Blair Community Schools

1. Blair Community Schools Curriculum Differentiation “Teaching with the child in mind.” Caroline Tomlinson

2. Differentiation • Differentiating Instruction is a method of planning and teaching that meets the needs of all students • Differentiation is unlike the traditional approach to teaching in which all students are expected to perform exactly the same

3. An Introduction to Differentiation • http://differentiationcentral.com/videos.html#introduction • Carol Ann Tomlinson is an English educator, author and speaker. She is best known for her innovative work with Differentiated instruction education techniques.

4. Differentiation of Instruction Teacher Response to Learner’s Needs RespectfulTasks ç Flexible Grouping ç Assessment & Adjustment ç

5. Teachers Can Differentiate Instructional Elements to Differentiate Content Process Product Handout of examples

6. Definitions and Instructional Elements that can be Differentiated • Content (Curriculum) • Definition-What we want students to learn and the materials through which that is accomplished. • Elements that can be differentiated-compacting, acceleration, meaningful enrichment, independent contracts. added rigor • Process ( Instruction) • Definition-The strategies and activities designed to ensure the students use key skills to make sense out of essential ideas and information. • Elements that can be differentiated-tiered assignments, tic tac toe choice menus, flexible grouping, exposure to experts, real-life simulations, themed interdisciplinary units, interest-based learning • Product (Assessment) • Definition-The vehicles through which students demonstrate and extend what they have learned. • Elements that can be differentiated-choice menus, Bloom’s Taxonomy, take to production level – debate, mock trials, Night of the Notables

7. Suggestions onHow to Begin to Differentiate • http://differentiationcentral.com/videos.html#journey • Starting is what matters!

8. Differentiated InstructionGuides for Planning • Are you clear on what you want the student to know, understand, and be able to do? • Deciding on content-Have you thought about and selected? • Plans to pre-assess student readiness • Assigning students to groups • Creating differentiated activities • Creating assignments and differentiated products • Other thoughts

9. Differentiating Instruction Strategies Examples: • Stations • Entry Points • Compacting • Problem Based Learning • Agendas • Choice Boards • Complex Instruction

10. What does differentiation look like? • Differentiation in the primary classroom • First Steps for Differentiating at the H.S. level • Tips for Designing Tasks – Top Group First! • http://differentiationcentral.com/videos2.html#elementary • http://differentiationcentral.com/videos2.html#secondary • http://differentiationcentral.com/videos2.html#various • Music • Foreign Language • Vocational

11. Questioning-Different types of questions to employ and monitor in a lesson. • Focus on what is important. • Higher level questions produce deeper thinking. • Wait time is important. • Questions before and after learning. • Bob Marzano, “Cuing and questioning are at the heart of classroom practice. Research indicates that cuing and questioning might account for as much as 80% of what occurs in a given classroom on a given day.”

12. Types of Questions • Memory Question Stems: Who, what, when, where? Cognitive Operations: Naming, defining, and identifying • Convergent Thinking Questioning Stems: Why, how, in what ways? Cognitive Operations: Explaining, comparing, contrasting • Divergent Thinking Question Stems: Imagine, suppose, predict, if/then, how might? Cognitive Operations: Predicting, hypothesizing, inferring • Evaluative Thinking Questions Stem: Defend, justify, judge Cognitive Operations: Valuing, judging, justifying choices

13. Web site for types of questions http://questioning.org/Q7/toolkit.html

14. Differentiated Assessments • Explain assessment purpose • Be clear on expectations & directions • Provide a variety of ways for students to “show” what they “know” • Consider multiple intelligences & time • Emphasis on demonstrating competency

15. Differentiated Test • Textbook series often have differentiated assessments in the teacher guides. • Software-Math IXL • Guidelines for Differentiated Test (See handout.) • Example-Cell Structure and Function

16. Tools for the Toolbox • Internet 4 Classrooms • http://www.internet4classrooms.com/links_grades_kindergarten_12/tips_for_classroom_differentiated_instruction.htm A Different Place • http://adifferentplace.org/classroom.htm • Differentiation Central Lesson Plans • http://differentiationcentral.com/resources.html • Blair Mentor Web site • http://www.blairschools.org/contentm/easy_pages/view.php?page_id=685&sid=93&menu_id=35 • Hoagies Gifted • http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/ • Books in HAL Room • Advancing Differentiation: Thinking and Learning for the 21st Century

17. Discover the Gifts… If a child is not learning the way you are teaching, then you must teach in the way the child learns. - Rita Dunn

18. Nebraska Association for the Gifted Conference • http://www.negifted.org/NAG/Spring_Conference.html • February 20-21, 2014