Using Formative Assessment to Differentiate Instruction &

Meet the Needs of Second Language Learners

Presented by:  Judy DodgeEducational Consultant and AuthorDifferentiation in Action (Scholastic, 2005)

25 Quick Formative Assessments in a Differentiated Classroom (Scholastic, 2009)www.judydodge.comNovember 1, 2013

2012 Judy Dodge

Challenges Faced in Our EnglishClassrooms Today

• Today’s students read less• Students may struggle in their first language (Spanish)

• There is deep-seated ambivalence and resistance to learning English coming from the home

• Mixed-ability classrooms--wider range• Greater diversity in every way

Essential Questions to Consider:

• What is differentiated instruction?• What isn’t it?• What is the research to support DI?• How do we use formative assessment to meet the needs of second language learners

• How do we address the needs of our struggling/advanced students?

• What does differentiation LOOK LIKE??

  “That students differ may be inconvenient, but it is inescapable.” 

Grant Wiggins

 

Turn to a colleague and discuss:How do our students differ from one another?

ALL Students Deserve a “Just Right” Challenge

• To treat everyone the same way ignores current brain research, cognitive psychology, and “best practice” in the field of teaching and learning  (Our brains are “uniquely” wired)

• Frustrates both the teacher and the learner

What is Differentiated Instruction?

• Differentiated instruction is “responsive” teaching.

• (Responding to the learner; responding to his readiness, his interest, his learning profile.)

• Differentiated instruction is not a curriculum:  it’s a belief/philosophy that it is our job to

meet the learner where she is, not where we’d like her to be.

2012 Judy Dodge

Differentiated instruction is  NOT a response to failure. 

It is NOT the “dumbing-down” of curriculum It’s “teaching up” while scaffolding struggling 

learners

Differentiation in NOT…

• Dominated by whole class instruction• Creating 3 different lessons 

(Provide support/*on-grade level/provide a challenge)

• Individualized instruction• Just giving more work to advanced learners• ***Trying to do different things with everyone every day

The “mantra” of a differentiated classroom

   “Fair is not equal.  

Fair is getting what you need.”

• Let’s recap: the need for differentiated instruction

The Research to Support Differentiation of

Instruction

Lev VygotskyLev Vygotsky(1978, 1986) 

In regard to readiness for a given task, Vygotsky proposed that an individual learns in his or her “zone of proximal

development” (ZPD).  

This term refers to a point of required mastery where a child cannot successfully function alone, but can 

succeed with scaffolding to support.  In that range, new learning will take place.  

The teacher’s job is to coach for success with a task slightly more complex than the child can manage alone, and 

thus, push forward the area of independence.-Carol Ann Tomlinson and Cindy Strickland

The National Research The National Research CouncilCouncil

“Tasks must be at the proper level of difficulty to be and to remain motivating:

  tasks that are too easy become boring; tasks that are too difficult cause frustration” 

(Bransford, Brown, and Cocking, 1999 & 2000).-Carol Ann Tomlinson and Cindy Strickland

Admit and Exit Cards

• Please take 2-3 minutes to write everything that you know about

“Formative Assessment”

©2010 Judy Dodge

A Formative Assessment System

Formative assessment is a process for improving student achievement

It must answer three questions:• Feed-up Where am I going?• Feedback How am I doing?• Feed-forward Where am I going next?

John Hattie and Helen Timperley (2007)

What is Formative Assessment?

• Frequent and on-going reflective practice of a learner’s understanding

• Provides feedback to the student and the teacher and helps them both to set future goals around the student’s strengths and weaknesses

• Usually, not graded2012 Judy Dodge

What is Summative Assessment?

• An assessment that comes at the END of an instructional unit and evaluates the student’s learning by comparing it to some benchmark or standard

• Usually graded

• Examples:  mid-term exam, final exam, research paper, etc.

2012 Judy Dodge

Formative Assessment:Frequent & On-going Assessment

• Oral questioning• Observing students• Writing samples• Written journal         responses• Pre-tests• Homework• QuickWrites• Quizzes• Admit/Exit Cards

• Use Data to Drive Differentiated Instruction

• Who needs more support?

• Who needs more of a challenge?

Checks for Understanding

• “Stop and Process” Activities:

COVERAGE ≠ UNDERSTANDING

Memorization does not lead to transference

©2010 Judy Dodge

Provide time for student reflectionStudents write individuallyStudents talk in pairs

“Whoever explains learns”David Sousa

• Provide multiple opportunities for students to explain what they are learning

• Guide assigned “Learning Partners” to interact through a daily (Turn’n’Talk). Hold partners accountable for staying on task by requiring a written task to be completed by each student

Trabaja con su “companero”. En parejas, describen esta foto. Date una vuelta y habla con su amigo

©2010 Judy Dodge

Have students “Make a Connection!”

• After a mini-lecture, class discussion, text reading, video, or PowerPoint…• Have students make their own connections and share with the class

– Compare two characters, two books, two authors’ styles…– Note a sequence of events/a process– Predict a future outcome– Recognize a cause or effect– Make a text-to-self, text-to-text, text-to-world connection– Suggest a character’s motivation– Describe and internal or external conflict of a character– Explain a problem and the solution

©2010 Judy Dodge

• Let’s recap: the need for formative assessment

Classroom Instruction

• Specific ways to help second language learners

Identify a Content Goal as well as a Language Goal -- Example 1

• Reading a story• Retelling the story

• Content Goal:          Identify the beginning/middle/end of a story

• Language Goal:  To use transition words for sequence: First, Next, 

Then, Finally,

Identify a Content Goal as well as aLanguage Goal – Example 2

• Read two pieces of informational text  -or-• View a video and read an article of informational text• Compare the two

• Content Goal:Compare two ideas, processes, customs, places,

etc.• Language Goal:

Use the language of comparison: both, same, similar, on the one hand, however, different, neither, etc.

