English Language Education SectionCurriculum Development Institute

Education Bureau

Using Differentiated Instruction to Cater for Learner Diversity

in the English Classroom (New)

29 Oct 2013

2:00 – 2:10 PM Registration

2:10 – 3:00 PM Introduction to the Differentiated Instruction Framework

3:00 – 3:15 PM Demonstration: Making use of DI framework to Cater for Learner Diversity

3:15 – 3:30 PM Hands-on session (I): Discussion

3:30 – 3:45 PM Break

3:45 – 4:00 PM Hands-on session (II): Sharing Time

4:00 – 5:00 PM Sharing on the Seed Project experience

Rundown of Today’s Programme

2

Catering for Learner Diversity

WHAT is the current situation/school context?

WHY do you attend the workshop?

WHAT are the existing measures to address the issue?

3

Discuss in groups,

1. study the textbook materials; 2. identify the strengths and problems if any;

and3. share school-based practices to make

adaptations to textbook materials, e.g. context of the reading text, pre-tasks (language practices), the main task.

Activity 1 (10 minutes)

4

The framework in planning the curriculum and designing learning tasks

Differentiated Instruction

Content Process Products Curriculum planning Resource management Learning goal setting

Differentiating instruction according to individual student’s readiness, interest and learning profile

The student product which demonstrates the mastery of the content: tests, evaluations, projects, reports or other activities

Content

• Unit plan• Coherence making

across units to ensure progressive development of language skills

Curriculum Planning

• Textbook• E-learning

resources• Authentic

resources

Resource Management

• Achievable goals for different learners

• Suitable challenge for all students

Setting Learning Goals

6

Process

• Visual• Auditory• Kinesthetic

Learning Style

• Explicit teaching of learning strategies

• Providing more language input, e.g. vocabulary, structures, organisation

Flexible Grouping

• Allowing students to explore the structures of texts and language

• Providing greater flexibility to demonstrate their performance

Promoting Assessment for/as learning

• Mixed ability• Same ability• According to

interest/gender/ learning style

Providing scaffolding

• Ongoing assessment and adjustment

• Making reflection on own learning

Giving challenges

7

Visual Learn best by seeing

KinestheticLearn best by doing

AuditoryLearn best by

hearing

Catering for students’ diverse learning needs and styles

- Pictures and images- Diagrams- Power Point- Writing on the board

- Hands-on: Field tours- Role play- Life examples- Practice: trial and error

- Talk about it- Ask questions- Answers their own

questions- Presentations- Group work

8

9

When Is Small Group Instruction Effective?

Effective Ineffective Using assessment data to

plan instruction and group students

Teaching targeted small groups

Using flexible grouping Matching instructional

materials to student ability Tailoring instruction to

address student needs

Using only whole class instruction only

Using small groups that never change

Using the same reading text with all the students

Using the same independent assignments for the entire class

10

Flexible GroupingWhole Group

Small Group (Same Ability)

Small Group (Mixed Ability)

Pairs/Partners

One-on-One

Engages teachers and students in shared learning experiences Allows inclusion of every student

Adjusts pacing and instruction to meet specific needs Maximizes opportunities for students to express what

they know and to receive feedback

Allows students to share ideas with group members Encourages peer learning

Allows students to practise in pairs Encourages peer tutoring

Meets individual needs Allows for more intensive instruction

For teacher’s reference• Identifying learners’ strengths

and weaknesses in order to enhance learning and teaching

For students’ reflection• Providing opportunities for

students to reflect on their learning

Why assessing?

Assessment for Learning Assessment as Learning

Mainly learners and teachers Mainly learnersWhom to inform?

Providing quality feedback for learners, which entails timely support and enrichment, and helping teachers review the learning objectives, lesson plans and teaching strategies

• Developing students’ metacognitive strategies

• Providing opportunities for students to take charge of their own learning

What to focus?

Promoting Assessment for / as learning to help students reflect on their learning

Where am I

going?

Where am I

now?

How do I close

the gap?

Products

• How each student applies what she or he has learnt in the lesson to create a final product, or to show his or her acquired skill.

Open-ended task/questions

Different modes of assessment

Learning PortfolioProviding individual

and group work

Products

12

Demonstration: Travel Advice

Differentiated Instruction

Learning and Teaching Materials

ContentUnit plan Learning and Teaching

Strategies1.Teaching the structure of

different text types explicitly

2.Catering for different learning styles

3.Appropriate scaffolding and greater flexibility for students

4.Assessment for/as learning

ProcessOpen-ended writing task

Products

13

Travel adviceReading Writing

Unit Plan

Input Modelling

Guided writing

Independent writing

Using jigsaw reading to help students understand the cycling tour

Introducing the text type features of a blog

Guiding students to generate ideas and work in groups

Students worked independently

14

Designing open-ended task using the RAFT model

Role A member of the cycling tour

Audience Parents or friends of the participants

Format A blog

Topic More able broke …missed …lost …bad weather…

Average lost…broke…

Remedial bad weather …

15

In groups, Analyse the textbook resources

Make suggestions on ways to adapt the learning and teaching resources that suit the needs and interests of students with different abilities

Design tasks and L&T activities using the Differentiated Instruction framework to provide appropriate scaffolding and give challenges to students in learning English

