sailing the five Cs with learning strategies.
  www.nclrc.org
• Wiggins, G. McTighe, J. (2006). Understanding
  by design, Second edition. Upper Saddle River,
  NJ Pearson Education.