1. Ideas and Strategies that
Support Differentiated
Instruction

2. What is differentiation?
Differentiation is
classroom practice
that looks
eyeball to eyeball
with the reality
that kids differ, and the most effective
teachers do whatever it takes to hook
the whole range of kids on learning.
-Tomlinson (2001)

3. Differentiation is responsive teaching rather
than one-size-fits-all teaching.
It means teachers proactively plan varied
approaches to
•what students need to learn,
•how they will learn it,
•and/or how they will show what they have
learned
in order to increase the likelihood that each student
will learn as much as he or she can, as efficiently as
possible.

4. Differentiation is making sure that the
•right students get the
•right learning tasks
•at the right time.
Once you have a sense of what each student holds as
‘given’ or ‘known’ and what he or she needs in order to
learn, differentiation is no longer an option; it is an
obvious response.
Differentiation doesn’t suggest that a teacher can be all
things to all individuals all the time. It does,
however, mandate that a teacher create a reasonable
range of approaches to learning much of the time, so that
most students find learning a fit much of the time

5. At its most basic level, differentiating
instruction means “ shaking up” what goes on in
up
the classroom
so that students have multiple options for
• taking in information,
• making sense of ideas,
• and expressing what they learn.
Differentiation begins with the teacher’s mindset that
students of any age need active involvement with and
support from adults who care to help them construct a
worthy life.

6. Differentiation
Is a teacher’s response
to learner’s needs
Guided by general principles of differentiation
Respectful tasks Flexible grouping Continual assessment
Teachers can differentiate Building Community
Quality Curriculum
through
Content Process Product Affect/Environment
According to students’
Learning
Readiness Interes Profile
t

7. Three questions that drive
differentiated curriculum
What is the teacher
differentiating?
How is she
differentiating?
Why is she
differentiating?

8. What can the teacher differentiate/
modify
Content – what students will learn
Process – activities through which students make
sense of the key ideas using the required skills
Product – how students demonstrate and extend
what they understand
Learning Environment – the classroom conditions
that set up the tone and expectations of learning

9. How can the teacher differentiate/
modify
The teacher can differentiate her instruction
by responding to the students’
Readiness
Interest
Learning Profile

10. Readiness refers to a student’s
• knowledge,
• understanding,
• and skill
related to a particular sequence of learning.
Only when a student works at a level of difficulty that is
both challenging and attainable for that student does
learning take place.
Interest refers to those topics or pursuits that
• evoke curiosity and
• passion in a learner.
Thus, highly effective teachers attend both to developing
interests and as yet undiscovered interests in their
students.

11. Learning profile refers to how students learn best. Those
include
• learning style,
• intelligence preference,
• culture and
• gender
If classrooms can offer and support
different modes of learning, it is likely
that more students will learn effectively and efficiently.
Affect has to do with how students feel about
• themselves,
• their work,
• and the classroom / relationships ( teacher / peers )
Student affect is the gateway to helping each student
become more fully engaged and successful in learning.

12. Preassessment Is...
Any method, strategy or process used to determine a
student’s current level of readiness or interest in order to
plan for appropriate instruction.
• provides data to determine options for students
• helps determine differences before planning
•helps teacher design activities that are respectful and
challenging
•allows teachers to meet students where they are
•identifies starting point for instruction
•identifies learning gaps
•makes efficient use of instructional time

13. Formative Assessment Is...
A process of accumulating information about a student’s
progress to help make instructional decisions that will
improve his/her understandings and achievement
levels.
• used to make instructional adjustments
• alerts the teacher about student misconceptions
“early warning signal”
• allows students to build on previous experiences
• provides regular feedback
• provides evidence of progress
• aligns with instructional/curricular outcomes

14. Summative Assessment Is...
A means to determine a student’s mastery and
understanding of information, skills, concepts, or
processes.
• Should reflect the formative assessments that precede it
• should match material taught
• may determine student’s exit achievement
• may be tied to a final decision, grade or report
• should align with instructional/curricular outcomes
• may be a form of alternative assessment

15. Two Views of Assessment
Assessment is For: Assessment is For:
Gate Keeping Nurturing
Judging Guiding
Right Answers Self Reflection
Control Information
Comparison to Comparison to Task
Others
Use with Single Use Over Multiple
Activities Activities

16. Reflection and Discussion
What instructional
strategies will you
take with you from
this session and use
with your students?