Differentiating Instruction

Presented by:

Vernetta Christian – Special Educator, Parkdale High School

Scott Hangey - Program Administrator, Howard B. Owens Science Center

GoalGoal

To utilize various techniques for

differentiating instruction in order

to increase the academic

performance of all students.

What Do You Already Know About…

Differentiated Instruction is…Differentiated Instruction is…

• A teacher’s response to learner needs

• The recognition of students’ varying background knowledge and preferences

• Instruction that appeals to students’ differences

Content Process Product

According to Students’

Readiness InterestLearningProfile

Teachers Can Differentiate

Adapted from The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners (Tomlinson, 1999).

How to Differentiate Instruction

• Content: What the student needs to know or understand and be able to do as a result of the lesson will be different.

• Process – How the students learn or process the information will be different.

• Product - The vehicle through which a student shows what he/she learned or can do as a result of the activity will be different.

(Heacox, 2002)

Learner Differences

• Student Readiness : Entry point relative to a particular skill or understanding

• Student Interest: A student’s passion or curiosity for particular topics or skills

• Individual Learning Profiles: How students learn including gender, culture, learning style, etc.

(Heacox, 2002)

Sternberg Learning Profile The work of Robert Sternberg supports the

presence of three intelligences:

Analytical: Analytical abilities enable the individual to evaluate, analyze, compare and contrast information.

Creative: Creative abilities generate invention, discovery, and other creative endeavors.

Practical: Practical abilities tie everything together by allowing individuals to apply what they have learned in the appropriate setting.

Adapted from Sternberg, Robert, Teaching for successful intelligences, 1st edition, pp. 129-130, 2001. Pearson Education.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

Imagine you are at a doctor’s office and notice a

magazine called Inventions. You are intrigued by the

headlines describing a new inventive toy.

What do you do next?• Read the article so that you can understand and analyze

all the details involved with the toy invention?• Read the article to find out how the toy is used?• Read the article to find out ways to alter or improve the

toy.

Compare your response with those at your table.

1. Read the article so that you can understand and analyze all the details involved with the toy invention? Option 1:

Analytical

2. Read the article to find out how the toy is used? Option 2: Practical

3. Read the article to find out ways to alter or improve the toy Option 3Creative

How Do You Learn Best?1) Discuss similarities and differences of how

each person in your group responded.

2) Think about your students and the educational implications of the variety of learning styles at your table.

3) How could this information enable you to better prepare your staff to consider the varied learners in our classrooms?

7 min

LESSON DEMONSTRATION

Think-Tac-Toe: Student Choice

• Select and complete activities from the choice board in a tic-tac-toe design.

• Select an activity from each row or set up other criteria for student choice.

• Think-Tac-Toes may be designed to reflect Bloom’s Taxonomy, Multiple Intelligences, or can be tiered to reflect different levels of tasks to be completed.

THINK-TAC-TOEBook Report

Draw a picture of the main character.

Perform a play that shows the conclusion of a story.

Write a song about one of the main events.

Write a poem about two main events in the story.

Make a poster that shows the order of events in the story.

Dress up as your favorite character and perform a speech telling who you are.

Create a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting the introduction to the closing.

Write two paragraphs about the main character.

Write two paragraphs about the setting.

Sample Design for Think Tac Toe:

Draw a Picture

Visual Spatial

Write a Poem

Verbal/Linguistic

Design a Rap Song

Musical

Create a flow chart

Logical/Mathematical

ALL

Write a Book Report

Verbal/Linguistic

Timeline

Logical/Mathematical

Make a Skit

Bodily Kinesthetic

Use natural resources to create a collage

Naturalistic

Group Project:

Design a Model

Visual Spatial/

Interpersonal

Entrée (Select One)•Draw a picture that shows what happens during photosynthesis.•Write two paragraphs about what happens during photosynthesis.•Create a rap that explains what happens during photosynthesis.

Diner Menu – Photosynthesis

Appetizer (Everyone Shares)•Write the chemical equation for photosynthesis.

