Transcript Document

Differentiating Instruction
in Elementary Mathematics
Bay School District
July 14 - 15, 2008
"In the end, all learners need your
energy, your heart and your mind.
They have that in common because
they are young humans. How they
need you however, differs. Unless
we understand and respond to
those differences, we fail many
learners." *
* Tomlinson, C.A. (2001). How to differentiate instruction in mixed ability
classrooms (2nd Ed.). Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Dr. Nanci Smith, Ph.D.
Educational Consultant
Curriculum and Professional Development
Cave Creek, AZ
[email protected]
Thinking About Your Students
Use the categories below to cluster your students according to their learning needs. Feel free to add
or disregard categories. Some students may fit into more than one category.
•
Needs Extra Practice on Basic Skills
•
Needs Extra Time to Complete Tasks
•
Has Strong Interests Often Not Reflected in School Tasks
•
Works Better Independently
•
Works Better Collaboratively
•
Likes Practical, Relevant, Hands-On Tasks
•
Has a Highly Creative Approach to Learning
•
Needs to Work Ahead (Advanced Work)
•
Needs Additional Teaching
My
Appointment Clock
Round the Clock Learning Buddies
Make an appointment with 12 different people – one for
each hour on the clock. Be sure you both record the
appointment on your clocks. Only make the appointment if
there is an open slot at that hour on both of your clocks.
Tape this paper inside a notebook, or to
something that you will
bring to class each day.
What is Differentiation?
• Look at the following 7 slides in the packet and reflect on
what you know and have heard about differentiation.
• Ponder on your own:
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–
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What does this tell me about differentiation?
If this statement were true, what would I see in a classroom?
What would a teacher say?
What would students be doing?
(Jot down your thoughts and observations – 4 minutes)
• Pair with someone and share your ideas. (4 minutes)
• Share with others
(4 minutes)
What Differentiated Instruction…
IS
•
•
•
•
•
Differentiated instruction is more
QUALITATIVE than quantitative. •
Differentiated instruction provides •
MULTIPLE approaches to content, •
process, and product.
Differentiated instruction is
STUDENT CENTERED.
•
Differentiated instruction is a
BLEND of whole class, group, and
•
individual instruction.
Differentiated instruction is
"ORGANIC".
IS NOT
Individual instruction
Chaotic
Just another way to provide
homogenous instruction (You DO
use flexible grouping instead)
Just modifying grading systems
and reducing work loads
More work for the "good" students
and less and different for the
"poor" students
Differentiated
Instruction
Defined
“Differentiated instruction is a teaching
philosophy based on the premise that
teachers should adapt instruction to
student differences. Rather than marching
students through the curriculum lockstep,
teachers should modify their instruction to
meet students’ varying readiness levels,
learning preferences, and interests.
Therefore, the teacher proactively plans a
variety of ways to ‘get at’ and express
learning.”
Carol Ann Tomlinson
“Differentiation is making sure that
the right students get the right
learning tasks at the right time. Once
you have a sense of what each
student holds as ‘given’ or ‘known’
and what he or she needs in order to
learn, differentiation is no longer an
option; it is an obvious response.”
Assessment as Learning: Using Classroom Assessment to Maximize Student Learning
Lorna M. Earl
Corwin Press, Inc. – 2003 – pp. 86-87
Differentiation
Is a teacher’s response to learner’s needs
Guided by general principles of differentiation
Respectful tasks
Flexible grouping
Continual assessment
Teachers Can Differentiate Through:
Content
Environment
Product
Process
According to Students’
Readiness
Interest
Learning Profile
Through a range of strategies such as:
Multiple intelligences…Jigsaw…4MAT…Graphic Organizers…RAFTS
Compacting…Tiered assignments…Leveled texts…Complex Instruction… Learning
Centers
What’s the point of differentiating
in these different ways?
Readiness
Interest
Learning
Profile
Growth
Motivation
Efficiency
for
Interest – Readiness – Learning Profile
by
Self – Peers - Teachers
Key Principles of a Differentiated Classroom
• The teacher is clear about what matters in subject matter.
• All students participate in respectful work.
• The teacher understands, appreciates, and builds upon student
differences.
• Assessment and instruction are inseparable.
• The teacher adjusts content, process, and product in response to
student readiness, interests, and learning profile.
• Students and teachers are collaborators in learning.
