4j
Differentiation Workshop
Session 1 K-1
Get ready for blast off!
Presented by
Elizabeth Hynes, Raquel Gwynn, Kathy Luiten,
Marlee Litten, and Kerri Sage
Goals for Today
Learn about the key components of
differentiation.
Acquire tools to help with differentiation
in the classroom
Collaboration time with colleagues
Norms for
Collaborative Work
• Equity of Voice
• Active Listening
• Safety to Share Different Perspectives
“To get through the hardest journey we need
take only one step at a time, but we must
keep on stepping”
Chinese Proverb
Differentiated
Instruction
What we call differentiation is not a recipe
for teaching. It is not an instructional
strategy. It is not what a teacher does
when he or she has time. It is a way of
thinking about teaching and learning. It is
a philosophy.
-Carol Ann Tomlinson
What
is
Differentiation?
•
Differentiation can be defined as a way of teaching in which
teachers proactively modify curriculum, teaching methods,
resources, learning activities, and student products to address the
needs of individual students and/or small groups of students to
maximize the learning opportunity for each student in the
classroom.
•
•
Differentiation is a way of thinking about teaching and learning
that seeks to recognize, learn about, and address the particular
learning needs of each student. To that end, teachers use varied
approaches to curriculum, instruction, and assessment.
Differentiation adapts what we teach, how we teach, how students
learn, and how students show what they have learned based on
the readiness levels, interests, and preferred learning modes of
students.
Tomlinson, C.; Brighton, C; Brimijoin, K.; Callahan, C.; Hertberg, H.; Moon, T.; Canover,
L.; Reynolds, T. (2003). Differentiating instruction in response to student readiness,
interest, and learning profile in academically diverse classrooms: A review of literature.
Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 27 (2/3), pp. 119-145
Why Differentiate?
•
•
•
•
The number of English Language Learners in classrooms across the country is
increasing. (Center for Immigration Studies, 2001). English Language learners face
the daunting task of mastering complex subject matter even as they learn a new
language.
The achievement gap for minority learners continues in schools across the country.
(Haycock, 2001) Closing the achievement gap and increasing student achievement
are a major goals of most school districts in our state.
Special education has moved steadily toward the goal of inclusive instruction for
many students with disabilities. (U.S. Department of Education, 2006). This is based
on the premise that ALL students are an important part of general education, both
benefiting and benefitting from interactions with a wide variety of learners.
Our brightest students may be losing academic and motivational ground in
classrooms ill-equipped to ensure that they, like other students, are expected to
progress at least a year’s worth in an academic year. (Callahan, et al., 2000)
Video
Pre-Assessment
Unless a teacher uses
some form of preassessment to make
decisions about
instruction, students’
levels of readiness,
interest, and learning
profiles will remain
untapped.
-Carol Ann Tomlinson
Zone of Proximal Development
Smart Goal
• S- specific, significant, stretching
• M- measurable, meaningful,
motivational
• A- agreed upon, attainable, achievable,
acceptable
• R- relevant, realistic, reasonable,
rewarding, results
• T- timely, time-based, tangible
Readiness
A student’s knowledge, understanding, and skill
related to a particular sequence of learning.
(Tomlinson, 2003)
Readiness vs. Ability
Readiness is influenced by:
Readiness levels vary over time, topic, and circumstance
Zone of proximal development
Student self efficacy
General cognitive proficiency
Prior learning and life experiences
Learning Profile
The ways in which we learn best as
individuals
The Categories of Learning Profile Factors:
Learning-Style preferences
Intelligence Preferences
Culture-Influenced Preferences
Gender-Based Preferences
Interest
By drawing on existing student
Teachers help students
realize that there is a
interest:
match between school and their own desire to
learn.
Teachers demonstrate the connectedness
between all learning
• Teachers Use skills or ideas familiar to students
as a bridge to ideas or skills less familiar to
them
• Teachers enhance student motivation
Affect
“All children can learn” does not mean “all children learn the same.”
Furthermore, diversity is not merely about external characteristics. If we’re really
going to take this seriously, that means we start looking at diversity on the inside
as well as diversity on the outside.
-Donald Reeves
Students emotions and feelings
How students feel about themselves, their
work, and the classroom as a whole
Positive affect is more likely to support
student learning than negative or neutral
affect. (Given, 2002; Wolfe, 2001)
10 Minute Break
How is pre-assessment different
from other assessments?
Summative Assessments- Assessments
OF learning
Formative Assessments- Assessments
FOR learning
Pre-assessments- Assessments directing
us where to start (formative)
Types and Frequency of
Pre-assessments
Readiness- Prior to introduction of
a new skill set or unit
Interest- One time, usually
beginning of the year
Learning Profile- One time, usually
beginning of the year
Affect- One time, usually beginning
of the year
Rate Yourself
teaching art
teaching math
driving in the snow
getting up in the morning
hearing an argument
riding on a plane
going to the mall
bright lights
not having enough time
Compare Results
• At your table discuss:
1. What did you have in common?
2. What was different?
3. Think how this might also be true for
your class
4. How might you use this in your class?
5. What might you ask them to rate?
Using Pre-assessments
to build a differentiated
class environment
Components of a Class
Environment
• Physical and visual
• Furniture,
materials, sensory, wall
space, etc.
• Routines and expectations
• Opening,
large group, small group,
etc.
• Atmosphere
• Safe,
inviting, active learning, respect,
etc.
How might you use
information from preassessments to create a
differentiated environment?
Activity
Building a differentiated
class environment
Find your sample class (Class A, B, or
C)
Gather materials- poster paper, felt
pens, etc.
Overview of activity
Activity- Part 1
Physical/Visual
Look at your class description
Draw a physical layout of the room
Furniture and wall items
List materials you would have available
Activity- Part 2
Routines/Expectations
List or create examples of specific
routines you would establish in your
class
List class expectations (may have
more than one set based upon
activities) that would help support a
differentiated classroom
Activity- Part 3
Atmosphere
• Describe
what someone would see
when they visited your classroom that
would show evidence of:
safety
respect
learning
inclusion of all students
Break
Followed by our Gallery Walk
and debrief of the activity
Pre-assessment
of Readiness
Readiness
A student’s knowledge, understanding, and skill
related to a particular sequence of learning.
(Tomlinson, 2003)
Readiness vs. Ability
Readiness is influenced by:
Readiness levels vary over time, topic, and circumstance
Zone of proximal development
Student self efficacy
General cognitive proficiency
Prior learning and life experiences
What information do we
already have?
• EasyCBM benchmark data
• Weekly/Unit assessments from the core
• Progress Monitoring
• Teacher observation and work samples
State
OAKS
District
EasyCBM
Benchmark
Grade Level
Unit/Weekly Test
Classroom
Individual
Pre-Assessment
Diagnostic
Susan Bray Video
• Look for systems and routines she has
in place that facilitate differentiation.
• Look for examples of how she used
pre-assessment.
Examples of Pre-assessment
for Readiness
Entry/Exit Cards
Quick Response
Walk arounds or observational notes
White boards
•Walk through your tool kit & discuss
Pre-assessing
Readiness
Know where you want students to be
(clear goals)
Begin where they are
Don’t assume that they are low in all
areas if they are low in one area
Keep groupings flexible
Zone of Proximal Development
Preparing Pre1. Look
at
your
instructional
unit
assessments Readiness
2. Choose one strand of the Big 5
3. Identify the focus skill for that strand and
unit (e.g. comprehension- sequence of
events)
4. Identify what you want your students to
know, understand, and demonstrate. (Clear
Goal)
5. Match a pre-assessment format that will tell
you the readiness levels of your students for
the desired goal.
Establish Clear Goals
Goal (what I want students to know):

