Leveraging Technology to Differentiate Instruction

Lauren C. PantonManager, Instructional TechnologyChatham University Pittsburgh, PA

What does ‘Differentiated Instruction” mean to you?

“Differentiation means tailoring instruction to meet individual needs. Whether teachers differentiate content, process, products, or the learning environment, the use of ongoing assessment and flexible grouping makes this a successful approach to instruction.”

- Carol Ann Tomlinson

Components of Differentiated Instruction

Pre-assessment

Instruction

Formative assessment

Adjust Instruction

Summative assessment

Flexible grouping

Flexible grouping

A lot to consider...

Pre-assessment

Instruction

Formative assessment

Adjust Instruction

Summative assessment

Flexible grouping

Flexible grouping

Components of Differentiated Instruction

What to Pre-Assess?

Readiness

“A student’s entry point relative to a particular understanding or skill.”

Interest

“Refers to a child’s affinity, curiosity, or passion for a particular topic/skill.”

Learning Profile “It is shaped by intelligence preferences, gender, culture, or learning style.”

Tomlinson The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners

Technology & Pre-Assessment

• KWL/Graffiti Wall Wiki• Journal Entry/Blog/Twitter• Clickers• Panel Submissions/Chat/Discussion Boards• Online Inventories:

Online Multiple Intelligence Inventories

Abiator’s Online Learning Styles Inventory

Index of Learning Styles Questionnaire

Where are you?

Creative

Practical Analytical

Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory of IntelligenceGardner’s Multiple Intelligences

On each of the next three slides, give your self 1 point for each statements apply to you.

Design new things

Notice things others ignore

Think of alternative solutions

Think in pictures & images

Do you like to...

Classify and sort things

Compare and contrast

Appeal to logic

Explain difficult things

Do you like to...

Take things apart & fix again

Learn by working with others

Help to resolve conflicts

Adapt to new situations

Do you like to...

Your preference is...Creative

Analytical

Practical

An example: blogs/wikis

Practical:• Create and set up blog/wiki• Assist others in the group with using the tool• Assist group in developing a timeline and process for project

Creative:• Lead the group through the brainstorming and development process • Assist with the design, ‘look and feel’ of blog/wiki• Find graphics and other media to compliment blog/wiki

Analytical: • Research what is the best tool for the group to use• Compare and contrast other examples of student blogs/wikis for group to use as model • Help group understand how to use this tool in other projects.

Your turn: podcasting

Analytical: Creative:

Practical:

Content

Process

Product

Environment

Other ways to differentiate

Technologies: Content, Process & Product

DI Search Engines, Simple Searching, Custom Searching

Podcasts

Blogs

Wikis

VoiceThread

Video/Photo Editing

How can these and others be used for pre-assessment, grouping and

formative/summative assessment?

Differentiate with Instructional Strategies

• Tiered Activities

• Learning Contracts

• Choice Boards:

- Menu

- Bingo

- RAFT’s

“Teachers use tiered activities so all students focus on essential understandings and skills but at different levels of complexity, abstractness, and open-endedness.” - Tomlinson

Tiered Activities

Beginning Intermediate Advanced

Outcome/

Objective

Students will determine a topic and will write a five-sentence

paragraph with a main idea, three supporting sentences, and

a concluding sentence.

Students will determine a topic, state a point of view,

and write two paragraphs defending that point of view.

Students will determine a topic, state a point of view, and

write an essay of at least five paragraphs that uses multiple

sources to defend that point of view.

Instruction/

Activity

Students will receive a model of a five-sentence paragraph and

explicit instruction in constructing the paragraph.

As a prewriting activity, students will list their topic and develop a list of at least three things that

support their topic.

Students will receive a model of a persuasive essay

and a graphic organizer that explains the construction of

a persuasive essay. Students will also receive explicit instruction in writing

a persuasive essay. As a prewriting activity,

students will use the graphic organizer to plan their writing.

Students will review the graphic organizer for a

persuasive essay. Students will be given explicit instruction

in locating sources and quotes for their essays. As a prewriting activity, students will

use the graphic organizer to organize their essay. Students

will also compile a list of five sources that defend their main point.

Assessment Students will be able to write a five-sentence paragraph that

successfully states and supports a main idea. The

paragraph will meet the criteria on the state writing rubric.

Students will be able to state a point of view and

successfully defend the idea using two paragraphs that

defend the point of view using main ideas and supporting details. The

paragraphs will meet the criteria on the state writing

rubric.

Students will be able to write a five-paragraph essay that

states a point of view, defends the point of view, and uses

resources to support the point of view. The essay will meet the criteria on the state writing

rubric.

Tiered Activity – Writing a Persuasive Essay 4th–6th Grade Classroom

“In essence, a learning contract is a negotiated agreement between teacher and students that gives students some freedom in acquiring skills and understanding that a teacher (students) deems important at a given time.” - Tomlinson

Learning Contracts

I will read: I will look at and listen

to: (podcasts)

I will write:

I will draw: I will need:

Here’s how I will share what I know:

(blog, wiki, podcast, voicethread, etc.)

