Post on 01-Jun-2015
description
A Pathway to Differentiation: Differentiating a Lesson Plan
Sean M. HildebrandtSecondary High Potential Specialist
Shakopee Public SchoolsShakopee, MN 55379
Phone: (952) 496-5768Email: shildebr@shakopee.k12.mn.us
Differentiated
Instruction
Differentiation is best practiceoTeachers teach better when they
systematically study their students (Souza & Tomlinson, 2011) to create differentiated, learner- centered classrooms.
oDifferentiated instruction increases stimulation by responding to students’:
ReadinessInterests and/orIndividual learning profiles
oBrain studies suggest stimulating environments maximize
learning (Rao, 2010; Shaw,
2006)
Differentiation defined:Differentiation is a teacher’s response to learner needs shaped by mindset and guided by general principles. Teachers can differentiate through content, process, or product according to students’ readiness, interest, or learning profile.
- Carol Ann Tomlinson (1999)
Before Differentiating…Consider the Content & Literacy
standard(s) being addressed. Will all students learn the same material? (Content)
Consider the students ability levels. Can you teach the material in the same way to all students? (Process)
Consider the assessments. How will students demonstrate mastery? (Pre/Form/Sum & Product)
…More ConsiderationsConsider the physical
environment. What conditions are needed for the lesson?
Consider classroom behaviors. Will affective issues interrupt the lesson?
Consider materials available. Will materials force changes in the process?
Differentiating for Content What is being taught? Select the
common core (literacy/content) standards to address
Pre-assess to identify students prior knowledge base
Design flexible opportunities via: Alternative mini-lessonsEnrichment projectsAccelerate curriculum
Tools: Learning contracts, curriculum compactor, richer & deeper text
Differentiating for ProcessProcess: How the students are
taught.Plan varied activities based on:
Readiness: matching complexity of a task to student's level of skill and understanding
Interest: give topic choices so that students make personal connections to a specified goal.
Learning profile: match activity to student’s identified learning modality or interest, or intelligence preference. Bloom’s New Taxonomy
Differentiating for ProductProduct: How the
demonstrate content or skill mastery.
Design project menus that take student interests & learning
preferences into account
Tools: Tic-Tac-Toe menus & project matrixes
ideabackpack.blogspot.com
Product Matrix
ReferencesDifferentiation & the Brain: How Neuroscience Supports the
Learner Friendly Classroom, David A. Sousa & Carol A. Tomlinson. (2011).
Shaw, P., Greenstein, D., Lerch, J., Clasen, I., Lenroot, R., Gogtay, N., et al. (2006). Intellectual ability and cortical development in children and adolescents. Nature, 440, 676-679.
Rao, H., Betancourt, L., Giannetta, J. M., Brodsky, N. L., Korczykowski, M., Avants, B. B., et al. (2010). Early parental care is important for hippocampal maturation: Evidence from brain morphology in humans. Neurolmage, 49, 1144-1150.