DIFFERENTIAL

LEARNING

DIFFERENTIAL INSTRUCTIONS
AND SUPORT STRATEGIES

REACH AND TEACH ALL

CHILDREN

When a teacher tries to teach something to the entire

class at the same time, chances are, one-third of the
kids already know it; one-third will get it; and the
remaining third wont. So two-thirds of the children
are wasting their time.
- Lillian Katz

How are we bridging the

gap?

IF CHILDREN CANT LEARN THE WAY WE TEACH,

WE SHOULD TEACH THEM THE WAY THEY LEARN.

THE WHY AND

HOW OF
DIFFERENTIATED
LEARNING AND
INSTRUCTION

WORKSHOP OBJECTIVES
Reflect on the changes in
education that impact student
learning
Make connections between
where we have been and where
we are going
Explore differentiated
learning and instruction as an
effective teaching practice

SHIFT IN EDUCATION

Change is constant in education. What

teaching practices have you explored
in an attempt to address the changing
needs of your students?
Curriculum
Instruction

Assessment

PARADIGM SHIFT IN EDUCATION:

CURRICULUM
Traditional
Major

focus on
content
Content acquisition
Lock step progress

Evolving
Content

& process

balance
Learning to learn
Continuous
progress

PARADIGM SHIFT IN EDUCATION:

INSTRUCTION
Traditional
Teacher-centered
Single

textbook
Single instructional
approach
Passive learning

Evolving
Child-centered
Theme

based
learning
Multiple
approaches to
instruction
Active learning

PARADIGM SHIFT IN EDUCATION:

ENVIORNMENT
Traditional
Competitive
System level management
Supervision of learners
Hierarchical structures

Evolving
Cooperative
School-site
management
Empowerment of
learners
Professional/collegial
structures

STUDENTS NEED TO BECOME

Independent
Active
Self-organizing
Responsible
Empowered

LETS DEFINE
DIFFERENTIATED
INSTRUCTION

Differentiating instruction is doing whats

fair for students. It means creating
multiple paths so that students of
different abilities, interests, or learning
needs experience equally appropriate ways
to learn.

Meeting the Needs of all Learners

Differentiation is making
sure the right students get
the right learning tasks.

Differentiation
Differentiation
philosophy
isis aa philosophy
that enables
enables teachers
teachers to
to plan
plan
that
strategically in
in order
order to
to
strategically
reach the
the needs
needs of
of diverse
diverse
reach
learners in
in the
the classrooms.
classrooms.
learners

DIFFERENTIATION IS NOT
individualized instruction for each student.
homogeneously grouping children as Bluebirds,
and Buzzards.
chaotic.
giving more of the same.
expecting more of advanced learners than of
typical learners.
expecting less of struggling learners than of
typical learners.
a substitute for specialized services.
new

DIFFERENTIATION IS
shaking up what goes on in the classroom.
proactively planning for students.
more quality rather than simply more of the
same thing.
being student centered.
evolutionary with both students and teachers as
learners.
a mixture of whole-class, group and individual
instruction.
responsive teaching rather than one size fits all.

DIFFERENTIATION IS
starting where kids are rather than with a
cookie-cutter approach.
effective attention to student differences rooted in
an environment of mutual respect, safety,
emphasis on individual growth, and shared
responsibility for learning.
continuously raising the stakes for success for all
students.
redefining fair as trying to make sure each
child gets what they need to grow and succeed.

DIFFERENTIATION
INSTRUCTION (DI)
IS

NOT

Individualized Instruction

Reading
Assignments
Taught Skill Practice

Different

Multiple

Intelligences
Learning Styles

Tailoring the Same Suit of Clothes

One-Size-Fits-All Instruction Does NOT Reach All
Learners

Student Centered

Blend of Whole-Class, Group and

Individual Instruction
Flexible and Responsive
Learners of Multiple Abilities CAN BE
Educated Together
PROACTIVE

Differentiate? What?
Content & Materials
Process & Strategies
Assessment & Assignments
Time
Based on readiness and interests

WHY
DIFFENTIATION?
RATIONALE FOR
DIFFERENTIATED
INSTRUCTION

THE RATIONALE FOR

DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION
STUDENT DIVERSITY

Aptitude

Achievement

Interest

Motivation

Needs

Ability

THE RATIONALE FOR

DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION
Different levels
of readiness

Different Interests

THE RATIONALE FOR

DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION
Different Ability Levels

Different Cognitive Needs

WHAT TO
DIFFERENCTIATE ?

