differentiation is a sequence of common sense …...university of virginia [email protected]...

Copyright 2016 Carol Tomlinson 1

Classroom Strategies for Differentiating Instruction

Summit 15: When Struggling Readers ThriveCalgary, Alberta

October 28, 2016

Carol Ann TomlinsonWilliam Clay Parrish, Jr. Professor

Curry School of EducationUniversity of [email protected]

www.differentiationcentral.com

Differentiation is

a sequence of common sense decisions

made by teachers

with a student-first orientation

Adam Hoppe, Uva Student

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.differenitationcentral.com/


Ensuring an environment that actively supports studentsin the work of learning (mindset, connections, community),

Absolute clarity about a powerful learning destination—(KUDs, engagement, understanding),

Persistently knowing where students are in relationto the destination all along the way,

Adjusting teaching to make sure each student arrives at the destination (and, when possible, moves beyond it),

Effective leadership & management of flexible classroom routines.

Big Idea

of Differentiation:

Responding to

Readiness,

Interest,

Learning Profile


What’s the Point?

Readiness

Growth

InterestLearning Profile

Motivation Efficiency

Teachers at Work:

Responding to

Student

Readiness

Needs


ReadinessIS:•a student’s proximity tospecified learninggoals.

•A student’s position relative to the task at hand.

•Fluid.

IS NOT:•A synonym for ability or IQor potential

•Fixed


In this “reading contract” the teacher provides for 2 levels. This first level allows student choice, but includes more “have-to’s” to check for understanding. It also continues to have students practice skills in which students still need practice

This second level of the reading ticket also provides student choice, but with fewer “have-to’s,” more “once-a-weekers,” including editing and a teacher’s choice task.


“In my kindergarten class, I introduce technology during small group rotations. The day begins with mini-lessons for the whole class, introducing new content and reviewing different skills.

After this, we break off into small group station work. The small groups enable me to differentiate instruction and better meet the needs of individual students…

This model has been very effective for my students. They are more engaged with activities and take ownership of their learning. Working alongside peers also strengthens communication and social skills.

The mix of teacher instruction and high quality digital content has brought together the best of both worlds.” Tracey Dunn

ASCD Smartbrief (6-24-15) http://smartblogs.com/education/2015/06/23/tech-tip-technology-supports-differentiated-instruction-in-the-elementary-classroom/?utm_source=brief

Tracey Dunn’s

Kindergarten

Station Rotation

Station 1

Teacher-Guided Instruction

Station 2

Independent/ Peer Practice

Station 3

iPads

Station 4

Writing Wall or or iPads

Teacher meets with Students based on individual/small groupneeds (e.g. reading intervention,extension, vocab. development, introducing new apps/processes)

Students work independently, in pairs, or small groups on reinforcing skills via “paper”games or games on iPad

Students use iPads with appssuch as Lexia, , MobyMax, Raz-Kids to focus on specific skillsdevelopment—or with apps such as Educreations or BookCreator to develop projects

Students use a Plexiglass“writing wall” or technologyto reinforce writing skills, (e.g.,letters, numbers, number words, sentence copying, orwriting ideas

Tracey Dunn is a kindergarten teacher at Hopkins Elementary in Mentor, Ohio

http://smartblogs.com/education/2015/06/23/tech-tip-technology-supports-differentiated-instruction-in-the-elementary-classroom/?utm_source=brief


Reading Homework Coupon

Name:

Date:

Please ask your child to tell you

the story in the book he or she brought

home today by looking at the pictures.


Name:

Date:

Please echo read the book your

child brought home. (Echo reading

means you read a line, then your child

reads or echoes the same line.)

Ask your child to show you some

words in the story he or she recognizes.


Name:

Date:

Ask your child to read with

expression as if he or she were reading

to entertain someone,

Ask your child to give you several

reasons why he or she likes (or dislikes)

the book.

Have your child tell you what

feelings the character in the book has.

Ask for evidence from the book.


Name:

Date:

Ask your child to read with a

different voice for each character

After the reading, ask how your

child decided on how his/her voice could

help you know the various characters

better.

Ask your child to tell you which

character would be most fun to spend

time with. Ask for reasons for his/her

choice.

