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© 2015 President and Fellows of Harvard College 1

Differentiating Instruction: Strategies for Effective Classroom Practice Syllabus

Course Throughlines (Overarching Goals) The core questions we will investigate during this course are:

• What is differentiated instruction? • What are effective differentiation strategies? • How do I manage/help others manage a differentiated classroom? • How can I begin or expand differentiation efforts in my classroom/educational setting?

Is it really possible to create learning environments that support the needs of all students in this age of increasingly diverse classrooms? Yes! In this course, you will learn how to identify your students' readiness levels, interests, Multiple Intelligence Profile, and strengths so you can introduce practical teaching strategies that respond to their unique needs. With the help of your fellow educators, a coach, and an instructor, you'll also try your hand at designing rich, "tiered activities" and assessments that allow students of all ability levels to learn the same essential concepts in different ways. We will analyze examples of successful differentiated activities, discuss differentiated instruction in classroom management and give you practical steps to begin using differentiated instruction in your educational setting.


0. Orientation Week Through this Orientation session you will begin to:

• get to know your fellow participants, coaches and instructor, • feel comfortable using this online course environment.

Orientation Week gives participants an opportunity to become familiar with the online course environment and to meet the instructional staff and fellow course members. Logging in and reviewing the Orientation session is highly recommended so that participants can feel comfortable on the site and feel ready to begin Session 1. 0.1 Introductions First, read:

• the Session Notes for the Orientation Session.

Next, introduce yourself to the group.

Please let us know what subjects you teach and how many students you work with. Also, let us know what country you live in and what the weather is like there. Include interesting information such as the price of gas (cost of a big mac?) and some of the things that help the rest of us imagine your situation.

For those of you working in teams, If you decide to introduce yourselves as a team, the team reporter should note that the team name is automatically included in the SUBJECT heading such as, "Team Halloway" and will be in all official team assignment posts. As always, list the names of the contributors at the bottom of your post.

0.2 Your educational setting Feel free to let us know more about your educational setting. What is the background of


your students? What kind of school do you work in? What are your main interests as an educator?


0.3 Differentiating Instruction Project About the DI Project

Two of the Course Throughlines (Goals) will be addressed directly through your DI Project:

• What are effective differentiation strategies? • How can I begin or expand differentiation efforts in my classroom (educational

setting)?

In subsequent sessions, your DI Project will serve as your practical touchstone, a context in which to explore and apply the concepts and strategies you are learning about in this course. It will also be your final and culminating work for the course, with more extensive feedback from your coach and peers in the final sessions. There are two options A & B. The first is to create an entire thematic unit of curriculum which you can use in your classroom or in professional development for training teachers. The last is to create a Tool Kit of effective DI strategies to use -‐ regardless of content -‐ in your educational setting.

Please start thinking about what sort of format your project might use. Will you write it out on paper? Will you create text/graphic files and store them on your computer? What if you create a wiki to house the information you want to remember from your work in this course? You may wish to record/publish your understandings in a blog or by video such as those found on youtube or teachingchannel or teachertube.

Whatever format you decide is best for your project, consider how you, and your team if you are part of a team, will store ongoing work, share the work here with the rest of us, and save the work for your own future reference.

At this point, I'm sure you have nothing but questions about the DI Project. I just wanted you to be aware that one assignment in each session will work on a Project. The project will be ongoing so that work done in early sessions of the course will be a foundation for the work done in the final sessions of the course.

0.4 Participate in the Online Discussions


In every session -‐ the final assignment will be to participate in the discussions. As you can see in this four minute video, participation is key to learning. Your coaches and I have high expectations for the quality and quantity of your participation.

If we were sitting around a classroom and you were listening to another participant speak, you might nod your head or say, "mm-‐hm," as you listened. The speaker would receive feedback about what they were saying by watching the group listen to them.

However, here in cyber-‐space and the only way we can show each other that we are 'listening' is to respond to what they have written by writing something ourselves. Your coaches and I expect you to clarify your understanding of and find value in the work posted by your peers. We also expect that you will respond to questions asked about your work.

Feel free to use this discussion area in the Orientation Session to ask questions or make comments about the mechanics of navigating around the website or about the course itself. Use this Orientation Session to get used to posting comments and reading the nested discussions that we will use in the course.


Session 1: Why Differentiated Instruction?

Differentiating instruction is all about personalizing the curriculum for the students in your classes. Session 1 presents an overview of the DI landscape. The most salient feature in the landscape which we will look at in Session 1 is getting to know the students in your class. In order to meet your students’ needs, capitalize on their strengths and foster their capabilities, you need to know where they stand. The readings for Session 1 provide an introduction to DI which helps us answer the question "What is Differentiated Instruction?" Session notes, readings assignments and resources invite you to explore differences among your students as a first step towards implementing effective DI strategies. The Differentiating Instruction Project is introduced in Assignment Three. DI Projects will help you focus on strategies and management techniques useful to you in your professional setting.

Session Goals

Understanding Goals for Session One:

• What is differentiated instruction? • What are the "differences" among students that count in a differentiated environment? • How and where can I begin to work on differentiation in my own setting?

