Transcript Document

The Differentiated Maths Class –
Responding to a Learner’s Needs
National Numeracy Facilitators Conference
Feb 2007
Caroline Bird
[email protected]
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Differentiation is responsive teaching,
rather than one-size-fits-all teaching.
Goals for today’s workshop:
• What differentiation is,
• Why focus on differentiating instruction,
• Key Elements of differentiated instruction,
• Strategies for differentiated instruction,
• Classroom management in a Secondary Classroom.
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What is differentiation ?
• Responsive teaching
• It is a way of thinking
• Attending to the learning needs of a
particular student or small group of
student’s
Tomlinson & Allan
“Leadership from Differentiating Students & Classrooms “
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Why is this my focus ?
I saw a need!
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Differentiation could help with the implementation
of the Numeracy programme in a classroom.
CHANG
E
Learning
new ways
of thinking
Unnerving
Uncomfortable
Unlearning old ways
Challenges
Entrenched ways of
thinking
Comfort zone
Taking risks
Change in pedagogy
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Why does there appear to be so much
focus on Differentiated Instruction ?
It’s not a new trend!!
It’s about connecting with students
(Teacher-Student relationship)
OSFA
Differentiated teaching suggests that a teacher will
make modifications in accordance to the student’s
needs.
Standardization
Individualisation
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Tomlinson
What are the Elements of
Differentiated Instruction?
Differentiation of Instruction
Guided by general principles of
differentiation, such as;
Flexible
grouping
Ongoing assessment
and adjustment
Respectful
tasks
Tomlinson
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Teachers can differentiate
Content
Process
Product
according to
student’s
Readiness
Interests
Learning Profile
through a range of instructional and management strategies
such as
multiple intelligences
anchor activities
varied texts
varied supplementary
materials
tiered lessons
tiered products
learning contracts
varied questioning strategies
Interest centres
Varied homework
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Tomlinson
Using Varied Instructional and
Management Strategies
Tools of Differentiation
Instructional
Multiple Intelligences
Howard Gardner: 8 ways to think and learn
• Stronger in some areas than others
• Need experience in all 8 ways so you can “pump up”
the ones you are less strong in
• Many things require more than one intelligence to
accomplish the task
• Aren’t labels – simply an indication of your learning preference
Heacox
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Anchor
Activities
A task to which a student automatically moves when an
assigned task is finished,
Traits of effective Anchor Activities
Important
Interesting
Allow Choice
Clear routine and expectations
Seldom Graded
Tomlinson, Allan
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Learning Contracts
• An agreement between teacher and student.
• Teacher grants certain freedoms and choices about how a
student will complete tasks.
• Student agrees to use the freedoms appropriately in
designing and completing work according to specifications.
• Specifies working conditions to which students must adhere
during the contract time.
Tomlinson
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Tiered Activities
Focus on essential understandings and skills but at different
levels of complexity, abstractness and open-endedness.
Some guidelines;
• Select the concept, generalisation and skill that will be the focus
of the activity for all learners.
• Chart the complexity of the activity
- decide where the lesson should be placed on the ladder
- “Clone” the activity along the ladder to provide different
versions at different degrees of difficulty
Tomlinson
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Tools of Differentiation continued
Management
Set up behaviour guidelines and procedures to make the classroom
work.
- discuss them and be consistent about enforcing them
- working alone, in pairs, in groups (interest, ability, teacher directed,
student choice)
Talk with students
early and often
( dialogue)
Discuss routines:
Beginning a class
Giving directions
Moving
Encouraging good listeners
Getting help when teacher is busy
Anchor activities
Gather information about each student - records
Tomlinson
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Remember – the teacher does not
try to differentiate everything for
everyone every day!
• Changing Teacher Practice
• Differentiation is an organised yet flexible way of proactively
adjusting teaching and learning to meet kids where they are
• Start small
• Differentiate a task for a small block of time
• Start where you are at
Fairness is not treating all students the same,
fairness is providing what individual students need
Tomlinson
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The greatest sign for a teacher is to
be able to say
“ The students are now working as if
I did not exist “
Maria Montessori
Tomlinson
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Teachers’ beliefs in and about
human potential and in the
ability of all children to learn and
achieve are crucial.
Education on the Edge of Possibility 1997
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Where to from here for you ?
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National Numeracy Facilitator’s Conference, Feb 2007
Some Resources for Differentiation
Tomlinson, C. A. & Allan, S.D. (2000). Leadership for Differentiating
Schools and Classrooms. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
How to develop differentiation with staff, with strategies to help implement it.
Tomlinson, C. A. & McTighe, J. (2006). Integrating Differentiated
Instruction & Understanding by Design. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Tomlinson, C. A. & McTighe, J. (1999). The Differentiated Classroom,
Responding to the Needs of All Learners. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
3 chapters describe actual lessons, units and classrooms with differentiated
instruction in action.
Heacox, D. (2002). Differentiating Instruction in the Regular Classroom.
How to Reach and Teach All Learners, Grades 3-12 Minneapolis,: Free Spirit.
Has reproducible handouts, examples, resources
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