Differentiated Instruction
Teaching Is Hard But
Rewarding Work!
• Learning is hard work.
• People learn better when they feel valued and
supported.
• To value and support learners, we must know
them.
• We honor learners by caring for them as they are
and simultaneously expecting more of them.
• People learn differently.
• Teaching is more efficient and effective when it
matches learners need.
• To teach academically diverse learners well,
teachers must teach flexibly.
• All learners benefit when they learn in places with
high instructional ceilings and lots of ways to climb
to the top.
Differentiated Instruction
Is Hard Work!
• There are No Magical
Programs;
• There are No Silver Bullets;
• It is a Philosophy; it is Not a
recipe book;
• It is a process; it is Not an
event;
Brain Research Confirms What
Experienced Teachers have
Always Known
• No two kids are alike.
• No two kids learn in the identical
way.
• An enriched environment for one
student is not necessarily enriched
for another.
• In the classroom, we should teach
children to think for themselves.
– Marian Diamond
What is Differentiated
Instruction?
“Differentiation simply suggests
that teachers have clear
learning goals that are rich in
meaning and provide various
avenues and support systems
to maximize that chance of
each student succeeding with
those rich and important goals.”
- Carol Ann Tomlinson
What Differentiated
Instruction Is Not
• D.I. is NOT the “individualized
instruction” of the 1970s.
• D.I. is NOT chaotic.
• D.I. is NOT just another way to
provide homogeneous grouping.
• D.I. is NOT just “tailoring the
same suit of clothes.”
– Carol Ann Tomlinson
What Differentiated
Instruction Is
• D.I. is PROACTIVE.
• D.I. is more QUALITATIVE than
quantitative.
• D.I. is ROOTED in ASSESSMENT.
• D.I. provides MULTIPLE APPROACHES to
content, process and product.
• D.I. is STUDENT-CENTERED.
• D.I. is a BLEND of whole-class, group, and
individual instruction.
• D.I. is “ORGANIC.”
The Eight Guiding Principles
of the Differentiated
Classroom
1.
2.
3.
4.
The teacher must be clear about what
matters in subject matter.
The teacher must understand, appreciate
and build upon student differences
through empowering relationships
The teacher must recognize that
assessment and instruction are
inseparable. Alignment is the key.
The teacher must adjust content,
process, product, classroom and
instructional approach in response to
student readiness, interests, and
learning profile.
The Eight Guiding Principles
of the Differentiated
Classroom
5.
6.
7.
8.
The teacher must allow all students the
opportunity to participate in meaningful,
respectful, and dignified work that is
focused on the end goal.
The teacher along with all students must
be collaborators in the learning process.
The teacher must understand that the
goals of a differentiated classroom are
maximum growth and individual success.
The end goal is high expectations for all.
The teacher must understand that
flexibility is the key to building a
differentiated classroom.
The Learning Triangle
The Teacher
The Student
The Content
As We Move to Stronger
Differentiated Instruction
“In a differentiated classroom,
the teacher proactively plans
and carries out varied
approaches to content, process
and product in anticipation of
and response to student
differences in readiness,
interest, and learning needs.”
– Carol Ann Tomlinson
Student Traits
• Readiness – knowledge, understanding,
and skills
• Interest – curiosity and passion in a
learner
• Learning Profile – how students learn
best
• Affect – feelings about their work,
learning environment and themselves
– Carol Ann Tomlinson
Classroom Elements
• Content – what teachers teach and
how student gain access to knowledge
• Process – how a student makes sense
of the learning objective
• Product – the opportunity to show
what is learned
• Learning Environment – the operation
and tone of the classroom
– Carol Ann Tomlinson
Linking Student Traits
and Classroom
Elements
“In differentiated classrooms,
teachers continually assess
students readiness, interest,
learning profile, and affect.
Teachers then use what they learn
to modify content, process, product,
and the learning environment to
ensure maximum learning for each
member of the class.”
– Carol Ann Tomlinson
Differentiated Instruction
Motivates Students!
Dynamic strategies + Energized
Bodies + engaged minds =
motivation
− Charles A. Beaman
Cogs of Differentiation
The Student Seeks
Curriculum &
Instruction Are
the Vehicle
The Teacher
Responds
The Student Seeks
•
•
•
•
•
Affirmation
Contribution
Power
Purpose
Challenge
The Teacher Responds
•
•
•
•
•
Invitation
Investment
Persistence
Opportunity
Reflection
•
•
•
•
•
Curriculum &
Instruction Are the
Vehicle
Important
Focused
Engaging
Demanding
Scaffolded
A Reflective Thought
“Challenge in the classroom
gives roots and wings to young
dreams. It prepares learners
with the substance, habits, and
confidence necessary to move
toward their dreams.”
-Carol Ann Tomlinson
Effective Differentiation
1.
2.
3.
4.
The teacher is aware of basic student
needs.
The teacher understands basic student
needs.
Teachers improve their understanding of
how those basic needs manifested in the
classroom.
Teachers improve their understanding of
how each facet of classroom
experiences meets a learner’s need – or
misses the mark for that learner.
- Carol Ann Tomlinson
What Do I Need To Do?
1. Teach to Developmental Needs
2. Treat Academic Struggle as
Strength
3. Provide Multiple Pathways to
Standards
4. Give Formative Feedback
5. Dare To Be Unconventional
– Rick Wormeli
The Three New “Rs”
• Relevance
• Rigor
• Relationships
Three Reasons Why
Teachers need to use
These Strategies:
• Increase Academic
Achievement for All Students
• Reduce Behavior Problems
• Make Teaching and Learning
Fun!
Conclusion
“The concept of differentiating
instruction for varied learners has its
roots in the belief that we teach best
when we accept the need to tame the
fox. That is, we teach responsibly
when we understand the need to
teach the human beings before us as
well as to teach the content.”
-Carol Ann Tomlinson
Conclusion
“It is important to begin with the
conviction that we are no longer
teaching if what we teach is
more important than who we
teach or how we teach.”
-Carol Ann Tomlinson
Works Cited
• Beaman, Charles A. (2005). Diversity & Motivation
in the Middle School: Reaching All Student. Middle
Ground. V.9.1.
• Tomlinson, Carol Ann, (1999). The Differentiated
Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All
Learners. Alexandria: Virgina, ASCD.
• Tomlinson, Carol Ann. (2001). How To Differentiate
Instruction In Mixed-Ability Classrooms.
Alexandria: Virgina, ASCD.
• Tomlinson, Carol Ann, (2003). Fulfilling the Promise
of the Differentiated Classroom. Alexandria:
Virgina, ASCD.
• Wormeli, Rick. (2006). Differentiating for Tweens.
Educational Leadership. V.63.7.