1.1 Introduction to Differentiating Instruction Time: 2 hours

First, read:

• the Session Notes for Session One • the Session Notes for the Orientation Session

• Share how deeply you agree with or question any of the ideas about differentiated instruction that you encountered in the reading or in the Session Notes from Session One.

Next, chose one of the following videos to view and review:

For an introduction to the basic idea of differentiation -‐ view this TED video in which Malcom Gladwell talks about spaghetti sauce. How can we apply these ideas to education? How can we use the idea of horizontal segmentation in your work (minute marker 13 in the video)? How can the understanding of variability be applied in your work (minute marker 15:30 in video)?


• If you are more familiar with DI basics you might want to watch a video in which Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi talks about flow. Think about your students as you view this talk. What would you need to know about your students in order to help them engage with and focus on their work? How can you find 'flow' in your teaching?

• Write down what struck you as important • Write down questions or puzzles that you have. • Post your answers in the discussion area for Session One.

1.2 Using MI theory in the classroom Time: 2 hours This assignment is centered on using MI theory in the classroom. 2a is more of a theoretical approach and 2b is the practical alternative for those of you who would like to try this out with a group of learners. Most of you will choose to complete either 2a or 2b, however some of you, especially those of you working in teams, may be interested in doing both assignments and reporting how that went for you. If you do them both, we would be especially interested in hearing about how the two halves of the assignment support or inform each other.

2a. This assignment is mostly for those of you who are not working with students at this time, though anyone may choose to do this.

First, read Minds at Work which can be found in the resource section.

As you read make note of:

• how the information applies to your educational setting, • ideas with which you agree or disagree, • and any puzzles or questions which pop into your mind.

Share your thoughts and ideas with your study group in the discussion area.

2b.

This version of the assignment is mostly for those of you with students at this time, however anyone may choose to do this using grandchildren, neighbors or friends. While generally aimed at


children, this activity can be adapted for learners of any age. You may even decide to try it on yourself or with your team.

Discuss MI theory with your students. Identify many different ways that they are smart ('How are you smart' is a very nice twist on the 'how smart are you' question). Some may want to share a simple MI inventory website or worksheet with your students to get them thinking.

It is very difficult to find a good check list or MI quiz. For example, many quizzes assume that those people with high levels of intrapersonal intelligence like to be alone. This is not always the case. Some people may know themselves very well and one of the things they know about themselves is that they like to be the center of attention. Here is one you may try although certainly there are others out there: MI checklist for parents

Have your students create an autobiography cube using the template in the resource section.

Then tell your Study Group: 1) what you did in class 2) what you learned about your students and 3) what surprised you or what questions you may have.

A special note for participants working in teams. A WIDE World team is one voice in the Study Group. While each person on the team is encouraged to participate in the discussions, we know this is not always possible. Make sure to designate a Team Reporter for each session. The Team Reporter will

• collect ideas from all team members • post the team's completed assignments in the appropriate discussion area • act as the 'official voice of the team' for that session and • respond to feedback from other participants and from your coach.

1.3 Differentiating Instruction: DI Project Time: 2 hours


About the DI Project

Two of the Course Throughlines (Goals) will be addressed directly through your DI Project:

• What are effective differentiation strategies? • How can I begin or expand differentiation efforts in my classroom/educational

setting?

In subsequent sessions, your DI Project will serve as your practical touchstone, a context in which to explore and apply the concepts and strategies you are learning about in this course. It will also be your final and culminating work for the course, with more extensive feedback from your coach and peers in the final sessions. There are two options A & B. The first is to create an entire thematic unit of curriculum which you can use in your classroom. Option B is to create a Tool Kit of effective DI strategies to use -‐ regardless of content -‐ in your classroom.

Option A

Think about the students in your class. Keep in mind the information you read from the Session Notes on Learning Styles and Multiple Intelligence Theory. For more information about Learning Styles or Multiple Intelligence Theory look for optional resources in the Resource Section for Session One.

Read the description of a generative topic in the Teaching for Understanding part of the Overview Section.

Choose a unit, lesson, presentation or workshop on which you would like to focus your work in this course.

Down load a copy of the form called DI Project Option A.

Complete the lavender sections of the DI Project Guide.

Save your work on your computer. GIVE THE FILE A NEW NAME. You might decide to use the name of your Generative Topic as the name of your file. By giving the file a new name you do not risk loosing everything if you decide to down load a new copy of the DI Project Option A .

Post the completed sections in the Discussion area along with a note explaining your thoughts on the work so far. What questions or puzzles do you have starting off?

To post your work attach the file to your message.

Option B

Think about the students in your class. Keep in mind the information you read from the Session Notes on Learning Styles and Multiple Intelligence Theory. For more information about Learning


Styles or Multiple Intelligence Theory look for optional resources in the Resource Section for Session One.

Read from all or some of the following resources:

• identifying gifted students by testing • modifying classes to challenge gifted students • the section on knowing your students • assessing student interest

List criteria by which you can differentiate students in your class .

