Transcript By: Ashley Moscaritolo 8th Grade Science What parents need to know.  Differentiated instruction is for the benefit of your child as no.

By: Ashley Moscaritolo
8th Grade Science
What parents need to know.
 Differentiated instruction is for the benefit of your
child as no two students learn the same way.
 Differentiation does not “single out” the gifted or
challenged learner, DI makes everyone feel welcome.
 It provided a way for all students to be challenged at
an appropriate level.
 “In differentiated classrooms, teachers begin where
students are, not from the front of a curriculum grade.”
– Carol Ann Tomlinson
Differentiated Instruction IS NOT
 Chaotic
 Teachers fear chaos. A DI classroom provides less
chaos because all students are engaged and
learning.
 Homogeneous
 Students learn more from those who are different
from themselves. DI allows for heterogeneous
groups to lean from each others strengths and
weaknesses.
 Tailoring
 Teachers in a DI classroom do not just modify
difficulty levels of assignments and assessments.
Differentiated Instruction IS
 Practical
 Not all students are alike, so not all students should be taught
the same.
 Student centered
 Students get more out of their learning when they take
responsibility for it.
 Quality Based not Quantity based
 Assigning more questions to a gifted student is not differentiating,
changing the quality of the questions is.
 Multi-dimensional
 DI provided several approaches to instruction, learning and
assessment.
 Fluid
 Di is not a strict set of rules set in stone, as the teacher learns more
about their students, their approach to DI should change with this
knowledge.
Why are teachers using DI?
 Will Rogers once said, "Even a man on the right track
will get run over if he just stands there."
 We have to be dynamic in our teaching, always learning,
always trying. There are students counting on us
everyday to provide the best experiences possible.
 DI isn’t another educational fad, it is just a name put to
some of the best practices of teaching.
How does DI benefit students?
 DI incorporates the multiple
intelligences theory more than
any “traditional” classroom
will allow.
 DI takes each student’s
strengths and works with
them. “learners are more likely
to retsain motivation to learn
when their days allow them to
concentrate on tasks that are
relevant & make them feel
powerful” C.A. Tomlinson
(2005)
Examples of Low-prep DI
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Homework options
Computer programs
Think-pair-share
Activities based on student interest
Game for practice
Different questioning levels
Choice of activity/assignment
Options for student expression
Now does DI sound so scary? You probably
already do some of these things in your
classrooms now!
Examples of High-prep DI
 Tiered activities
 Independent study
 Organizers
 Stations
 Problem-based learning
 Interest groups
 Alternative assessments
 Complex instruction
Although a bit more planning is involved,
with a little effort you can soon be creating
amazing DI lessons!
How do I get started using DI?
 Many people are uncomfortable when
doing something that is new to them,
others find new approaches in the
classroom exciting and they dive in.
 The best way to start implementing DI
is in a manner comfortable to you.
 Start with low-prep activities, or highprep differentiated activities. JUST
START!
 “If you're not already differentiating,
begin. Give yourself three years,
incorporating just one or two ideas
per month.” – Rick Woemeli (2006)
Online DI Resources
 DI Rap http://youtu.be/Z9KKiNcXqKI?t=13s
 Just for fun, three elementary ed majors rap about DI
 Polk Public Schools. Differentiated Instruction.
http://www.polk-schools.com/differentiated.htm
 A great source of useful links for DI
 Read Write Think http://www.readwritethink.org
 Teacher resources for implementing DI
 teAchnology; How to differentiate instruction
http://www.teach-nology.com/tutorials/teaching/differentiate/
 Teacher resources, information and more links
Resources (for this presentation)
 Chapman, C. & King, R. (2005). Differentiated assessment
strategies. Thousand Oaks, CA. Corwin Press.
 Polk Public Schools. Differentiated Instruction.
http://www.polk-schools.com/differentiated.htm
 Tomlinson, C.A, (2001). How to differentiate in mixed
ability classrooms. (2nd edition) Alexandria, VA:
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
 Wormeli, Rick. (2006). Fair isn't always equal: Assessment
and grading in the differentiated classroom. Portland, ME:
Stenhouse.
Say goodbye to the ‘one size fits all’
approaches of the past and hello to
Differentiated Instruction!