1. great minds don’t think
alike!
differentiated
instruction in plain english
Glenn Wiebe
glennw@essdack.org
©2009

2. are we stuck in a rut?

4. your walk-
aways?

5. effective teachers focus on
both content and
students

6. it’s not an add-
on, it’s a
build-on

7. it’s about doing
“intentional
R & D”

8. DI can be a
little scary

9. so always go
with a buddy!

10. who’s the smart
one?

11. Albert Einstein Mahatma Gandhi
Stephen King William Shakespeare
Oprah Winfrey Miley Cyrus
Tiger Woods Dara Torres
Steven Hawkins Martin Luther King, Jr.
Rolling Stones Pablo Picasso
Jacques Cousteau Forrest Gump
Frank Lloyd Wright George Washington Carver

12. “Thinking about Two Kinds
of Classes”
complete with your partner
share / explain to another
group of two

13. “Empty vessel” / differences equal
Student
problems
Teacher Provides the answers
Time Fixed
Curriculum Mastery of facts
Whole class, single pace & only
Instruction
summative assessments

14. using your non-dominant
hand:
Write your name at the
bottom left corner

16. you’ve got 20
seconds

18. how about a number?

19. 17766024365911

20. you’ve got 20
seconds

21. “Currently, students are required
to adapt . . . to the prevalent
teaching practices, instructional
materials and assessment
instruments. Those who can’t
adapt are viewed as being
deficient in their ability to learn.”
Marie Carbo, Educating Everybody’s Children

22. try again but use your
dominant hand and think of 3
things. . .

23. Declaration of Independence

24. Minutes / hours / days

25. Emergencies

26. 1776
60-24-365
911

28. DI is not . . .

30. just another way to group kids

31. just another way to group kids
expecting less of struggling learners

32. just another way to group kids
expecting less of struggling learners
a substitute for specialized services

33. just another way to group kids
expecting less of struggling learners
a substitute for specialized services
new

34. just another way to group kids
expecting less of struggling learners
a substitute for specialized services
new
just one more thing

35. . . . it’s not one
size fits all

36. DI is . . .

38. different styles of content, process,
product

39. different styles of content, process,
product
a blend of whole class, small group,
and individual instruction

40. different styles of content, process,
product
a blend of whole class, small group,
and individual instruction
focused on students

41. different styles of content, process,
product
a blend of whole class, small group,
and individual instruction
focused on students
about teaching to patterns

42. . . . it’s the
foundation
of your “house”

43. “Good differentiation is a fine
motor skill.”
Carol Ann Tomlinson

44. Definition?

45. “A flexible approach to teaching in
which the teacher plans and carries
out varied approaches to content,
process, and product in anticipation of
and in response to student
differences in readiness, interests,
and learning needs”
Carol Ann Tomlinson

46. ya got something simpler!?

47. “. . . an appropriate teacher
response to learners’ needs.”

48. the opposite?
“You can have any color
you want . . . ”

49. . . . as long as it’s
black.”
Henry Ford

50. “I like this class because there’s
something different going on all
the time. My other classes, it’s like
peanut butter for lunch every single
day. This class, it’s like she runs a
really good restaurant with a big
menu.”
Carol Ann Tomlinson
The Differentiated Classroom

51. g assum ptions?
un derlyin

53. accommodating multiple learning
needs within regular units

54. accommodating multiple learning
needs within regular units
safe classrooms in which
students feel valued

55. accommodating multiple learning
needs within regular units
safe classrooms in which
students feel valued
No “fuzzy” curriculum or busy work

57. multiple forms of
assessment

58. multiple forms of
assessment
flexible grouping

59. multiple forms of
assessment
flexible grouping
no silver bullets

60. so what ’s it look like?

63. content
options for delivering information
process
options for making sense of that
information
product
options for expressing what students
know

64. huh?

66. stuff you want kids to
understand

67. stuff you want kids to
understand
ways a kid organizes the
stuff

68. stuff you want kids to
understand
ways a kid organizes the
stuff
ways a kid proves she
knows the stuff

69. so?

70. know yourself
know your kids
know your stuff

71. how do people access
information?

72. visual auditory
kinesthetic
tactile

73. how do people process
information?

74. abstract
concrete
random
sequential

75. how do people present
information?

77. know yourself

78. any patterns?
expectation v. reality
elementary v. secondary
content v. content

79. this is Erin

80. this is Jake

81. “The biggest mistake . . . in
teaching has been to treat all
children as if they are variants of
the same individual and thus to
feel justified in teaching them all the
same subjects in the same way.”
Howard Gardner

82. think of a student
list what you know

83. how are kids different?

84. biology
privilege
position for learning
preferences

85. where does your kid data
fit?
what else do you need to
know?

86. specifics
about your
stuf f?

87. options for flexible use
what looks familiar?

88. adapt content
• quality curriculum
• different starting points for
different kids
• varied presentation resources /
multimedia
• materials

89. compacted curriculum
exit cards
clusty.com
visual DEI

90. when? where? what?