My question or topic is:

I will finish by this date:

To find out about my question or topic…

Learning Contract #1 Name _______________________

Learning Contract #2

To demonstrate what I have learned about ____________________, I want to

_ Write a report

_ Put on a demonstration

_ Set up an experiment

_ Develop a computer presentation

_ Build a model

_ Design a mural

_ Write a song

_ Make a movie

_ Create a graphic organizer or diagram

_ Other

This will be a good way to demonstrate understanding of this concept because

______________________________________________________________

To do this project, I will need help with ______________________________________________________________

My Action Plan is________________________________________________

The criteria/rubric which will be used to assess my final product is _________ ______________________________________________________________

My project will be completed by this date _____________________________

Student signature: ________________________________ Date __/__/__

Teacher signature: ________________________________ Date __/__/__

“With choice boards, changing assignments are placed in permanent pockets. By asking a student to make a work selection from a particular row, the teacher targets work toward student need and at the same time allows student choice.”

-Tomlinson

Choice Board

Entrée (Select One) •!Draw a picture that shows what happens during photosynthesis. •!Write two paragraphs about what happens during photosynthesis.

•!Create a rap that explains what happens during photosynthesis.

Diner Menu – Photosynthesis

Appetizer (Everyone Shares) •!Write the chemical equation for photosynthesis.

Side Dishes (Select at Least Two) •!Define respiration, in writing. •!Compare photosynthesis to respiration using a Venn Diagram.

•!Write a journal entry from the point of view of a green plant.

•!With a partner, create and perform a skit that shows the differences between photosynthesis and respiration.

Dessert (Optional)

•!Create a test to assess the teacher’s knowledge of photosynthesis.

Writing Bingo

Try for one or more BINGOs this month. Remember, you must have a

real reason for the writing experience! If you mail or email your product, get me to read it first and initial your box! Be sure to use your

writing goals and our class rubric to guide your work. !Recipe Thank you

note

Letter to the

editor

Directions to

one place to another

Rules for a

game

Invitation Email

request for information

Letter to a

pen pal, friend, or

relative

Skit or scene

(digital movie)

Interview

(podcast)

Newspaper

article

Short story

(blog, wiki)

Your choice Grocery or

shopping list

Schedule for

your work

Advertisement Cartoon strip

(Toondoo)

Poem Instructions Greeting

card

Letter to your

teacher

Proposal to

improve something

Journal for a

week (Blog)

Design for a

web page

Book Think

Aloud

“RAFT is an acronym for Role, Audience, Format, and Topic. In a RAFT, students e.g. develop a product for a specified take on a particular role and audience in a particular format and on a topic that gets right at the heart of what matters most in a particular segment of study.”

- Tomlinson

RAFT

RAFT

Role: Who are you as the writer? Are you Abraham Lincoln? A warrior? A homeless person? An auto mechanic? The endangered snail darter?

Audience: To whom are you writing? Is your audience the American people? A friend? Your teacher? Readers of a newspaper? A local bank?

Format: What form will the writing take? Is it a letter? A classified ad? A speech? A poem?

Topic: What's the subject or the point of this piece? Is it to

Role Audience Format Topic

Semicolon Middle Schoolers Diary entry I Wish You Really

Understood Where I Belong

N.Y.Times Public Op Ed Piece How our Language Defines

Who We Are

Huck Finn Tom Sawyer Note hidden in a tree

knot

A Few Things You Should

Know

Rain Drop Future Droplets Advice Column The Beauty of Cycles

Lung Owner Owner’s Guide To Maximize Product Life

Rain Forest John Q. Citizen Paste Up “Ransom”Note Before It’s Too Late

Reporter Public Obituary Hitler is Dead

Martin Luther

King

TV audience of 2010 Speech The Dream Revisited

Thomas

Jefferson

Current Residents of

Virginia

Full page Newspaper Ad If I Could Talk to You Now

Fractions Whole Numbers Petition To Be Considered A Part of

the Family

A word problem Students in your class Set of Directions How to Get to Know Me

Language A

rts

& L

itera

ture

Sci

ence

His

tory

Mat

h

Format based on the work of Doug Buehl cited in Teaching Reading in the Content Areas: If Not Me Then Who? Billmeyer and Martin, 1998

Consumer Education Class RAFT

In this RAFT, all students will have a Topic that focus on food safety practices. The Formats are meant to appeal to

different learning styles.

Role Audience Format Topic

Raw chicken

pieces

Chefs in training Dramatic

speech

Why foods like me (poultry)

require special handling and care

of utensils

Cartoon

characters

Saturday morning

viewers

Jingle, rap, or

chant

The importance of cleanliness and

washing hands

National

Restaurant

Organization

Restaurant

workers

Illustrated

Poster or Flow

Diagram

Proper care of knives and cutting

boards

Bacteria Ground beef Role play or

simulation

Dangers of thawing meat out on a

counter

Power

Company

Consumer

Relations

Dept.

Homeowners who

have lost power

for 3+ days due to

hurricane or ice

storm

Consumer Alert

messages for

broadcast on TV

What to do with items from the

refrigerator and freezer that have

come to room temperature

Mayonnaise

in egg salad

Picnickers Urgent Email Watch out! I’m going to get you!

3 things you learned2 things you are going to start/use in the class1 thing you still have question about

3-2-1 Exit!

Different Strokes for Little Folks

Differentiated Instruction

Differentiating the Learning Environment

What is Differentiated Instruction?

Technology and Multiple Intelligence

Lakeland Schools: Using Technology to Differentiate Instruction

Enhance Learning with Technology

Additional Resources

Lauren PantonChatham University lpanton@chatham.edu

Thank you!

Some materials adapted from a presentation by MelissaStorm, PhD, The Access Center and Lori Centerbar, Med,South Burlington Public Schools, VT. Other materials are froman ASCD Onsite Professional Development Class offered bySandra Page (www.ascd.org).

Thanks also to my colleagues Peggy Whyte and Alexa Stazenski