Great Resource

Check out "The Differentiator" for a great menu of differentiation possibilities you can apply to any subject.

The Differentiator

Low Prep DIfferentiated Literature

This is a student-centered approach to a literature study.  It works in a class where students are reading the same novel and it also works in a class where students are reading different novels in book groups or different novels related to a common theme.  Students can even participate and benefit from the activities on some level even if they haven't read as far as the scheduled assignments call for.  It's so simple I almost feel like I'm cheating when I use it in my classroom. 

Here's what the students do.  They choose three quotes from the novel that "speak to them."  We discuss what that means in class.  They also write three discussion questions after talking about what makes a good discussion question versus a comprehension question and looking at some examples and non-examples of good discussion questions.  If students are not all reading the same novel, they will have to provide some context for the quote and they may need more guidance to write discussion questions that are thematic or universal rather than specific to one story.  Then, as fits your calendar, the students share their quotes and discussion questions in class over several days.  I used clock partners to make sure they were talking to different students and getting different perspectives on the novel.  This requires a little flexibility if a clock partner is absent or unprepared, but it is very doable.  Students without a partner remained standing and found a discussion partner that way.  I also stepped in as a clock partner at times. 

What makes this differentiated content?  Students can read books at their ability level.  Students can write questions at their cognitive level.  Students who struggle with written expression can express themselves orally.  Students can pair with students at different levels of understanding.  Students who haven't quite completed the book can choose quotes and write questions from the part they have read and will hopefully become more motivated to finish the book by participating in the conversations in class.  Students get lots of input and lots of practice before completing a summative assessment. 

I used this approach with To Kill A Mockingbird.  Some students read an alternate novel, Words by Heart by Ouida Sebastyen, an easier book with remarkably parallel elements.  It worked like a charm!

Group Work and Learning Preferences

We all know there are some students who just dread the group projects that are so commonly used in school today -- the introvert, the social communication challenged, the divergent thinker, etc. all have strong preferences against group projects.  The issue of group work also arises in a heterogeneous classroom, where all too often, the high-achieving students feel they get stuck with more than their share of work.  This may happen because they are more motivated or have a higher internal standard of achievement than their peers, or it may happen because they are bossy, opinionated, and not skilled at delegating or sharing responsibility with other group members.

Sometimes our agenda in assigning a group project is precisely to help those students who find it challenging to develop the cooperative skills they will need to be successful in the workplace and the social world.  If that is the case, it is important to structure the work clearly, provide defined roles for group members, monitor and support the group process during the project, and make it clear how the project will be evaluated based on individual and/or group effort and results.

If teaching and supporting cooperative group learning is not the main agenda, then I think it is important to offer an alternative, independent project as a differentiated option.  As long as the learning targets for the assignment are clear to you, there will be another way for students to demonstrate their skills.  Here's an example of a culminating project my students are just finishing for our Civil War integrated history and language arts unit.  After studying the historical facts of the Civil War and reading Paul Fleischman's Bull Run as a model of writing from multiple perspectives, the majority of students opted to write a cooperative group novel focused on one significant event or aspect of the war (Antietam, Andersonville Prison, Siege of Vicksburg, etc.)  They will be scored for research skills, historical knowledge, narrative writing, writing craft (word choice, voice), conventions, and group cooperation.  As an independent alternate project, students are creating multimedia digital narratives focused on any of the focus topics used for the novels.  The same learning targets are scored, with the single substitution of technology use for group cooperation.  Just about 10% of my students opted for this project, perhaps because they like to play with computer applications, perhaps because they strongly dislike group work.  Regardless of their reasons, they are more motivated and more satisfied than if they had been shoehorned into the group project.

ASCD Special Report: Differentiated Instruction & Technology (Part I)

A plethora of articles!


