Differentiated Instructions: Content), How They Will Learn It, and /or How They Will Show What They Have

For whom do we differentiate and what is the grouping like:
1. Different types of learners: Auditory, Kinesthetic, etc. Since learners learn

differently we ensure that the activity reaches all learners and they learn
in their own preferred way effectively.
2. Ability types: Able learners not so able learners. Depending on the ability
of the learners they are given the task, so that they are not overwhelmed
by it or get bored by it.
Differentiated Instructions
It means that teachers proactively (On their own not jut what is planned, ongoing)
plan varied approached to what students need to learn (Related to objective or
content), how they will learn it, and /or how they will show what they have
learned (assessments) in order to increase the likelihood that each student will
learn as much he or she can (To reach the learners potential), as efficiently
(paying atnetion to the time used or the material or resources used) as possible
(Carol Tomlinson, 2003)
Differentiation is responsive teacher rather than one size fits all teaching.
(Tomlinson, 2005)
Carol Tomlinson : Has written quite a bit on differentiation. Read on what she
has said on line or her books.
Differentiation is a response teaching technique.
Guiding principles
 Quality curriculum (KUD) What the students need to know, Knowledge,

Skills Attitude, Behavior.
 Respectful Tasks
 Continual assessment
 Flexible grouping:
 Building Learning community
 Teaching up
DIFFERENTIATE THROUGH
 Content
 Process
 Affect: feeling or emotion as they learn
 Assessment/ product: How they show what they have learnt.
 Learning Environment: Entire environment which is contributing to their
learning
Cater to Students’: So we group them instead of making a specialized plan for
each child
 Interests
 Readiness: Different entry points for different children.
 Learning Styles: Or Learner profile : Could be MI or sternberge style, Type
of learner
Common Misconceptions
 No whole class instruction/ activity: We need to share whole class

activity. They are not always in groups, there are times when they are in
whole class. Sometimes it is not efficient to have them in groups.
 High level vs. low level abilities: Every child has strengths and weakness
and we should keep assessing them using FA;s and see them frequently
and see their skills. It’s about where they are about in that skill and lift
them up from there.
 I already differentiate! (Avoid using the word ‘Gifted’ or slow learners.
You can use the words higher, average or lower ability depending on the
subject or topic not generalized). It about being responsive and help them
when you see them. They are not differentiation. I know that everyone is
different and I am going to find out about it ahead of time and catering to
their need not just being responsive in the class.
 It is always about readiness: At times it may be about readiness. Often it is
about interests.
Refer: http://www.diffcentral.com/Video_Clips.html#journey
Using Multiple Intelligences
 8 different activities? Not needed – Choose to cater to 2 or 3

 Tasks must align to overall learning goal
 Tasks must be appropriately challenging – can ask students to move out
of comfort zone and try activities which is not in their preferred
intelligence (not to always stick to your preferred zone alone. You need to
stimulate all different intelligences. You need to develop them too. You want
to see them develop those too), but not when content is too new or too
challenging as well. Zone of Proximal Development. Ygotzky (check
spelling) with scaffold instruction by the peers, or teacher or the
resources gives the scaffolding.
Tiering Content
 Examine the standards or objectives as stated in the curriculum
framework.
 Identify KUD: Know Understand Do: Factual knowledge, time dates and
places, vocabulary etc. Conceptual understanding they need to know. We
identify the same in our MTP and we break down our overall objectives
from Cambridge into small parts. We need to add to the resources in our
plan to cater to it.
 Choose texts as appropriate reading levels for different learners. Use
supplemental non-fictional texts wherever required. Looking at different
texts for different learners.
 Make your own texts, if needed.
 Create apt tasks based on the texts.
By Process: Activating prior knowledge
Plan a quality APK: (Activating prior knowledge)

Strong APK must be open-minded
Serves to assess prior knowledge.
 Teacher Role: Director or Facilitator? Should be of a facilitator
 Number of students responding: a few or all? Responses should be
by all
 Student engagement and reflection.
 Higher Order thinking?
 Modalities – scatter questioning (might not be good, as you might
not get to all learners) or visual prompts, partner interaction?
 Connections to real life – making content relevant to all learners
Use APK: when you do APK do the following

 Any link/ spiraling to curriculum of previous grade levels
 Any link to other subject areas?
 Use data from APK to Scaffold instruction, tasks, support. You are not
changing the objectives but change the task or instructions for support.
 Use APK data to group students.
Process: Tiering a lesson

 Examine content – identify progression of skills
 Conduct formal and informal pre-assessments
 Determine entry point (student readiness) – above independent level and
below frustrations level
 Develop curriculum materials (resources) for different levels of student
readiness
Eg: Math Division Concept
 Use questions for divergent thinking
Process: Tiering through different tasks, different KUD

 Create different tasks to suit readiness
After a common APL activity like Anticipation Guide give differ tasks for
o Generating and testing hypothesis
o Nonlinguistic representation
o Similarities and Differences
o Summarizing and Note taking
o Closure
 Provide different Graphic Organizers for same task
Some tips
1. Start with KUD
2. ACTIVATE Prior knowledge
3. CHUNK the lesson
a. What is the student’s attention state or role for each activity? (note
taker, observer, listener, collaborator, presenter, etc0
b. How frequently should it change? Typically the general thumb rule
your chronological age +2 minutes
4. Build BREAKS
5. Use WELL-RESEARCHED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATERGIES
6. Provide different task folders, gift bags or tent cards.
Differentiation by product
See McTighe and Ferrara’s Framework of Assessment Approaches and Methods.
Checklist
o Which of these have you used to assess students?
Check: Last page of the pack.
Assessment
o Use authentic assessment sufficiently: It should be relevant and it should
match the objective
o Frame assessment based on thinking skills aligned with the objectives
o Matching assessments to student strengths
o Specify the criteria of assessment to learners
o Use rubrics and convey these prior to and after assessments to learners?
o Encourage self-assessments. Use it extensively. They need to use the same
criteria as we are going to use. Even assess peers, and give feed back
constructively. And this is an assessment of the process.
o Give options to students for choosing assessment tasks. Eg. Learning
Menu
o Grading: Performance, Process, Progress: Grading should performance
bases. Performance is based on the standard to the said grade level.
Process or Progress can be told orally. We do not process or progress
grade.
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For whom do we differentiate and what is the grouping like:

1. Different types of learners: Auditory, Kinesthetic, etc. Since learners learn

Differentiation is a response teaching technique.

 Quality curriculum (KUD) What the students need to know, Knowledge,

 No whole class instruction/ activity: We need to share whole class

Using Multiple Intelligences

 8 different activities? Not needed – Choose to cater to 2 or 3

By Process: Activating prior knowledge

Plan a quality APK: (Activating prior knowledge)

Use APK: when you do APK do the following

Process: Tiering a lesson

Process: Tiering through different tasks, different KUD

See McTighe and Ferrara’s Framework of Assessment Approaches and Methods.

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