Copyright Carol Tomlinson 2013 1caroltomlinson.com/Presentations/Ethics of Differentiation.pdfFor differentiation to be effective, teachers need to know, for each student, where the

Copyright Carol Tomlinson 2013 1

Teaching Today’s Students: A Case for Differentiated Instruction

MAIS ConferenceRome, ItalyNov. 9, 2013

Carol Tomlinson, Ed.D.William Clay Parrish, Jr. Professor

University of Virginia<[email protected]>

An instructional approach that advocates teacher

attention to both content requirements and

students’ varied learning needs.


The Teacher

The Student The Content

Artful Teaching as a Love Triangle

There are at least three compelling reasons.

Demographic Realities

Point to Differentiation


Our schools today have:

more students with learning issues—identified and unidentified,

more students with emotional challenges,

more students whose first language is not the language of the classroom,

more students from stressed homes,

students from a broader spectrum of economic strata,

And—as always—students who:

have a broad range of interests,

approach learning differently,

are at different developmental stages,

and have different degrees of self-confidence, self-efficacy, and support.

Learning is Diverse and Different for Each Learner

As with all other human characteristics, learning is diverse and

different for each learner. It is a function of heredity, experience

perspectives, backgrounds, talents, interests, capacities, needs and

the unpredictable flow of any particular life. Learners have

different emotional states, rates and styles of learning, stages of

development, abilities, talents, feelings of efficacy and needs.

It is exactly this diversity that provides innumerable opportunities

for expanding learning--first, by acknowledging differences in

physiological, personal linguistic, cultural, and social back-

grounds, and second by focusing on the common features that

make all of us human. But the differences must be taken into

account as well, to provide all learners with the necessary

challenges and opportunities for learning

and self-development.

ASSESSMENT AS LEARNING

Using Classroom Assessment

To Maximize Student Learning

By Lorna M. Earl •l Corwin . 2003 p. 35


Research

Points to Differentiation

Differentiation Addressed by John Hattie

Teachers must know where students are and aim to move them“+1” beyond that point; thus the idea of teaching the class as

a whole is unlikely to pitch the lesson correctly for all students. This is where the skill of teachers in knowing the similarities across students and allowing for the differencesbecomes so important.

Differentiation relates primarily to structuring classes so that all students areworking at or “+1” from where they start, such that all can have maximal opportunities to attain the success criteria of the lessons.

A truism in many schools is that the year of schooling reflects the spread ofof readiness levels more than anything else—at year 5 suggesting a 5 yearreadiness spread among students and at year 10 a 10 year spread. How toaccommodate this spread is a major concern.

Hattie, J. (2012). Visible learning for teachers: Maximizing impact on learning. New York: Routledge, p. 97.


Many schools—especially high schools—resort to structural methods (e.g. tracking, pull-out programs). Despite these methods, all classes are full of heterogeneity, which is likely advantageous because students can learn so much from one another.There is no doubt that every student is different from every other one. Anart of teaching is seeing the commonality among the differences and havingpeers work together around thosecommonalities—especially whenthey bring different talents,errors, interests, and dispositions to the situation.

Note that differentiation relates more to addressing students’ different phases of learning from novice to capable to proficient rather than merely providing different activities to different groups or students.


For differentiation to be effective, teachers need to know, for each student, where the student begins and where he or she is in his or her journey toward meetingthe criteria of the lesson.

Is the student a novice, somewhat capable, or proficient? What are his or herstrengths and gaps in knowledge and understanding? What learning strategies doeshe or she have and how can we help him or her to develop other useful learningstrategies?

Depending on the student’s phase of learning, their understanding of surface anddeep thinking, their phase of motivation, and their strategies of learning, the teacherwill have to provide different ways in which students can demonstrate mastery andunderstanding along the way to meeting the criteria for success.

It should be obvious that rapid formative feedback can be very powerful for teachers to know a student’s phase of learning and then help them to achieve “+1” outcomes.


The key is for teachers to have a clear reason for differentiation and to relate what they do differently to where the student is located on theprogression from novice to expert relative to the learning goals and criteria for success.

In grouping students, the goal is not necessarily to arrange students byplace in the learning progression, but rather to group students at variedplaces in the progression so students can move forward as they discuss with, work with, and see the world through the eyes of otherstudents.

It is a mistake to assume that just because studentssit in groups, that they work in groups, or that anyform of differentiation occurs. That requires structure and instruction for students to developthe skills necessary for those things to happen.



