Making Instruction Work

Berkeley County School District

“to challenge and empower our students to be successful in a highly competitive world.”

Link

Copied from http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuckincustoms/4443168109/sizes/m/in/photostream/

"All learning pivots on who we think we are, and who we see ourselves as capable of becoming." Frank Smith

Discussion Director Connector Illustrator

Passage Master Vocabulary Enricher

Literary Luminary Summarizer

Literature Discussion Groups

Researcher

Goals

• Who are our students?• What are some strategies for differentiating

instruction?• What are strategies for flexible grouping and

what does it look like?

http://historytech.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/teacher9.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/Learning_Arabic_calligraphy.jpg

7

What would you say if someone told you I want to respond to your child’s talents and needs and provide an education that maximizes his or her potential?

The Learner

Picture copied from http://www.geography.org.uk/image/page/steelfig2.jpg

http://michaelcorey.ntirety.com/Portals/1101/images//Digital%20Native.jpg

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRB8DhZrxUUFeRVuq3wd9esEQeJcPKlYv4AHwdoLSYRnGEGGujFCA

Vision of Students Today

http://www.schooltube.com/video/5c5e1e9018d00997a574/A-Vision-of-K12-Students-Today

Carol Ann Tomlinson, Ed. D.

Misunderstanding about Differentiation

• Differentiation is a set of instructional strategies.

• It’s adequate for a district or school leader to tell or even show, teachers how to differentiate instruction effectively.

• Differentiation is something a teachers does or doesn’t do. “I already do that!”

• Differentiation is just about instruction.

http://bcsdfilter/SafeVideos/Video.aspx?id=KLi-vJSNP6U

Best Practices that “fit” differentiation

• The use of assessment to inform instruction

• Response to Intervention• Teaching for understanding• Higher order thinking• Flexible grouping• Challenge and accountability• Acceleration – yes, acceleration!

http://bcsdfilter/SafeVideos/Video.aspx?id=AqepSNNjowU

Forrest Lake Elementary School, Columbia, SC

Flexible Grouping

Group One- Teacher directed

Group 2-Shared reading with audio support

Group 3-Scaffold activity with reading (must finish group 2 activity)

Group FourInquiry/research at computers

Group FiveSkill focus- Promethean BoardAnother activity

Group SixWriting Workshop or independent read.

Computer

LibraryLibrary

Smart Board

Student

Table Stud

ent

Tabl

e

Stud

ent

Table

Student Table

Stud

ent

Tabl

e

Student Table

Dana

Discussion Director Connector Illustrator

Passage Master Vocabulary Enricher

Literary Luminary Summarizer

Literature Discussion Groups

Researcher

Technology Tools for Differentiated Instruction

• VoiceThread– Letters from the Internment Camp– There is a Boy in the Girl’s Bathroom

• PhotoStory 3/Movie Maker– Green Eggs and Ham– The BFG

• PodCast- Audacity (Ask help desk)– This I Believe-Temple Grandin

Copied from http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuckincustoms/4443168109/sizes/m/in/photostream/

"All learning pivots on who we think we are, and who we see ourselves as capable of becoming." Frank Smith

Discussion Groups

• What does differentiation look like in your classroom?

• How can you begin to address the needs of all learners in your classroom?

• What implications does differentiated instruction have on you as a teacher?

• Where do we begin?

Credits

• http://www.caroltomlinson.com/• Leading and Managing a Differentiated Classroom by

Carol Ann Tomlinson and Marcia Imbeau• The Differentiated Classroom by Carol Ann Tomilinson• Sir Ken Robinson: Differentiated Teaching• Differentiated Instruction Ignites Elementary School Le

arning produced by Edutopia

• A Vision of Students Today by Michael Wesch• http://www.edutopia.org/