Differentiation

Denise Huddlestun, Metro RESA

(The sources of many of the slides are the GaDOE training powerpoint presentations on Differentiation.)
Differentiation

How have you

differentiated
instruction in
your classroom?
Essential Questions

What is differentiation?

Why, what, and how do I

differentiate?
“Come to the edge,” he
said.
“It is too high,” they said.
“Come to the edge,” he
said.
THEY DID.
And he pushed them,
And they flew.

Christopher Logue (on Apollinaire)

Differentiation Articles
from SDE.com (…also linked on my wiki)

 Everyone reads an article individually.

 Each person highlights 3 significant ideas from their
article to discuss.
 Sitting in triads, one person reads one quote from the
article he/she highlighted. The other 2 people each have 1
minute to respond to the quote.
 The person who began has the FINAL WORD (1 minute)
to respond to what has been said by members of the triad.
 The process begins again with another person sharing an
idea from the article and other people responding.
 Discuss and chart the most important information from the
article.
Differentiation
What is Differentiation?

Why we should What should be How it should

differentiate… differentiated… be differentiated
Gallery Walk of Important Points
 Read the important points from the
articles as posted on the chart paper.

 Identifysimilarities in the important

points from each of the articles.
Researcher Theodore Sizer says:

“… while it may be inconvenient that

students differ, it is an irrefutable fact
of life in the classroom.”

(Source of slide: Cornelius Watts, LF, GaDOE)

According to Grant Wiggins:
"Good planning leaves room for the
unplannable. You do not know what
you'll be doing on April 11, and you're
a fool if you think so. If you do, then
the curriculum is more important to
you than your students."

(Grant Wiggins, "Designing and Using Student Reflections and Self-

Assessment," ASCD Summer Conference on Differentiated Instruction
and Understanding by Design, June 2005)
Essential Question #2

Why and how do I

differentiate?
Essential Principles of Differentiation

1. Good Curriculum Comes First

2. All Tasks Should Be Respectful of the
Learner
3. When in Doubt, Teach Up
4. Use Flexible Grouping
5. Become an Assessment Junkie
6. Grade for Growth
GADOE
--Tomlinson & Eidson, Differentiation in Practice, Grades 5-9, 13-15.
Why Do We Differentiate?

+ access to learning

+ motivation to learn

+ efficiency of learning

--Tomlinson, The Differentiated Classroom

GaDOE
Access to Learning

Students cannot learn that which is

inaccessible because they don’t
understand.

--Tomlinson, The Differentiated Classroom

GaDOE
Pre-Assessment
Why?
 To determine:
 what students know about a topic before it is
taught
 skill level of students before instruction begins
 To make instructional decisions
 To help the teacher plan for
 flexible grouping patterns based on which
students are ready for different levels of
instruction
Pre-Assessment Strategies
 teacher prepared pretest  student interviews
 KWL charts and other graphic  student products and work
organizers samples
 writing prompts/samples  self-evaluations
 questioning  portfolio analysis
 guess box  game activities
 picture interpretation  show of hands to determine
 prediction understanding: every pupil
 teacher response
observation/checklists  drawing related to topic or
 student demonstrations and content
discussions  standardized test information
 initiating activities  reader response survey
 informational surveys/  anticipation journals
questionnaires/inventories
Motivation to Learn

 Students cannot learn when they are

unmotivated by things far too difficult or
things far too easy.

 Students learn more enthusiastically when

they are motivated by those things that
connect to their interests.

--Tomlinson, The Differentiated Classroom

GaDOE
Differentiating an Activity
 Examine the GPS for your
grade level that aligns with this
activity
 Discuss how the activity might
be differentiated
(refer to the Tiered Lesson “equalizer” you
received at the 1st session… it’s the next slide)
The Equalizer: tiering tasks

Concrete to abstract
Simple to complex
Basic to transformational
Fewer facets to multi-facets
Smaller leaps to greater leaps
More structured to more open
Less independence to greater independence
Slow to faster
Tomlinson,1995
What Does Differentiated Instruction Look Like? GaDOE

Differentiated Instruction is... Differentiated Instruction is not...

1. Assessing students before a unit of instruction to 1. All students in the class completing the same work
determine what they already know for a unit/chapter
2. Adjusting the core curriculum by content (below to
2. Limiting how and what is taught by teaching to the
above grade level), process (concrete to abstract),
average student
and product (simple to complex)
3. Providing assignments tailored for students of 3. Assigning more work at the same level to high
different levels of achievement achieving students
4. Focusing on student weaknesses and ignoring
4. Having high expectations for ALL students
student strengths
5. Providing educational experiences which extend, 5. Including activities that all students will be able to
replace, or supplement standard curriculum do
6. Structuring class assignments so they require high
6. Giving the same kind of problems or questions and
levels of critical thinking and allow for a range of
expecting more
responses
7. Students participating in respectful work 7. Creating more work-extra credit, to do when done
8. Students and teachers collaborating in learning 8. Using higher standards when grading
9. Putting students in situations where they don't know
9. Providing free-time challenge activities
the answer- often
10. Differing the pace of instruction 10.Using capable students as tutors
11. Providing a blend of whole class, group, and
11.Using individualized instruction
independent learning
In a fifth grade class of 22
students, we have:
 Josh has Down syndrome. He seems to learn best
with hands-on activities or on the computer. His
reading, writing, and math skills are below grade
level.
 Marie is a very quick learner. She likes to excel.
Her reading and writing skills are above grade
level.
 Michael has a learning disability and has difficulty
processing information. His reading, writing, and
math skills are below grade level.
Differentiation
Differentiation curriculum moves teachers
away from the “one size fits all” curriculum
that really fits no one.” It encourages
students to become more responsible for
their own learning and to recognize and
use their own strengths, thereby helping
them become lifelong autonomous
learners.
Coil, Carolyn. (2004) Standards-Based Activities and Assessments or
the Differentiated Classroom. Pieces of Learning.
Essential Questions (…again)

What is differentiation?