Down load a copy of the form called DI Project Option B.

Complete the lavender sections of the DI Project Guide. Tell us about your educational setting, who are your students and what is important to them -‐ what is important for teachers to know about them.

Save your work on your computer. GIVE THE FILE A NEW NAME. You might decide to use the name of your Generative Topic as the name of your file. By giving the file a new name you do not risk losing everything if you decide to down load a new copy of the DI Project Option B .

Post the completed sections in the Discussion area along with a note explaining your thoughts on the work so far. What questions or puzzles do you have starting off?

To post your work attach the file to your message.

1.4 Read Session Notes and Participate in the Online Discussions Time: 1 hour If we were sitting around a classroom and you were listening to another participant speak, you might nod your head or say, "mm-‐hm," as you listened. The speaker would receive feedback about what they were saying by watching the group listen to them. However, here in cyber-‐space and the only way we can show each other that we are 'listening' is to respond to what they have written by writing something ourselves. Read and reflect on what other people have written in the discussion area for your Study Group. Respond to messages others have posted by asking thoughtful questions, restating what you think they have said, and offering support and encouragement.


Of course we want to set a positive and upbeat tone to the conversation, however this does not mean that you should avoid difficult questions. If you are planning to ask a big question, point out potentially sensitive issues about another person's work or make a comment which might cause a strong reaction, please stop and think about the most tactful way to pose your question. If you are in doubt, either wait for a while or email your coach for advice. Thoughtful and well planned questions are the heart of substantial educational conversations.


A special note for participants working in teams. A WIDE World team is one voice in the Study Group. While each person on the team is encouraged to participate in the discussions, we know this is not always possible. Make sure to designate a Team Reporter for each session. The Team Reporter will

• collect ideas from all team members • post the team's completed assignments in the appropriate discussion area • act as the 'official voice of the team' for that session and • respond to feedback from other participants and from your coach.


Session 2: Differentiating Content, Process, and Product There are three elements of the curriculum, as described by Tomlinson and other DI experts that can be differentiated: Content, Process, and Products. This session will help you get familiar with the Teaching for Understanding framework, construct your understanding of the framework and see how it can help you align your goals for students' learning (Understanding goals/the content), the learning experiences and DI strategies you offer (Performances of understanding; process), and your assessment strategies (Ongoing assessment; product).

Session Goals

Understanding Goals:

• What does it mean to differentiate content, process, and products? • How can the Teaching for Understanding Framework help me identify essential areas of

the curriculum to be differentiated? • How do I begin to differentiate these elements in my setting? • How can I expand my understanding of MI theory?

2.1 Understanding DI Time: 3 hours This assignment digs deeper into the future of education, the importance of meeting the unique needs of each learner, and the changing roles of teachers and students. To set the stage, investigate the difference between knowing something vs. understanding it. In this video, David Perkins discusses why educating for the unknown is essential to help learners build deep understanding while looking towards the future. Read all the Session notes, then investigate the links and resources. Also, start thinking about what career paths will open for your students. What will the world look like when they reach the future for which we are preparing them? Next take notes as you watch one of these videos: Not only will Michael Stevens tell you the weight of a video, he will also give you some ideas about the future of education and the changing roles of schools, students and teachers. In the child driven education we are introduced to the ideas of children teaching themselves and the role of teachers as grandparents. Watch Diana Laugenberg talk about her teaching experiences, and at the same time notice how the website ed.ted.com could be used in your educational setting. Last, post your assignments by responding to these questions:

• How did David Perkin's thoughts "set the scene" for the ideas presented in the other videos?

• In what way did his remarks shape your understanding of the other videos? Give 2 specific examples.

• At minute marker 2:08 in the first video, how does David Perkins describe Understanding Goals that are central to educating for the unknown?

• What are the various roles students and teachers may play in the classroom? Use examples from the videos you watched.

As always, make note of ideas with which you agree or disagree. Share your puzzles, questions and concerns as well. Teams: Divide the work so that all the videos are viewed by someone on your team. That way you will each see something different and have some unique ideas to share with the team. Each person should view the first two videos for themselves but after that the longer videos can be


viewed independently and summarized for the group.

2.2 DI Project -‐ Understanding Goals Time: 3 hours

Option A: Understanding Goals

In this assignment, you will write the Understanding Goals for your DI Project. In future assignments, when we start linking the goals directly to other parts of the Teaching for Understanding unit, you might see other changes that need to be made -‐ that is fine. I want you to think of this as a work in progress.

Write three to four concise Understanding Goals for your DI Project which reflect precisely what you want your students to study in the generative topic. Useful Understanding Goals define and limit the scope of the Generative Topic. Understanding Goals UGs help focus student attention on important aspects of the GT.

Here are some sentence starters for writing Understanding Goals:

• Students will understand.... • Students will develop their understanding of... • Students will appreciate... • Students will build an understanding of... • Students will develop an increased understanding of...

Understanding Goals may also be written in the format of a BIG QUESTION: How can finding patterns help us learn multiplication?

