Differentiation >

Definition – Differentiating instruction, or differentiation, is doing what’s fair for students. It’s 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. It requires us to do different things for different students some, or a lot, of the time. It’s whatever works to advance the student if the regular classroom approach doesn’t meet students’ needs. It’s highly effective teaching.

A Working Definition of Mastery 
"Students have mastered content when they demonstrate a thorough understanding as evidenced by doing something substantive with the content beyond merely echoing it. Anyone can repeat information; it’s the masterful student who can break content into its component pieces, explain it and alternative perspectives regarding it cogently to others, and use it purposefully in new situations," Rick Wormeli

An Example of Non-Mastery in the Language Arts Classroom
"The students can match each of the following parts of speech to its  definition accurately: noun, pronoun, verb, adverb, adjective, preposition, conjunction, gerund, and interjection," Rick Wormeli

An Example of Mastery in the Language Arts Classroom 
"The students can point to any word in the sentence and explain its role (impact) in the sentence, and explain how the word may change its role, depending on where it’s placed in the sentence," Rick Wormeli

 

 

Guest Post From Rick Wormeli: “Fair Isn’t Always Equal: $5 Bill on the Wall Technique” 
 by Larry Ferlazzo

Well-known educator and author sent some tweets out last week describing how to use an analogy in the classroom to help students understand differentiation. I thought it was useful (though one would have to be very careful to ensure that it doesn’t communicate that the kids for whom you do things differently are not “less smart” than others) and invited Rick to share it in more detail in this blog. He graciously agreed.

"Fair Isn’t Always Equal: $5 Bills on the Wall Technique" (Rick Wormeli, September 2012) Many of us tell our students, “Fair isn’t always equal,” in response to their claims of justices miscarried, but we need to f ind ways to make the principle clear and meaningf ul to students. While working at a middle school in Naples, Maine years ago, one teacher shared this wonderf ul technique with me, and I’ve used it successf ully with both students and colleagues on repeated occasion ever since, augmenting as necessary: Place two $5 bills, or anything your students would find prize worthy, high up on a classroom wall, so high up, only the tallest student in the class, leaping, can reach them. Ask f or volunteers: “Anyone who can leap up and reach one of those bills, can have it f or f ree, no strings attached.” When the hands of volunteers go up, choose the tallest student. He, or if in middle school, more likely, she, goes up to the wall, jumps, grabs one of the bills, and returns to her seat.

Ask for another volunteer to go for the second bill. This time, choose the shortest person in the room. He makes his attempt to grab the bill, but can’t quite reach it. He moves across the room to grab a chair, but stop him from doing so: “You may not use a chair; that would be unfair. Your classmate did it under her own power, without any assistance. You must do the same.” The class erupts in complaint: “That’s not fair! He should be allowed to use the chair! He can’t help how tall he is,” they say. Act like you’re pondering their argument, then say, “Okay, give me your best reasons for allowing him to use a chair or any form of assistance in reaching that $5 when your other classmate did not use any assistance. How can that be fair?”

Let students confer with one another, then offer their rationale. Af ter listening to them argue their case, relent, which is what you were going to do anyway, and let the student use the chair and grab the second $5 bill. After this demonstration with my students, I never again have to explain why I’d do dif f erent things with dif ferent students in order to get everyone in the class to the same high standard set f or the class, and that includes changing deadlines, levels of support, rates of learning, tools used, and varying assessments. They get it: fair isn’t always equal, and thank goodness the teacher is fair.

When using this technique, make sure to choose someone for the second volunteer who is good natured and accepts his shorter height without issue. If necessary, talk with the student ahead of time, inviting him to play this role in the class lesson. Thank both student volunteers for being good natured and helping you to make the point in the lesson. Make sure, too, to have a classroom culture where dif f erences are considered strengths, not weaknesses. ‘Easy to say, harder to do, I know. With students, build an expectation and skill set for perseverance and problem-solving, too. A culture of students assisting with instruction and affirming differences as positives limits the chance of negative feelings at being singled out for something so important to students (physical growth) yet beyond their control.

If using students is uncomfortable, ask adult volunteers to assist you in the demonstration, or choose a situation that focuses on a trait of less personal nature or dif f erent category altogether, such as a specific skill or knowledge base. The goal is to be so vivid and clear with the message that all students are engaged and see the value of differentiating instruction when needed. We need to clear their heads of the notion that always equal means always credible, or that standardizing learning experiences are always effective. With experiences like this one, students build community and advocate for one another. With both, the path to learning is a little clearer.

