1. World Language
Differentiation
Ed Weiss
April 14, 2012

2. Get into the swim of things....

3. Definition of “Heritage Speaker”

4. The Challenge of HL Learners

5. HL Students
Teachers of HL Students

7. The Myths about with HL Students
#1
#2

10. Our challenges

11. Our challenges
we must teach content, but students learn
at different times with different strengths

12. Our challenges
we must teach content, but students learn
at different times with different strengths
we have students at different levels of
language background in a classroom

13. Our challenges
we must teach content, but students learn
at different times with different strengths
we have students at different levels of
language background in a classroom
we must set main learning goals and find
ways to make sure students reach them
and move through our program

14. Traditional view
of Teaching
Teacher sets curricular goals
for a class and teaches that
class the necessary elements to
continue their journey

15. Differentiated view
of Teaching
Teacher sets curricular goals
for a class and teaches the
many different individuals who
each bring different needs,
interests and abilities.

16. http://startalk.nhlrc.ucla.edu/Uploads/ypiwv5yt_zq2.mov

17. Our essential question
How do teachers vary
instruction and assessment
in order to be responsive to
the needs of all students?

18. What is Differentation?

19. What is Differentation?
A teacher’s response to learner needs

20. What is Differentation?
A teacher’s response to learner needs

21. What is Differentation?
A teacher’s response to learner needs
The recognition of students’ varying
background knowledge and learning styles

22. What is Differentation?
A teacher’s response to learner needs
The recognition of students’ varying
background knowledge and learning styles

23. What is Differentation?
A teacher’s response to learner needs
The recognition of students’ varying
background knowledge and learning styles
Instruction that honors students’ differences

24. What is Differentation?
A teacher’s response to learner needs
The recognition of students’ varying
background knowledge and learning styles
Instruction that honors students’ differences

25. What is Differentation?
A teacher’s response to learner needs
The recognition of students’ varying
background knowledge and learning styles
Instruction that honors students’ differences
A philosophy of teaching and not just a set
of strategies

29. Why differentiate?
To provide access, equity and
support for all students.

30. http://startalk.nhlrc.ucla.edu/Uploads/ze1t1oda_4au.mov

31. Characteristics of a
differentiated class
High expectations for all
Respectful tasks
Flexible grouping
Ongoing assessment
Positive and safe learning
environment

34. Misconceptions about
differentiation
It is extra teaching
There is never full class activity
It is high level kids vs. low level kids
I’m a language teacher - I automatically
differentiate!

36. How it works

39. Content
What a student knows,
understands and is able to
do as a result of the
instruction: “the input”

40. Content=Curriculum
It must engage students/spark curiosity
(they already have stuff that engages them!)
Covering material drives us - how we cover
it makes the connection
Curriculum design - backwards/top down
(driven by essential questions)
Students then take different paths to learn

43. The Rocky Road to
Differentiation

44. Process
The process helps the
student “make sense of”,
make meaning from, or
“own” the content

47. Product
How the student
demonstrates what he/she
knows, understands, and is
able to do: ”the output”

52. How do we
start?
Start Slowly
Organize classroom
Find student interests
Use technology
Start w/familiar tasks
Provide choices to students

53. How to start (cont.)
Let students know that you are using
differentiation
Spend time studying your students
Use pre-assessments
Sit with groups of students early in course
Ask students what works best for them

55. “Me”
Graph

57. Self Evaluation

59. Making sense of pre-assessment data
* It is our qualitative research
* Sort this data into groups, based
on powerful differences
* Identify learning differences
* Decide how to address the differences

60. Pre-assessment: Diagnostic Tools
* Teacher observations
* K-W-L charts
*Journals
*Lists & surveys
*Concept maps

63. My French III challenge!
The Imperfect tense is our first
major challenge
They must know the passé
composé from Fr II
Do they know when to use pc?
Do they know être vs. avoir verbs?
Do they understand agreement?
I need to pre-assess!!
I may want to compact....

64. Building a community
It takes time with adolescents
Build a team
Use tools like interest inventories
“find someone in the class who...”
“me” inventory

69. Learning areas activity

70. Student products

71. Learning centers activity

72. Learning centers/literature

73. Learning Centers Activity
In small groups, select a content concept
(weather, literary excerpt, story...)
Suggest various learning areas
Design products for each area

76. On-going Assessment

77. Assessment grading
Fable - Le Corbeau et le Renard
C - draw story w/10 stick figures to show
understanding
B - write 5 sentences in French about
what happened to show grasp of
subtleties
A - write your own French version /
change ending to show depth of
comprehension

78. Formative & Summative Assessment
When the cook
tastes the soup,
that’s Formative
Assessment
When the customer
tastes the soup, that’s
Summative Assessment

81. 5
4
3
2
1

85. Tiered activities - Clothing

88. Tiered writing assessments

93. Tic Tac Toe - Family Vocabulary

100. Think Dots

102. Webquests
http://www.clta.net/lessons/

103. The Big Picture
Now that we have seen differentiation:
1) What is your one sentence
definition?
2) How can it help you?

106. Range of Activities