Why and how do I

differentiate?
 Graphic
Organizers
Graphic Organizers (GOs)
A graphic organizer is a tool or process to
build word knowledge by relating
similarities of meaning to the definition of a
word. This can relate to any subject—
math, history, literature, etc.

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Why are Graphic Organizers
Important?
 GOs connect content in a meaningful way to
help students gain a clearer understanding of
the material (Fountas & Pinnell, 2001, as
cited in Baxendrall, 2003).

 GOs help students maintain the information

over time (Fountas & Pinnell, 2001, as cited
in Baxendrall, 2003).
Do an organizational
activity? 25
Graphic Organizers:
 Assist students in organizing and retaining
information when used consistently.
 Assist teachers by integrating into
instruction through creative
approaches.

26
Graphic Organizers:
 Heighten student interest
 Should be coherent and consistently used
 Can be used with teacher- and student-
directed approaches

27
Coherent Graphic Organizers
1. Provide clearly labeled branch and
sub branches.
2. Have numbers, arrows, or lines to
show the connections or sequence of
events.
3. Relate similarities.
4. Define accurately.

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How to Use Graphic Organizers
in the Classroom

 Teacher-Directed Approach

 Student-Directed Approach

29
Teacher-Directed Approach
1. Provide a partially incomplete GO for
students
2. Have students read instructions or
information
3. Fill out the GO with students
4. Review the completed GO
5. Assess students using an incomplete
copy of the GO

30
Student-Directed Approach
 Teacher uses a GO cover sheet with
prompts
 Example: Teacher provides a cover sheet
that includes page numbers and paragraph
numbers to locate information needed to fill
out GO
 Teacher acts as a facilitator
 Students check their answers with a
teacher copy supplied on the overhead

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Strategies to Teach Graphic
Organizers
 Framing the lesson
 Previewing
 Modeling with a think aloud
 Guided practice
 Independent practice
 Check for understanding
 Peer mediated instruction
 Simplifying the content or structure of the GO

32
Types of Graphic Organizers
 Hierarchical diagramming

 Sequence charts

 Compare and contrast charts

33
A Simple Hierarchical Graphic
Organizer

34
A Simple Hierarchical Graphic
Organizer - example

Algebra Geometry

MATH

Calculus Trigonometry

35
Another Hierarchical Graphic Organizer

Category

Subcategory Subcategory Subcategory

List examples of each type

36
Hierarchical Graphic Organizer – example

Algebra

Equations Inequalities

37
 Compare and Contrast
Category

Illustration/Example What is it? Properties/Attributes

Subcategory

Irregular set
What are some What is it like?
examples?

38
 Compare and Contrast - example
Numbers

Illustration/Example What is it? Properties/Attributes

6, 17, 25, 100 Positive Integers

Whole
-3, -8, -4000 Numbers Negative Integers

0 Zero

Fractions
What are some What is it like?
examples?

39
Venn Diagram

40
Venn Diagram - example

Prime Numbers

5 7
11 13

2 3

Even Numbers
Multiples of 3
4 6
8 10 6 9 15 21

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Multiple Meanings

42
Multiple Meanings – example
Right Equiangular
3 sides 3 sides

3 angles 3 angles

1 angle = 90° 3 angles = 60°

TRI-
ANGLES

Acute Obtuse
3 sides 3 sides
3 angles 3 angles
3 angles < 90° 1 angle > 90° 43
 Series of Definitions

Word = Category + Attribute

= +

Definitions: ______________________
________________________________
________________________________

44
 Series of Definitions –
example
Word = Category + Attribute

Square 4 equal sides &

= Quadrilateral + 4 equal angles (90°)

Definition: A four-sided figure with four

equal sides and four right angles.

45
Four-Square Graphic Organizer

1. Word: 2. Example:

4. Definition 3. Non-example:

46
Four-Square Graphic Organizer –
example

1. Word: semicircle 2. Example:

4. Definition 3. Non-example:

A semicircle is half of a
circle.

47
Matching Activity
 Divide into groups
 Match the problem sets with the
appropriate graphic organizer

48
Matching Activity
1. Which graphic organizer would be most
suitable for showing these relationships?
2. Why did you choose this type?
3. Are there alternative choices?

49
Problem Set 1
Parallelogram Rhombus
Square Quadrilateral
Polygon Kite
Irregular polygon Trapezoid
Isosceles Trapezoid Rectangle

50
Problem Set 2

Counting Numbers: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, . . .
Whole Numbers: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, . . .
Integers: . . . -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4. . .
Rationals: 0, …1/10, …1/5, …1/4, ... 33, …1/2, …1
Reals: all numbers
Irrationals: π, non-repeating decimal

51
Problem Set 3
Addition Multiplication
a+b a times b
a plus b axb
sum of a and b a(b)
ab

Subtraction Division
a–b a/b
a minus b a divided by b
a less b b) a

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Problem Set 4
Use the following words to organize into
categories and subcategories of
Mathematics:
NUMBERS, OPERATIONS, Postulates, RULE,
Triangles, GEOMETRIC FIGURES, SYMBOLS,
corollaries, squares, rational, prime, Integers,
addition, hexagon, irrational, {1, 2, 3…},
multiplication, composite, m || n, whole,
quadrilateral, subtraction, division.

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Graphic Organizer Summary
 GOs are a valuable tool for assisting
students with LD in basic mathematical
procedures and problem solving.
 Teachers should:
 Consistently, coherently, and creatively
use GOs.
 Employ teacher-directed and student-
directed approaches.
 Address individual needs via curricular
adaptations.
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