Success for ALL Middle School Students Through Differentiated Instruction

National Middle School Association Conference

Philadelphia, PANovember, 2005

David Vawter, Ph.D.vawterd@winthrop.edu

Richard W. Riley College of Education,Winthrop University

Rock Hill, South Carolinahttp://coe.winthrop.edu

Differentiated Instruction

The Highest Level of Teaching

(Founder: Carol Ann Tomlinson)

Why Differentiation? Block Scheduling 180 (+)Teaching Strategies Learning Preferences 10-Year Reading

Span

Why Differentiation?

Eight (+) Intelligences Personality Styles Brain Compatible Instruction Hemisphericity Many years of secondary school

teaching

The Changing Classroom Population Changes Cultural Changes Inclusion

Differentiation: A Definition

Teaching Different Students Differently

By Altering:Readiness, Interest, Learning

PreferenceOr

Content, Process, or Product

What Differentiated Instruction is NOT Not Individualized Instruction Not Hands Off Not a way to track students

What Differentiated Instruction IS Proactive Based on Good Assessment Based on Multiple Approaches Student Centered Combines whole-group, group, and

individual Instruction

The Foundation of Differentiated Instruction Learners need to make their “own”

meaning of content Learning is best when content is

“powerfully organized” Learning is best when it matches

where learners are and then takes them a bit farther.

The Foundation of Differentiated Instruction Students have a wide range of:

abilities and skills interests intelligences.

The Bottom Line: You can Differentiate by altering for Readiness Interest Learning Profile Content Process Products A combination of any of the above.

Some Specific Examples Mr. Erikson: Oregon -Science Mr. Hotstedder: Dayton VA: Math Mr. Lee: Waynesboro VA: S.S. Gail Vawter: Science and Reading Ms. Morrow: Furman S.C. L.A. Londonderry Middle School: NH

The Bottom Line: You can Differentiate by altering for Readiness Interest Learning Profile Content Process Products A combination of any of the above.

Instructional Strategies Honoring Differences Student Interest Process Product

Martin Luther King, Jr. 420 Lola SchaeferMartin Luther King, Jr. 450 Pamela WalkerYoung Martin Luther King, Jr. 550 Joanne MatternMartin Luther King, Jr.: 590 Patricia McKissack

Man of PeaceI Have a Dream 680 Margaret DavidsonThe Life & Words of MLK, Jr. 700 Ira PeckIf You Lived at the Time of MLK810 Ellen LevineMartin Luther King 890 Rosemary BrayAssassination of MLK, Jr. 930 Conrad SteinMLK, Jr. & the Freedom 990 Lillie PattersonMovementMLK, Jr.: The Peaceful 1040 Edward Clayton

WarriorThe Day MLK, Jr. Was Shot 1140 Jim HaskinsWhat Manner of Man: A 1190

Biography of MLK, Jr. Lerone Bennett

Leveled Books on Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dunc and Amos Series 450-680White Fox Chronicles 600Escape from Fir Mountain 630Transall Saga 630**Mr. Tucket 830Tucket’s Gold/Home 870Dogsong 930Tracker 1010Hatchet 1020Brian’s Winter 1140The Night the White 1250

Deer DiedThe Rifle 1480

Leveled Books by Gary Paulsen

Must register, but no cost.Search books (English or Spanish)Click title for more detailsONLY looks at text difficulty (links to standardized testing)

http://www.lexile.com

K(what I know)

W(what I want to

know)

H(how I can find

this information)

L(what I learned

Adaptation of KWL

Adaptation for Math Word Problems

K(what I know

from the problem)

W(what is the

question in the problem)

N(what I do NOT know from the

problem)

S(what strategy I can use to solve

the problem)

(from Teaching Reading in Mathematics by Barton and Heidema, published by ASCD)