And off he steamed to the roundhouse, where engines live when they are not busy.

1. Chug, chug, chug, Puff, puff, puff, Ding-dong, ding-dong. The little train rumbled over the tracks. She was a happy little train for she had such a jolly load to carry. Her cars were filled full of good things for boys and girls. Plan, plan, plan, Teach, teach teach, Assess, assess, assess. The little teacher putted through her years of teaching. She was a happy little teacher for she had such a jolly load to carry. Her classroom was filled full of good things for boys and girls.

2. There were toy animals—giraffes with long necks, Teddy bears with almost no necks at all, and even a baby elephant. Then there were dolls with blue eyes and yellow curls, dolls with brown eyes and brown bobbed heads and the funniest little toy clown you ever saw. The little train was carrying all these wonderful things to the good little boys and girls on the other side of the mountain. She puffed along merrily. There were subjects for all students —math lessons with manipulatives, math problems that required no moving at all, and even a math problem that used art skills. Then there were writing plans that focused on grammar, grammar lessons that tied in history, and the silliest multi-disciplinary activity you ever saw. The little teacher was using all these wonderful things to get her students to the ultimate goal. (Readiness for the next grade). She pushed along merrily.

3. Then all of a sudden she stopped with a jerk. She simply could not go another inch. She tried and she tried, but her wheels would not turn. What were all those good little boys and girls on the other side of the mountain going to do without the wonderful toys to play with and the good food to eat? Then all of a sudden she stopped with a jerk. She simply could not teach another day. She tried and she tried, but her confidence was not there. What were all those good little boys and girls in her classroom going to do without her wonderful lessons and activities?

4. “Here comes a shiny new engine,” said the funny little clown who jumped out of the train. “Let us ask him to help us.” So all the dolls and toys cried out together: “Please, Shiny New Engine, won’t you please pull our train over the mountain? Our engine is broken down, and the boys and girls on the other side won’t have any toys to play with or good food to eat unless you help us.” “Here comes an in-service day about DI,” said the little teacher. “Let me ask for help in my classroom.” In fact all the teachers were curious about this Differentiated Instruction and excitedly called out together: “Please, Mrs. Superintendent, won’t you please show me exactly how to get my students to be successful in these goals? Our methods seem to be ineffective for many, and the boys and girls in our classes won’t have many opportunities to achieve their goals unless you help us.”

5. But the shiny new engine snorted: “I pull you? I am a Passenger Engine. I have just carried a fine big train over the mountain, with more cars than you ever dreamed of. My train had sleeping cars, with comfortable berths; a dining-car where waiters bring whatever hungry people want to eat; and parlor cars in which people sit in soft arm-chairs and look out of big plate-glass windows. “I pull the likes of you? Indeed not!” But the powerful Superintendent responded: “I teach for you? I am the head of this District. I have just provided each member of this faculty with an in-service that highlights the benefits to using DI, with more positive elements than you ever dreamed of. This training mentioned the need to “shake things up,” with many opportunities to learn; an ability to create different products so that each student can learn effectively; and a classroom that allows for differences to lead the classroom rather than an approach that “one size fits all.” “I teach for the likes of you? Indeed not!”

6. And off he steamed to the roundhouse, where engines live when they are not busy. How sad the little train and all the dolls and toys felt! Then the little clown called out, “The Passenger Engine is not the only one in the world. Here is another engine coming, a Kind Engine.” “Please, Kind Engine,” cried all the dolls and toys together. “Won’t you please pull our train over the mountain? Our engine has broken down, and the boys and girls on the other side won’t have any toys to play with or good food to eat unless you help us.” And off the Superintendent went to the Central office, where administrators work on improving their districts. How lost the little teacher felt! Then the little teacher called out, “The Superintendent is not my only resource. There are many experienced/veteran teachers.” “Please, Kind Mentor,” began the teacher. “Won’t you be the one to show me how to get all of my students to the State Standards listed in our curriculum? My methods and efforts seem to only reach a few, and the boys and girls will never be successful unless you help me.”

7. But the Rusty Old Engine sighed: “I am so tired. I must rest my weary wheels. I cannot pull even so little a train as yours over the mountain. I can not. I can not.” But the Experienced/Mentor sighed: “I am not ready for all this new stuff. My students are doing great. There are a few that miss some information but that is because they need to learn how to behave and be responsible. The material hasn’t changed so why should my lessons? When these boys and girls realize what they are missing they will get it. I will not. I will not.”

8. But the little clown called out, “Here is another engine coming, a little blue engine, a very little one, maybe she will help us.” The very little engine came chug, chugging merrily along. When she saw the toy clown’s flag, she stopped quickly. But the little teacher called out, “Here is another possibility coming, a little chance, a very little one, maybe it will work.” The very little idea came chug, chugging merrily along. When her idea completely formed, the teacher stopped abruptly.

9. “Oh, Little Blue Engine,” cried the dolls and toys. “Will you pull us over the mountain? Our engine has broken down and the boys and girls on the other side won’t have any toys to play with or good food to eat, unless you help us. Please, please, help us, Little Blue Engine.” “Oh, I hope this idea will help my boys and girls get to their goals,” cried the little teacher. “My lessons seem to work for some, but not for all, and up until now I have only heard about DI and have been lost on the path to accomplishing it. I feel like I have asked all the right questions, but none of the answers seem to match up. Hmmmmm.”