Complete both Light orange sections of the DI Project Format Guide. Reflect on these questions and share your reflections with your Study Group:

• In what way do the Understanding Goals for the DI Project really address the content and ideas I want my target audience to appreciate and understand?

• How do the Understanding Goals specifically focus on key concepts, processes, purposes, or forms of expression of the topic?

• How will I share these Understanding Goals with others? (students, parents, peers, teachers...)

• Could the Understanding Goals be more specific and/or reasonable? • Share links to the standards addressed by your project. • List ways that your project addresses the standards.


Post your responses to the reflection questions and your Understanding Goals in your Study Group discussion folder by the due date. Consider the feedback from your coach and Study Group members. Rewrite your Understanding Goals again if needed.

Option B

Whereas a TFU unit has as its focus a set of well planned Understanding Goals, teachers may also identify a set of important questions for students to consider throughout the year. It maybe as simple as, "How are you smart?" or "How do you know when you have done your best work?" These questions set the tone for learning in the classroom.

I think of these year-‐long (or course long) metacognitive goals as 'throughlines.' Visit these sites to learn more about Throughlines, general subject area Understanding Goals, or year-‐long learning goals.

• Developing Throughlines • Project Zero's Visible Thinking Project • Metacognition and Learning

Complete both Light orange sections of the DI Project Format Guide. Write three or four useful Throughlines with your team. Is it possible for each team member to use the same throughlines or not?

Reflect on these questions and share your reflections with your Study Group:

• In what way do the Throughlines for the DI Project really address the ideas I want my target audience to appreciate and understand?

• How will I share these Throughlines with others? (students, parents, peers, teachers...) • Could the Throughlines be more specific and/or reasonable? • Share links to the standards addressed by your project. • List ways that your project addresses the standards.

Paste links to standards that apply to each of your team member's subject areas into the light orange box. Discuss how differentiation can help educators address standards. Use these links as part of your DI tool box.


2.3 Participate in the Online Discussions Time: 1 hour

In this online classroom the only way we can show each other that we are 'listening' or as Bernard said in the orientation, 'paying close attention' is to respond to what others have written by writing something ourselves. In this case the 'due date' is the day by which the conversation will end. Do not think of this as the day you post the work! You should be reading and responding to others from the moment they post their work in your study group discussion area until the start of Session three.

But don't just take my word for it -‐ hear some students' thoughts on peer feedback. (Video clip)

Read and reflecton what other people have written in the discussion area for your Study Group.

Respond to messages others have posted by 1. restating what you think they have said, 2. offering support, encouragement or otherwise finding value in what they have said and 3. asking a thoughtful question.

Your coach will look for all three of these elements in your responses to your online peers.

If you are working on a team: Of course, each person on the team is encouraged to participate in the discussion. However, in this busy world, that is not always possible.

Make sure to designate a different Team Reporter for each session. The Team Reporter will act as the 'official voice of the team,' post the team's assignments in the discussion area and respond to questions and feedback on behalf of the team.

As a team, decide if the Team Reporter will create a three part response to your online peers (see above) or if you would like to do this assignment together. Either way, make sure that your coach and Study Group see at least one official response from your team supporting and questioning the work of another voice in your Study Group. (A 'voice' is either a person or a team.)


Please make sure that everyone who posts on time in your Study Group receives at least one peer response.


Session 3 » Specific Strategies for Differentiating Content Session Three takes a close look at differentiating the content of the curriculum. We will explore specific strategies for differentiating content as well as managing a differentiated classroom. You will choose from a variety of resources to learn more about sub-‐topics in differentiating instruction. You will continue to learn about the TFU framework, identify essential content and differentiate the content of the DI Project using Entry Points. Session Goals

• In what ways can I effectively differentiate the content of my courses? • How do I manage differentiation, in terms of curriculum? • How can I continue to build my understanding of the TFU framework?

3.1 A Variety of Content Choices Time: 3 hours

The focus of Session Three is differentiating content. The purpose of this assignment is to create an annotated resource list for you to use in the year ahead. You will have access to these discussions for one year after the course finishes. You will be able to come back to these conversations and projects looking for ways to differentiate instruction in your teaching as the year goes on.

Choose: a resource to review based on your personal or team interests. There is a list of resources in the Session Notes, there are a few listed below and there are more in the Resource Section.

Follow: the links to read a short informational article, investigate an interesting website or view a video.

Post: a reflection by following these steps:

• Write: the name of the resource your team researched. Each voice will investigate different resources based on choice so it is important to start by explaining which resource your team used and give a description which will be of use for those who did not view it.

• Explain: key information which you or your team found most valuable from the resource. • Show: how you can make use of the information to differentiate instruction (or promote

differentiated instruction) in your own professional settings. • Share: any questions, comments, puzzles or areas of which your team identified after

reading/viewing the resource.

• Return: to the discussions often during Session 3. Engage your fellow participants in constructive conversations centered on the topics of the various resources.


• National Center on Accessible Instructional Materials supporting students with disabilities

When students need specific kinds of help such as large print books, text-‐to-‐speech instructional support and other kinds of interventions, this site is a good place to start.

