4j Differentiation Workshop Session 1 K-1

1. 4j Differentiation WorkshopSession 1 K-1 • Presented by • Elizabeth Hynes, Raquel Gwynn, Kathy Luiten, Marlee Litten, and Kerri Sage Get ready for blast off!

2. Goals for Today • Learn about the key components of differentiation. • Acquire tools to help with differentiation in the classroom • Collaboration time with colleagues

3. Norms for Collaborative Work • Equity of Voice • Active Listening • Safety to Share Different Perspectives

5. “To get through the hardest journey we need take only one step at a time, but we must keep on stepping” Chinese Proverb

6. Differentiated Instruction What we call differentiation is not a recipe for teaching. It is not an instructional strategy. It is not what a teacher does when he or she has time. It is a way of thinking about teaching and learning. It is a philosophy. -Carol Ann Tomlinson

7. What is Differentiation? • Differentiation can be defined as a way of teaching in which teachers proactively modify curriculum, teaching methods, resources, learning activities, and student products to address the needs of individual students and/or small groups of students to maximize the learning opportunity for each student in the classroom. • Differentiation is a way of thinking about teaching and learning that seeks to recognize, learn about, and address the particular learning needs of each student. To that end, teachers use varied approaches to curriculum, instruction, and assessment. • Differentiation adapts what we teach, how we teach, how students learn, and how students show what they have learned based on the readiness levels, interests, and preferred learning modes of students. Tomlinson, C.; Brighton, C; Brimijoin, K.; Callahan, C.; Hertberg, H.; Moon, T.; Canover, L.; Reynolds, T. (2003). Differentiating instruction in response to student readiness, interest, and learning profile in academically diverse classrooms: A review of literature. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 27 (2/3), pp. 119-145

8. Why Differentiate? • The number of English Language Learners in classrooms across the country is increasing. (Center for Immigration Studies, 2001). English Language learners face the daunting task of mastering complex subject matter even as they learn a new language. • The achievement gap for minority learners continues in schools across the country. (Haycock, 2001) Closing the achievement gap and increasing student achievement are a major goals of most school districts in our state. • Special education has moved steadily toward the goal of inclusive instruction for many students with disabilities. (U.S. Department of Education, 2006). This is based on the premise that ALL students are an important part of general education, both benefiting and benefitting from interactions with a wide variety of learners. • Our brightest students may be losing academic and motivational ground in classrooms ill-equipped to ensure that they, like other students, are expected to progress at least a year’s worth in an academic year. (Callahan, et al., 2000)

9. Video

11. Unless a teacher uses some form of pre-assessment to make decisions about instruction, students’ levels of readiness, interest, and learning profiles will remain untapped. -Carol Ann Tomlinson Pre-Assessment

13. Zone of Proximal Development

14. Smart Goal • S- specific, significant, stretching • M- measurable, meaningful, motivational • A- agreed upon, attainable, achievable, acceptable • R- relevant, realistic, reasonable, rewarding, results • T- timely, time-based, tangible

15. Readiness A student’s knowledge, understanding, and skill related to a particular sequence of learning. (Tomlinson, 2003) • Readiness vs. Ability • Readiness levels vary over time, topic, and circumstance • Zone of proximal development • Student self efficacy • General cognitive proficiency • Prior learning and life experiences • Attitudes about school • Habits of mind Readiness is influenced by:

16. Learning ProfileThe ways in which we learn best as individuals The Categories of Learning Profile Factors: • Learning-Style preferences • Intelligence Preferences • Culture-Influenced Preferences • Gender-Based Preferences

18. Interest By drawing on existing student interest: • Teachers help students realize that there is a match between school and their own desire to learn. • Teachers demonstrate the connectedness between all learning • Teachers Use skills or ideas familiar to students as a bridge to ideas or skills less familiar to them • Teachers enhance student motivation

19. Affect “All children can learn” does not mean “all children learn the same.” Furthermore, diversity is not merely about external characteristics. If we’re really going to take this seriously, that means we start looking at diversity on the inside as well as diversity on the outside. -Donald Reeves • Students emotions and feelings • How students feel about themselves, their work, and the classroom as a whole • Positive affect is more likely to support student learning than negative or neutral affect. (Given, 2002; Wolfe, 2001)

