Differentiation - What Works?

1. Differentiation - What Works? Jim MilesInternational Center for Leadership in Education

2. Welcome to the Middle School Mathematics Initiative! It’s All About Math! Institute Theme: Closing the Achievement Gap – Strategies to Support Struggling Learners

3. It’s All About Math! Sponsored by: Florida Department of Education Florida and the Islands Comprehensive Center at ETS (FLICC) In Partnership with: The International Center for Leadership in Education ESCORT Florida Council of Teachers of Mathematics PAEC

4. It’s All About Math! Objectives: • Identify and define struggling learners • Become aware of innovative and practical strategies to use with students who are struggling academically in math • Utilize Rigor and Relevance materials and resources to address the needs of struggling learners • Develop a lesson using differentiated instruction strategies to use with struggling learners

5. It’s All About Math! Agenda at a Glance: • Day 1 • Registration, Continental Breakfast • Welcome, Introductions • Ice Breaker and Jump Start Activity • Defining and Identifying the Struggling Learner • Break • Theory of Practice and Differentiated Instruction • Lunch • Theory of Practice and Differentiated Instruction (cont.) • Learning Styles • Examples of Differentiated Instruction – Breakout rooms

6. It’s All About Math! Agenda at a Glance: • Day 2 • Continental Breakfast – Large Room • Examples of Differentiated Instruction – Breakout Rooms • Sharing of Quad D Lesson Revisions – Large Room • Break • Vocabulary Strategies – Large Room • Lunch – Large Room • Assessment Strategies - Large Room • Action Plan Revisions – Breakout Rooms

7. It’s All About Math! Standards Database: Model Lessons - Peer Review • Survey Questions: • What is the name of the lesson you reviewed? • What learning opportunities does this lesson provide for math students? • 3. Does the math content of this lesson fit the associated benchmark?

8. It’s All About Math! Standards Database: Model Lessons - Peer Review • 4. How well does this lesson address the following teaching and learning process standards? [each will have a text box to request justification] • Problem Solving • Reasoning and Proof • Communication • Connections • Representations • 5. What modifications did or would you make to this lesson plan? • 6. Do you recommend this lesson for publication in the Standards Database: (select one) • As is • With modifications • Not recommended

9. AGENDA • Differentiated Instruction • Differentiation Math Strategies • Learning Styles • Vocabulary Strategies

10. Critical Questions • What is differentiation? • What does and does not work in differentiation initiatives?

11. What I know I know about Differentiation What I think I know about Differentiation What I want to know about Differentiation What I have learned about Differentiation

12. Characteristics of a Differentiated Classroom • All students explore, apply, and understand the same benchmarks • Continuous assessment is an integral part of the curriculum. • Flexible grouping is used consistently • Students are active explorers

13. All Students

14. Why Differentiation Does Not Succeed in Schools… • Lack of trust and climate issues • Insufficient staff development • Focus is on teaching and not on learning • Focus is on methodology and not on meeting diverse student needs • Teachers work in isolation • More than a lesson plans is needed

15. Differentiating a 6th Grade math Classroom Problem Solving • Problem representation • Pictorial versus Schematic representation • Goal: develop schematic representations: relationship among the problem parts • Problem execution • Stations • Same concepts taught differently: algebra

16. Differentiated Instruction • Content • Learn how to subtract using two-digit numbers versus larger numbers in the context of word problems • Process • Accessing the material through centers (stations) versus the web • Product • Demonstrate understanding of a geometric concept by solving a problem set versus building a model

17. Differentiated Instruction • 30 different ways to teach the same lesson • Linking student readiness to differentiation • Through relevance • Student learning mode

18. Our Math Students • English Language Learners • Gifted students • Struggling students

19. English Language Learners • Helping English Learners acquire math language • How can math teachers help them acquire academic language they need? • ESL teachers may not have strong math skills • What needs to be done • Accelerate learning that is grade-level appropriate. • Give students challenging work with the support they need to be successful.

20. Collaborative Groups Create a math classroom with • rich language development activities • students speaking, reading, and writing • heterogeneous groups of students at varying levels of English acquisition • students talking to peers, in groups and in classroom discussion

21. Differentiation in the Classroom There are four supporting systems that interact to make differentiation a natural next step.

