LOSING SIGHT OF THE SHORE

DIFFERENTIATING CURRICULUM AND

INSTRUCTIONMary Schmidt

School Improvement ConsultantHeartland AEA 11

mschmidt@aea11.k12.ia.us

WHAT ARE YOU?

Enthusiast?Explorer?Sightseer?Vacationer?Prisoner?

You cannot discover new oceans unless you have the

courage to lose sight of the

shore.

G

You cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage

to lose sight of the shore.

IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

What is differentiation? Why is it important? How is it accomplished? Where does collaboration fit in? How does one assess the success of

efforts to differentiate? What are the recommendations for

practitioners ready to differentiate?

GUIDING ASSUMPTIONS1 A “teach to the middle” or “one size

fits all” classroom is less responsive to and less effective in meeting the needs of the diverse populations in our classrooms than a classroom which offers various learning opportunities designed to meet different learning needs.

2 A differentiated classroom offers different approaches to what students learn, how they learn it, and how they demonstrate what they’ve learned.

GUIDING ASSUMPTIONS

3 Flexible grouping enables teachers to match student with learning experience.

4 Developing a differentiated classroom takes time, support, and commitment.

WHAT IS DIFFERENTIATI

ON?

DIFFERENTIATION ala...

WEBSTER“…to make unlike; to develop specialized differences in…”

TOMLINSON“…shaking up what goes on in the classroom so that the curriculum is a better fit for all.”

DIFFERENTIATION ala...

WINEBRENNER“...giving kids stuff their age peers can’t handle and wouldn’t want to.”PASSOW“SHOULD all kids do it?COULD all kids do it?WOULD all kids want to?”If the answer to any of these questions is “yes” then it isn’t differentiated.

DIFFERENTIATION ala...

MAKER“…Quality changes rather than quantity, and they must build upon and extend the characteristics (both present and future) that make the children different from other students.”

DIFFERENTIATION ala...

BORLAND“…a course of study that is in some manner different from the one to which students in the mainstream are exposed…Differentiation is not enough. To be appropriate, a curriculum for…students must be defensible as well…Defensibility in this context implies that the curriculum is not only different from the norm, but educationally right for…students.”

DIFFERENTIATION INVOLVES...

creating specialized differences in curricular experiences

creating multiple options for knowledge acquisition, sense-making, and product creation

providing different work, not more of the same building on the characteristics which create

differences providing what is educationally right for

learners

WHY DIFFERENTIATE?

IT’S THE LAW! 12.5(12)Provisions for gifted and talented students. Each school district shall

incorporate gifted and talented programming into its comprehensive school improvement plan as required by Iowa Code section 257.43. The comprehensive school improvement plan shall include the following gifted and talented program provisions:

valid and systematic procedures, including multiple selection criteria for identifying gifted and talented students from the total student population

goals and performance measures a qualitatively differentiated program to meet the students’ cognitive and

affective needs staffing provisions an in-service design a budget qualifications of personnel administering the program.

Each school district shall review and evaluate its gifted and talented programming. This subrule does not apply to accredited nonpublic schools.

REDUCE RISK OF UNDERACHIEVEMENT

“Smart children soon learn that what is important in school is one thing--and what is important in life is another, and they live in this schizophrenic existence satisfactorily. Many, however, do not. Everything we learn doesn't have to be relevant. But if some of our school learning isn’t meaningful, we may get turned off enough so that we don’t want to learn anything anywhere. We may simply drop out.”

William Glasser

Schools Without Failure

ALLEVIATE DISCIPLINE PROBLEMS

DISCIPLINE PROBLEMS REFLECT A COLLISION WITH

INAPPROPRIATE CURRICULUM.--Susan Winebrenner

INCREASE MOTIVATION

TWO MOTIVATIONAL STATES INTERFERE WITH LEARNING. ONE IS ANXIETY; THE OTHER IS BOREDOM. ANXIETY OCCURS WHEN TEACHERS EXPECT TOO MUCH, BOREDOM WHEN THEY EXPECT TOO

LITTLE.

Mihaly CsikezentmihalyiFlow: the Psychology of Optimal Experience

ADDRESS LEARNER READINESS

WHEN WE TEACH THE SAME THING TO ALL KIDS AT THE SAME TIME,

1/3 ALREADY KNOW IT,1/3 GET IT, AND

1/3 NEVER WILL. SO 2/3 OF THE KIDS ARE WASTING

THEIR TIME.--Scott Willis

BUILD SELF ESTEEM

THE SUREST PATH TO POSITIVE SELF ESTEEM IS TO SUCCEED AT

SOMETHING WHICH ONE PERCEIVED WOULD BE DIFFICULT. EACH TIME WE STEAL A STUDENT’S STRUGGLE, WE STEAL THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO BUILD SELF-CONFIDENCE. THEY

MUST LEARN TO DO HARD THINGS TO FEEL GOOD ABOUT THEMSELVES.

