Dare to Differentiate!

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Multilevel class scenario• Has this happened to you? Ms. Angelo has her class of 30 complete an

exercise in the book that has them write the present continuous form of the base verb. After 2 minutes 10 Ss have finished the activity quickly and they start talking to each other. There conversation is in Spanish and not about the topic. Other Ss have barely started. They are having trouble and she goes to assist them.

• What is the challenge this teacher is facing?

Factors to consider• Different educational background• Different literacy levels• Different levels of English

Our reality as EFL teachers• Every EFL class is multilevel to some

degree. • Some classes levels are much more

exaggerated than others.

• Is there a solution?

Of course!• Differentiation

• Can you plan 2 different lessons? This is differentiation, but it is hugely time consuming.

What is differentiation?

• It is using certain strategies and organizing activities in your lesson so that all students of varying levels are able to succeed.

• It is the choices you make that make the activities, etc. accessible to all your Ss.

Which one includes more Ss?

Class discussion on hobbies

Class discussion on hobbies

Teacher asks a question and the Ss answer(10min.)

Teacher writes a question on the boardSs write an answer and then check their answers with a partner(5min.)Teacher asks a question and the Ss answer(5min.)

Strategies• Tiered activities(routes of access)• Multilevel Activities• Flexible Grouping - Mixed ability and same

ability pairing and grouping techniques• Task based learning(projects)• More scaffolding• Modified activities• Flexible assignments

Tiered ActivityThe teacher manipulates an activity so that it is

achievable and challenging for each level. • Present continuous• A. 1. Fill in the blank• B. 1. Fill in the blank 2. check with a partner• C. 1. Fill in the blank 2. check with a partner

3. Switch the verb in the sentence that will

still keep the meaning of the sentence. Ex. She is playing football. walking

• *• *I want to make clear that I’m not asking

you to teach them LESS, just give the lower level Ss more support/scaffolding and the higher level Ss room to expand.

My objective

• SWBAT change a sentence from positive to negative in present tense by comparing pictures in a pair activity.

• Douglas Reeves describes this as “not uniformity of work, but similarity of proficiency."

• The idea is that students can gain proficiency even when completing different types of assignments or a different number of assignments (one big project vs. five smaller assignments).

SWBAT write a 6 line adjective poem

• Challenge: you know that a certain group of your Ss will fly through this and another group will have trouble thinking of adjectives.

Courage Courage is invisible

Is invisible, temporary Is invisible, temporary, misunderstood Is invisible,temporary,misunderstood,discouraged

Courage

Multilevel Activities

• Same activity, but it allows Ss to go at their own pace or contribute what they can.

Speaking/Listening

SWBAT describe someone putting on their clothes using the present continuous while watching a video.

Writing

• Dialogue Journals

Dialogue Journals• Dear Ms. Emma,How are you? Today

I’m very excited because I had a presentcionn en the class of english and it was great!

Ruth

Dear Ruth, I’m doing great! I’m

so happy for you that your English presentation went so well! What was it about?

Emma

Emma, today I go to school ,

but forgot my homeowrk.

Luisa

Luisa, I’m sorry that you

forgot your homework. Did you tell the teacher?

Emma

Dear Teacher Karin, Today was a very bad day.

My father was crying to day because of the death of my mother last year. I miss her, too. I went to my grandmother’s house. Everyone was sad there, too. Thank you for the English class, Miss Karin. I love it!

Yessenia

• Dear Yessenia,

Comic strips

Flexible Grouping

• Same ability pairs/groups• Mixed ability pairs/groups

Mixed grouping- speaking

• Show a picture and in groups the “lower level” student will answer the questions(“Yes, she is wearing a hat”.)

Professions

Newspaper Template- multilevel writing

Multilevel Grouping- speaking•

• Video – robbery – role play• – write dialogue• – one student is “low level”• - everyone has to speak 5 lines

Flexiblehomework• Flexible Assignments:

• After reading a story:a. Write a diary entry as the main characterb. Write what the character would be like if

they lived in present day Guatemalac. Draw and write captions for a comic of a

day in the life of the main character

Student comment“ “I enjoyed having a choice of what

project to do. It allowed me to focus on things that I thought were interesting, and thus I did a better job and worked harder on my project because it was less of a chore. I also think the choices were diverse enough that it allowed for a variety of people to be successful.”

Reading – Jigsaw – Tiered Assigment

• Fiction Story• Adapt the first part for the lower level

students• Use a jigsaw activity