What is Differentiated Instruction?

By: Ashley Moscaritolo8th Grade Science

What parents need to know. Differentiated instruction is for the benefit of

your child as no two students learn the same way.

Differentiation does not “single out” the gifted or challenged learner, DI makes everyone feel welcome.

It provided a way for all students to be challenged at an appropriate level.

“In differentiated classrooms, teachers begin where students are, not from the front of a curriculum grade.” – Carol Ann Tomlinson

Differentiated Instruction IS NOTChaotic

Teachers fear chaos. A DI classroom provides less chaos because all students are engaged and learning.

HomogeneousStudents learn more from those who are

different from themselves. DI allows for heterogeneous groups to lean from each others strengths and weaknesses.

Tailoring Teachers in a DI classroom do not just

modify difficulty levels of assignments and

assessments.

Differentiated Instruction ISPractical

Not all students are alike, so not all students should be taught the same.

Student centeredStudents get more out of their learning when they take

responsibility for it. Quality Based not Quantity based

Assigning more questions to a gifted student is not differentiating, changing the quality of the questions is.

Multi-dimensionalDI provided several approaches to instruction, learning and

assessment.Fluid

Di is not a strict set of rules set in stone, as the teacher learns more about their students, their approach to DI should change with this knowledge.

Why are teachers using DI?Will Rogers once said, "Even a man on the

right track will get run over if he just stands there." We have to be dynamic in our teaching, always

learning, always trying. There are students counting on us everyday to provide the best experiences possible.

DI isn’t another educational fad, it is just a name put to some of the best practices of teaching.

How does DI benefit students?DI incorporates the

multiple intelligences theory more than any “traditional” classroom will allow.

DI takes each student’s strengths and works with them. “learners are more likely to retsain motivation to learn when their days allow them to concentrate on tasks that are relevant & make them feel powerful” C.A. Tomlinson (2005)

Examples of Low-prep DIHomework optionsComputer programsThink-pair-shareActivities based on student interestGame for practice Different questioning levelsChoice of activity/assignmentOptions for student expression

Now does DI sound so scary? You probably already do some of these

things in your classrooms now!

Examples of High-prep DITiered activitiesIndependent studyOrganizersStationsProblem-based learningInterest groupsAlternative assessmentsComplex instruction

Although a bit more planning is involved, with a little effort you can

soon be creating amazing DI lessons!

How do I get started using DI?Many people are uncomfortable when

doing something that is new to them, others find new approaches in the classroom exciting and they dive in.

The best way to start implementing DI is in a manner comfortable to you. Start with low-prep activities, or high-

prep differentiated activities. JUST START!

“If you're not already differentiating, begin. Give yourself three years, incorporating just one or two ideas per month.” – Rick Woemeli (2006)

Online DI ResourcesDI Rap http://youtu.be/Z9KKiNcXqKI?t=13s

Just for fun, three elementary ed majors rap about DI

Polk Public Schools. Differentiated Instruction. http://www.polk-schools.com/differentiated.htm A great source of useful links for DI

Read Write Think http://www.readwritethink.orgTeacher resources for implementing DI

teAchnology; How to differentiate instruction http://www.teach-nology.com/tutorials/teaching/differentiate/ Teacher resources, information and more links

Resources (for this presentation)Chapman, C. & King, R. (2005). Differentiated

assessment strategies. Thousand Oaks, CA. Corwin Press.

Polk Public Schools. Differentiated Instruction. http://www.polk-schools.com/differentiated.htm

Tomlinson, C.A, (2001). How to differentiate in mixed ability classrooms. (2nd edition) Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Wormeli, Rick. (2006). Fair isn't always equal: Assessment and grading in the differentiated classroom. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.

Say goodbye to the ‘one size fits all’ approaches of the past and

hello to Differentiated Instruction!