--Sylvia Rimm

NORMAL IS ONLY A SETTING

ON THE WASHING MACHINE

THAT STUDENTS DIFFER MAY BE INCONVENIENT, BUT IT IS INESCAPABLE. ADAPTING TO

THAT DIVERSITY IS THE INEVITABLE PRICE OF PRODUCTIVITY, HIGH

STANDARDS, AND FAIRNESS TO THE STUDENTS.

--Theodore Sizer

WAYS IN WHICH INDIVIDUALS CAN DIFFER

Prior knowledge or skill expertise Learning rate Cognitive ability Learning style preference Motivation, attitude, and effort Interest, strength, or talent

THE GRADE LEVEL CURRICULUM:

exposes all students to the same skills and content

sets predetermined completion times stresses a single activity expects all students to achieve all objectives

•provides most instruction in large groups•bases instruction on the average student•uses limited single resources•provides few student decision making opportunities

WHAT CAN BE DIFFERENTIATED?

CONTENTPROCESSPRODUCTLEARNING ENVIRONMENT

DIFFERENTIATING CONTENT INCLUDES:

MODIFICATION OF THE RATE OF LEARNING INCLUDING– The point at which learners are allowed to begin

study– The rate at which they are allowed to learn– The point at which they leave an area of study

Opportunities for student-selected areas of study within and across disciplines.

The modification of the complexity in the area of study.

A multidisciplinary approach to learning.

DIFFERENTIATING PROCESS INCLUDES:

Learning and using higher order thinking skills– creative thinking– critical thinking– problem solving

Application of abstract thinking skills to student-appropriate content resulting in products at a level of sophistication appropriate for the student

Integration of basic skills and abstract thinking skills

DIFFERENTIATING PRODUCT INCLUDES:

Learning and using multiple forms for communicating learning

The opportunity to present information to diverse and appropriate audiences

The opportunity for learners to participate in the assessment of learning activities and the resulting product forms

DIFFERENTIATING LEARNING ENVIRONMENT INCLUDES:

Groupings which are fluid and flexible and approximate real-life situations

Access to various materials and resources

An atmosphere which encourages expression of new ideas, acceptance of diversity, and exploration

Experiences reflecting learner interests and ideas

Honoring the dignity of all learners

IN DIFFERENTIATED CLASSROOMS, TEACHERS...

begin where students are, not at the front of the curriculum guide.

build upon the premise that learners differ in important ways.

engage students through different learning modalities, by appealing to different interests, and by using varying rates of instruction and degrees of complexity.

ensures that students focus more on individual growth than on competition with other students.

recognize that each student’s roadmap to learning differs from that of others.

believe that students should be held to high standards.

IN DIFFERENTIATED CLASSROOMS, TEACHERS...

ensure that struggling, advanced, and in-between learners think and work harder than they meant to; achieve more than they thought they could; and come to believe that learning involves effort, risk, and personal triumph.

help students learn that success is achieved through hard work.

use time flexibly. employ a range of instructional strategies. become partners in learning with their students. accept, embrace, and plan for the commonalities

and differences learners bring to their classrooms.

THE DIFFERENTIATION PROCESS

•Objective•Introduction•Initial instruction•Pretesting•Diagnosis

Breadth

Depth

Branching Out

Managing Flexible Small Groups

Alternative Activities

Adjusting the Breadth

Tiered AssignmentsAltering the

Depth

INDICATORS OF DIFFERENTIATION

Consistent use of pretesting A decrease in the frequency of large

group activities An increase in:

– Small group teaching activities– Flexible small group learning

activities An increase in individual alternatives:

– Centers– Homework– Contracts

INCORPORATING DIFFERENTIATION WITHIN

THE CURRICULUM

Introduction Initial teaching Locating or designing a pretest

format based on anticipated differences

Pretesting Analysis of pretest results Decision making and planning Formation of flexible small groups Differentiated teaching and

learning activities

OFFERING ALTERNATIVE ACTIVITIES

To Increase the Breadth of a Lesson

MISSION CONTROL (The Teacher)

PROVIDES:Whole Group Introduction andInstruction and LaunchesSatellites (small groups) on Alternative Activities

Choice of Resources

Product Options

Alternative Activities

Varying Goals

TIERED ACTIVITIESTo Alter the Depth of a

Lesson

KEY FEATURES:

INCREASE/DECREASE:•Abstraction

•Extent of Support•Sophistication•Complexity

ofGoals/Resources/

Activities/Products

Whole Group Introduction Whole Group Initial Instruction Identification of DevelopmentalDifferences

DIFFERENTIATION AS A

COLLABORATIVE EFFORT

COLLABORATION IS...

…THE DIRECT INTERACTION BETWEEN AT LEAST TWO EQUAL PARTIES WHO VOLUNTARILY ENGAGE IN SHARED DECISION-MAKING AS THEY WORK TOWARD A COMMON GOAL.