96. Vincent Van Gogh

97. Dizzy Aunt?
Vincent Van Gogh

98. Dizzy Aunt?
Verti Gogh
Vincent Van Gogh

99. Dizzy Aunt?
Verti Gogh
Convenience store brother?
Vincent Van Gogh

100. Dizzy Aunt?
Verti Gogh
Convenience store brother?
Stopin Gogh
Vincent Van Gogh

101. Dizzy Aunt?
Verti Gogh
Convenience store brother?
Stopin Gogh
Grandfather from Yugoslavia?
Vincent Van Gogh

102. Dizzy Aunt?
Verti Gogh
Convenience store brother?
Stopin Gogh
Grandfather from Yugoslavia?
U Gogh
Vincent Van Gogh

103. Dizzy Aunt?
Verti Gogh
Convenience store brother?
Stopin Gogh
Grandfather from Yugoslavia?
U Gogh
Cousin from Illinois?
Vincent Van Gogh

104. Dizzy Aunt?
Verti Gogh
Convenience store brother?
Stopin Gogh
Grandfather from Yugoslavia?
U Gogh
Cousin from Illinois?
Chica Gogh
Vincent Van Gogh

105. Dizzy Aunt?
Verti Gogh
Convenience store brother?
Stopin Gogh
Grandfather from Yugoslavia?
U Gogh
Cousin from Illinois?
Chica Gogh
Nephew psychoanalyst?
Vincent Van Gogh

106. Dizzy Aunt?
Verti Gogh
Convenience store brother?
Stopin Gogh
Grandfather from Yugoslavia?
U Gogh
Cousin from Illinois?
Chica Gogh
Nephew psychoanalyst?
E Gogh
Vincent Van Gogh

107. Dizzy Aunt?
Verti Gogh
Convenience store brother?
Stopin Gogh
Grandfather from Yugoslavia?
U Gogh
Cousin from Illinois?
Chica Gogh
Nephew psychoanalyst?
E Gogh
Niece who owned a RV?
Vincent Van Gogh

108. Dizzy Aunt?
Verti Gogh
Convenience store brother?
Stopin Gogh
Grandfather from Yugoslavia?
U Gogh
Cousin from Illinois?
Chica Gogh
Nephew psychoanalyst?
E Gogh
Niece who owned a RV?
Vincent Van Gogh Winnie Bay Gogh

109. Dizzy Aunt?
Verti Gogh
Convenience store brother?
Stopin Gogh
Grandfather from Yugoslavia?
U Gogh
Cousin from Illinois?
Chica Gogh
Nephew psychoanalyst?
E Gogh
Niece who owned a RV?
Vincent Van Gogh Winnie Bay Gogh
Mexican cousin?

110. Dizzy Aunt?
Verti Gogh
Convenience store brother?
Stopin Gogh
Grandfather from Yugoslavia?
U Gogh
Cousin from Illinois?
Chica Gogh
Nephew psychoanalyst?
E Gogh
Niece who owned a RV?
Vincent Van Gogh Winnie Bay Gogh
Mexican cousin?
Amee Gogh

111. Dizzy Aunt?
Verti Gogh
Convenience store brother?
Stopin Gogh
Grandfather from Yugoslavia?
U Gogh
Cousin from Illinois?
Chica Gogh
Nephew psychoanalyst?
E Gogh
Niece who owned a RV?
Vincent Van Gogh Winnie Bay Gogh
Mexican cousin?
Amee Gogh
Bird lover uncle

112. Dizzy Aunt?
Verti Gogh
Convenience store brother?
Stopin Gogh
Grandfather from Yugoslavia?
U Gogh
Cousin from Illinois?
Chica Gogh
Nephew psychoanalyst?
E Gogh
Niece who owned a RV?
Vincent Van Gogh Winnie Bay Gogh
Mexican cousin?
Amee Gogh
Bird lover uncle
Flaming Gogh

113. action research
Reconcilable Differences?
Standards-Based Teaching
and Differentiation

114. jigsaw the content
highlight your “ah-ahs”
circle stuff you recognize
write “Yes!” where you agree

115. adapt process
• complexity
• grouping
• environment / movement
• choice

116. the best neighborhood?

118. stress balls
paper clips
masking tape
pipe cleaners
fake grass under
desks

119. lava lamp
fish tank
mobile

120. people maps / molecules /
systems
quiet zone
rocking chair

121. cubing
delicious.com
bibme.org
say hello
readthewords.com
empowered desktop

122. adapt product
• materials
• varied assessment types
• choices

123. RAFT
webQuest
google docs
photostory 3 / Garageband

124. adapt for ELL
• How long to “learn” English?

125. adapt for ELL
• use Google Language Tools
• Internet Picture Dictionary
• incorporate more graphic
organizers
• encourage questions

126. more resources?
browse to:
www.socialstudiescentral.com

127. “Thinking About Two Kinds of
Classes”

128. “Empty vessel” / differences equal
Student
problems
Teacher Provides the answers
Time Fixed
Curriculum Mastery of facts
Whole class, single pace & only
Instruction
summative assessments

129. “Problem solver” / differences are
Student
the basis for planning
Teacher Provides the questions
Time Related to student needs
Curriculum Mastery of ideas
Varied structure, varied pace,
Instruction
multiple assessment types

131. take a chance!

132. three low prep strategies
• exit cards
• say hello to kids
• fidgets

133. one high prep strategy
• tiered assignments

134. Ken Robinson

135. “Our task is not to provide an education
for the kind of kids we used to have, or
want to have, or the kind that exists in our
dreams.

136. Our task is to provide an education
for the kind of kids we do have.”
Mary Kay Utecht

137. your exit card?
1 new idea
1 question
1 thing you’ll try

138. have more questions?
contact:
Glenn Wiebe
glennw@essdack.org
socialstudiescentral.com
historytech.wordpress.com
View presentations at:
slideshare.net/glennw98