Sequence the events in the story. (EL.01.LI.06)
Understand (big ideas, principles, generalizations):

Good readers think about how parts of a story are organized. They do
this to better understand what they read.
Demonstrate (what I want my students to be able to do):

Identify important information

Identify sequence words in reading (e.g. first, last, then, after, next,
second)

Use sequence words to write, illustrate, and/or retell
Which Pre1. After reading
aloud a short story,
assessment?
students will select 4 pictures from
the story to place in order to show the
stories sequence.
2. After reading aloud a short story,
students will draw pictures or write
about the sequence of events that
occurred in the story
Descriptor Student
• Sort pre-assessments into 4 groups
• Describe one student in each group to
use as a guide to help you plan your
differentiated smart goals
Lesson Planning
Template
Activity
Planning a
Differentiated Lesson
1. Clear Goal- What do I want students to know,
understand, and do?
2. Pre-assessment tool
3. How students performed
4. Description based on one student per level
5. Differentiated goals (Next session)
6. Differentiated instruction (Next session)
A differentiated start, based upon pre-assessment
of a clear goal
+
Differentiated goals based upon student growth
+
The use of research based instructional
strategies in instruction of the skills
=
STUDENT
SUCCESS
Homework
•Using a planning sheet in your tool kit packet, identify
what you want your students to know, understand, and
demonstrate. (Clear Goal)
•Match a pre-assessment format that will tell you the
readiness levels of your students for the desired goal.
•Give the pre-assessment
•Group your students according to the sample student
descriptions you come up with from your preassessment
•Next time we will work on differentiating goals,
products, and process.