Differentiated Instruction

What do I need to Know to Differentiate Instruction in My

Classroom?

The Basics

• Instruction is differentiated based on three major areas:– Content– Process– Product

• Each of these methods of differentiations provide a different approach for students to gain knowledge

Differentiation by Content

“Content is the input of teaching and learning…What we teach or what we want students to learn”

- Tomlinson, page 72

How to Differentiate Content?

• Modify instruction based on Student Need

• Teach only the Critical Concepts for the students need to learn

• Utilize Curriculum Compacting • Vary Resources and Materials• Implement Learning Contracts• Minilessons• Use a Variety of Support Systems

Based on Student Need

• Content can be differentiated based on the needs of individual students in the class

• We can change how we provide access to the content

• We can also match our content to student needs

• There are three levels of Differentiation based on student need:– Readiness - matching the

material or information students are asked to learn to a student’s capacity to read and understand it

– Interest - including the curriculum ideas and materials that build on current student interests or extend student interests

– Learning Profile - ensuring that students has a way of coming at materials and ideas that match his preferred way of learning

By focusing instruction on the critical concepts needed, it will help

students better understand an area of

study by emphasizing key concepts and principles.

Concept Based Teaching

• Concepts are building blocks for meaning– Provide the critical concepts students need in order to

be successful– Help student learn how to determine and predict

patterns and use those patterns to think about various forms of life helps them

• (1) understand rather than memorize,• (2) retain ideas and facts longer because they are more

meaningful, • (3) make connections between subjects and facets of a

single subject, • (4) relate ideas to their own lives, and • (5) build networks of meaning for effectively dealing

with future knowledge

Curriculum Compacting

Joe RenzulliUniversity of Connecticut

Curriculum Compacting

• This process should be implemented in Three Stages• Stage 1 –

– Assesses what students know and don’t know about a particular topic or chapter

– Initial assessment occurs– Teachers notes skills and understandings each student has

mastered– Exempts students from whole-class instruction and activities in

content areas they have already mastered

• Stage 2 – – Teacher notes skills and understandings covered in the study in

which the student did not demonstrate mastery• Stage 3 –

– Teacher and student design investigation or study for the student to engage in while others are working the general lessons

– Agree on projects parameters, goals, time lines, procedures for completing the tasks, criteria for evaluation, other necessary elements

• Keeping records when using compacting has three benefits:– Teachers demonstrate accountability for

student learning– Parents understand why it is advantageous

for their children to work with an alternate task

– Students develop awareness of their specific learning profiles

Curriculum Compacting

Differentiated by Process

“Process means sense-making or the opportunity for learners to

process the content or ideas and skills to which they have been

introduced”- Tomlinson, page 72

Student NeedYou can differentiate process based student

need. Anytime we think of differentiation – we must first consider what our students need…

According to Tomlinson, “An effective activity is essentially a sense-making process, designed to help a student progress from a current point of

understanding to a more complex level of understanding.”

Student Need

Differentiate Process based on:

Readiness

By matching the complexity of a task to a student’s current level of understanding and skill

Interest By giving student choices about facets of a topic in which to specialize or helping them link a personal interest to a goal

Learning Profile

By encouraging students to make sense of an idea preferred way of learning

You can differentiate Process by Readiness, Interest, and Learning Profile. With process, however, you focus on the specific tasks or

activities students will complete.

Strategies and Ideas to Differentiate Process

Weblinks, Video examples, and Definitions

Differentiated Instruction Strategies

• Multiple Intelligences – present materials based on the learning styles of the students. To read more on multiple intelligences, please review this website.

• http://www.thomasarmstrong.com/multiple_intelligences.htm

• Interest groups – utilizing informal information collecting processes, you can identify the varying interests of the students in your class, group students based on those interests, and allow them to explore their area of interest—and, meet the academic goals set for the course.

Differentiated Instruction Strategies

• Varied graphic organizers – graphic organizers are an excellent tool to help students understand or follow difficult content, that other students may comprehend with little aide or assistance. It is important for students to understand how and when to use graphic organizers in their independent work.

• Complex instruction – Assign open-ended group work and activities that foster higher-order thinking skills. Students work cooperatively and are assigned specific roles and tasks.

• Vermont University - Videohttp://www.uvm.edu/complexinstruction/

• Center for Multi-Cultural Educationhttp://depts.washington.edu/centerme/complex.htm

Differentiated Instruction Strategies

Differentiated Instruction Strategies

• Concept Attainment – students will compare and contrast traits of groups or categories that are related to the concept students are to learn. In groups, students find specific examples of attributes that distinguish the difference.

For specific steps:Saskatoon Public Schoolshttp://olc.spsd.sk.ca/DE/PD/instr/strats/cattain/

• Independent Study – allow students to select relevant topics and begin a course of study. To help guide the students towards the content you would like for them to uncover, provide probing or guiding questions.