COLLABORATIVE DIFFERENTIATION

REQUIRES... the input of teachers, parents, learners,

mentors, gifted/special education specialists, counselors, administrators, and any other parties with an interest in the education of the individual

a knowledge of the learner’s interests, learning styles, level of motivation, social-emotional needs, and cognitive ability

time for collaboration to occur individualization for the learner under

consideration

careful selection of the appropriate programming option or strategy tailored to meet the identified needs of the learner

construction of the IEP/PEP designed for the learner

monitoring of learner needs, progress, and goal attainment

regular communication among all parties with an interest in the learner’s progress

INSTRUCTIONAL QUESTIONS FOR COLLABORATIVE

DECISION MAKING

What skills/concepts/behaviors/strategies does the learner currently have?

What skills/concepts/behaviors/strategies does the learner need to learn?

How does the learner learn best? How will all parties know when the

learner is progressing?

A. WORK AS A TEAMB. PURSUE A COMMON GOALC. DISPLAY MUTUAL RESPECTD. SHARE RESPONSIBILITY AND

ACCOUNTABILITYE. SUBLIMATE THEIR OWN

INTERESTSTHEN

WHEN ALL THOSE WITH AN INTEREST IN MEETING THE COGNITIVE, CONATIVE, SOCIAL, AND EMOTIONAL NEEDS OF STUDENTS

STUDENTS WILL FLOURISH AS THEIR

NEEDS ARE MET THROUGH A

COLLABORATIVELY DIFFERENTIATED

CURRICULUM.

HOW DO I KNOW IT’S WORKING?

LISTEN TO AND OBSERVE THE KIDS MONITOR AND MEASURE

ATTAINMENT OF GOALS DEVELOP BEHAVIORIAL CHECKLISTS YOU SEE MOTIVATED, ENGAGED,

SELF-DIRECTED LEARNERS ABLE TO FUNCTION AND THRIVE WITHIN AN ENVIRONMENT WHICH CHALLENGES THEM.

WHERE DO WE BEGIN?THE POLICY LEVEL

DEVELOP BOARD, DISTRICT, AND SCHOOL GOALS CENTERED ON MAXIMIZING EACH STUDENT’S LEARNING CAPACITY.

DEVELOP STEADY AND CONSISTENT LONG-TERM GOALS FOR FUNDING, STAFF DEVELOPMENT, HIRING, TEACHER AND ADMINISTRATOR ASSESSMENT, AND POLICY MAKING.

STUDY AND PLAN FOR THE VARIOUS STAGES OF THE CHANGE PROCESS IN REGARD TO DIFFERENTIATION.

WHERE DO WE BEGIN?THE BUILDING LEVEL

BEGIN SMALL. TRY A FEW PILOT TEACHERS AND CLASSROOMS.

BEGIN WITH TEACHERS WHO HAVE THE SKILL AND WILL TO CHANGE.

CREATE TEAMS OF TEACHERS. COLLEGIALTIY, NOT ISOLATION, NOURISHES NEW IDEAS.

GO FOR ACTION AND APPLICATION. ADJUST SCHOOL SCHEDULES TO

PROVIDE TEACHERS LARGER BLOCKS OF

UNINTERRUPTED TIME.

WHERE DO WE BEGIN?THE BUILDING LEVEL

CONSIDER ADOPTING MULTIPLE TEXTS INSTEAD OF ONE FOR A GIVEN SUBJECT AND GRADE LEVEL.

CONSIDER MODIFIED REPORT CARDS TO PROVIDE A LOOK AT PERSONAL GROWTH INSTEAD OF, OR IN ADDITION TO, GROUP COMPARISONS.

CONSIDER NARROWING THE RANGE OF LEARNERS IN SOME CLASSROOMS.

DEVELOP COTEACHING AND COLLABORATIVE

RELATIONSHIPS.

EFFECTIVE LEADERS WILL...

make time for teachers to plan differentiated lessons.

provide opportunities to visit differentiated classrooms.

give access to a wide range of learner materials.

create an environment where teachers feel safe trying a new approach w/o fear of judgement.

give meaningful, targeted feedback about teachers’ work with differentiation.

provide support networks.

YOU’VE EITHER GOT TO SEE THE LIGHT OR FEEL

THE HEAT.

REMEMBER THAT NOTHING THAT’S GOOD WORKS BY ITSELF JUST

TO PLEASE YOU. YOU’VE GOT TO MAKE

THE DAMN THING WORK.

--Thomas Edison

T.T.T.Put up in a place where

it’s easy to see,The cryptic

admonishment,T.T.T.

When you feel how depressingly slow you climb

It’s well to remember that THINGS TAKE TIME.

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 doing

You are probably growing!--Madeline

Hunter

FOR MORE INFORMATION...

http://www.aea11.k12.ia.us/curriculum/differentiated.html