Strategies for Differentiating Instruction

1. Strategies for Differentiating Instruction

2. What would you like to get out of this session? • What question(s) do you have about strategies for differentiation? • What is one area in which you would like some help? sjmac

3. The Importance of Procedures • Students know what is expected • Problems are avoided before they have a chance to occur • Interruptions are minimized • Routines, once they have been internalized by students, are easier to share with others, such as guest teachers sjmac

4. Teaching a Procedure • Explain • Model • Practice • Feedback sjmac

5. Quiet Signals • Stop what you are doing • Wait quietly • Keep your hands free • Look at the speaker • Listen sjmac

6. The 3 Rs • Revisit • Review • Reflect sjmac

7. Strategies to Support Group Work sjmac

8. Empathy Modeling:Making Positive Class Climate a Priority 4 Indicators of Respectful Behavior: • Tone of Voice • Choice of Words • Body Language • Facial Expression sjmac

9. Empathy Activity 10 Find your partner in the room. The two of you will have compatible numbers which sum to 10. sjmac

10. Teaching to the Team • Present a problem to the group. It should be something they will need to think about (a level 3 question or a challenge) • The group’s assignment is to explain to the rest of the room how they are going to solve the problem, that is their approach to solving the problem (First, we will…) • Each member of the group, going around the table, will have to contribute one part of the solution. Everyone needs to speak. • The group must work together to plan their oral presentation. sjmac

11. Team Task • What is the fewest number of pennies I could have? Use the following information and explain how you got your answer. • When I put them in 2 equal stacks, there’s one penny left over. • When I put them in 3 equal stacks, there’s one penny left over. • When I put them in 4 equal stacks, there’s one penny left over. • From Good Questions for Math Teaching: Why Ask Them and What to Ask, Grades 5–8 sjmac

12. The 3 Rs • Revisit • Review • Reflect sjmac

13. Put in your two cents worth! It’s gonna cost ya! *Idea from Sharon Boudreau Math Facilitator Cape Breton-Victoria School Board sjmac

14. The Purpose of an Anchor Activity is to: Provide meaningful work for students when they finish an assignment or project, when they first enter the class or when they are “stumped”. Provide ongoing tasks that tie to the content and instruction. Free up the classroom teacher to work with other groups of students or individuals.

15. Anchor Activities • Using existing resources for anchor activities • Keeping an “open mind” about activities • Student-created anchor activities sjmac

16. Sample Anchors • DAY 2\Target a dollar_gr3-5.doc Once students have used activities like this one, they can create their own versions of it. This adds to your repertoire of activities while instilling a sense of pride in the creator. Everyone wants their activity to be chosen for a weekly anchor! sjmac

17. Resources for Anchor Activities • Open-ended questions (little purple book) • I Get It activities • Website exploration (bookmarked sites) • Math Journal writing • Choice Charts completion • Manipulative activities: exploring tangrams, pattern blocks, pentominoes, etc. • Cribbage, Chess, Jigsaw puzzles, 24 • Math Makes Sense Centre Suggestions sjmac

18. Introducing an anchor • Explain how to do the activity and how to track it • Model it with the whole class • Practice with half the class • Feedback and try again with the other half sjmac

19. 24 Operation Card Game Total Difficulty Level 4 All numbers must be used along with any operation to reach the total 12 2 4 4 ÷ 4 = 1 1 x 12 = 12 12 x 2 = 24 sjmac

20. Strategies to Support Independent Work sjmac

21. I’m Stuck Form Date: ____________________ Assigned Activity:____________________________________ Problem: _____________________________________________________________________________ 3 strategies tried to solve the problem: _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ Anchor activity selected: _____________________________________________________________________________ sjmac

22. General Tracking Format: Date: ________________ Activity chosen:____________________ My comments, questions, discoveries: _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ sjmac

23. Sample Tracking Form for Website Work: Website: ___________________________________ Select an activity to investigate. Record what you have done and the results using words, illustrations and numbers. Date: ________________ Activity chosen:____________________ My comments: _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ sjmac

24. Post Directions: Anchor Charts • Should be specific. • Reinforces oral directions. • Eliminates many housekeeping questions. • Guides students to manage time. sjmac

25. Posting the Schedule • Helps keep everyone one task. • Gives time limit for teacher-led group and group working independently. • Guides students to prioritize their work. 9:00 Mental Math 9:15 Independent Stations 9:45 Plenary Discussion 10:00 Phys Ed 10:30 Recess 10:45 Literature Circles sjmac

26. R.I.C.E. • Recall what your teacher said. • Imagine logically what the directions would be. • Check with a classmate. • See the“expert” for help. sjmac From The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners by Carol Ann Tomlinson, l999

27. Ask 3 Before Me Students consult three other students or resources (e.g., Word Wall, anchor chart, directions on board) before coming to teacher. sjmac

28. Don’t “BUG ME” hat! • A visual cue helps students remember not to interrupt. *Idea from Marie-Ève St-Pierre grade 5 teacher École St.Catherine’s School HRSB sjmac

29. Doctor is In • ________________ • ________________ • ________________ sjmac From The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners by Carol Ann Tomlinson, l999

30. Strategies to Support Assessment sjmac

31. Assessment and Instruction • In a learner-centred classroom, assessment and instruction are inextricably linked. • There are three sources of assessment data • Conversations (Student Interviews) • Observations • Products Davies, 2000 sjmac

32. Sources of Assessment Data Activity • Using a Venn Diagram, sort the Worthwhile Tasks into the following categories: • Conversations (Student Interviews) • Observations • Products sjmac

33. Sample tracking sheets for individual and whole class activities are included in the Support Resource sjmac

34. Rubrics From Elementary and Middle School Mathematics Teaching Developmentally by John A Van de Walle sjmac

35. EXIT CARDS sjmac

36. Sample Exit Cards Today you began to learn about decimals List three things you learned Write at least one question you have about this topic sjmac

37. Sample Exit Cards Today we talked about measurement. List three things you would measure using millilitres and three things you would measure using litres. Write one question that you still have about millilitres and litres. sjmac

38. Exit Card Groupings Group 2 Group 1 Students with some understanding of concept or skill Students who are struggling with the concept or skill Group 3 Students who understand the concept or skill Readiness Groups sjmac

39. In the Balance - Discussion • What are the factors that effect the balance among these three sources of data? • Conversations Observations • Products sjmac

40. Other Considerations sjmac

41. Organization, Distribution and Collection of Materials • Colour • Number • Labels • Tracking • Storage sjmac

42. Sample Copies Sample Notebook • Provides a template for student notebooks • Maintains a clean paper copy • Creates a space to store labeled sheets for absent students sjmac

43. Storage of Student Work Math Journals Ongoing Math Activities Tracking Sheets Homework sjmac

44. Storage of Math Manipulatives Storage for easy access Thinker Tools… Math Kit sjmac

45. Group Assignments Math Centres Small Group Work Station Teacher Station Schedule Storage for activities and notebooks sjmac

46. Celebrate Success! • Memorable Monthly Math Moments sjmac

47. Literacy Connections • Many of the strategies we use in literacy classes can be adopted or adapted to meet the needs of a math classroom • Think of one differentiation strategy teachers use in the teaching of reading and writing • Discuss your idea with a partner • Be prepared to share an idea with the group sjmac

48. Some Final Thoughts... sjmac

49. Be clear about why you are differentiating: student readiness, interest, learning profile • Understand that differentiation is critical for student success, but is not feasible all the time sjmac

50. Start small! • Be flexible. • Don’t give up! sjmac