• Strategies that Work interactive teaching helps students learn calculus

This research showcases a new way to help students apply their understanding of math. Make note of how they test their intervention; any of us could do the same in our classes in order to find out what kinds of strategies work best. In addition to reading this short article, take a look at the entire site to see if it may have any more useful articles.

• DI in middle School 8 Lessons Learned on Differentiating Instruction by Kechia Williams.

This gives teachers an informative look at putting theory into practice and shares some links to good resources, too. If you are wondering where to begin your differentiating journey read this article.

• More choices are available in the Resource Section.

Teams approach this project as you would any other assignment. Look for ways to share the work. Perhaps each team member can read a different article and report on that during your face-‐to-‐face team meeting. Then as a team choose one of the articles to respond to online.

3.2 DI Project -‐ Differentiating Content Time: 3 hours In this assignment you will explore how to differentiate the content in your DI Project by creating Entry Points or by some other strategy. As you can see in the DI Project Overview everyone will be filling out the light green section.


One extremely powerful way to differentiate content is to present the subject matter in a way that grabs the attention of your students and focuses their minds on the issues in the generative topic of study. We have seen clearly that every student is different, one will be pulled into the topic by conversing about it with her friends, another mind will be activated by considering the logical implications of the concepts and still other students will not be interested until they realize how the topic affects them personally. Entry Points invite students into the thematic topic. They also open the door to understanding the content of the topic. Normally, a teacher may use two or three Entry Points per topic aiming to use all the Entry Points over the course of a year


When the Entry Point EP aligns with areas of strength in a learner's profile, the student will naturally be pulled into the topic. When the EP activates an area of relative weakness or an underdeveloped area of a student's he or she will be building expertise in that intelligence as well as in the subject area. Thus the same EP invites different reactions from each group of students. Understanding their students various MI profiles will help teachers plan and use EPs effectively. An Entry Point need not be an entire lesson. It could be a display, homework, activity or introduction to a lesson. Plan Entry Points to differentiate the content of your DI Project. List the type of Entry Point (narrative, social/interpersonal...) and include a description of how you plan to use that Entry Point in the DI Project. Include all the Entry Points: The narrative entry point allows access to a topic using a story or narrative related to the concept.

The numerical/quantitative entry point employs quantitative methods to understand the

topic. The existential/foundational entry point considers the philosophical aspects of the

concept. The aesthetic entry point emphasizes appreciation of the topic's properties through

beauty, forms, and relationships. The hands-‐on/experiential entry point invites an approach to a concept through hands-‐on investigations.

The social/interpersonal entry point allows access to a topic through a social

experience. The logical entry point accesses a topic through logical reasoning,

examining the logical relationships and implications of a topic and applying deductive reasoning processes. Option A: Entry Points For this assignment, I would like you to create a menu which includes examples of each kind of Entry Point as it might be used with your TFU which you are creating for your DI Project. Normally, you would not plan to use all the EPs in every unit, however for the opportunity of find the best fit and the experience of thinking about each EP, I would like to see a menu


including one of each 'flavor.' Every once in a while you will find that a topic or unit just does not fit with one of the Entry Points. If you find that a certain Entry Point just does not fit, don't try to force it -‐ perhaps just


ask the group to see if anyone has a bright idea or just let it go. If you do not plan to use that Entry Point in your class -‐ and that is fine, too, just let us know. Post your revised DI Project including the rewritten Understanding Goals and the Entry Point assignments in the discussion folder in your Study Group. Also post any questions that came up while you were working as well as any puzzles on which you would like feedback or ideas from the group. Option B: Differentiating Content First, identify the three most interesting strategies for differentiating the content that you are teaching. Use Entry Points (above) as one of your strategies. Entry Points are one of the big contributions that Project Zero has made to the differentiated instruction landscape. Try one or two of these in your classroom or your educational setting. Note the results. If you are working in teams this may be a chance for one person to try a strategy while other team members observe in their class. Share what you have learned, what you still want to learn and what you might do differently next time. Remember you are road testing these strategies and sharing your results with the group. Write as clearly as possible so that others may come back to your work throughout the year and use it as a guide for their own class practice. Post the updated version of the DI Project in the discussion area and return often to discuss your results and investigate what others have to say.

3.3 Participate in the Online Conversation Time: 1 hour

One of the most exciting and interesting parts of an online course such as this is the interaction between participants. Your coaches and I look for supportive and thoughtful exchanges between participants as another indication of your grasp on the material and interest in the topic. So jump right into the online conversation. In this case the 'due date' is the day by which the conversation will end. You can participate in the online conversation as soon as someone starts posting in the discussion area. Read and reflect on what other people have written in the discussion area. Respond to at least two people in each discussion.

• ask thoughtful questions • restate what they have said • offer support and encouragement


If you are working on a team: Of course, each person on the team is encouraged to participate in the discussion. If your team has decided to post individual responses in the Affinity Groups, please do that on your own. Make sure to designate a different Team Reporter for each session. The Team Reporter will act as the 'official voice of the team,' post the team's assignments in the discussion area and respond to questions and feedback on behalf of the team.