 

Real-World Differentiation Strategies
by Scott Sterling 

Originally posted Tuesday, October 1, 2013

We would all like to be differentiation rock stars, where every student that walks in our door has an experience tailored to them.  Background learning gaps or achievement gaps simply don't exist.

Perhaps that’s possible with unlimited funding, unlimited class time, and/or smaller class sizes, but those of us in the real world need to operate within our means. Nevertheless, there are still some things to do to upgrade the differentiation experience for each student that cost very little money, time, or manpower.

Stack the small group decks

Nowhere in No Child Left Behind does it say that when students work in groups that they should be able to work with their friends. Allowing them to pick their own groups actually works against many educational goals. Group students by ability, then make sure each of those categories is represented in the working groups. Suddenly each group has it’s own high-performing mini-teacher.

If you’re really sneaky, you can even give the kids the impression that the groups are random by allowing them to choose cards out of a stacked deck or a similar strategy to give them ownership of the groups without giving them ownership of the groups.

Choice = Differentiation

A key component of differentiation strategies is giving the students as much choice in their learning experience as possible. Not only does choice increase their feeling of ownership of the task, but the students will naturally choose based on their ability levels.

A simplistic example: say you assign some sort of biography project, where the objective is working on research skills. The high-performing student might choose to challenge themselves with someone like Theodore Roosevelt, while the struggling student might choose the typical sports star or musician. It doesn’t matter; both learn the same research strategies.

Give project-based learning a try

Project-based learning, or PBL, focuses the students on real-world projects rather than just rote memorization or skills practice. The ideal projects are those that are slightly out of the educational reach of everyone in the class. The students work together methodically—sometimes in groups, sometimes individually—to accomplish the goal of the project. Background skills and knowledge are dispensed at the proper times throughout the unit, so no one has an advantage.

The differentiation is simple: PBL is a level playing field where everyone is working in unknown territory toward a common goal. There are some deliverables throughout the unit, but they are not dependent on background knowledge or skills. By working hard, struggling learners will have the same opportunity as high performers.

 

Source URL: http://blog.edmentum.com/real-world-differentiation-strategies

 

from The Co-Teaching Book of Lists
Katherine D. Perez (Author), Harry K. Wong (Foreword)

Checklist of Accommodations and Modifications (List 8.9) 

 *Highlighted = Some of Mr. Cafaro's favorites

Classroom Environment

  • Use proximity and get close to student when giving directions
  • Seat student up front near the teacher and the board
  • For students who are highly distractible and have attention problems, use a study carrel
    (made of trifold cardboard from office supply store)
  • Arrange classroom for greater visibility, accessibility, movement, and flexibility

Giving Lectures and Presenting Lessons

  • Provide visual reinforcement (e.g., charts, posters, graphs, and overheads)
  • Provide written backup to oral directions
  • Give student an outline or study guide to follow as an advance organizer
  • Highlight the instructions (e.g., Mark-It-Up strategy)
  • Ask student to repeat instructions to you or to another student for greater clarity
  • Give clear and concise objectives (i.e., learning targets)
  • Pause and question throughout the lesson (i.e. Clarifying & Questioning)
  • Engage students in sharing with learning partners what they learned at frequent intervals
       (e.g., Think-Pair-Share strategy)
  • Use flash cards or cards with key concepts
  • Give explanations in small, sequenced steps
  • Alternate verbal directions with written tasks for greater comprehension
  • Interject humor and stories
  • Preteach key vocabulary and concepts
  • Do an activator strategy to engage students and to tap into their background knowledge about the topic
       (e.g., KWL; Connector)
  • Repeat important ideas throughout the lesson, pausing to check for comprehension
       (i.e., Pause & Reflect; Clarify & Question)


Presentation of Lessons

  • Adjust student workload or reduce the number of assignments
  • Give a choice of alternate assignments related to objectives
  • Provide clear objectives and outcomes (i.e., learning targets)
  • Explain evaluation criteria for the lesson or assignment
  • Use hands-on materials to demonstrate lesson
  • Positively acknowledge students' efforts often
  • Remind students to stay on task and focus (e.g., Stop Dots; verbal prompts)


