Differentiated Instructionto Improve Student Achievement

Success For All Learners

March 11, 2010

As an educator, what do you believe about the following statements?

A. All students can learn.B. All students can read at their grade level.C. All students can process information in the

same way.D. All students come to class ready to learn.E. “F”s are the student’s fault.

School performance can be increased by adapting instruction and assessment to the needs and abilities of the student.

Definition of Differentiated Instruction

DI is the teacher response to variance among learners in the classroom, through flexible adaptations to how students access the curriculum during instructional activities while providing students the opportunity to demonstrate understanding through a variety of assessments, in order to create the best learning experiences possible.

Carol Ann Tomlinson - Differentiation of Instruction

Rationale for Differentiation

1. Response to Intervention - Universal Option2. Richard DuFour - Key Questions

a. What should students know and be able to do?(essential concepts)

b. How will you know when the student has learned the essential concepts? (formative assessment)

c. What will you do for students who haven’t learned the essential concepts yet? (differentiation)

What D. I. is not:

Individualization. Programmed Instruction. All day, every day. Magic fix. Elimination of whole class presentations. Only for students with learning deficits. Eagles, bluebirds, and vultures.

Differentiation is “Tiering”

“Tiering” enables students to access curriculum through interests, abilities, and learning styles. (Choice encourages ownership)

Content. (essential concepts)Process. (activities)Products. (assessments)Learning environment. (structures)

Tiering Content

Accessibility to essential concepts. (Understanding by Design)

Textbook considerations.

Accommodating interests, abilities, and styles.

Form

Tiering the Process

Process is how you intend for students to participate in learning the essential concepts.

Choices:1. Lecture and notes? 2. Read and discuss? 3. Cooperative learning? 4. Project-based learning? 5. “Nine Learning Strategies”? (Marzano)

6. Leveled/guided reading?7. Cooperative reading? 8. Thematic Units?

9. Learning style accommodations?

Tiering the ProductsProducts are the means you will use to assess student learning

and understanding. (Formative assessment, culminating activities)

Choices:Publisher tests and quizzes.Cooperative or individual projects.Oral assessments and reports with teacher.Choice of culminating activity. (limit of 3)Bloom’s Taxonomy.Varied student writing.Unit portfolios.Other. (Think outside the box!)

Tiering the Learning Environment

Tiering the environment allows for the differing styles and processes learners will use to gain understanding.

Content, process, or product considerations.

Flexible grouping.

Learning styles.

a. Personality based styles (Silver & Strong)

b. Multiple intelligences. (Gardner)

4. Ability grouping based on pre-assessments.

Assessment in D. I.

Understanding by Design (McTighe & Tomlinson)

Set essential concepts in advance.Design processes, products, and environments to accomplish the best learning for all students. (Manage with limits)

Assessment should allow students to show what they know in their strongest mode. (Know your students)

Remember RtI & DuFour.

Summary

Know your students interests, learning styles, and abilities. (Pre-assessment)

Differentiation is an evidence-based approach that aligns with Response to Intervention frameworks.

Differentiation happens through adapting content, process, product, or environment. (Tiering)

Tiering describes the approach, but allows for a variety of methods.

What’s Next?

Let’s collaborate after a 10 minute break.

PK-6 teachers in Commons (Jill)and 7-12 teachers in I.M.C. (Mike)

Goals: To understand how D.I. might look in your own classroom. (Discussion)

Plan one tiered activity, assessment, or process to use in class by the end of March. (Submit copy of plan to principal)