Session 4: Specific Strategies for Differentiating Process Understanding Goals:

• What are different grouping strategies? • What are other effective strategies for differentiating process? • How can I use these strategies to differentiate content, products and process effectively?

In this session, we will explore a range of grouping strategies, and the variables that come into play when choosing one strategy over another (i.e., grouping by interest vs. readiness; grouping by whole group vs. small groups vs. pairs; grouping by self-‐selected groups vs. assigned groups; and so on). Participants will also evaluate other strategies for differentiating process such as tiered assignments, interest centers, and contracts. We will discuss ways to manage these strategies in the classroom and try their hand at integrating grouping/process strategies into their DI Projects. 4.1 DI Project: Differentiating Process Time: 4 hours First things first; read through the Session Four notes, follow the links and take time to process the ideas and information in light of your experiences and previous understandings. In Session 4 everyone will complete the Pale Blue section of their DI Project. The focus is on finding creative ways to engage students in the process of learning. The key is to vary what the students do rather than vary what the teachers do. Option A In this assignment, you will create two or more Understanding Performances for your TFU unit. You might choose to create an introductory 'messing about' performance or a mid-‐topic 'guided inquiry' type performance either of which will lead students towards the Understanding Goals of your topic. These should build the understandings which the students would need to complete the culminating Understanding Performance for the end of your unit which we will work on in Session 5. Review the Understanding Goals towards which you are guiding your students through the use of this Performance of Understanding. Review the criteria for Understanding Performances (UP) which is listed in the Overview section of the course. Draft a couple Performances of Understanding for use in your DI Project. Post your DI Project Format Guide with the Performance of Understanding (UP) part filled out in the discussion area. List the time, materials and preparation needed to teach the activity


and anything else of importance. Be sure to include:


• the Understanding Goals addressed • the type of UP; introductory, mid-‐topic, culminating • the time, materials and preparation needed

Option B An Understanding Performance not only gives learners the opportunity to build a deeper understanding of the topic, but also allows them to demonstrate that understanding to others. In Option B you will have a chance to collect DI tools which allow teachers to create activities to meet the unique needs of each group of learners. In this way each student can engage in a learning process designed to give them greater understanding of the topic. By now you have seen several DI strategies referred to the reading, listed in websites or discussed in the resources your fellow online learners have shared, so you should have a lot from which to choose. If nothing springs to mind, review previous sessions. Be sure to link each strategy with an educational goal such as an Understanding Goal. This is so important because goal oriented education is more effective.

• List 3 or more strategies that would allow you to differentiate process. • Choose one of the strategies to try in your classroom. • Describe what you did in detail. Tell us about the strategy, the students, the course.

Describe what the students did that they normally would not have done. Tell about their reaction as well as your own.

• Explain what you found out. Would you do this in class again? What would you change next time? Was the strategy as effective as you hoped?

• Share any puzzles, concerns or new insights.

Teams, here is another chance to divide and conquer! You might have each team member create an Understanding Performance then pool them all together to give your TFU unit two or more understanding performances (Option A) or add some strategies to differentiate process to your tool kit (Option B)). There are as many ways to share the work as there are teams working. As always, have the team reporter post your final draft online in the Study Group discussion and then check back to answer questions and respond to feedback about the work.

4.2 How can we differentiate the process of learning? Time: 3 hours


View this video of Howard Gardner talking about education. The text is below the video which makes it easier to follow (for some of us). Focus on the process of deep learning. The process of students showing what they understand a window into their thinking that teachers can use as an assessment. What does Dr. Gardner have to say about assessment? How can you apply that in your educational setting?

I think you will enjoy watching Howard Gardner talking about performances of understanding and assessment. If you would prefer to read about formative assessment in the context of a writing workshop that would add some zing into the conversation.

Teams -‐ One of you could work on this assignment then submit a draft for the team to review at the team meeting or in the team work space. Alternatively, two people could list some notes then get together to write up the response and submit it to the team. There are many ways to divide and conquer this assignment!

4.3 Read Session Notes and Participate in Online Discussions

Time: 1 hour Thoughtful feedback inspires thoughtful reflection. Reflection is a key component in building understanding. Use the Ladder of Feedback to structure your responses to fellow participants. Start at the bottom and climb up the ladder. You do not have to use the top two rungs if you don't want to. Be mindful of the steps on the ladder when giving feedback in discussion areas as well. Read and respond to others from the moment they post their reflection guide in your study group discussion area until the very end of the session. In this case the 'due date' is the day by which the conversation will end. Do not think of this as the day you post the work.


If you are working on a team: Of course, each person on the team is encouraged to participate in the discussions, however, in this busy world, that is not always possible. Make sure to designate a different Team Reporter for each session. The Team Reporter will act as the 'official voice of the team,' post the team's assignments in the discussion area and respond to questions and feedback on behalf of the team.