• Goals of a differentiated classroom are maximum growth and
individual success.
• Flexibility is the hallmark of a differentiated classroom.
Source: Tomlinson, C. (2000). Differentiating Instruction for Academic Diversity. San Antonio, TX: ASCD
There are two
keys to
differentiation:
1.Know your kids
2.Know your
content
There are two
keys to
differentiation:
1.Know your
kids
2. Know your content
READINESS
What does READINESS mean?
It is the student’s entry point
relative to a particular
understanding or skill.
C.A.Tomlinson, 1999
BRAIN RESEARCH
Reticular Activating System
RAS = “Toggle Switch”
Only one of these three states is activated (aroused) at a time:
HIGH
MIDDLE
LOW
Hot (EEG)
Mild (EEG)
Cold (EEG – sleeplike)
Limbic aroused
Cortical arousal
Sleep (depression)
Flight / Fight
Problem Solving
Relaxation
Out of Control
In Control
Off Duty
Carbohydrates
Proteins
Carbohydrates/Dairy
Burnout
Achievement
Depression
Extreme Challenge
Moderate Challenge
No Challenge
“Certain motivational states which interfere with learning condition are especially
dangerous: anxiety and boredom. Anxiety occurs primarily when teachers expect too
much from students; boredom occurs when teachers expect too little.” – Howard Gardner
Learning only happens when the toggle switch is in the middle position
Advanced Learners
♦ Advanced learners can become mentally lazy,
even though they do well in school.
♦ Advanced learners may become “hooked” on the
trappings of success.
♦ Advanced learners may become perfectionists.
♦ Advanced learners may fail to develop a sense of
self-efficacy.
♦ Advanced learners may fail to develop study and
coping skills.
Pre-Assessment
• What the student already knows about what is
being planned
• What standards, objectives, concepts & skills the
individual student understands
• What further instruction and opportunities for
mastery are needed
• What requires reteaching or enhancement
• What areas of interests and feelings are in the
different areas of the study
• How to set up flexible groups: Whole, individual,
partner, or small group
What Do You Know About Proportional
Reasoning?
Definition
Description
Information
Proportional
Reasoning
Examples
Non-examples
Pre-Assessment
• What the student already knows about what is
being planned
• What standards, objectives, concepts & skills the
individual student understands
• What further instruction and opportunities for
mastery are needed
• What requires reteaching or enhancement
• What areas of interests and feelings are in the
different areas of the study
• How to set up flexible groups: Whole, individual,
partner, or small group
THINKING ABOUT
ON-GOING ASSESSMENT
STUDENT DATA SOURCES
1. Journal entry
2. Short answer test
3. Open response test
4. Home learning
5. Notebook
6. Oral response
7. Portfolio entry
8. Exhibition
9. Culminating product
10. Question writing
11. Problem solving
TEACHER DATA
MECHANISMS
1. Anecdotal records
2. Observation by checklist
3. Skills checklist
4. Class discussion
5. Small group interaction
6. Teacher – student
conference
7. Assessment stations
8. Exit cards
9. Problem posing
10. Performance tasks and
rubrics
Y
Yes/No Cards
•
•
1.
2.
3.
4.
N
O
E
S
Using a 4x6 index card the student writes YES on one
side and NO on the other.
When a question is asked the students hold up YES or
NO.
Ask the students if they know the following vocabulary
words and what they mean.
Call out a word. If a student is holding a YES they may
be called on to give the correct answer.
Remind them that if they don’t know the words it is OK
because they will be learning them.
You can do the same thing with conceptual ideas, etc.
Thumb It!
• Have students respond with the position of their
thumb to get an assessment of what their current
understanding of a topic being studied.
• Where I am now in my understanding of ______?
Up
I know a lot
Sideways
I know some
Down
I know very little
Exit Cards
List
• 3 things you learned
today
• 2 things you’d like to
learn more about
• 1 question you still have
Exit Cards
Explain the difference
between an expression and
an equation. Give some
examples of each as part of
your explanation.
Circle Vocabulary
Creative
Find a way to help us remember all this vocabulary!
You can create a skit by becoming each term, and
talking about who you are and how you relate to each
other, draw pictures, make a collage, or any other
way of which you can think.
OR
Role
Audience
Format
Topic
Diameter Radius
email
Twice as nice
Circle
Tangent
poem
You touch me!
Secant
Chord
voicemail I extend you.