TEACHERS CAN DIFFERENTIATE

ACCORDING TO .
The content
The process

The product

CONTENT
What

we teach and
How we give Students access to the
Information and Ideas that matter

DIFFERENTIATING CONTENT
Resource materials at varying readability levels
Audio and video recordings
Highlighted vocabulary
Charts and models
Interest centers
Varied manipulatives and resources
Peer and adult mentors

PROCESS

HOW STUDENTS COME TO UNDERSTAND

AND OWN THE KNOWLEDGE,
UNDERSTANDING AND SKILLS

DIFFERENTIATING PROCESS

(MAKING SENSE AND MEANING OF CONTENT)

Use leveled or tiered activities

Interest centers
Hands-on materials
Vary pacing according to readiness
Allow for working alone, in partners, triads, and
small groups
Allow choice in strategies for processing and for
expressing results of processing

PRODUCTS
HOW

A STUDENT DEMONSTRATES
WHAT HE OR SHE HAS COME TO
KNOW UNDERSTAND AND DO

DIFFERENTIATING PRODUCTS

(SHOWING WHAT IS KNOW AND ABLE TO BE DONE)

Tiered product choices

Model, use and encourage student use of
technology within products and presentations
Provide product choices that range in choices
from all multiple intelligences, options for gender,
culture, and race
Use related arts teachers to help with student
products

PRODUCT POSSIBILITIES

HOW TO BRING
DIFFENTIATION ?
Strategies to Make
Differentiation Work

LEARNING CYCLE & DECISION FACTORS

USED IN PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTING
DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION

STRATEGIES TO MAKE
DIFFERENTIATION WORK
1.

Tiered Instruction
Changing the level of complexity or required
readiness of a task or unit of study in order to
meet the developmental needs of the students
involved.

TIERING
Key Concept
Or
Understanding

ose who do not know the

Those
concept
with some understanding
Those who understand the con

WHAT CAN BE TIERED?

Processes, content and

products
Assignments

Homework
Learning stations

Assessments

Writing prompts
Anchor activities

Materials

WHAT CAN WE ADJUST?

Level of complexity
Amount of structure
Pacing
Materials
Concrete to abstract
Options based on student interests
Options based on learning styles

TIERING INSTRUCTION
1.
2.
3.

Identify the standards, concepts, or

generalizations you want the students to learn.
Decide if students have the background
necessary to be successful with the lesson.
Assess the students readiness, interests, and
learning profiles.

TIERING INSTRUCTIONS
4.

5.

6.

Create an activity or project that is

clearly focused on the standard, concept
or generalization of the lesson.
Adjust the activity to provide different
levels or tiers of difficulty that will lead
all students to an understanding.
Develop an assessment component for
the lesson. Remember, it is on-going!

STRATEGIES TO MAKE
DIFFERENTIATION WORK
2.

Anchoring Activities
These are activities that a student may do at
any time when they have completed their
present assignment or when the teacher is
busy with other students. They may relate to
specific needs or enrichment opportunities,
including problems to solve or journals to
write. They could also be part of a long term
project.

STRATEGIES TO MAKE
DIFFERENTIATION WORK
3.

Flexible Grouping
This allows students to be appropriately
challenged and avoids labeling a students
readiness as a static state. It is important to
permit movement between groups because
interest changes as we move from one subject
to another

EBB AND FLOW OF EXPERIENCES

(TOMLINSON)

Back and forth over time or

course of unit

Individual Small Group

Group
Individual

Whole Group

Small

FLEXIBLE GROUPING
Homogenous/Ability

-Clusters students of
similar abilities, level,
learning style, or interest.
-Usually based on some
type of pre-assessment

Heterogeneous Groups

-Different abilities, levels

or interest
- Good for promoting
creative thinking.

Individualized or
Independent Study

-Self paced learning

-Teaches time
management and
responsibility
-Good for remediation or
extensions

Whole Class

-Efficient way to present

new content
-Use for initial instruction

STRATEGIES TO MAKE
DIFFERENTIATION WORK
4.

Compacting Curriculum

Compacting the curriculum means

assessing a students knowledge and skills,
and providing alternative activities for the
student who has already mastered
curriculum content. This can be achieved by
pre-testing basic concepts or using
performance assessment methods. Students
demonstrating they do not require
instruction move on to tiered problem
solving activities while others receive
instruction.