Session 5: Specific Strategies for Differentiating Assessment Differentiating the products created by students to demonstrate their understanding is a crucial element of a classroom that meets the needs of all learners. In Session 5 we will think specifically about ways to differentiate student products. We will also review some key strategies for differentiating instruction such as tiered assignments, flexible grouping, and so on. We will discuss ways to manage choice in the differentiated classroom by giving students options in the content, processes, and/or products they undertake. Session Goals Understanding Goals

• How do I differentiate products that demonstrate understanding and learning? • How could I manage differentiating instruction in my setting? • How can I expand my understanding of differentiating content for my diverse learners?

5.1 Managing a Differentiated Classroom Time: 2 hours Managing a classroom in which students are allowed to submit different final projects for grading and assessing the same Understanding Goal can be challenging. Visit this site concerning managing differentiated classrooms to find information that would help you manage your class. Be sure to watch this clip on Non Negotiables of Differentiated Instruction: Respectful Tasks in order to be able to discuss some key aspects of management. Think about how to bring the idea of authentic assessment into your educational setting. How could these assessment tasks help you manage a differentiated classroom? Next make a choice: Either: visit Paula Kluth to explore ways to include students on the Autistic Spectrum or students with similar disabilities in your classroom. Many of these ideas such as creating protocol books, "What next boards," or sets of 'stackables' can be used by all students as well as those who need help with organization and time management. OR: visit AT 4 Education Blog to learn about how technology might help you differentiate. Choose at least one big idea from each resource. Restate the basic message of the ideas. Comment on how these ideas could be useful in your setting. Share specific ways you could adapt the strategies for your classroom. As always, post your questions, puzzles, and or new ideas, too.

Teams, there are as many ways to share the work as there are teams working. Make sure that each person reports back to the group about the work they have


done so that everyone can discuss that piece in light of the overall picture. As always, have the team reporter post your final draft online in the Study Group discussion and then check back to answer questions and respond to feedback about the work. 5.2 DI Project -‐Differentiating Products Time: 3 hours There are several ways to differentiate the products students turn in. This is one of the most controversial and powerful ways in which to recognize and adapt to differences in student learning profiles. This is the lemon yellow part of the project guide; however if you prefer to submit an original song, poem, music video, documentary film, photo essay or statistical research that meets the criteria of the assignment -‐ that would be fine, too. OPTION A: Design a culminating performance for your DI Project. Make sure the assignment aligns with the Understanding Goals. Also pay special attention to the criteria for Understanding Performances. Think of authentic ways that students can demonstrate their understandings. Feel free to create a menu of exit points which encourage students to explore the domain they are studying. OPTION B: List 3 or more strategies that would allow you to differentiate the products by which students are assessed. If possible include a high-‐tech strategy. Choose one of the strategies to either try in your classroom or observe a team member trying in his/her class. Describe what you did in detail. Explain what you found out. Share any puzzles, concerns or new insights.

5.3 Read Session Notes and Participate in Online Discussions Time: 2 hours As usual, I expect each voice in the Study Group whether team or individual to respond to the ideas, questions and comments of your online peers. By now I'm sure you value the rich discussions which can develop around the topics in the assignments. Use the Ladder of Feedback to organize your responses to other DI Projects. Refer to these guidelines when framing your responses: • Clarify: Your colleague's ideas may not seem clear or some information may be missing.

Clarify by asking questions about unclear points or absent ideas before giving feedback. This step can help your coach and other Study Group members gather relevant information before feedback is given.

• Value: After gathering the proper information, express your appreciation for your colleague's ideas. This is fundamental to the process of constructive feedback. Valuing builds a supportive culture of understanding and helps us identify strengths in our work we


might not have recognized otherwise. Stress the positive points of the work, note strengths and offer honest compliments. This sets up a supportive tone during a feedback session. Such value finding shows that the giver of feedback honors the person and his or her strongest ideas.

• Offer Concerns: Often there are legitimate concerns about the work being assessed. Perhaps you see problems or don't agree with the ideas or actions in question. Now is the time to raise such concerns -‐not as derisive accusations or abrasive criticisms, but as honest thoughts and concerns. "Have you considered …", "What I wonder about is . . .", "Perhaps you have thought about this, but . . ." These are all ways of framing concerns in non-‐threatening ways.

• Suggest: Offering suggestions is the last vital rung in supporting learners in developing understanding. Giving suggestions for solving the problems we identified during the Offer Concerns step can help the other person use the feedback to make improvements. Of course, there is no guarantee that they will use the suggestions, nor need there be one. Suggestions are just that-‐-‐suggestions-‐-‐not mandates.

This is a more formal type of feedback than we have been using in the past. If you are not comfortable offering suggestions, feel free to skip that part. At first, you might feel a bit awkward using the Ladder of Feedback to organize your response -‐ well don't worry, everyone is in the same boat and will appreciate your efforts. Do the best you can. I am inviting you to use this protocol for giving feedback for two reasons. First, it helps make sure that everyone feels supported and second, it provides a format for giving people detailed information that they need to improve their work. Post your feedback in the DI Project discussion area. Make sure that everyone who posts on time receives feedback on their project.

