Differentiated Instruction

Differentiated Instruction

Prepared by:Ms. Ma. Irene G. Gonzales

Prior Educational Experiences

SkillsInterests

Readiness

Levels

• The biggest mistake ofpast centuries in teachinghas been to treat allchildren as if they werevariants of the sameindividual and thus to feeljustified in teaching themall the same subjects in thesame way.

-HowardGardner

How do we successfullymeet the needs of the diverselearners in our classroom?

Differentiated Instruction►


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Differentiation of Instruction ♦

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Traditional vs. Differentiated Instruction

Assessment is most common at the end

of learning to see “who got it”

Assessment is on-going and diagnostic to make

instruction more responsive to learners’

needs


A relatively narrow sense of

intelligence prevailsFocus on multiple

forms of intelligences is evident



Coverage of curriculum guides drives instruction Student readiness,

interest, and learning profile shape instruction



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Essentials of Differentiated Instruction

• Knowledge of students’ readiness to work withconcepts, their interests and their learningpreferences and seeing all preferences as equallyvalid.

• Teachers use a repertoire of instructional andassessment strategies to meet the needs ofdifferent learners.

Essentials of Differentiated Instruction• All differentiated instruction activities areequally engaging and respectful and takeapproximately the same amount of time.

• Students are assessed before, during and aftertheir learning. Assessments inform next steps forboth teacher and student.


• Even if students have choices in the ways thatthey demonstrate their learning, teachers areable to use a common assessment tool (e.g., arubric) so that all student work is judged againstthe same assessment criteria.


• A defining characteristic of a differentiatedclassroom is flexibility. Students work in short-term, flexible learning groups and educators areflexible in creating and altering instructionalplans in response to learners.

Examples of Research Support for Differentiated

Instruction

• “When teachers recognize diversityin their students, in terms of howand what they identify with andhow they learn, and when thisrecognition is reflected in howteachers teach, students are freeto discover new and creative waysto solve problems, achieve success,and become lifelong learners.”(Ferguson et al., 2005)

Differences in how students learn have a significant impact on

achievement.D.I.

Principle 1


Instruction

• “We know that learning happens bestwhen a learning experience pushesthe learner a bit beyond his or herindependence level. When a studentcontinues to work on understandingand skills already mastered, little if anynew learning takes place. On the otherhand, if tasks are far ahead of astudent’s current point of mastery,frustration results and learning doesnot.” (Howard, 1994; Vygotsky, 1962)

Learning begins from a student’s

point of readiness. D.I.

Principle 2


Instruction




Principle 2


Instruction




Principle 2


Instruction

• “A student’s ‘functioning’ inschool is inextricably linkedwith his or her sense ofbelonging and connection tothe school environment andhis or her relationships withpeers and teachers withinit.” (Schonert-Reich, 2000)

A safe, non-threatening and respectful learning environment is vital to student achievement.

D.I. Principle 3


Instruction

• “A student’s ‘functioning’ inschool is inextricably linkedwith his or her sense ofbelonging and connection tothe school environment andhis or her relationships withpeers and teachers withinit.” (Schonert-Reich, 2000)

A safe, non-threatening and respectful learning environment is vital to student achievement.

D.I. Principle 3


Instruction

• “When goals are clear,feedback relevant, andchallenges and skills arein balance, attentionbecomes ordered andfully invested.”(Csikzentmihalyi, 1997)

High expectations of success by all are matched by tasks

that provide a high degree of challenge for the individual.

D.I. Principle 4


Instruction




D.I. Principle 4


Instruction




D.I. Principle 4


Instruction

• “One is struck by the superiorfindings reported for visual anddramatic instruction over verbalinstruction in terms of thepercentage of informationrecalled by students one yearafter the completion of theunit.” (Marzano, 2003, reportingon research by Nuthall)

Essential concepts can be effectively presented in a variety of forms.

D.I. Principle 5