While we are in the 21st Century, most of the time, we as teachers are not using technology in our classrooms all day long. Here are five (plus one) suggestions to use to differentiate instruction in your classroom on a daily basis. www.theRTC.net

1. Differentiated
Instruction
Presentation based on the course
“Differentiated Instruction” available
from the Regional Training Center as
a 3 credit graduate course in
face2face locations and online.

2. “Teachers begin where students
are, not at the beginning of the
curriculum."
Carol Ann Tomlinson

3. Would you differentiate for . . .
• Someone who is
too short to reach
a shelf?
• Someone who is
blind?
• Someone who is
deaf?
• Someone in a
wheelchair?

5. 1. Scaffolding
(A Readiness Technique)
• Temporary support or guidance
• Steps – on board, index card, chart
paper
• Tasks – “First do this and then . . .”
• Materials – websites, dictionaries,
graphic organizers, etc
• Personal support – “Look on page
three, column one, paragraph two. . .”

6. Scaffolding
• Reduces a task’s complexity
by structuring it into
manageable pieces.
• The degree of scaffolding changes with
the abilities of the learner, the goals of
instruction and the complexity of the task.
• Gradual and planned removal of the
scaffolding occurs as the learner becomes
more successful and independent.

7. 2. Use Anchor Activities
• Anchor activities are ongoing assignments that
students can work on independently throughout
a unit, a grading period, or longer.
• Their purpose is to provide meaningful work for
students when they finish an assignment or
project, when they first enter the class or when
they are “stumped.”
• The tasks are tied to the content area and
instruction and free the classroom teacher to
work with other groups of students or individuals.

8. Guidelines for Anchors
• Used for any subject, whole class assignments, small group
or individual assignments, tiered to meet readiness levels, or
interdisciplinary for use across content areas.
• Works best when expectations are clear and tasks are taught
and practiced prior to use;
• When students are held accountable for on task behavior
and/or task completion, AND
• Ground rules are established.
• Tasks must have clear instructions, materials, responsibilities,
checkpoints, and expectations (rubric, checklists).

9. 3. Use Cards
(Readiness technique)
Predetermined prompts related to the
content of the day’s lesson. They are used
to…
• Gather information on student readiness,
interests, and/or learning profiles.
• Guide future instruction
• Make decisions regarding how to place
students into effective and instructionally
relevant flexible groups

10. Cards - examples
• Name the two countries that border the United
States.
• Label the 5 main parts of the microscope.
• Find and correct 4 mistakes in this sentence.
John Mom and me are gone two the store.
• Name 3 things you learned today about
___________________________.
• Give two ways________________ is like
_______________________.
• What is one question you still have about
_______________________?

11. Criteria for Differentiation
Teachers should
• Be proactive, not reactive
• Consider that there are different
learners in the room with individual
needs
• Focus on helping students learn
essential concepts

12. 4. Consider These Five Brain-based
and Learning Centered Principles
1. The brain requires
social interaction
2. The brain is influenced
by emotions
3. The brain seeks
patterns and searches
for meaning
4. The brain is a complex
organ that can
function on many
levels and in many
ways simultaneously
5. Each brain is unique

13. 5. Teach to Gardner’s Multiple
Intelligences
According to Howard Gardner:
Intelligence is . . .
the ability to . . .
• Resolve genuine problems
• Create an effective product
• Find or create a problem

14. Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences
• Verbal-Linguistic
• Math-Logical
• Musical-Rhythmic
• Visual-Spatial
• Bodily-Kinesthetic
• Naturalistic
• Interpersonal
• Intrapersonal
- Howard Gardner’s terms
• Word Smart
• Number Smart
• Music Smart
• Picture Smart
• Body Smart
• Nature Smart
• People Smart
• Self Smart
- Thomas Armstrong’s terms

15. Onemore:Usea
SummaryPyramid

16. “You are the difference
in the lives of the kids
you teach.”
Harry Wong

17. Thanks for watching
• For more
information,
contact us at
www.theRTC.net
or 800.433.4740