Adapted from Managing A Diverse Classroom by Carol Cummings - by Tomlinson ‘02

Joe and Jane collect the same kinds of stuffed animals. Joe has forty-eight monkeys, twenty-five bears, and sixty-seven dogs. Jane looks at Joe's collection and says she has the same number of stuffed animals. Jane has thirty-four monkeys and fifty-eight bears. How many dogs does Jane have? Show all your mathematical thinking.

Joe and Jane collect the same kinds of stuffed animals. Joe has forty-two monkeys, twenty-one bears, and sixty-six dogs. Jane looks at Joe's collection and says she has the same number of stuffed animals. Jane has thirty-six monkeys and thirty-three bears. How many dogs does Jane have? Show all your mathematical thinking.

Joe and Jane collect the same kinds of stuffed animals. Joe has forty-eight monkeys, twenty-five bears, eighteen cats, and sixty-seven dogs. Jane looks at Joe's collection and says she has the same number of stuffed animals. Jane has thirty-four monkeys, fifty-eight bears, and twenty-eight cats. How many dogs does Jane have? Show all your mathematical thinking.

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A Tiered 2nd Grade Math Problem from Exemplars


Teachers at Work:

Responding to

Student

Interests

InterestPersonal Interests/Passions (Strengths)

Culturally/Experientially Relevant

Generically InterestingTeacher Interests/PassionsOpens the way to emerging interests


Researchers from Vanderbilt (2016) suggest that giving students a choice in how they learn can boost student learning.

Given a choice of two ways to approach a learning task, youngchildren chose one or the other in almost equal numbers.

Half learned better with one approach; half with the other.

All of the children tended to prefer the method in which they excelled.

Instructional Choice can Boost Student Learning

In The Vanderbilt Peabody Reflector, Summer, 2016, p. 9. Reporting on research of Jennifer Ledford.

Janet Allen (1999) Words, Words, Words, • Stenhouse • p. 146

Word Jars

Words that tickle my ears! Words that warm my heart!

Words I’ve heard someone say!Words that make me feel smart! Words that can calm my ears!

Words that make me wonder!


I WANT TO KNOW

My Question or Topic is: _________________________________________

To find out about it, I will:

Name: _____________________________

I will finish by: ________________________

How I will share what I learned is: ____________________________

____________________________

____________________________

I will draw:

I will read:

I will write:

I will need:

I will look at/ listen to:

Friendships Shape Up!

Reading Contract

Choose an activity from each shape group. Cut out your three choices

and glue them below. You are responsible for finishing these activities by

____________________. Have fun!

This contract belongs to _____________________.

Brenda Spurgeon, 2nd Grade, Riverside Elementary School, Boise, ID


Friendships Shape Up! Cont’d

Make a poster advertising

yourself as a good friend.

Use words and pictures

to help make people want

to be your friend. Make

sure your name is an

important pare of the

poster.

Make a two sided

circle-rama. Use it to

tell people what makes

you a good friend. Use

pictures and words and

make sure your name

is an important part of

the display.

Make a mobile that

shows what makes you

a good friend. Use

pictures and words to

hang on your mobile.

Write your name on the

top of the mobile in

beautiful letters.

Get with

a friend and

make a puppet

show about a

problem and the

solution in your

book.

Get

with a

friend &

act out a

problem and its

solution

from your book.

Meet with

me & tell me about

a problem and its

solution from the story.

Then tell me about

a problem you have

had and how you solved it.

Draw a picture of a

problem in the story.

Then use words to tell

about the problem and

how the characters

solved their problem.

Write a letter to one of

the characters in your

book. Tell them about

a problem you have.

Then have them write

back with a possible

solution to your

problem.

Think about another

problem on of the

characters in your

book might have.

Write a new story for

the book about the

problem and tell how it

was solved.

R.A.F.T.

Role

Audience

Format

Topic


A RAFT is…

• … an engaging, high level strategy that encourages writing across the curriculum

• … a way to encourage students to…

– …assume a role

– …consider their audience, while

– …examine a topic from their chosen perspective, and

– …writing in a particular format

• All of the above can serve as motivators by giving students choice, appealing to their interests and learning profiles, and adapting to student readiness levels.

