Differentiated Instruction workshop

Our district is sponsoring a variety of workshops they expect teachers to attend this summer. Three major topics: the new state standards, differentiated instruction (DI) and inclusivity. I recently attended the DI workshop and wanted to share some thoughts and resources. Kristi Coggin, an instructional facilitator with MNPS shared this information in her workshop.

What is Differentiated Instruction?

• A collection of best practices strategically employed to maximize students’ learning at every turn, including giving them the tools to handle anything that is undifferentiated.
• Highly effective teaching.
• Requires us to do different things for different students, based upon individual student needs.
• Whatever works to advance the student when the regular classroom approach doesn’t meet students’ needs.
• Designed to tap into different student readiness levels, interests, and learning profiles.
• Teaching different students the content in different ways, based on how students learn.
• a Philosophy

With DI the philosophy you believe:

• All students have areas of strength.
• All students have areas of weakness.
• Every brain is as unique as a fingerprint.
• Each student brings prior knowledge and experience to a new learning situation.
• Emotions impact learning.
• Learning is a lifetime journey.
• All students can learn.

Learning is based on a person’s

• Preferred Learning Style
• Experiences
• Interests

Ways to Identify Differentiated Classrooms

• Content is delivered with varied styles (i.e. technology, direct instruction, small groups, one-on-one, lesson planning, etc.)
• Assessment is on-going and varied including closure activities.
• Performance Tasks should reflect the need of the learner.
• Instructional Strategies should be varied and engaging to all learners.

As a school librarian, I have no trouble identifying with these traits. I do hold those beliefs and I advocate for a variety of attacks when it comes to content, process, product, and assessment. So what did I benefit the most from this training? Choice Boards, student ownership of their learning (an AASL 21st Century Learner standard/disposition), and the assessment tools. I particularly liked these assessment tables:

Assessment Tools for DI Informal

Before	During	After
1. Squaring Off	1. Thumb It!	1. Talking Topics
2. Boxing	2. Fist of Five	2. Conversation Circles
3. Yes/No Cards	3. Face the Fact	3. Donut
4. Graffiti Facts	4. ABCD Cards	4. Agree/Disagree Cards

Assessment Tools for DI Formal

Before	During	After
1. Written Pre-test	1. Journaling	1. Charts
2. KWL	2. Learning Board	2. Table Pass
3. Journaling	3. Teacher-made Tests	3. Journaling
4. Surveys	4. Portfolios	4. Post Tests
5. Inventories	5. Checklists	5. Portfolio Conferences
	6. Rubric
	7. Effective Question

Internet Resources collected by Kristi Coggin:

Lessons/Activities

• http://www.internet4classrooms.com/di.htm
• http://www.nps.k12.nj.us/Special%20Education/Training%20Modules/Access%20Folder/Differentiated%20Learning/Differentiated%20Instruction%20-%20Introduction.htm
• http://www.uhseport.net/published/k/sh/kshaw/collection/1/
• http://cte.ed.gov/acrn/parents/learnstyle.htm  
• http://www.jigsaw.org
• http://www.cast.org/publications/ncac/ncac_diffinstruc.html
• http://people.virginia.edu/~mws6u/diff/resources.htm#

Music

• http://www.theteacherscorner.net/lesson-plans/music/index.htm
• http://www.teach-nology.com/teachers/lesson_plans/music/
• http://musiced.about.com/od/lessonsandtips/a/languagearts.htm

Other resources  I found to support further study of Differentiated Instruction:
The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners by Carol Ann Tomlinson. 
Kagan Publishing has a list and I’d recommend everything by Carol Ann Tomlinson – http://kaganonline.com/Catalog/DifferentiatedInstruction1.html 

CAST (Center for Applied Special Technology) has a book list. 
http://www.frsd.k12.nj.us/rfmslibrarylab/di/differentiated_instruction.htm
http://www.scusd.edu/gate_ext_learning/differentiated.htm
http://www.learnerslink.com/curriculum.htm
http://webhost.bridgew.edu/kdobush/strategies%20for%20teaching%20reading/handbook/diff_inst/differentiated%20instruction.htm

Teachers, Change Your Bait! Brain-Compatible Differentiated Instruction by Martha Kaufeldt. 2005, Crown Publishing Ltd. ISBN: 1904424619
http://www.newhorizons.org/strategies/differentiated/front_differentiated.htm

We used this article in the workshop. The principals involved loved it and are planning to have all faculty members read it at the beginning of the year inservices. 
Wilmes, Barbara, Lauren Harrington, Patty Kohler-Evans, and David Sumpter. "Coming to our senses: incorporating brain research findings into classroom instruction." Education Digest 74.3 (Nov 2008): 24(5). 

What are Choice Boards? Teacher designed choices in a variety of formats (organizers) that allow students more choice in how they share their learning. Here are some examples:

http://daretodifferentiate.wikispaces.com/Choice+Boards

Differentiating Math http://www.trenton.k12.nj.us/mathhelponline/choice_board.htm 

From Parajo Valley’s GATE http://www.pvusd.net/departments/GATE/choiceboards.php 

An example of a Medieval Choice Board: http://mrsgannon.wordpress.com/2009/03/13/my-first-game-show-menu/medieval-choice-projects/ Be sure to click the link to download the word document.

An easier to read site on Responsive Teaching and Best Practices with DI  http://www.webster.k12.mo.us/education/components/docmgr/default.php?sectiondetailid=40880&PHPSESSID=62950136ca79d8f4fd8b53928385710c 

Differentiation in the Real World discussion on Tic-Tac-Toe/ Choice Board  http://www.epd86.org/Glendale/Differentiation%20in%20the%20Real%20World/differentiation_in_the_real_world_strategies_tic-tac-toe_choice_boards.htm