Differentiated Instruction

Class #2

Big Questions

• What is/isn’t DI?

• What does a DI classroom look and feel like?

• What are some techniques I can use to help my students understand the information presented in class?

HW: Tomlinson, Chapters 1-4

• Meet with the people who completed the graphic organizer on the SAME CHAPTER as you.

• Have a 15 minute discussion, using your graphic organizer to help you remember information.

• Topic of Discussion:– What does DI involve?– What does DI not involve?– What is the role of the following in DI:

• Curriculum• Students• Teacher

Be ready to share your ideas with the larger group

HW: Concept vs. Topic

• Meet with your grade level buddy and discuss the homework that asked you to write out a concept and then topics that are grade appropriate.

Differentiation is a way of thinking about the classroom with the goals of honoring each student’s learning needs and maximizing each student’s learning capacity while developing a solid community of learners to ensure that students will learn well together.

– Carol Ann Tomlinson, ASCD Conference on Differentiated Instruction and Understanding by Design, Denver, CO, July 2006.

DI is:1.  Having a vision of success for our students 2.  Providing a variety of assignments within units of instruction,

realizing that students do not all learn in the same way. 3.  Recognizing the variance in learning styles of our students. 4.  Allowing students to choose, with teacher direction, the route to their

learning. 5.  Providing opportunities for students to demonstrate proficiency in an

area they already know and allowing them to move forward  6.  Offering tiered lessons, of varying degrees of difficulty, dealing with

similar content. 7. Qualitative

DI is not:

1.  Individualization. It is not a different lesson for each student each day.

2.  Giving all students the same work or even identical assessments all of the time.

3.   Assuming that all students learn by listening. 4.  Merely having centers in the classroom.5.  Assigning more work to students who have

demonstrated mastery in an area. 6.  Only for students who demonstrate a need for

acceleration. 7.  Quantitative

Learning Cycle and Decision Factors Used in Planning and Implementation Differentiated Instruction

Pre-Assessment

Student: Readiness/Ability/Interest/Talents/Learning Profile/Prior Knowledge

Content: What teacher plans to teach

Process; How teacher Plans Instruction

Whole classGroups/PairsIndividuality

Assessment of Content: Product Assessment of Process: Product

Teacher Belief System

• Have to begin here in order to DI effectively and successfully

• If your overriding beliefs are centered around the following, you need to re-calibrate to implement DI:– Students can’t learn unless we teach them– Students can’t learn on their own– Students can’t make wise choices– Students won’t do what they are asked unless we

hold a hammer over their heads

DI Belief System

• We need to provide options for students so they occasionally make bad choices

• Give up the need for total control.

• Provide a spectrum of choices

Big Question #2: What does a DI classroom look and feel like?

• Your environment creates your learning.

• “A good school could be defined as a place where almost all students believe that if they do some work, they will be able to satisfy their needs enough so it makes sense to keep working.”

– William Glasser Choice Theory in the Classroom

Place matters!

Assignment

• You will be shown a group of three pieces of art that have to do with each other thematically. The theme is place.

• Rank the paintings in order of preference. 1,2,3 and then write down five adjectives that you think of when you see the piece.

Group I

• Theme: Place

Group II

• Theme: Place

Group III

• Theme: Place

Theme: Place

• Finish this sentence: What I chose shows that I believe a good landscape…

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

• Physiological• Safety• Belongingness/Love• Esteem• Need to know• Aesthetic• Self-Actualization• Transcendence

Glasser’s Hierarchy

• Survival/Reproduction

• Belonging/Love

• Gaining Power

• Freedom

• Fun

Glasser’s Choice Theory in the Classroom

• All motivation comes from within ourselves; no one MAKES us do anything we don’t want to do.

• Everything we do, we do because we choose to.• Students choose not to work in class because

working does not satisfy their needs at the time.• If what is taught does not satisfy needs, students

won’t learn• If students do not feel like they have any power

in the classes, they will not work in school and will work to satisfy their needs in ways that are destructive to themselves and others

Glasser’s Choice Theory Continued

• The more that people have power over their own destiny, the harder and more creatively they will work.

• Boring is the opposite of fun. Boredom can be defeated by satisfaction of any basic need.

• A major goal is student and teacher satisfaction.• Teachers can structure tasks so work is

beneficial and need-satisfying.

Changing the Classroom Environment:

• If you do nothing else but the following, learning will increase in your classroom as evidenced on standardized tests

• Based on research, the ideal classroom highlights the following

• Respect, Relationships, Safety, Responsibility, Fun

RESPECT

• The #1 priority of American students over decades, emotional and physical (property and space) respect.

RELATIONSHIPS

• Between students and teacher

• Among students

SAFETY

• Physical and emotional safety where failure isn’t fatal and risk-taking is encouraged.

RESPONSIBILITY

• The teacher should never do anything the students can do for themselves.

• A student should feel responsible for their actions.

FUN

• That wonderful sense of accomplishment that we have done something difficult and fulfilling.

Creating an Enriched Environment

An Enriched Classroom should:1. Provide a steady source of support2. Stimulate all the senses.3. Is free from undue pressure/stress

4. Presents novel challenges 5. Allows social interaction 6. Promotes the development of a broad range of skills 7. Gives students choices 8. Allows students to be active participants in the

classroom.

Classroom Interior Design

• Create a space that reflects the learning goals of the work space, the personality, interest, and age of the students who learn there. Create a space that is a comfortable and productive learning environment for all.

A Classroom that:• Reduces barriers• Reduce distance between you and students• Monitor distance between student desks• Check visibility from each seat• Align furniture with desired student interaction• Teacher desk against a wall• Computers, TV’s, etc are accessible• Small table for conferencing, reading etc.• Bookcases, storage cabinets, file cabinets etc.• Supply centers• High Traffic areas• Walls, bulletin boards, and chalkboard• Learning centers

Classroom Evaluation

• Break up into groups of four. The only criteria I have is that there must be one High School teacher in each group.

• Take one of the Classroom Evaluation Forms and spend some time looking at classrooms for layout and evidence of student learning.

Reflection:

• What were the five most important things that you saw in your travels as a group. Spend a few minutes figuring out what you want to list and then we will go around the room and each group will present their Top Five.

Homework

• Read Ch. 5-7 of Tomlinson

• Read “Tips for Managing Flexible Grouping”

• Read “Teaching Specific Types of Knowledge”

• Check out your own classroom and fill out the handout.

Reflection

• In the reflection section of your notebook address as many of these as you can before the end of the class with your learning profile buddy:– What blocks in my own belief system about

teaching do I need to overcome before I can be successful with DI?

– How can my students and I establish a collaborative classroom?