10. “I’m not very big,” said the Little Blue Engine. “They use me only for switching trains in the yard. I have never been over the mountain.” “But we must get over the mountain before the children awake,” said all the dolls and the toys. The very little engine looked up and saw the tears in the dolls’ eyes. And she thought of the good little boys and girls on the other side of the mountain who would not have any toys or good food unless she helped. Then she said, “I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.” And she hitched herself to the little train.

11. “I don’t know everything,” said the Little Teacher. “I teach the best I can and try to reach the most students, but it still feels like I can do more. Provide more for my students.” The very little teacher realized that she had been looking in all the right places but not using what she found. When she asked her Superintendent for answers…..she got them! When she asked her Mentor for help…..she got it! What she needed was confidence! She needed to take everything she could find and TRY it together. Differentiated Instruction was not about one resource answering one question. Differentiated Instruction IS….

12. Being PROACTIVE Teachers must realize and understand that all students have their similarities and differences; and that using BOTH of these qualities will provide the class opportunities to reach the same goal but possibly by taking different paths. “People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness.Just because they're not on your road doesn't mean they've gotten lost.”by: Dalai Lama For example: Even Howard Gardner recognizes that his work can be adjusted…. http://www.pzweb.harvard.edu/PIs/HG_MI_after_20_years.pdf

13. About Assessment Assessment is not simply a test, quiz, or project. Differentiated Instruction is based on the constant assessment of students and their strengths and weaknesses. Teachers that can constantly assess where their students are coming from, what level they are working at, and where their potential lies….is DIFFERENTIATING! “One tool doesn’t fit all.” -Chapman and King For example: Authentic Assessment gives teachers a new way to look at what our students are understanding http://www.jonathan.mueller.faculty.noctrl.edu/toolbox/howdoyoudoit.htm

14. Creating OPPORTUNITIES A teacher that sees the ultimate goal and shovels the snow off several paths leading to that goal is DIFFERENTIATING. “I took the road less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” -Robert Frost For example: Try giving your students a chance to be read to, rather than reading: http://www.storylineonline.net/net

15. Soooooo…………… Puff, puff, chug, chug, went the Little Blue Engine. “I think I can – I think I can – I think I can – I think I can - I think I can – I think I can – I think I can – I think I can – I think I can.” Up, up, up. Faster and faster and faster and faster the little engine climbed, until they reached the top of the mountain. Plan, plan, teach, and assess, went the Little Teacher. “I think I can – I think I can – I think I can – I think I can - I think I can – I think I can – I think I can – I think I can – I think I can.” Implementing theory, strategy, and confidence, the teacher kept improving her methods until she got her students to their goals.

16. And the Little Blue Engine smiled and seemed to say as she puffed steadily down the mountain, “I thought I could. I thought I could. I thought I could. I thought I could. I thought I could.” And the Little Teacher smiled and seemed to say as she continually improved her teaching style, “I thought I could. I thought I could. I thought I could. I thought I could. I thought I could.”

17. Resources • 1st Slide: http://students.umf.maine.edu/~nieuwkhj/reallifequadraticswebquest/boredstudentsjlvn509l.jpg • 2nd Slide: http://www.insidehighered.com/var/ihe/storage/images/media/news_images/cartoons/when_writing_essays/1466096-1-eng-US/when_writing_essays.png • http://www.theimprovegroup.com/weblog/reading-teacher-color.gif • 3rd Slide http://science01.files.wordpress.com/2007/06/cartoon_large_intro.gif • 4th slide: http://students.umf.maine.edu/~nieuwkhj/reallifequadraticswebquest/boredstudentsjlvn509l.jpg • 7th slide: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_obSF_GeKiOc/RnKtjAbwFAI/AAAAAAAAAkI/F4CSpnmR3_Q/s400/thinkers_cartoon.jpg • 9th slide: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_s2MNW7w3Ugo/RtIzMKXIKGI/AAAAAAAAA_Q/cpB-ULW-65A/s400/hopeful%2Bhard%2Bwork.jpg • 11th slide: http://www.panix.com/~pro-ed/cartoon.gif • 15th slide: http://teachingtomorrow.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/teacher-jobs.gif • 16th slide: http://www.justkiddingcartoons.com/i/Cartoons/Cartoon_207wtmk.jpg • Books: • The Little Engine that Could written by Watty Piper with new art by Loren Long • Differentiated Assessment Strategies: One Tool Doesn’t Fit All by Carolyn Chapman and Rita King • How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-Ability Classrooms: 2nd Edition written by Carol Ann Tomlinson • *Special Notes* • I would like to thank all the students in my Differentiation Theory & Strategies course at the University of New England. Your discussions and knowledge have brought me to a point where I can be like this little Engine! • I would also like to thank Professor Cindy Altomari for her differentiated approach to this course. Your modeling of this theory allowed me to see that I have already started the process and just need to keep on chugging along merrily. • Finally I would like to mention that all the characters in this story are fictional and a mere fabrication of people that have truly HELPED me become a stronger and more confident teacher. Sometimes the faces of these characters may have seemed harsh or uncaring, but the true message of education can be found in every part of this and every journey we take. • Thank you for your time!!!!