DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION

Goals for this Session on DI

• Definition of Differentiated Instruction

• Quick Overview of DI with an SDA Perspective

• Some Stages to Implementation of DI

DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION

“Differentiation is simply a teacher attending to the learning needs of a particular student or small groups of students, rather than teaching a class as though all individuals in it were basically alike.”

—Carol Ann Tomlinson (2000)

A Graphical DefinitionDifferentiated Instruction

is a teacher’s response to learner’s needs

guided by general principles of differentiation such as

respectful tasks

flexible grouping

ongoing assessment and adjustment

through a range of instructional and management strategies such as

according to student’s

Content

Teachers can differentiate

Process Product

Readiness Interests Learning Profile

Multiple intelligencesTaped materialAnchor activitiesVarying organizersVaried supplementary materialsLiterature circles

Tiered lessonsTiered centersTiered productsLearning contractsSmall-group instructionGroup investigationIndependent study

4MATVaried questioning strategiesInterest centersInterest groupsVaried homeworkCompactingVaried journal prompts

Allan, S.D. & Tomlinson, CA (2000). Leadership for Differentiating Schools & Classrooms. Alexandria, VA: ASCD

• PROCESS

What do we mean by…

• CONTENT • PRODUCT

Continual Progress by Ellen White

“Higher than the highest human thought can reach is God’s ideal for His children. Godliness—godlikeness—is the goal to be reached. Before the student there is opened a path of continual progress. He has an object to achieve, a standard to attain, that includes everything good and pure and noble. He will advance as fast and as far as possible in every branch of true knowledge.” —Ed 18

What do we mean by…

• READINESS • INTEREST • LEARNING PROFILE

Adapt to Students Needs by Ellen White

“The teacher should carefully study the disposition and character of his pupils, that he may adapt his teaching to their peculiar needs. He has a garden to tend, in which are plants differing widely in nature, form and development…Those to whom was committed the care of these plants left them to the mercy of circumstances, and now the difficulties of correct cultivation are increased tenfold.” —CT 231-232

Individual Development by Ellen White

“In all true teaching the personal element is essential. Christ in His teaching dealt with men individually…The same personal interest, the same attention to individual development, are needed in educational work today. The true educator, keeping in view what his pupils may become, will recognize the value of the material upon which he is working. He will take a personal interest in each pupil and will seek to develop all his powers.” —Ed 231-232

ASSESSMENT

• Pre-assessment

• Formative Assessment

• Summative Assessment

Mastery Learning by Ellen White

“Before taking up the higher branches of study, let them master the lower. This is too often neglected…A thorough knowledge of the essentials of education should be not only the condition of admission to a higher course, but the constant test for continuance and advancement.” —Ed 234

Managing the…

DI CLASSROOM

So…What Kind of a Teacheris a DI Teacher?

A DI Teacher is… A Coach or mentor. An organizer of learning opportunities! He or she gives students as much responsibility as they can handle for learning.

Assess student readiness through a variety of means. “Reads” and interprets students clues interests and learning preference . Creates a variety of ways for students to gather ideas an information. Presents varied channels through which students can express and expand information

—Carol Ann Tomlinson 2001

If you are in a multi-grade classroom teacher, chances are you Differentiate Instruction.

Fine tune it now. Learn the DI Philosophy and its Components. You can change, You can make a difference!

In reality, no teacher teaches a single grade. They just teach an average age group. That is all!

BABY STEPS

So where Do I Start with DI?

First, Self Assess…

• How are you already using Differentiated Instruction?

• What is something new you learned about DI today?

• What is one thing you could you do tomorrow or next week to incorporate DI in your room?

Stage One Activities:• Establish classroom management procedures (without

Classroom management you are lost/get help!)• Start using pre-assessment to find out students’

readiness level• Begin using formative assessments• Begin learning about students’ interests and learning

profiles • Experiment with flexible grouping

SDE The Differentiated Instruction Continuum A self Assessment for DI implementation 2009

Stage Two Activities:• Use data from pre-assessments to design lessons• Use data from formative assessments to guide

instruction• Design activities to target students’ interest and

learning profiles• Explore types of flexible grouping• Begin using anchor activities• Incorporate learning contracts for some students.

SDE The Differentiated Instruction Continuum A self Assessment for DI implementation 2009

Stage Three and Four! • Invite me or another educator trained on

Differentiated Instruction to in-service your conference and/or school.

For information email me at:martha@puconline.org

• Ask your conference to send you to a DI Convention! Check out http://www.sde.com/browse-events.asp

DIFFERENTIATION DOES NOT SUGGEST THAT A TEACHER CAN BE ALL THINGS TO ALL INDIVIDUALS ALL THE TIME.

IT DOES, HOWEVER, MANDATE THAT A TEACHER CREATE A REASONABLE RANGE OF APPROACHES TO LEARNING MUCH OF THE TIME, SO THAT MOST STUDENTS FIND LEARNING A FIT MUCH OF THE TIME.

—Carol Ann Tomlinson 2001

In Other Words…Differentiated Instruction is outstanding teaching.

Teaching that cares for the success of each individual student as a whole person.

It is Christian Education at its BEST!

—Martha Delapava Havens

Resources• National Conference on Differentiated Instruction;

July 10 – 13, 2012; Las Vegas, Nevada; www.SDE.com/DI2012

Books:• The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All

Learners. Carol Ann Tomlinson, ASCD, 1999.• Leading and Managing A Differentiated Classroom. Carol Ann

Tomlinson and Marcia B. Imbeau, ASCD, 2010.• Differentiating Instruction in the Regular Classroom: How to Reach

and Teach All Learners, Grades 3-12. Diane Heacox, Free Spirit Publishing, 2002.

• Differentiation in Action. Judith Dodge, Scholastic, 2005.• How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-Ability Classrooms. Carol

Ann Tomlinson, Pearson Merrill Hall, 2001.