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Differentiated Instruction

Why Differentiated Instruction?

Students exhibit a very broad range of capabilities, interests, and learningstyles. Even in the early grades, some children have very deep abstractthinking capabilities. Others find abstract reasoning and abstract thinkingfrustratingly challenging. At a very early stage, some youngsters are quiteinterested in the number system, reasoning processes, and intensively abstractapproaches to thinking about mathematics. Some students simply cannot getenough of mathematics. They want to stride through arithmetic in the sameway that a chocoholic gobbles through Nestles candy bars.Differentiated instruction affords all kids the possibility of equal challenge, ofallowing them to move forward at a pace that accommodates their interests,their willingness to work, and their current level of intellectual development.Some young people find the traditional textbook to be extremely repetitiveand boring. Others need that repetition. Differentiated instruction recognizesthat children are different and adjusts instruction toIndividual needs.

How to Think about Differentiated Instruction

There are many ways to manage the classroom to create a better fit formore learners, including those who are advanced. In general, interest-basedadjustments allow students to have a voice in deciding whether they willapply key principles being studied to math-oriented, literature-based, hobby-related, science-oriented, or history-associated areas. For example, instudying the American Revolution, one student might opt to write a shortstory about the life of a teenager during the Revolutionary period. Anothermight elect to apply key ideas about the American Revolution to aninvestigation of heroes then and now. Yet another might prefer to study waysin which the revolution affected the development of science.

Adjustments based on learning profile encourage students to understandtheir own learning preferences. For example, some students need a longer

period to reflect on ideas before beginning to apply them, while others preferquick action. Some students need to talk with others as they learn, whileothers need a quiet work space. Some students learn best as they tell storiesabout ideas being explored, others as they create mind maps, and still others

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as they construct three-dimensional representations. Some students may learnbest through a practical application of ideas, others through a more analyticalapproach.

Readiness-based adjustments can be created by teachers offering students arange of learning tasks developed along one or more of the followingcontinua:

8. Concrete to abstract. Learners advanced in a subject often benefitfrom tasks that involve more abstract materials, representations, ideas,or applications than less advanced peers.

9. Simple to complex. Learners advanced in a subject often benefitfrom tasks that are more complex in resources, research, issues,

problems, skills, or goals than less advanced peers.10.Basic to transformational. Learners advanced in a subject often

benefit from tasks that require greater transformation or manipulationof information, ideas, materials, or applications than less advancedpeers.

11.Fewer facets to multi-facets. Learners advanced in a subject oftenbenefit from tasks that have more facets or parts of their directions,connections within or across subjects, or planning and execution thanless advanced peers.

12.Smaller leaps to greater leaps. Learners advanced in a subject oftenbenefit from tasks that require greater mental leaps in insight,application, or transfers than less advanced peers.

13.More structured to more open. Learners advanced in a subject oftenbenefit from tasks that are more open in regard to solutions, decisions,and approaches than less advanced peers.

7. Quicker to slower. Learners advanced in a subject will sometimesbenefit from rapid movement through prescribed materials and tasks.At other times, they may require a greater amount of time with a givenstudy than less advanced peers so that they may explore the topic ingreater depth and/or breadth.

Preparing the School for Differentiated Instruction

True differentiated instruction in elementary mathematics, for example,involves acceleration. Acceleration requires cooperation across grades.Otherwise, children who have moved forward will ultimately find themselvesin a position where they have learned everything and thus sit in a classroommarking time. It is extremely important that differentiation result from acoordinated school-wide collaborative process.

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Grouping Strategies in Differentiated Instruction

Differentiation is facilitated if the school adopts grouping strategies. Forexample, young bright math students benefit from working with a group of

peers who share their interest. Unfortunately, many schools now purposelygroup kids across ability and interest levels in mathematics. Often a workinggroup will be purposely created which involves a top student, two middlestudents, and a struggling student. When this happens, grouping destroysany possibility of differentiation, because it forces the curriculum aroundtopics which the struggling student can comprehend. Here are some groupingstrategies worth thinking about:

1. Classroom grouping for instruction. The whole classroomis grouped.

2. Clustering. Within the classroom, students are clusteredinto four or five groups. Differentiation proceeds with eachcluster group

proceeding at a differentiated pace.3. Subject matter skipping. Some students are removed fromtheclassroom and sent to a different grade level for mathematics.4. High School Style Instruction. Students go to math roomat mathtime. Math only is grouped.

