Carla GarrCarla Garr

Why is learning about Why is learning about differentiation important?differentiation important?

The biggest mistake of past centuries in The biggest mistake of past centuries in teaching has been to treat all children as teaching has been to treat all children as

if they were variants of the same if they were variants of the same individual and thus to feel justifiedindividual and thus to feel justified

in teaching them all the same subjects in in teaching them all the same subjects in the same way.the same way.

~Howard Gardner~Howard Gardner

When a teacher tries to teach something When a teacher tries to teach something to the entire class at the same time, to the entire class at the same time, “chances are, one-third of the kids “chances are, one-third of the kids

already know it; one-third will get it; already know it; one-third will get it; and the remaining third won’t. So two-and the remaining third won’t. So two-thirds of the children are wasting their thirds of the children are wasting their

time.”time.”

~Lilian Katz~Lilian Katz

Willis, S. (November 1993). “Teaching Young Children: Educators Seek ‘Developmental Appropriateness.’” Curriculum Update, 1-8

To learn a particular concept, “some To learn a particular concept, “some children need days; some, ten minutes,” children need days; some, ten minutes,” but the typical lockstep school schedule but the typical lockstep school schedule

ignores this fundamental fact.ignores this fundamental fact. ~Marilyn Hughes~Marilyn Hughes

Willis, S. (November 1993). “Teaching Young Children: Educators Seek ‘Developmental Appropriateness.’” Curriculum Update, 1-8.

The Law and Specially Designed InstructionThe Law and Specially Designed Instruction

• IDEA • Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act• Kentucky Revised Statues• Kentucky Administrative Regulations related to

Exceptional Children• Kentucky Administrative Regulations related to Gifted

and Talented students

• From the PowerPoint Presentation: Launch Into Differentiation “Differentiating Instruction in the Social Studies Classroom”

More About the LawMore About the Law

• Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964• Equal Education Opportunities Act of 1974• Title VII, Bilingual Education Language

Enhancement and Language Acquisition Program under Improving America’s School Act

• American Disabilities Act

• From the PowerPoint Presentation: Launch Into Differentiation “Differentiating Instruction in the Social Studies Classroom”

DifferentiationDifferentiation of the curriculum of the curriculum means means modifyingmodifying

the curriculum so it the curriculum so it differsdiffers in in response to the response to the

differencesdifferences that define the needs, that define the needs, interests, andinterests, and

abilities of gifted students.abilities of gifted students.

DifferentiationDifferentiation

Instruction based on Instruction based on differencesdifferences in in

•Students’ readinessStudents’ readiness

•InterestsInterests

•Learning profilesLearning profiles

Multiple IntelligencesMultiple IntelligencesA A

KKaa//eieiddooSSccOOppee of of ChoicesChoices

Kinesthetic VerbalKinesthetic VerbalLogical Mathematical VisualLogical Mathematical VisualNaturalist Rhythmic Naturalist Rhythmic Intrapersonal InterpersonalIntrapersonal Interpersonal

We need to We need to minimize the “shoot to the middle”minimize the “shoot to the middle” approach in which the teacher “aims” the lesson at a approach in which the teacher “aims” the lesson at a level that seems accessible to the majority of students.level that seems accessible to the majority of students.

Schools are gateways to the futureSchools are gateways to the future for children for children who enter them.who enter them.

Students with learning difficulties and students who Students with learning difficulties and students who

are very advanced have are very advanced have “nonstandard” learning “nonstandard” learning needsneeds..

Differentiation makes senseDifferentiation makes sense for teachers. for teachers.

1.1. Differentiating instruction is Differentiating instruction is not a new ideanot a new idea..

Teachers have always worried that some students have serious gaps in learning.

Visions of student anxiety and student boredom accompany teachers home on most nights.

Over the years, teachers have developed many approaches to addressing student differences in classrooms.

The quest to address student differences will likely continue as long as there are schools.

2. “One-size-fits-all”2. “One-size-fits-all” instruction is instruction is

notnot a good a good fit for many learners in an fit for many learners in an

academically diverse classroomacademically diverse classroombecause…because…

Students vary widely in readiness.Students vary widely in readiness.

•Matching learning opportunities to readiness levels ensures that students master key skills and understandings rather

than glossing over them.

•Students continue to progress in skills and understandings rather than repeating them.

Students vary in what interestsStudents vary in what intereststhem and in their learning profiles.them and in their learning profiles.

Matching learning opportunities to student interests increases the likelihood that a student sees school as relevant.

A student finds and develops passions for learning and personal talent areas.