Teams may find creative ways to share the work load. Some members may give feedback to other participants while the remaining team members may respond to feedback. Make sure to designate a different Team Reporter for each session. The Team Reporter will act as the 'official voice of the team,' post the team's assignments in the discussion area and respond to questions and feedback on behalf of the team.


Session 6: Looking Back, then Moving Forward with Differentiation

You will share a "final" version of your DI Project for final feedback and reflect on how your ideas about differentiation have deepened and progressed over the course. There is time in Session 6 to seek support for any remaining questions you have, and discuss the implementation outcomes and management challenges you anticipate as you continue to carry out these ideas in your own professional situation.

Session Goals

• What is my understanding of differentiated instruction and its place in my setting? • How can I make the best use of all these strategies to differentiate content, process and

products? • Where will I find support as I expand my practice and continue building my understanding

of differentiating instruction?

6.1 Reflect on Course Throughlines Time: 2 hours

Have you saved some of the questions posted in past sessions? Perhaps they are scribbled on a post-‐it note and stuck on your computer? Maybe there are one or two persistent questions, puzzles or struggles that have not been addressed in depth so far. One of the advantages of an online course is that the conversations we have had in past sessions are archived and available for our reflection.

Review past session notes and discussions especially session 1 where you listed personal goals for taking this course.

Compare and contrast your thinking about DI when the course started with your responses to the Course Throughlines in Session 6. What kind of changes did you notice in your thinking at the beginning of the course and how you currently think about differentiating instruction? Were there some changes in your thinking about other areas of education as well? What surprised you most?

Reflect on the progress you have made towards those goals. Have you gotten what you came for?

Write a reflective response to each of the course throughlines:

• What is differentiated instruction? • What are effective differentiation strategies? • How do I manage/help others manage a differentiated classroom? • How can I begin or expand differentiation efforts in my classroom/educational setting?


Post your reflections in the discussion area along with the following.

One of the advantages of an online course is that the conversations we have had in past sessions are archived and available for our reflection. Return to any of the discussions in the Orientation Session or Session One.

Reread what you and some of the others said at the beginning of this course.

Compare and contrast your thinking about DI when the course started with your responses to the Course Throughlines in Session 6.

what kind of changes did you notice in your thinking at the beginning of the course and how you currently think about differentiating instruction? Were there some changes in your thinking about other areas of education as well? What surprised you most?

Share your progress towards your personal or team goals with your Study Group. Did you get what you came for? Where will you go from here? What are your new DI goals now that the course is near completion?

Post your comments in the session 6 reflections folder.

Return often to respond to feedback from other participants and from your coach.

Teams should work on these reflections together to the degree that is possible.


6.2 DI Project -‐ Differentiating Assessment Time: 4 hours Focused, informative feedback is an important assessment tool as well as an element of instruction. Read the session notes for Session 6 carefully. OPTION A: Design meaningful assessments for the culminating performance for your DI Project. Include a customized or original rubric for scoring the culminating Understanding Performance. Use this article on rubrics as needed. Make sure to assess the Understanding Goals. (Scroll to the end of the assignment for more instructions.) OPTION B: Share an annotated list of differentiated assessment options you might offer your students. If possible include an example of an instructional rubric created with your students and/or fellow teachers. Make sure to link the assessments with the educational goals you are working toward. OPTION A and B Share your thoughts about the session notes and about using instructional rubrics in your educational setting. Why is ongoing reflection and assessment essential to differentiating instruction? Include any puzzles or questions about the reading or about instructional rubrics. Look back over the entire DI Project Include instructions for teaching your students to respond to each other's work using the Ladder of Feedback. For example a kindergarten class might be encouraged to find one good thing about a classmate's picture or ask one question about it. Include examples of each combination on the Pyramid of Feedback in your DI Project. Remember Ongoing Assessment takes place from beginning to the end of the DI Project so you may add these anywhere that the strategies work best.


Return to the nested conversations about the DI Project which have been archived in the past sessions. Sometimes, information which you wrote in a post should be included in the actual assignment. If this is the case, copy and paste information into your DI Project so that it is as complete as possible. Post the current draft of your project. Let us know some of the next steps you plan to take. Is this ready to share with others in your educational setting? Breathe a giant sigh of relief -‐ you did it!

6.3 Read Session Notes and Participate in the Online Conversation Time: 1 hour Thoughtful feedback inspires thoughtful reflection. Look at the wonderful array of DI Projects in the study groups. Comment on what strikes you about them. Post any questions or concerns you have using the ladder of feedback as your guide. This is the last chance for coaches to share their feedback with you. Let your coach know in advance if there is anything you would like them to focus on when making comments.

If you are working on a team: Of course, each person on the team is encouraged to participate in the discussion which follows the feedback which others give about your project. However, in this busy world, that is not always possible. Make sure to designate a different Team Reporter for each session. The Team Reporter will act as the 'official voice of the team,' post the team's assignments in the discussion area and respond to questions and feedback on behalf of the team.

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