21. 10 Minute Break

22. How is pre-assessment different from other assessments? • Summative Assessments- Assessments OF learning • Formative Assessments- Assessments FOR learning • Pre-assessments- Assessments directing us where to start (formative)

23. Types and Frequency of Pre-assessments • Readiness- Prior to introduction of a new skill set or unit • Interest- One time, usually beginning of the year • Learning Profile- One time, usually beginning of the year • Affect- One time, usually beginning of the year

25. Rate Yourself • teaching art • teaching math • driving in the snow • getting up in the morning • hearing an argument • riding on a plane • going to the mall • bright lights • not having enough time • having a schedule change • attending a district training • the IIPM model • listening to music

26. Compare Results • At your table discuss: • What did you have in common? • What was different? • Think how this might also be true for your class • How might you use this in your class? • What might you ask them to rate?

30. Using Pre-assessments to build a differentiated class environment

31. Components of a Class Environment • Physical and visual • Furniture, materials, sensory, wall space, etc. • Routines and expectations • Opening, large group, small group, etc. • Atmosphere • Safe, inviting, active learning, respect, etc.

32. How might you use information from pre-assessments to create a differentiated environment?

33. ActivityBuilding a differentiated class environment • Find your sample class (Class A, B, or C) • Gather materials- poster paper, felt pens, etc. • Overview of activity

34. Activity- Part 1Physical/Visual • Look at your class description • Draw a physical layout of the room • Furniture and wall items • List materials you would have available

35. Activity- Part 2Routines/Expectations • List or create examples of specific routines you would establish in your class • List class expectations (may have more than one set based upon activities) that would help support a differentiated classroom

36. Activity- Part 3Atmosphere • Describe what someone would see when they visited your classroom that would show evidence of: • safety • respect • learning • inclusion of all students

37. Break • Followed by our Gallery Walk • and debrief of the activity

38. Pre-assessment of Readiness

39. Readiness A student’s knowledge, understanding, and skill related to a particular sequence of learning. (Tomlinson, 2003) • Readiness vs. Ability • Readiness levels vary over time, topic, and circumstance • Zone of proximal development • Student self efficacy • General cognitive proficiency • Prior learning and life experiences • Attitudes about school • Habits of mind Readiness is influenced by:

40. What information do we already have? • EasyCBM benchmark data • Weekly/Unit assessments from the core • Progress Monitoring • Teacher observation and work samples

41. State OAKS EasyCBM Benchmark District Grade Level Unit/Weekly Test Classroom Pre-Assessment Individual Diagnostic

42. Susan Bray Video • Look for systems and routines she has in place that facilitate differentiation. • Look for examples of how she used pre-assessment.

43. Examples of Pre-assessment for Readiness • Entry/Exit Cards • Quick Response • Walk arounds or observational notes • White boards • Walk through your tool kit & discuss

44. Pre-assessing Readiness • Know where you want students to be (clear goals) • Begin where they are • Don’t assume that they are low in all areas if they are low in one area • Keep groupings flexible

45. Zone of Proximal Development

46. Preparing Pre-assessments Readiness • Look at your instructional unit • Choose one strand of the Big 5 • Identify the focus skill for that strand and unit (e.g. comprehension- sequence of events) • Identify what you want your students to know, understand, and demonstrate. (Clear Goal) • Match a pre-assessment format that will tell you the readiness levels of your students for the desired goal.

47. Establish Clear Goals Goal (what I want students to know): • Sequence the events in the story. (EL.01.LI.06) Understand (big ideas, principles, generalizations): • Good readers think about how parts of a story are organized. They do this to better understand what they read. Demonstrate (what I want my students to be able to do): • Identify important information • Identify sequence words in reading (e.g. first, last, then, after, next, second) • Use sequence words to write, illustrate, and/or retell

48. Which Pre-assessment? • After reading aloud a short story, students will select 4 pictures from the story to place in order to show the stories sequence. • After reading aloud a short story, students will draw pictures or write about the sequence of events that occurred in the story

49. Descriptor Student • Sort pre-assessments into 4 groups • Describe one student in each group to use as a guide to help you plan your differentiated smart goals

50. Lesson Planning TemplateActivity