Closing Achievement Gaps through Differentiated

InstructionPresenters:

Jennie Barrett

Barbara Burchard

February 22, 2005 & March 1, 2005

Today’s Schedule 8:00 – 11:00 – Cover the Theory and

Practices 11:00-12:30 – Lunch 12:30-2:30 – Making Sense CD Exploration

Thinking Outside the Box

?

The Animal Schoolby Dr. G. H. Reavis, Cincinnati Public Schools

Public schools are expected to… Teach good nutrition

habits Treat the emotionally

disturbed Teach first aid

procedures Assist in disease

prevention….

What is Differentiated Instruction?Read Elementary or Middle Sample from pages 3 – 7 in your book.

Differentiated instruction is not a set of tools but a philosophy that a teacher embraces to reach the unique needs of every learner.

Elements of Differentiation: The teacher focuses on the essentials.

Concepts Principles Skills

See page 9

Elements of Differentiation: The teacher attends to student differences.

Culture Gender Genetic Code Neurological wiring

See page 10

Elements of Differentiation: Assessment and instruction are

inseparable. Ongoing Diagnostic Used to benchmark Formal Informal

See page 10

Elements of Differentiation: The teacher modifies

Content: Multiple options for taking information in

Process: Multiple options for making sense of the ideas

Product: Multiple options for expressing what they know

See page 11

Elements of Differentiation: All students participate in respectful work.

Respect the readiness level of each student. Expect all students to grow, and support their

continual growth. Offer all students the opportunity to explore

essential understandings and skills at varied degrees.

Offer all students interesting, challenging tasks. Page 11

Elements of Differentiation: The teacher and students collaborate in

learning. Student-centered classroom. Teacher coordinates learning.

Page 12

Elements of Differentiation: The teacher balances groups and

individual norms.“A great coach never achieves greatness for himself

or his team by working to make all his players alike.”

Page 13

Elements of Differentiation: The teacher and students work together

flexibly. Group work Individual work Readiness, interest, learning style

Page 13 and then refer to pages 15 & 16

Why differentiate instruction?Accountability

Changing Classroom

Changing Schools

Accountability Standards-driven No Child Left Behind Adequate Yearly Progress

Changing Classroom High Expectations Cultural Relevance Student Diversity Cognitive Research Societal and Technological Change

Pg. 17-24

Changing Schools

Skills that students are expected to learn from teachers now-

C – Connected, Competent, Confidence, Compassion

A – Acceptance, Affection, Appreciation

R – Reading, ‘Riting and ‘Rithmetic, along with Responsibility, Respect, and Relationships

T – Thinking, Technology, Teamwork

Reflecting on Learning Experiences Think about a negative learning experience

you have had as a learner. Have you ever created a negative experience for your students?

Based on these experiences, what would you have changed to create a positive learning environment?

What Does It Look Like? Watch the video of several

classes implementing differentiating instruction

As you watch, use the video previewing guide to jot down practices currently in place in the left column and practices you would like to include in your classroom in the right column

Approaches to DifferentiationResources for further study and implementation

Creating a Healthy Classroom Environment

Student

Teacher Content

Pages 27-30

Three Approaches to Differentiation

Learning Contracts – pg. 87

Intelligence Preferences

Tiered Assignments – pg. 83

Learning Contracts

Page 87

Learning Contract

An agreement between a teacher and a student.

Learning Contracts are written agreements that outline… What students will

learn How they will

learn it In what period of

time How they will be

evaluated

Instructional Values of Contracts Help students learn to

make decisions about their learning

Help students learn to manage their time

May involve the student in curriculum planning

Can be used to support students with learning difficulties

Can be used to facilitate learning for other students

Help the teacher manage group work Individual projects Investigations centers

How do you begin?There are some initial ideas you’ll

need to consider before developing a contract.

What do students like to do? What materials and resources

do you have available? What technology do you want

students to use?

Developing Contracts Tiered Contracts Variety of activities Everyone has the same

goals Supply reading

materials on varied levels

Give choices Make requirements

Contract Do’s Start small (1 or 2 day

contracts). Explain the role and

function of contract. Help set realistic

deadlines. Renegotiate the contract if

it isn’t working. Gradually involve students

in contract development.

Contract Don’ts Expect all students to be

able to use contracts effectively immediately.

Expect all students to like contracts.

Assume contracts can take the place of regular instruction.

Use contracts without a good management system.

Learning Style

Intelligence PreferencesSchool Smarts

Street Smarts

Imagination Smarts

Sternberg’s Intelligence Preferences Analytic Intelligence (“school smarts”) –

People with strengths in this area tend to do very well with school tasks such as making meaning of text material, organizing information, seeing cause and effect, taking notes, and memorizing information.

Sternberg’s Intelligence Preferences Practical Intelligence (“street smarts”) –

People with strengths in this area learn well when they see how things work in the world and how ideas and skills help solve problems. They learn better by using ideas rather than just learning ideas. They need to solve problems in a meaningful context.

Sternberg’s Intelligence Preferences Creative Intelligence (“imagination smarts”) –

People with strengths in this area tend to come at ideas and problems in fresh and surprising ways. They prefer to experiment with ideas rather than work like everyone else They “think outside the box.”

Handout 17

Reflecting on What We Learn Use the handout “Thinking About the Sternberg

Intelligences” to categorize learning tasks with your table team.

Handout 17 Activity

Present a step by step approach making an effective speech.

Analytical Intelligence

Identify the key parts of the water cycle.

Practical Intelligence

Use unusual materials to show equations balance.

Creative Intelligence

How Do Your Students Learn? Read the case studies on the handout labeled “How

People Learn” in your folder. Complete the table to

Identify each student’s intelligence preference. Provide two descriptors for the preference. List one instructional strategy that would be effective for

this student List one instructional strategy that would be ineffective

for this student. Handout 16 pg. 101

Tiered InstructionA Planning Strategy for Mixed Ability Classrooms

Tiered Instruction“When somebody hands you a glob of kids, they don’t hand you a matched set.”

Carol Tomlinson

• Provides teachers with a means of assigning different tasks within the same lesson or

unit.

• The tasks will vary according to:

•Readiness

•Interest

WHAT CAN BE TIERED? Assignments Activities Homework Centers Experiments Materials Assessments Writing Prompts

WHY USE TIERED INSTRUCTION? To build “multiple avenues” to content The focus is on key concepts and

understandings of the lesson or unit To provide optimal learning experiences

The task difficulty and skill level are slightly above the student level

IDENTIFY OUTCOMES

What should the students know, understand, or be able to do?

INITIATING ACTIVITIES

Use a common experience for whole class

THINK ABOUT YOUR STUDENTS

Pre-assess readiness, interest, or learning styles.

Group 1

Task

Group 2

Task

Group 3

Task

Creating Multiple Paths for Learning

Key Concept

Or

Understanding

Struggling Learners

On-level Learners

Highly Able Learners

The Teacher’s ChallengeDeveloping “Respectful Activities”

Interesting Engaging Challenging

How to Differentiate InstructionSteps to Success

Step One: Know Your Students Ability

Levels Interests Behavior

Step Two: Vary Instruction Direct Instruction Inquiry-based Learning Cooperative Learning Information Processing Strategies

Step Three: Vary Activities Cubing Webquest Power Point

Step Four: Vary Assessments Pre-Assessments During Learning Assessments Reflection Activities Authentic Assessments Rubrics Portfolios

Bringing it all together Video

19 minutes Break