The Ethics of

Education and

Differentiation

What would we do in terms of Instruction if we made decisions

from a position of “advanced” moral

or ethical development—If that were our “North”?


Obedience(Because therules say so)

Self Interest(Because itworks for me)

ConformityRelationship(Because peoplewill think well of me)

CompromiseSocial Contract(Because it willserve us all well)

Ethical Principles(Because it’sright)

Assumption:

The teacher’s overriding moral purpose is to meet the needs of students, even when it conflicts with personal preferences.

Assessment as Learning, Using Classroom Assessment To Maximize Student Learningby Lorna M. Earl, Corwin Press (2003), p. 111

1) When is it acceptable for students to work regularly with assignments and instruction that is either consistently too difficult for them orconsistently too easy for them?

2) When is it acceptable for some students to consistently experience rich,high quality curriculum and instruction and for others to consistentlyexperience lower quality curriculum and instruction?


In today’s Information Age . . .

educators must operate from the premise

that it is the purpose of schools

to bring all students to their full potential

and to a level of education

that was once reserved

for the very few.

Professional Learning Communities at Work:

Best Practices for Enhancing Student Achievement

by Richard DuFour & Robert Eaker

1998, ASCD • pp. 62

To the degree that this statement is correct (and our best knowledgeindicates that it is correct),

We need schools designed to give all students equity of access to excellenteducational opportunity.

In many, if not most, schools, we fall short of that standard.

A Pedagogy of Poverty

§giving information

§ asking right answer

questions

§ giving directions

§ giving low level tasks

§ monitoring seatwork

§ reviewing

§ giving tests

§ going over tests

§assigning homework

§ going over homework

§ settling disputes

§ punishing noncompliance

§ grading papers

§ giving grades

M.Haberman • “The Pedagogy of Poverty vs. Good Teaching” Phi Delta Kappan, 1991 • 290-294


A PEDAGOGY OF PLENTY

authentic tasks

meaning-driven curriculum

literacy-rich environment

quality resources

connecting school with home,

culture and community

problem-focused learning

cognitive and metacognition

in the context of purposeful

activities

collaborative work on issues

of deep concern to the

students

varied social configuration

engagement in substantive

dialogue, discussion, debate

about the substance of content

making meaning

Helen Hodges • Overcoming a Pedagogy of Poverty”

R.Cole, Ed. More Strategies for Educating Everybody’s Children

ASCD, 2001 * p. 1-9

What kinds of schools do we need?

School model Ethos Key process

Talent refineries School must provide opportunities for students to show what they can do

Ensuring good teaching and syllabus coverage

Talent incubators

All students students can learn, but not all students can achieve at high levels

Drawing out what is within the student

Talent factories All students can achieve at high levels

Whatever it takes

Dylan Wiliam

Equity & Excellence in Today’s SchoolsWill Most Likely Result From:

Proliferation of the “Pedagogy of Plenty”

High ceilings/High relevance/ High personalization

Struggling and typical

learners

Best practice literacy and

scaffolding

Advanced and advancing

learners

Best practice

Extension of challenge

Retain and extend access to

equity & excellence

Provide access to

equity and excellence

In an environment

of

for

for

in

ord

er

to in

ord

er

to

Tomlinson

‘03


Kathleen--Age 14

Push me! See how far I go!

Work me ‘till I drop--

Then pick me up.

Open a door,

And make me run to it before it closes.

Teach me so that I might learn,

Then show me the Tunnel of Experience,

And let me walk through it alone.

Then, when, near the end, I look back,

And see another in the Tunnel,

with you watching

I shall smile!

My Stream of Consciousness

You think that I don’t know that you think

I got an F because I’m lazy and indifferent.

But maybe I’m just under-challenged and under-appreciated.

Deep down I am begging you to teach me

To learn and create--not just to memorize and regurgitate.

I’m asking you to help me find my own voice.

I’m asking you to help me find my own beauty.

I’m asking you to help me find my own unique truth.

We need a miracle

One for every kid who subconsciously wants

To be pushed to the edge/taken to the most extreme limits.

I want you to make my brain work in a hundred different

ways every day.

I’m asking you to make my head ache with knowledge--

spin with ideas.

I want you to make my mind my most powerful asset.