Activity 2 Hands-on session (15

minutes)

16

Break

17

Make suggestions on ways to adapt the learning and teaching resources

Design tasks and activities using the Differentiated Instruction framework to

- cater for different learning styles

- provide appropriate scaffolding for average students

- give challenges to the more able students

18

Sharing on Seed Project Experience

By Ching Chung Hau Po Woon Primary School

(Grace Wong &Kitman Leung)

Objectives of the “Seed” Project (I) Adopting the framework of differentiated instructions in

planning the curriculum and designing learning tasks for KS2 students

Incorporating effective learning and teaching strategies to cater for students’ diverse learning needs and styles

Integrating textbook materials with e-learning and authentic resources to enrich the school-based English Language curriculum

Using effective strategies to provide appropriate scaffolding and challenges to students of different interests and abilities in learning English

20

Objectives of the “Seed” Project (II) Developing strategies in giving constructive feedback and

designing self-assessment tools

Promoting a collaborative culture and enhancing professional development through co-planning, sharing of tryout experiences and peer lesson observations

Raising students’ motivation and confidence in reading and writing a variety of text types

Enhancing students’ creativity and critical thinking skills through integrated learning tasks

Developing students’ information and reference skills for learning English 21

School Background

Our school …- situated in Tung Chung

Our teachers …- energetic, open-minded, hard-working- ready to accept new ideas and make innovative

changes

Our students …₋ obedient and polite ₋ have little family support₋ have little confidence in using English

22

In 2012-2013, our school …• joined the SEED Project –

'Effective Use of Learning and Teaching Resources to Cater for Learner Diversity in the Learning of English at Primary Level’

• developed 3 units of work

• conducted 3 tryouts

Planning

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• organise workshops for teachers

• administrative arrangementi.e. peer observation

• offer different kinds of supporte.g. co-teaching, co-planning, etc.

• build on colleagues’ strengths

What we did…

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Integrating e-learning resources into the unit plan

Self-directed learning- e-dictionary- Practices- Games

Teaching- e-book- Websites(e.g. WLTS, PEERS, One-stop portal)- Movie clip

Learning and Teaching Strategy: 1. Catering for different learning styles

VisualUsing graphic organiserUsing pictures / visual aidsWatching video clip

KinaestheticGroup Activity

AuditoryGroup DiscussionPresentation

27

Direct explanation

Modelling

Group writing

Independent writing

Explaining the storylineto students

Demonstrating how to write a story using the creative story map

Guiding students on working in groups

Students worked independently

Open-ended Task 1st tryout: A Surprise PartyReading Writing

28

Longman Express 5A Unit 5

Learning and Teaching Strategy: 2. Teaching the structure of different text types explicitly

29

Learning and Teaching Strategy:3. Appropriate scaffolding and greater flexibility for students

Open-ended Task: Creative story writing about a special party

Lost the present / no present

picnic

Giving feedback / Peer assessment (Lesson 12)

Individual work:

Peer assessment

Constructive feedback

Learning and Teaching Strategy:4. Assessment for learning

Checklist:• The points are summed up from

what we taught in the lessons and simplified from the writing tips printed on the writing worksheet

• To get students be more familiar with the requirements of the writing

Roles of teacher: Roles of students:

- Identifying students’ strengths and weaknesses

- Providing constructive feedback

- Making reflection on their own learning, especially the writing skills

- Making improvement based on feedback from teachers and peers

• more motivated to learn English because of the interesting topics and resources, as well as the meaningful tasks

• more positive attitudes towards English writing and speaking activities

• making use of e-learning resources both inside and outside the classroom

Learning attitude

• using the target language forms and functions in writing and speaking tasks

• using the story map that comprises the 5 elements to write and present a story

Learning outcome

• making use of graphic organisers in vocabulary learning and writing

• making use of framework/structures to generate and organise ideas

• Having greater awareness of using different learning strategies, e.g. note-taking, high-lighting keywords

Language development

strategies

Impact on students

• Helping the less able students achieve the learning objectives

• Stretching the ability of the more able students

• Designing task specific assessment rubrics

• Reinforcing peer assessment through modelling and constructive feedback

• Integrating different resources into the lessons

• Making use of the e-resources and tools in the L&T process

• Making a clear connection between pre-tasks and the main task

• Introducing learning strategies explicitly to students Unit Plan L&T

resources

L&T effectiveness

Assessment for

learning

Impact on teachers

Way forward

Teachers

Students

Curriculum

• Forming teacher network to facilitate professional development

• Sharing teaching resources among schools of similar needs

• Helping students to reflect on their learning through self/peer assessment

• Helping students to develop metacognitive learning strategies

• Further enhancing the materials development at KS2

• Exploring strategies to cater for learner diversity at KS1

Networking activities in Year 2013-14

29 Oct

2013

• Workshop on Using Differentiated Instruction to Cater for Learner Diversity in the English Classroom

13 Dec

2013

• Networking activity 1: Professional sharing on learning and teaching strategies (e.g. e-learning, catering for LD)

Mar 2014

• Networking activity 2: Professional sharing on assessment for/of learning

Thank you

Look forward to meeting you in networking activities!!