What is Differentiated Instruction?

1. What is Differentiated Instruction? By: Ashley Moscaritolo 8th Grade Science

2. 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

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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)

7. Examples of Low-prep DI • 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!

8. 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!

9. 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 high-prep 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)

10. 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

11. 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.

12. Say goodbye to the ‘one size fits all’ approaches of the past and hello to Differentiated Instruction!