WHAT DIFFERENTIATION IS

Student Centered

Best practices

Different approaches

Multiple approaches to content, process, and

product

3 or 4 different
activities

A way of thinking and planning

Flexible grouping

WHAT DIFFERENTIATION ISNT

One Thing

A Program

35 different plans for one classroom

The Goal

Hard questions for

some and easy for
others

A chaotic classroom

Just homogenous grouping

IN SUMMARY..
What is fair isnt always equal
and
Differentiation gets us away from one
size fits all approach to curriculum and
instruction that doesnt fit anyone

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Campbell, Bruce. The Multiple Intelligences Handbook: Lesson
Plans and More. Stanwood, WA. 1996.
Daniels, Harvey and Bizar. (2005). Teaching The Best Practice Way:
Methods that Matter, K-12. Portland, Maine: Stenhouse
Publishers.
Gregory, Gayle. Differentiated Instructional Strategies in Practice.
Thousand Oaks, CA. 2003.
Tomlinson, Carol Ann. The Differentiated Classroom. Alexandria,
VA: ASCD. 1995.
Wormeli, Rick. Fair Isnt Always Equal: Assessment and Grading in
the Differentiated Classroom, Stenhouse Publishers, 2006.

RESEARCH

Confirms what teachers have always known:

No two children are alike.
No two children learn in the identical
way.
An enriched environment for one student
is not necessarily enriched for another.
In the classroom we should teach children
to think for themselves.
--Marian Diamond

DIFFERENTIATION
IS NOT
Tracking
A New Strategy
Static
Teaching to the
Middle
Synonymous
with
Individualization

CLIMATE
Effective

teachers believe that all children

can learn and be successful.

Effective

teachers create a climate where

all students feel included.

Effective

teachers feel that there is

potential in each learner and commit to
finding the key that will unlock that
potential.

KNOWING THE LEARNER

We need to know the learner so that we can
make sure that the curriculum fits.
We need to know how students access,
process, and express information

We

need to know their learning

styles.
We need to know their thinking
styles.

ASSESSING THE LEARNER

Just as one size of learning doesnt fit all,
one size of assessment doesnt suit either.
We need to pre-assess the learner so that
we can find out what they already know.
We need to assess during the learninguse ongoing assessments.
We need to assess after the learning.

ADJUSTABLE ASSIGNMENTS

Allow teachers to help students focus on

essential skills and understanding key
concepts, recognizing that they may be at
different levels of readiness.
Students have the opportunity to develop
essential skills and understanding at his
or her appropriate level of challenge.

Total Group

Curriculum
Compacting

Partner

Grouping

Content

Adjustable
Assignments

Instructional
Strategies
Cooperative
Learning

Graphic
Organizers

Alone
Small Group

INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

Teachers who use a variety of

instructional strategies add
novelty, choice, and individuality
to learning.

As teachers build their repertoire of

instructional strategies, they will see how
they can adjust the learning for a group
of learners and how different strategies
appeal to different learners.

CURRICULUM APPROACHES

Curriculum can be delivered in many

ways so that it will appeal to individual
learners
Centers

Projects

or stations

Problem-based
Inquiry

Contracts

learning

ADAPTATIONS IN

Content
Process
Product

CONTENT
Multiple texts
Varied time
Contracts
Compacting
Group investigation

PROCESS

Learning centers
Multiple intelligences
Graphic organizers
Simulations
Learning logs

PRODUCT
Independent study
Communitybased projects
Multiple intelligence-based orientations
Presentations
Arts
Multimedia

A NEW DIRECTION

Teachersguide
studentsdownmany
pathstoacommon
destination
MaryAnneHess

Differentiated instruction is not a strategy to be

used from time to time, not a bag of tricks
approach.
Its a way of thinking about teaching and
learning.
~ Carol Ann Tomlinson~

Differentiated instruction means shaking up what

goes on in the classroom so that students have
multiple options for taking in information, making
sense of ideas, and expressing what they learn.
Carol Ann Tomlinson

Differentiated
Classroom: What is it?
Differentiated instruction is not
a strategy to be used from time to
time, not a bag of tricks
approach.
Its a way of thinking about
teaching and learning.
~ Carol Ann Tomlinson~