Note-Taking Strategies

  • Provide student with a copy of lecture notes with key ideas highlighted
  • Allow student to tape-record lessons and discussions
  • Arrange for another student to be a note-taker
  • Teach students note-taking strategies
  • Have students discuss main ideas with learning partners (e.g., Think-Pair-Share strategy)
  • Allow time for periodic review of notes


Organizational Techniques

  • Have student keep assignment notebook and calendar of assignment due dates (e.g., student agenda)
  • Develop a daily schedule for the student or at least an agenda for your class (e.g., Module # dates)
  • Have a check-in time at the beginning of the day to get organized
       (e.g., daily agenda posted with "Students will need...")
  • Develop a parent-school communication log and/or contract (e.g., ProgressBook with comments)
  • Provide skill-building sessions on time management
  • Give sessions on test-taking skills and strategies (e.g., weekly OAA practice)

Layout of Written Materials

  • Is the material clear and visually appealing?
  • Can students read it easily or do you need to enlarge the type?
  • Avoid a crowded worksheet—is there adequate white space?
  • Divide worksheets into sections for specific types of problems
  • Is there too much text on the page?
  • Is the text sharp and clear?
  • Are there multiple activities and tasks on one page?
  • Offer several choices for the format of projects (not just written reports)
  • Use a gamelike format to navigate text


Textbook Considerations

  • Use supplemental informational texts that are more accessible
  • Obtain textbooks on tape from Learning Ally (formerly Recordings for the Blind) or Audible
  • Provide prediction questions in advance (e.g., Reading Guide predictions)
  • Have students look at headings and turn them into questions to stimulate a need to know
       (e.g., Reading Guide questions)
  • Shorten the amount of required reading (e.g., SQUIRT Score Guide for 100 pages or 2 hours)
  • Allow students extra time for reading text (e.g., own hardcopy and digital copy online)
  • Demonstrate skimming and scanning techniques (e.g., finding in-text answers)
  • Have students use sticky notes so they can code their text as they read and flag VIPs, very important points
       (e.g., Mark-It-Up strategy; INSERT strategy)
  • Use plastic report covers to cover pages of text
  • Use ruler or straight-edge to track pace
  • Provide student with erasable markers to underline focus or key ideas (i.e. Mark-It-Up strategy)


Content Issues

  • Limit the number of problems or examples per page (e.g., Top Unfamiliar WTK)
  • Is all the material necessary?
  • Arrange problems appropriately on page with adequate space between items
  • Do not give students multiple assignments at once—just one direction or assignment at a time
  • Is the reading level appropriate?
  • Is the content presented in small segments? How can you adjust for that?
  • Have students create a word bank of key vocabulary words before the reading (e.g., Word Sort)
  • Are the objectives clear? (i.e., learning targets posted in student-friendly language)
  • Does the content focus on the students' strengths and learning style? (e.g., Multiple Intelligences)


Directions

  • Does each section have different directions and specific examples?
  • Are the directions clear and concise?
  • Is the sentence structure simple and straightforward?
  • Do the students understand the language and terms used? (i.e., student-friendly language)
  • Are the steps appropriate to the student's readiness level?


Grouping Structures

  • Peer tutoring
  • Learning partners (e.g., Think-Pair-Share strategy)
  • Small groups
  • Study buddy
  • Cross-age tutoring
  • Paraprofessional help
  • Teach student to monitor his or her own behavior
  • Implement independent study
  • Develop a behavior contract (e.g., XCS Pre-Referral Intervention Manual)


Alternative Evaluation Procedures

  • Use short, frequent quizzes (e.g., 2-week Modules)
  • Does the test begin with an easier question? (e.g., scaffolding)
  • Is performance assessment an option?
  • Does the student have enough time to finish?
  • Are there ways to differentiate the assessment? (e.g., verbally, on tape, in a different location, or at a different time)
  • Reduce the number of test items
  • Arrange for verbal testing (e.g., scaffolding)
  • Practice taking similar test questions with a similar format (e.g., test-taking strategies for CRQ; M/C questions)
  • What kinds of questions are used? Recall? Recognition? Inference?
  • Have paraprofessional administer test
  • Adjust grading criteria according to individual ability
  • Adjust evaluation process to pass/not pass

 

 

Browse this eBook about Executive Function prepared by
The National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD)


eBook prepared by The National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) on Executive Function