--Siem Tesfaslase, 10th grade, Arlington High School

Indianapolis, Indiana

In Y. Jackson “Reversing Underachievement in Urban Students: Pedagogy of Confidence”

Developing Minds: A Resource Book for Teaching Thinking-p.222

What would we in terms of instructionif we made decisions from a position of

“advanced” moral or ethical development—If that were our “North”?

We’d create schools & classrooms that ensure equity of access to excellence for each student.


Let’s take a look at a few examples…

Defensible Differentiation:

•Teaches UpAlways

•Waters downNever

TASKS:

Clear KUDsRequire careful thoughtFocus on understandingProblems to solve/Issues to addressUse key knowledge & skills to explore,

or extend understandingsAuthenticRequire support, explanation, application,

evaluation, transferCriteria at or above “meets expectations”Require metacognition, reflection, planning,

evaluation


Counting/Math Center

Task 1 Find a way to count and show

how many people are in our class

today.

How did you get your answer?

Task 2 Find a way to show how many

people are in our class.

How many absent today?

How many are here today?

How do you know?

Task 3 Find a way to show how many

boys are in our class today.

How many boys are absent today?

How many girls are here today?

How many girls are absent today?

Prove you are right.

Grade K

Counting (Skill)

As a result of this lesson,

students should:

Know:

Counting

More/Less

Understand:

I can talk about how I am

thinking.

I can make a plan to help me

count things.

Be Able to:

Count

Show results

Explain a plan for counting

Calling on Students in a High School Class

Bag ofNames

Volunteers NewVoices

Varied Homework

Homework Checkers

Sure you can check

homework when kids

do varied tasks!!


This is a process for checking multiple homework assignments simultaneously

in a classroom so that the teacher feels free to differentiate homework as

necessary to address particular student learning needs.

Background:

1. The teacher checks to make sure each student has completed assigned

homework

2. Students who have not completed the assignment work in a designated

area of the room to complete the assignment (teacher floats to provide

guidance/feedback

3. Students who completed the HW work in groups of 4 to check all 4 sets for

agreement/disagreement

4. All students mark each answer for agreement/disagreement as well as

explanations of why an answer is wrong and how to make it right

5. Students sign indicating agreement, staple set of 4 together, turn in

6. Teacher spot checks, “grades” one per set

Steps:

Whole Group Differentiated

Introduce the performance assessment and rubric for end of the unit so students can work with the end in mind

Whole class lessons on sampling

Explain contract requirements and working conditions Students receive blue or yellow contract folders and complete contract assignmentsMini-lessons on sampling based on need (pre-assessment)

Whole class lessons on fractions, whole numbers Independent work for small group of students who have already mastered concepts related to fractions and whole numbers

Tiered assignment on multiplying fractionsWhole class lessons on displaying, reporting/interpreting data

Collect writing levels and samples from Language Arts teacher as formative information to form groups for mini-lessons on writing

Expository writing group mini-lessons in flexible groups based on student writing strengths and needs

Students complete performance task which includes two readiness-based prompts

Students share their summative performance products with whole class (all students provide feedback to peers on index cards using pre-established criteria)

Administer pre-assessment

Flo

w o

f a

Mat

h S

equ

ence

on

Sam

plin

g an

d U

se o

f D

ata

There is ample reason—in terms of

student demographics, research,

& the ethics of

education to invest in classrooms

that effectively attend to learner

variance.


“...the kind of hope I often think about...I understand above all as a state

of mind, not a state of the world. Either we have hope within us or we

don’t; it is a dimension of the soul, and it’s not essentially dependent on

some particular observation of the world or estimate of the situation. It is

an orientation of the spirit, an orientation of the heart; it transcends the

world that is immediately experienced and is anchored somewhere beyond

its horizons.

Hope, in this deep and powerful sense, is not the same as joy that things

are going well, or willingness to invest in enterprises that are obviously

headed for early success, but rather, an ability to work for something

because it is good, not just because it stands a chance to succeed. The

more unpropitious the situation in which we demonstrate hope, the deeper

that hope is. Hope is definitely not the same thing as optimism. It is not

the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that

something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out.

It is also this hope, above all which gives us the strength to live and

continually to try new things...”

-Vaclav Havel, playwright and defender of human rights, former president of Czechoslovakia

On Hope

Documents

Copyright Carol Tomlinson 2013 1caroltomlinson.com/Presentations/Ethics of Differentiation.pdfFor differentiation to be effective, teachers need to know, for each student, where the