Matching learning opportunities to learning profiles maximizes efficiency and effectiveness of

learning for individuals.

3. Teachers in appropriately differentiated3. Teachers in appropriately differentiatedclassrooms continually study their students.classrooms continually study their students.

Teachers seek opportunities to understand various students’ “points of entry” into topics and skills, what individual students

like both in and out of school, and the sorts of learning environments and conditions in which various students succeed.

Assessment is no longer something that comes at the end of a unit to see who learned what.

Assessment is a continual reading of vital signs related to readiness levels, interests, and learning profiles of each student for

the purpose of better understanding today how to modify tomorrow’s instruction.

4. Good teaching is predicated upon a teacher’s clarity 4. Good teaching is predicated upon a teacher’s clarity about what a learner should know, understand, and be about what a learner should know, understand, and be

able to do as a result of a given learning experience and able to do as a result of a given learning experience and set of learning experiencesset of learning experiences..

•Teachers are clear about the essential information, understandings, and skills that a student must develop during each lesson and unit.

•Brain research tells us that learners cannot remember everything about a topic over an extended period of time.

•Teachers must identify essential concepts, essential principles, and essential skills – carefully building lessons that cause learners to

grapple with those essentials until they “own” them.

5. In an appropriately differentiated classroom, 5. In an appropriately differentiated classroom, allall learners focus much of their time and learners focus much of their time and

attention on the key concepts, principles, and attention on the key concepts, principles, and skills identified by the teacher as essential to skills identified by the teacher as essential to

growth and development in the subject – but at growth and development in the subject – but at varying degrees of abstractness, complexity, varying degrees of abstractness, complexity,

open-endedness, problem clarity, and structureopen-endedness, problem clarity, and structure..

All learners should work with the essential ideas and skills that build toward understanding the subject and

proficiency in the subject.

Some learners need to work with ideas and skills at a concrete level using manipulatives, diagrams, or other devices that

allow them to experience the idea in a clear, specified, guided, and tangible way.

Other learners are ready to work with the ideas and skills at a greater level of abstractness, in fuzzier problems,

and with minimal guidance.

It is often not the ideas and skills that will vary with readiness in a differentiated classroom, but rather the degree of difficulty or

complexity in the way students interact with the ideas or skills.

6. In an appropriately differentiated classroom, all 6. In an appropriately differentiated classroom, all learners should work with “respectful tasks”.learners should work with “respectful tasks”.

All students should be offered tasks that encourage them to think at high levels of thinking.

All student should have consistent opportunities to be active learners.

All students should work with a wide variety of peers over time.

All students should sometimes be teachers.

All students should be involved with learning that is new to them.

All students should be consistently pushed a bit beyond their individual comfort zones.

7. An appropriately differentiated classroom 7. An appropriately differentiated classroom offers different routes to content, activities, and offers different routes to content, activities, and products in response to differing learner needs.products in response to differing learner needs.

A teacher in a differentiated classroom constructs different avenues to • Content – what students learn;

• Activities – opportunities through which students process, or make sense of understandings and skills; and

• Products – how students demonstrate and extend what they have learned.

Sometimes options for learning tasks are based on teacher assessment of student readiness and at other times on student interests.

Teachers often provide students with learning profile choices.

8. Flexible grouping of students enables all learners8. Flexible grouping of students enables all learnersto work in a wide variety of configurations andto work in a wide variety of configurations and

with the full range of peers, while targetingwith the full range of peers, while targetingspecific learning needs.specific learning needs.

Students sometimes work with peers of similar readiness so that the teacher can target the complexity of the task to student needs or target task

by similar interest and learning profile.

At other times, students work in mixed readiness or interest groups with tasks that enable alls students to play essential roles in the group's success.

Sometimes the whole class works as a unit, or students work independently, or students make choices.

9. Learning to effectively differentiate instruction in 9. Learning to effectively differentiate instruction in academically diverse classrooms is complex and requires academically diverse classrooms is complex and requires

support for teacher over extended periods of time.support for teacher over extended periods of time.

•For most of us, developing and refining the skills of differentiation is complex, uncertain, and carries an initial price tag of discomfort and added effort.

•Teachers need training and assurance from the administration that they will be valued for attempting positive change than for preserving the status quo.

•Teachers need time for planning, support for in-classroom coaching, and time to visit and work with other teachers who are pursuing differentiated instruction.

•Policymakers need to help teachers reconcile the call for responsive and flexible classrooms with practices that discourage responsiveness and flexibility.

•Like students, teachers are a diverse groupteachers are a diverse group. They, too, need a differentiated approach to learning and growing along supportive,

responsive environments.