5. Flexible math grouping. The longitudinal instruction isgrouped;say three or four days a week. Students move through textbookmaterials on these days. Some days, however, students worktogether on cross-ability basis on problem solving or otheractivities.

Sources: Differentiated Instruction by Dr. Ron FergusonDifferentiation of Instruction by Dr. Gerald Von Korff

INSTRUCTIONAL AND MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FORDIFFERENTIATION

Source: Dr. Carol A.Tomlinson, UniversityVirginia

Strategy Description of Strategy

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COMPACTING A 3-step process that (1) assesses what a studentknows about material to be studied and what thestudent still needs to master, (2) plans for learningwhat is not known and excuses the student from whatis known and (3) plans for freed-up time to bespent in enriched or accelerated study.

INDEPENDENT PROJECTS Process through which student and teacher identifyProblems or topics of interest to the student. Both

Student and teacher plan a method of investigatingthe problem or topic and identifying the type ofproduct the student will develop. This productshould address the problem and demonstrate thestudents ability to apply skills and knowledge to theproblem or topic.

INTEREST CENTERS OR INTERESTGROUPS

Interest Centers(often used with younger students)and Interest Groups(often used with older studentstypically provide enrichment for students who candemonstrate mastery/competence with requiredwork. They are sometimes a vehicle for providingstudents with meaningful study when basicassignments are completed.

TIERED ASSIGNMENTS In a heterogeneous class, a teacher uses varied levelsof activities to ensorue that students explore ideasat a level that builds on their prior knowledge andprompts continued growth. Student groups use

varied approaches for exploration of essential ideas.

FLEXIBLE SKILLS GROUPING Students are matched to skills work by virtue ofreadiness, not with the assumption that all need thesame spelling task, computation drill, writingassignment, etc. Movement among groups iscommon, based on readiness on a given skill andgrowth in that skill.

LEARNING CENTERS Learning centers can be stations or collections ofmaterials learners use to explore topics or practiceskills. For gifted learners, learning centers shouldmove beyond cursory exploration of topics andpractice of basic skills, and should provide study ingreater breadth and depth on interesting andimportant topics.

HIGH-LEVEL QUESTIONS In class discussions and on tests, the teacher attemptsto ensure that the highly able learner is presentedwith questions that draw on advanced level of

information, require leaps of understanding, andchallenge thinking.

MENTORSHIPS/APPRENTICESHIPS The students works with a resource teacher, mediaspecialist, parent volunteer, or community memberto develop and carry out all or part of a project ortask. This is also a useful way to help studentsdevelop skills of production in a particular field.

DIFFERENTIATED LEARNINGWEB SITES

1. Curriculum Differentiation-http://www.ourworld.compreserve.com/homepages/farmer/gftsccurhtml

2. Lifelong Learning-http://www.ideas.uqam.ca/ideas/data/Papers/cepcepops0011.html

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3. Differentiated Curriculum-http://www.visicom.com/users/discovery/diff_curr.html

4. Learning and Teaching Style: In Theory and Practice.http://www.plsbookstore.com/catalog/pages/detail/book/v/0

5. Differentiated Learning: New York Projecthttp://www.sricboces.org/Goals2000/Item01.htm

6. Differentiated Learning: Videotapeshttp://www.ascd.org/pubs/new/video/03129701video.html

7. Concept/Knowledge Mapping:

http://www.spjc.cc.fl.us/0/SPNS/Lancraft/emapping.html

8. A glance: Differentiated Science Teachinghttp://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0335157068/school

9. Learning for All:http://www.misd.net/beal/eng/slinks/s003217.htm

10. Diffenentiated:http://www.k12.hi.us/%7elake/school/AGT/differentiated.html

DIFFERNETIATED INSTRUCTION-EXAMPLES

1. Self-contained class(4-12) in which all students are identifiedg/t; not honors classes.

2. Cluster Groups in heterogeneous classrooms receiveDifferentiation by g/t trained teacher.

3. Special School (4-12) includes school-within-school g/t

Includes pull-outs.

4. Resource Services-regular and/or short-term grouping ofg/t models.

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5. Seminar-discussion-based sessions on topics relevant tostudent needs, interests, abilities.

6. College Board AP or International baccalaureate(IB)Courses.

7. Travel Study Options-Academically-based US/foreign/travelPossible h.s./college credit.

8. Acceleration by Subject/Content-direct instruction in classBeyond assigned grade level.

9. Collaborative Services-G/T specialist works with identifiedg/t group in regular classroom.

10. Acceleration by Grade-Skipping

11. Instructional Modifications made for regular and specialeducation students in the regular classroom.