KUDs for Primary RAFT on Plants

• Know:

Photosynthesis is the process plant use to make food.

Photosynthesis requires air, sunlight, water and

chlorophyll.

• Understand:

All the different components (water, carbon dioxide,

sunlight and chlorophyll) contribute to the process of

photosynthesis.

• Do:

Show how the components of photosynthesis work

together to make food for plants.


ROLE AUDIENCE FORMAT TOPIC

Plant

Parts

Plant needs Picture We’re made for each

other

Roots Stem, leaf,

flower, seeds

Letter You’d be lost without

me

Flower Stem, leaf,

seeds, roots

Ad I’m more than just a

pretty face

PLANT RAFT

ROLE AUDIENCE FORMAT TOPIC

Seeds Flower, leaf,

stem, roots

Song or

poem

Here’s where you got

your start

Stem Flower, leaf,

seeds, roots

Chart Why you can’t do

without me

Leaf Stem, seeds,

flower, roots

3 riddles Why I’m important to

you

*Share RAFTS in mixed groups

*Draw or build something to prove that a plant is well made to have all its needs met.

Caroline Cunningham Eidson


Teachers at Work:

Responding to

Student

Learning

Profile

Learning ProfileIS:•Related to how we take in

& process information

•An umbrella termlearning styleintelligence preferenceculturegender

•Fluid

ISN’T:•Fixed

•“Singular”

•A synonym for learningstyle


Learning Profile differentiation is

largely

making room for

kids to approach learning

in ways that make sense

for them,

based on gender, culture, personality,

strengths, and other factors

Movie Time….

In Monica’s Classroom, Look For:

Comfort with studentsNature of the learning environmentWays in which the teacher addresses learning

profile (as well as readiness & interest)What this clip suggests to you about classroom

management and differentiationAlso, note your own questions/observations


Picturing Writing(Let’s take a look…)

Using visual and kinesthetic avenues to reading & writing.


David—a 2nd grader—spent most of his days trying to get out of his seat. Hemade a path between the trash can, the pencil sharpener & the bathroom.

Writing was the worst. He had to sit still and try to focus his attention. Hespent most of his writing time fiddling with little pieces of paper inside his desk—& watching the clock. If he could wait long enough, writing would end and hecould go to recess.

He told his teacher that when he had an idea for a story, the words flew out ofhis head before he could get them on paper.

He was 8, and he already knew he was No good at school and that his teachersdidn’t “take kindly to him.”

Beth Olshansky (2008). The Power of Pictures: Creating Pathways to Literacy through Art.San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

His teacher invited students to make textured and marbleized papers and hewas rapidly engaged with that process.

Later, his teacher challenged the students to be detectives and to find a storyhidden in their portfolio of papers. David excelled.

He saw a tornado in his blue paper and cut it out to free it from the page.propelled around the room by David’s body, the tornado took on a life of its ownand make great whooshing sounds.

He made a collage that was accompanied by sounds and movement and herehearsed his story over and over by tracing the shapes with his finger.

Holding a magenta and purple piece of marbleized paper he said, “It seems likewe’re caught in a meteor shower. Huge rocks like pumpkins hit me from allsides. It’s raining rocks.” He put his hands over his head to protect himself fromthe flying danger.



Ultimately, he created a coherent and engaging story replete with dynamic picture and word images.

As he read his published book for the first time, he got tears in his eyes ashe said, “I didn’t know I could do that good.”

Later he told the teacher, “Writing used to be hard for me, but now it’s easy.All I have to do is look at the picture [I made] and describe some things I see.I listen to my words to see if they match my story and they always do.”





Picture Writing uses a careful process of:

Teacher clarity about goals (in writing, reading, and art)Planning aligned with the goalsMaking papers & collagesUsing pictures in books as “mentors”BrainstormingWriting workshop combined with art—”Artist-Writers Workshop”Graphic organizersRevisionShared readingPublication

And it works (big time!) for kids who have been unsuccessful with reading and writing.

What’s going on?

differentiation is a sequence of common sense …...university of virginia [email protected]...

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