Teachers may need assistance in Developing a sound rationale for differentiation

Identifying and understanding the needs of diverse learnersPreparing students and parents for differentiated classes

Managing differentiated classroomsIdentifying key understandings and skills in their subjects

Applying principles of differentiationUsing instructional and management strategies that facilitate

differentiation Steps in beginning to implement differentiation.

10. Differentiation is not a license to eliminate specialists,10. Differentiation is not a license to eliminate specialists,but rather an opportunity for specialists and generalistsbut rather an opportunity for specialists and generaliststo collaborate in ways that focus their combined skills to collaborate in ways that focus their combined skills

on improving instruction in the regular classroom.on improving instruction in the regular classroom.

Differentiation will work best when time and support are provided for a team of educators – special educators, educators of the gifted, remediation experts, librarians, guidance counselors, and others – to

collaborate in reconfiguring classrooms and redesigning curriculums in ways that draw on the expertise of each participant

in the planning process.

Differentiation is a complex topic and involvesDifferentiation is a complex topic and involveseducators thinking about change. There are noeducators thinking about change. There are no

easy or automatic answers.easy or automatic answers.

Extensions for Diverse LearnersExtensions for Diverse Learners

Purpose and Appropriateness of TaskMatching the intent, goal, or reason for the task to the interests, needs,

and abilities of the student. 

Complexity of TaskLevel of sophistication of task, depth, approach to problem, process for solving

problems, dimensions, degree of decision making required level of challenge. 

Size of TaskQuantity, scope, size, proportions of task.

 Time

Duration, cycle, length or intervals for learning and demonstrating knowledge. 

PaceRate, velocity, speed, acceleration of learning.

  

Environment of LearningThe variety of settings, situations or domains necessary for learning;

access and need for specialized resources; physical characteristics of environment.

Order of learningAttention to student’s prior knowledge to determine the appropriate

instructional sequence, priority, or progression of learning experiences. 

Procedures and Routines (Input-Output)The variety of methods used to organize, manipulate and translate content,

skills and processes into understandable structures for students. 

Resources and MaterialsThe software, equipment, fixtures, gear, supplies, print, non-print,

human resources, and furnishings appropriate for learning. 

Application and Demonstration of KnowledgeThe process of transferring learning to real life situations by making

connections among familiar and unfamiliar ideas.

  Level of Support and Independence

Degree of dependence/independence; need for direct or indirect guidance, encouragement.

 Participation

Degree of interaction for optimum learning. 

MotivationIncentives (extrinsic or intrinsic) that match to the student’s needs, interests,

and abilities.

For our young children, what do we For our young children, what do we need to consider?need to consider?

Developmental AppropriatenessDevelopmental Appropriateness

•What is the relationship between the learner’s What is the relationship between the learner’s prerequisite abilities and levels of readiness prerequisite abilities and levels of readiness

and the curriculum?and the curriculum?

•The concept of developmental appropriateness The concept of developmental appropriateness challenges educators to recognize the multiplechallenges educators to recognize the multiple

dimensions of the learner and to ensure that curriculardimensions of the learner and to ensure that curricularexpectations and experiences are aligned to the expectations and experiences are aligned to the

nature of the student.nature of the student.

Accurate assessment of an individual’sAccurate assessment of an individual’sAcademicAcademic

SocialSocialPhysicalPhysicalPersonalPersonal

traits, needs, and intereststraits, needs, and interests

Factors to be analyzedFactors to be analyzed

Social interactionsSocial interactionsAcademic abilitiesAcademic abilitiesPersonal interestsPersonal interestsEnvironmental setting and conditionsEnvironmental setting and conditionsTypes of resourcesTypes of resourcesInstructional strategy or model to be usedInstructional strategy or model to be usedContent, process, product to be taught and learnedContent, process, product to be taught and learned

Relationship between expressed learningRelationship between expressed learninginterests and actual learning needs and abilitiesinterests and actual learning needs and abilities

•Fleeting curiosityFleeting curiosity•InquisitivenessInquisitiveness

•Ponderance of thoughtPonderance of thought

Teachers must assess the quality of the student’s Teachers must assess the quality of the student’s interests so that the student is not engaged fully in interests so that the student is not engaged fully in A learning endeavor that was misinterpreted as a A learning endeavor that was misinterpreted as a

serious expression of interest by the teacher.serious expression of interest by the teacher.

Amount of time available to study or investigateAmount of time available to study or investigateSufficientSufficient

ororInsufficientInsufficient

We do not want careless and incomplete work We do not want careless and incomplete work submitted by a child and evaluated by the teacher as submitted by a child and evaluated by the teacher as

evidence of the individual’s achievement.evidence of the individual’s achievement.