Provide Academic Language to Scaffold Speaking/Writing About Connections in English

• _____ and _____ are both_____.   (compare/contrast)

• First, _____.  Next, ____.  Then, ____.  Finally, ____.                                                                                            (sequence steps)

• This reminds me of ____.  This is like _____.(text-self/text-text-/text-world connections)

• This happened because ____.             (cause-effect)

• I know that ____ because on page 2 the author says ____.     (argue/cite evidence)

Explanatory Writing/Speaking Frame

• I want to explain why ___________________.• There are several reasons for this.• The first reason is ______________________.• Another reason is ______________________.• In addition, ___________________________.• Now, you can understand why ____________.

Sequence Writing/Speaking Frame

I want to explain how ____________.First of all/To begin with __________.Then, _________________________.After that, _____________________.Finally/As a result_______________.

Comparison-Contrast Writing/Speaking Frame

____ and ____ share common attributes.They are similar in that ____________________.Another thing they have in common is _______.However, what’s different is that ____________.

Another difference is _____________________.

Helping Students Understand Text

• Word level-inquiry

• Sentence level-inquiry

• Text-level-inquiry

• Let’s recap: specific ways to help Second Language Learners during instruction

Let’s Review:  What is “Differentiation of Instruction?”

• It’s a philosophy, not a program• It’s the belief that learning can take place in more than one way

• It’s the recognition that all students do not have to do the same work in the same way

• It’s the understanding that there are multiple pathways to reaching the same goal or objective

Let’s Review:  Differentiation is NOT…

• Dominated by whole-class instruction

• Individualized instruction

• Modification based on quantity

• Trying to do different things with everyone every day

“Stop and Jot!”

           ???????????????????????????????????

“Frequent & On-Going Assessments”

• How do you know what they know?• Formative Assessments-When??• Checks for Understanding• “Stop and Process” Activities:           Turn’n’Talk! QuickWrites       Stop’n’Jot!  Stop Box

     Jot-Pair-Share Admit/Exit Cards

“Flexible Grouping”:  In addition to whole-group instruction…

StudyPartners

SmallGroup

IndividualWork

•Same-ability groups

•Mixed-ability groups

•Needs-ability groups

“Multi-Modality Learning/Learning Styles/ Multiple Intelligences”

• Accommodating  different learning styles by varying your presentation

• Providing students with visuals and encouraging them to create their own

• Encouraging the use of Multiple Intelligence-Based activities for students to show-what-they-know

“Choice” Opportunities• Based on student interest, learning styles, MI

• Provide a variety of options: content (what to read and study), learning activities (read, write, speak, research, work alone, work in a group), show-what-you-know products

• Awaken intrinsic motivation (less apathy)

• Offer empowerment (All students bring “baggage” from home—choice provides them more freedom)

• “Choice” Homework—provides variety andengages the learner

“Tiered” Lessons

• Providing appropriate challenge to 2-3 levels of students at the same time

• All students work on the same concept, but at different levels of complexity, abstractness, and independence

• “The meat and potatoes of a differentiated classroom.” (Carol Ann Tomlinson)

“Turn’n’Talk”

• Let’s recap: What differentiation looks like in the classroom

More About…

Zones of Proximal DevelopmentLev Vygotsky

Student’slearningzone

Student’slearningzone

Student’slearningzone

Judy Dodge  

“Charting My Strengths”

Listening—Speaking—Reading—Writing—Pronunciation--Homework

I’m great!

I’m good

I’m okay

“Tiering” Your InstructionBy Student Readiness

• Appropriate level of challenge for 2-3 levels

• Informed by data (on-going formative assessments)

• Not every day, not every week, but whenever you have an important concept and a wide range of understanding among students 

Laying the Foundation for Success With “Tiered” Lessons

• “Charting My Strengths”• “Fair is not equal. Fair is getting what you

need.”• Practice Flexible Grouping

Study Partners—Small Groups—Same/Different Readiness

• Have “Anchor” Activities in Place (Early finishers’ activity”)

What About Grading???• Differentiation of Instruction doesn’t mean different tests

for different readiness levels• Same test: include differentiated elements

“Draw a picture to show your understanding of…”“Choose one of these 3 pictures/characters and describe…”“Respond to one of these three prompts/questions.”“Write a summary or draw a graphic organizer to show…”

• Differentiated AssessmentsOccasionally offer a choice of options to 

“show-what-you-know” about a topic(Choice HW Options/End-of-Unit Projects)

Alternative Assessments

Judy Dodge’s Web Site

• www.judydodge.com

• Click on Judy’s eBoard—scroll to the bottom

• Click on PRTESOL Differentiating Instruction

• Click on PPt. Presentation:  Differentiating Instruction

Then and Now

• Before today I thought that differentiating instruction…

• But, now I know…

• I want to learn more about…

Question & Answer Session

Questions and Answers