Side Dishes (Select at Least Two) •Define respiration, in writing.•Compare photosynthesis to respiration using a Venn Diagram.•Write a journal entry from the point of view of a green plant.•With a partner, create and perform a skit that shows the differences between photosynthesis and respiration.

Dessert (Optional)•Create a test to assess the teacher’s knowledge of

photosynthesis.

PRODUCT

RESOURCES

OUTCOME

PROCESS

CHALLENGE

COMPLEXITY

What is Tiered Instruction?By keeping the focus of the activity the same,

but providing routes of access at varying degrees of difficulty, the teacher maximizes the likelihood that:

• Each student comes away with pivotal skills & understandings

• Each student is appropriately challenged. (Heacox, 2002)

Beginning (Apples) Intermediate (Oranges) Advanced (Bananas)

Outcome/Objective

Students will determine a topic and will write a five-sentence paragraph with a main idea, three supporting sentences, and a concluding sentence.

Students will determine a topic, state a point of view, and write two paragraphs defending that point of view.

Students will determine a topic, state a point of view, and write an essay of at least five paragraphs that uses multiple sources to defend that point of view.

Instruction/Activity

Students will receive a model of a five-sentence paragraph and explicit instruction in constructing the paragraph.As a prewriting activity, students will list their topic and develop a list of at least three things that support their topic.

Students will receive a model of a persuasive essay and a graphic organizer that explains the construction of a persuasive essay. Students will also receive explicit instruction in writing a persuasive essay.As a prewriting activity, students will use the graphic organizer to plan their writing.

Students will review the graphic organizer for a persuasive essay. Students will be given explicit instruction in locating sources and quotes for their essays. As a prewriting activity, students will use the graphic organizer to organize their essay. Students will also compile a list of five sources that defend their main point.

Assessment Students will be able to write a five-sentence paragraph that successfully states and supports a main idea. The paragraph will meet the criteria on the state writing rubric.

Students will be able to state a point of view and successfully defend the idea using two paragraphs that defend the point of view using main ideas and supporting details. The paragraphs will meet the criteria on the state writing rubric.

Students will be able to write a five-paragraph essay that states a point of view, defends the point of view, and uses resources to support the point of view. The essay will meet the criteria on the state writing rubric.

Tiered Activity – Writing a Persuasive Essay

Steps to Tiering• Identify targeted knowledge or skills

• Access prior knowledge or abilities

• Establish continuum of student knowledge

• Select an instructional strategy

• Tier the lesson (3 levels)

• Modify the strategy for each tier

• Align students with tiers

• Identify an appropriate assessment

Ways to Tier Assignments

• By Challenge

• By Complexity

• By Resources

• By Outcomes

• By Process

• By Product

(Heacox, 2002)

What are the “Look Fors?”

1. Reflect on the examples of differentiated instruction tools provided.

2. Choose one, and analyze them according to what we have learned today. Create a short list of “LOOK FORS” that could provide evidence of differentiated instruction in the example you chose.

Evaluation

• What was your biggest insight or learning today? Why was that significant?

• What do you want to learn more about?

• Questions, comments, suggestions?

USEFUL WEBSITES• http://www.lausd.k12.ca.us/lausd/offices/di/Burleson/worksh

ops/differentiate/index.htm

• http://www.members.shaw.ca/priscillatheroux/differentiating.html

• http://www.internet4classrooms.com/links_grades_kindergarten_12/tips_for_classroom_differentiated_instruction.htm

• http://rtecexchange.edgateway.net/cs/rtecp/view/rtec_str/11

• http://theapple.monster.com/benefits/articles/8484-using-technology-to-differentiate-instruction- shows links to learning style resources

• "What we share in common makes us human. How we differ makes us individuals. In a classroom with little or no differentiated instruction, only student similarities seem to take center stage. In a differentiated classroom, commonalities are acknowledged and built upon, and student differences become important elements in teaching and learning as well ....students have multiple options for taking in information, making sense of ideas, and expressing what they learn. In other words, a differentiated classroom provides different avenues to acquiring content, to processing or making sense of ideas, and to developing products."

Carol Tomlinsom

Tomlinson, Carol Ann. How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-AbilityClassrooms, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1995.