Reference materials availableReference materials available

Are young learners limited to what they canAre young learners limited to what they can read independently?read independently?Are readers, adult aides, or mentors available?Are readers, adult aides, or mentors available?

Expectations or standards for the taskExpectations or standards for the task

Clearly articulated expectationsClearly articulated expectationsGuidance to help begin and complete a taskGuidance to help begin and complete a task

Replacement of core content with Replacement of core content with differentiated curriculumdifferentiated curriculum

Not more work in addition toNot more work in addition toNot intended to penalizeNot intended to penalize

Intended to replace other less appropriate curriculaIntended to replace other less appropriate curriculaIntended as work to appropriately challenge Intended as work to appropriately challenge

capabilitiescapabilities

Explore LaterallyExplore LaterallyGuiding Question:Guiding Question:

What does this lead to?What does this lead to?

Pursue to Intensity (In depth)Pursue to Intensity (In depth)Guiding Question:Guiding Question:

What are some more details about this?What are some more details about this?

Construct ConnectionsConstruct ConnectionsGuiding Question:Guiding Question:

What is this related to?What is this related to?

Pathways of Learning David LazearPathways of Learning David LazearTeaching with the Brain in Mind Eric JensenTeaching with the Brain in Mind Eric JensenA Celebration of Neurons Robert SylwesterA Celebration of Neurons Robert SylwesterHow to Differentiate InstructionHow to Differentiate InstructionIn Mixed-Ability Classrooms In Mixed-Ability Classrooms (Second Edition) Carol Ann Tomlinson(Second Edition) Carol Ann TomlinsonTeaching Gifted Kids inTeaching Gifted Kids inThe Regular Classroom Susan WinebrennerThe Regular Classroom Susan Winebrenner(Second Edition)(Second Edition)Gifted Program Standards Landrum, Callahan, Shaklee Gifted Program Standards Landrum, Callahan, Shaklee The Parallel Curriculum NAGC service publicationThe Parallel Curriculum NAGC service publicationTeaching Young Gifted ChildrenTeaching Young Gifted ChildrenIn the Regular Classroom Walker, Smutny, Meckstroth In the Regular Classroom Walker, Smutny, Meckstroth

The National Research Center for Gifted Education The National Research Center for Gifted Education Dr. Joseph Renzulli-DirectorDr. Joseph Renzulli-DirectorDr. E. Jean Gubbins-Associate DirectorDr. E. Jean Gubbins-Associate Director

Website:Website:http://www.brainconnection.com

Technical Assistance Documents and VideosTechnical Assistance Documents and VideosA Framework to Provide Successful Learning Opportunities forA Framework to Provide Successful Learning Opportunities forGifted and Talented Students~Kentucky Department of EducationGifted and Talented Students~Kentucky Department of EducationSpring, 2000Spring, 2000Nurturing GiftednessNurturing GiftednessDelivering Services for Gifted Students in Kentucky SchoolsDelivering Services for Gifted Students in Kentucky Schools

ASCD VideosASCD VideosAt Work in the Differentiated ClassroomAt Work in the Differentiated ClassroomDifferentiating Instruction—Creating Multiple Paths for LearningDifferentiating Instruction—Creating Multiple Paths for LearningDifferentiating Instruction—Instructional and Management StrategiesDifferentiating Instruction—Instructional and Management Strategies

The Power of OneThe Power of One

Research ResourcesResearch Resources•ASCD-Differentiating Instruction Facilitator's Guide1997ASCD-Differentiating Instruction Facilitator's Guide1997

•Willis, S. (November 1993). “Teaching Young Children: Willis, S. (November 1993). “Teaching Young Children: Educators Seek ‘Developmental Appropriateness.’” Educators Seek ‘Developmental Appropriateness.’”

•Curriculum Update, 1-8Curriculum Update, 1-8

•From the PowerPoint Presentation: From the PowerPoint Presentation: Launch Into Differentiation Launch Into Differentiation “Differentiating Instruction in the Social Studies “Differentiating Instruction in the Social Studies Classroom”Classroom”Kentucky’s Kentucky’s Program of StudiesProgram of Studies

•Research by Carol Ann TomlinsonResearch by Carol Ann Tomlinson

•A Framework to Provide Successful Learning Opportunities forA Framework to Provide Successful Learning Opportunities forGifted and Talented Students~Kentucky Department of Gifted and Talented Students~Kentucky Department of Education Spring, 2000Education Spring, 2000