22. Supporting Structures For Natural Differentiation • Aligned Curriculum and Assessments • Strategy Toolkit • Personal Connections • Diagnostic Thinking

23. Rigor / Relevance Aligned Formative and Summative Assessments Performance-based Concept-based Critical questions Powerful standards Aligned Curriculum and Assessments

25. Strategy Toolkit • Literacy: Thinking and communicating • DTQ Literacy • Critical thinking • Brain friendly • Multiple intelligencesor learning styles • Research-based • Subgroup specific Quick Write

26. Data Collection: Areas for Focus and Support Thinking Process, product or performance Content Relationship and Reflection Independence Standards Basis: Areas for Focus and Support Rigorous Relevant Leverage Endurance Readiness for next level Selection of Strategies

27. Researched-based Best Practices Marzano, R., Pickering, D., & Pollack, J., Classroom Instruction That Works, 2001 42

28. Personal Connections For students and staff • Relationships • Reflection • Trust • Coachingand mentoring • Involvement • Learning communities

29. Exhibit purposeful action Can describe next steps Appropriately ask for assistance Questions are about aspects of complex thinking rather than procedure Adhere to class norms Attitude and demeanor are positive Collaborate as needed without prompts Positively reinforce each other Can self-evaluate work in progress In a Culture of Learning, Students

30. Student Engagement • Cultivate one-on-one relationships • Learn and use new skills and habits • Use effective instructional strategies • Engage ALL students in activities/discussions • Promote School wide culture of engagement • Professional development

31. The “How to” for Student Engagement • Design for rigorous and relevant learning • Personalize the learning giving choices, attending to learning styles, and using background knowledge and talents • Use active learning strategies • Focus on literacy in ALL classes • Create the ideal classroom environment physically, visually, and emotionally

32. Diagnostic Thinking • Assessment-based planning • Formative and summative data design, collection, and analysis • Selected strategies based on data • Diagnostic dialogue • Student Growth

33. Comprehension • Recall • Modeling other levels of thinking • Checking for level Total Group Alone Paired Small Groups • Analyze • Synthesize • Adaptive reasoning • Evaluation • Analytical • Synthesize • Decision making • Evaluation • Systems thinking • Application • Decision making • Criteria establishment • Comprehension

34. Aligned Curriculum and Assessments Meeting Diverse Learner Needs Diagnostic Thinking Strategy Toolkit Personal Connections Meeting Diverse Learner Needs:Assessing YourAssets

35. What can You Differentiate? • Time • Teaching Strategies • Learning Strategies • Classroom Assessments • Materials and Resources • Grouping • Expectations

36. Differentiated Instruction IS NOT… IS… - Tracking - A New Strategy - Static - Teaching to the Middle - A series of activities - Lowering the Bar - Flexible Grouping - Student Centered - Rigorous / Relevant - For all Learners - Based on academic and personal needs - Fosters relationshipsand reflection

37. What does it take to differentiate? • Set rigorous and relevant goals • Students need to know / be able to do? • Where are they on the learning curve now? • Select instructional strategiesthat will enhance the learning. • Monitor student progress andadjust instruction if needed.

38. Natural Differentiation • When meeting student needs is just a part of what you do, how you think, and the results you get with students • Students can begin to differentiate for themselves.

39. Learning Styles/ Personality Types Florida and the Islands Comprehensive Center

40. Brain research confirms what experienced teachers have always known: • No two children are alike • No two children learn in the identical way • An enriched environment for one student is not necessarily enriched for another • In the classroom we should teach children to think for themselves Marian Diamond

41. Why should I care about learning styles? • The way a child learns affects his/her entire personality and development. • Understanding learning styles will help teachers and students to better communicate. • Understanding learning styles will help teachers to differentiate instruction.

42. What is a learning style? • A learning style is… • a way to take in and process information • a preference that gets stronger the more it is used • the way the mind operates • the way we learn!

47. Sensing Thinking Learner(ST) • Likes: • Immediate responses and feedback • Details and sequential order • Hands-on activities with a specific, correct answer • Clear, concise, step-by-step directions • Knowing exact expectations; why something has to be done, and how well it is to be done • Drill and practice

48. Intuitive Thinking Learner (NT) • Likes: • Planning and organizing before working • Working independently • Analyzing and examining pros and cons • Arguing and debating • Thinking about ideas and how they are related • Finding/designing a new way to do something • Logical and strategic games

49. Intuitive Feeling Learner(NF) • Likes: • Learning without time constraints • Praise for personal ideas and insights • Using creativity and imagination • Open-ended activities with many possibilities • Working on many things at once • Self-expression and self-discovery • Creative and artistic activities

50. Sensing Feeling Learner(SF) • Likes: • Getting personal attention and praise • Sharing feelings and experiences • Working in groups/being part of a team • Having someone show how to do something • Role-playing and personal expression • Non-competitive games where no one loses • Interpersonal activities; opportunities to learn about himself/herself