DIFFERENTIATION

One size doesn’t fit all

Learning Intentions

Understand what differentiation in a classroom setting looks like.

Understand why it is an entiltlement for students and therefore an important consideration in teaching practice.

Consider approaches for differentiation by content, process and products.

Write 2 truths and a lie on a piece of paper.Share and disclose your lie

Programme

IntroductionWhat, when, why differentiationDifferent learning needs/what it means to be

a good teacherMorning teaKnowing the learnerContent. Process and ProductLunchDVDDeveloping a differentiated lesson/unit

A large body of research shows that students

• Learn at different rates

• Need different degrees of difficulty

• Have different interests

• Learn in different ways

• Need different support systems

……….

Teaching a room full of learners The same thingIn the same wayOver the same time spanWith the same supportAnd expecting the good resultsHas never happened and never will….

Yes but

• This takes too much time• I have too many students

to differentiate• The test doesn’t

differentiate• I cant do this for

everything I teach• I’m not trained to• I already do

What does it mean to be a good teacher?

What is a good education?

Good teachers

…can help disengaged, passive, confused or discouraged students become connected to school and to learning. By making their commitments to students and subjects regularly visible, some teachers emerge as stimulating personality who breath life into learning. They get respected as role models or mentors. Students develop lasting interests through teachers enthusiastic, representations of subjects or they develop interest in subjects because teachers show enthusiasm for the students. A few become actual apprentices. Positive relationships with their instructors can motivate students when other incentives fail. Personalization should not be confused with social work. It is directly linked to the promotion of academic learning.

Carol Ann Tomlinson 2009

Pick a column. Think, pair share.

Write a definition of differentiation you feel clarifies its key intent, elements and principles.

Explain to a new teacher what differentiation is in terms of what a teacher would be doing in the classroom and why .

Develop a metaphor, analogy or visual symbol that you think represents and clarifies what’s important to understand about differentiation.

Differentiation is the right of each pupil to be taught in

a way specifically tailored to their individual learning

needs.   The process of differentiation, consequently, is

the adjustment of the teaching process to meet the

differing learning needs of the pupils, and it involves

every teacher having sufficient appropriate

knowledge of the pupils, PLUS the ability to plan and

deliver suitable lessons effectively, so as to help all

pupils individually to maximise their learning,

whatever their individual situation.

21st century teaching and learning

It means that teachers proactively plan varied approaches to what students need to learn, how they will learn it and/or how they will show what they have learned in order to increase the likelihood that each student will learn as much as he or she can as effectively as possible.

Complete the checklist – what does differentiation look like in your classroom?

Jigsaw Activity

1. Differentiation is responsive teaching rather than one size fits all.

2. Differentiation is respectful teaching.3. Differentiation is planning for the

unpredictability of the classroom.4. Differentiation is an entitlement, not a

teaching strategy.

Differentiation: what is it?

A philosophy about education rather than a set of tools

Aims to put each student’s learning needs at the centre of the classroom and maximise each student’s learning capacity

Involves measuring students against their own starting point and plotting progress from there

Doesn’t mean different tasks for each learner, but enough flexibility in task design so that students find learning a good fit most of the time

Not a new concept “a rose by any other name…”Focusses equally on who we teach and what we

teach

Principles of differentiation

Students and teachers partners in learning

Flexibility Active and ongoing assessment of

learner needs Responding to readiness, interest

and learning profile

Knowing the learner

What does this mean?How do we do this

What are the different needs?

English as a Second Language, Physical Disability, Visual Impairment, Literacy (both the illiterate and the highly

articulate) Emotional and Behavioral issues.Gifted and talented students Special Educational NeedsCultural differences

Have a 2 minute conversation with the person next to you. One person will be the listener the other will be the speaker.

The rule is: the speaker must leave out words that contain the letter ‘s’.

Activity 3Take a walk in your student’s shoes

Is spelling important?

i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd wahtI was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rs cheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a word are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm.Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

Multi-sensory activities

Auditory Visual Tactile-Kinesthetic

Audio recordingAutobiographyBookClassifyingCommentaryCrossword puzzleDebate or panel talkDialogueDocumentaryEditorialEssayExperimentFact fileFamily tree

AdvertisementBrochureCoat of armsCollageColouring bookComic book or stripDecorationDesignDiagramFilmstripFlannel boardFlow chartGraphic organizerGreeting card

Acting things outActivity plan for tripAnimated movieComposing musicDanceDemonstrationDramatizationExperimentField experienceFlip bookGameGame showHow-to bookInvention

Content – what is being learnt

Different levels of complexity of content Content can be presented in more than

one mode - eg visual and oral as well as written

Content can be delivered to whole class or small group

Scaffolding content so those who need more help can get it

Content selected which has connections to students’ own lives

Process: how it is being learnt

Process should have a clearly defined instructional purpose

Strategies used for students to learn Provide resource material at different reading

levels Provide choice over whether to work

independently or in groups Provide material in the primary language of the

learner Use thinking tools to pitch at different levels of

readiness Varied options at differing levels of difficulty and

interest

Product: the outcome of the learning

Should be designed around the essential learning goals

Students can express what they have learned in a variety of ways

Provide assessments at varying degrees of difficulty to match student readiness

A good product should contain some critical and/or creative thinking and reveal a degree of rethinking about what has been learnt

What’s the point?

Readiness

Interest Motivation

Learning Profile Efficiency

Growth

New Zealand CurriculumKaren Sewell, Secretary for Education 2007

‘...a vision of our young people as lifelong learners who are confident and creative, connected, and actively involved.’

‘....offering our young people the most effective and engaging teaching possible and supporting them to achieve to the highest standard.’

Are we doing this?

It is about good practice

Know the learnerProvide multiple opportunities for authentic language use

with a focus on learners using academic languageEnsure a balance between receptive and productive

languageHelp students achieve the same explicit learning

outcomes using differentiated levels of supportIdentify the learning outcomes including the language

demands of the topicInclude opportunities for monitoring and self-reflection

Principles NZC

High Expectatio

nsDiversity Inclusion

Learning to Learn

Community

engagement

Future focus

Why differentiate?

To make learning accessible to all To maximise each student’s growth and

achievement To motivate students by providing

appropriate levels of challenge Students learn more readily when links are

made to their prior knowledge and experience

Students learn more readily when learning is connected to their interests. Interest is one way of engaging students

Students are more motivated to learn when choice is provided

Finally

If you want to feel safe and secure, continue to do what you have always done.If you want to grow, go to the cutting edge of our profession.Just know that when you do, there will be a temporary loss of sanity.So know when you don’t quite know what you are doingYou are probably growing!

--Madeline Hunter