Differentiated Instruction Strategies

• Learning logs – students write and reflect on their learning. Often through this process, students make discoveries about learning they may not have been able to articulate or demonstrate by completing assignments or tasks.

For specific steps:Saskatoon Public Schoolshttp://olc.spsd.sk.ca/DE/PD/instr/strats/logs/

Differentiated Instruction Strategies

• Journals – through writing in journals, students can connect their current knowledge to previous learning. Also, students will be able to explore ideas in writing.

Saskatoon Public Schoolshttp://olc.spsd.sk.ca/DE/PD/instr/strats/journal/index.html

Differentiated Instruction Strategies

• Cubing – students will explore a particular topic or issue from six different viewpoints: describing, comparing, associating, analyzing, applying, and arguing

This website provides additional information

The Cachehttp://www.humboldt.edu/~tdd2/Cubing.htm

Differentiated Instruction Strategies

• Learning centers/ Interest centers – develop content, interest, skill based centers in the classroom that students can rotate through, be assigned to, or select areas of interest.

• Learning contracts – provide options for students regarding pacing, learning goals, and needs via learning contracts.

Saskatoon Public Schoolshttp://olc.spsd.sk.ca/DE/PD/instr/strats/learningcontracts/index.html

Differentiated Instruction Strategies

• Literature circles – assign students who are sharing the same text in to groups who have shared goals, and possibly different roles or responsibilities to the group regarding the text.

Saskatoon Public Schools• http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/DE/PD/instr/strats/literaturecircles/index.

htmlAll America Reads• http://www.allamericareads.org/lessonplan/strategies/during/l

itcirc1.htmAnnenberg Video Example (Select “Sharing the Text”, “Book

Buddies”, and “Discussion Strategies”• http://www.learner.org/resources/series182.html#

Differentiated Instruction Strategies

• Role playing – allow students to act out characters, fictional and real, to demonstrate an understanding of the text, character, plot, or critical ideas.

Saskatoon Public Schools• http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/DE/PD/instr/strats/roleplaying/index.html

• Cooperative controversy (debate) – provide students with a problem and allow them to develop an argument for or against it. Students will have the opportunity to present their side of a particular argument with a debate.

Saskatoon Public Schools• http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/DE/PD/instr/strats/structuredcon/index.htm

l• http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/DE/PD/instr/strats/debates/index.html

Differentiated Instruction Strategies

• Choice boards - (a visual display of options or possibilities the student can choose from) allow students to select from the visual depiction of options – instead of verbal or written options traditionally posed to students. This method is especially helpful for students who may have particular learning disorders.

• PMI – have students list pluses and minuses when interpreting points about a topic

Differentiated Instruction Strategies

• Mind-Mapping – allow students to generate mental maps of critical concepts or ideas

Saskatoon Public Schools• http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/DE/PD/instr/strats/m

indmap/index.htmlJCU Study Skills Online• http://

www.jcu.edu.au/tldinfo/learningskills/mindmap/howto.html

Differentiated Instruction Strategies

• Jigsaw or Think-pair – share – use the these techniques to facilitate cooperative learning and dynamic grouping of students.

Jigsaw Classroom• http://www.jigsaw.org/Saskatoon Public Schools• http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/DE/PD/instr/strats/jigsaw/index.htmlReading Quest• http://www.readingquest.org.uk/Saskatoon Public Schools

http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/DE/PD/instr/strats/think/index.html

Keep in mind when differentiating process…

Each strategy should engage students in a different thinking or

processing response

Differentiation by Product

“Help students individually or in groups rethink, use, extend what

they have learned over a long period of time—a unit, semester,

or year” - Tomlinson

We’ve discussed how to approach differentiated instruction based on content. We’ve also explored how

to differentiate the process of instruction. As we begin to look at

ways to modify final products based on student needs, interests,

and learning profiles.

Points to Consider

• Some students can show what they know better in a product than a written test.

• By differentiating what students are expected to produce at the end of the learning, students to think about, apply, or expand on all key understandings and skills of the learning using varied methods.

Differentiate Products

• Determine core expectations for the quality students are to pursue in regard to:– the content in their products – how they should work on their products, and– the nature of the final product itself

• Identify knowledge, understandings, skills the product must incorporate decide on what format the product will take

Differentiating Products for Struggling Students

• Give assignments in smaller increments (complete one—then introduce the other)

• Put directions on audio or video tapes• Assist students with creating timelines for work• Conduct skill and organizational instruction in small

groups

• Help students find resources• Provide templates or organizers• Provide models of products to be produced• Ensure students have access to materials in their first

language

We’ve explored the basic approaches to differentiating instruction. As we continue to work through this course, we will learn various techniques to teach reading – and you will be asked to expound on ideas to differentiate instruction based on student need.

References

Tomlinson, Carol A., James H. Stronge, and Caroline C. Eidson. How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed Ability Classrooms. Danvers: Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2001. 72-93.