ASCD Special Report: Differentiated Instruction & Technology (Part I)

Differentiation with Vocabulary

Differentiation with Vocabulary

            As a former Latin teacher, I love teaching vocabulary in my Humanities classroom.  Words are powerful, words are interesting, and words can be wildly entertaining. I want my students to maintain and utilize an academic vocabulary in order to help them in high school, college, and beyond. My goal is that my students remember the words well beyond next week’s quiz.

            I use Jane Bell Kiester’s The Chortling Bard as my grammar and vocabulary warm-up to start each class. Specifically, I use the warm-ups from her version of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The vocabulary is rich and a good mix of words. Many of my students perform well on assessments, but I want all the students to perform well and also retain the information after the assessment.  I’ve been varying the processing activities and differentiating groups based on previous scores of vocabulary assessments and word choice in their writing. Here is a sampling of what I’ve been doing:

Activities for not yet proficient students	Activities for on-target students	Activities for TAG/highly capable Students
1. Making flash cards 2. Quizzing with a partner 3. Drawing/ graphic representation of words 4. Practice with assessments from previous years 5. Small group check-in with teacher	1. Writing pseudo-assessments: true or false, fill-in-the-blank, matching, synonym and antonyms (I sometimes use their questions on the assessments) 2. Exploring the parts of speech with vocabulary 3. Small group vocabulary charades	1. Writing linear arrays[1] 2. Writing analogies 3. Writing stories with vocabulary words 4. Compare/ contrast words 5. Word families 6. Etymologies

            For whole group instruction, I use vocabulary graphic organizers[2], class discussion with emphasis on root words and prefixes/suffixes and visual representations of vocabulary words.  Often I’ll type the vocabulary list into Google Images search and we’ll discuss why a particular image came up. Caveat: do not do this “live” in front of students. Even with the usual school safety settings in place, I’ve seen some unseemly images! Making your own vocabulary puzzles is another great idea- I use crossword puzzles because they are self-checking[3]. If you have a small class and/or enthusiastic class, you can do whole class charades with vocabulary. I’ve used “Mad Libs” as a practice activity for vocabulary, and students love it.

---

[1] www.readinglady.com/.../Vocabulary%20Ideas%20compiled%20by... Or www.washingtonco.k12.nc.us/.../Graphic%20Organizers%20for%20...

[2] http://www.educationoasis.com/curriculum/GO/vocab_dev.htm or https://sites.google.com/site/readmhs/graphic-organizers/vocabulary-graphic-organizers

[3] puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com/CrissCrossSetupForm.asp

"Old School" Differentiation

Educational Leadership devoted an issue to the theme "The Challenge of Individual Difference."-


In December of 1953!


http://www.ascd.org/ASCD/pdf/journals/ed_lead/el_195312_washburne.pdf

Differentiation Resource

ASCD recently published online a differentiated instruction theme issue of the ASCD Express:


http://www.ascd.org/ascd-express/vol4/425-toc.aspx

Different Assessment - Same Rubric

If you've looked at some of the teacher materials for differentiation, many of them provide assessment menus with interesting and creative ways for students to demonstrate what they know or can do.  However, when time comes to score these varied products, it can be a nightmare and a real deterrent to providing differentiated options for student assessments.  This is even more true for teachers in a standards-based or proficiency-based school in which all assessments have to tie to the specific learning targets.

The challenge I have set myself is to provide the students with at least two options for major summative assessments, both of which can be scored using the same learning targets and the same rubric.  In both the examples I will provide, the model I used for differentiating is not based on ability, skill, or readiness.  Rather, it was based on learning style preferences.

I taught an extended Bill of Rights unit, in which students learned the rights in each amendment and applied the concepts to a variety of court cases, and also watched a short (cheesy) movie called Future Fright (available online at http://www.viddler.com/explore/askgriff/videos/20/), which depicts an America without the Bill of Rights.  For their summative assessment, I needed a scored writing sample and needed to know what they understood about the practical application of the Bill of Rights in American life.  I offered two assessments.  One was a persuasive essay in which the students argued a Supreme Court case, either for the plaintiff or defense.  This assignment appealed to the students who were more linear/analytical thinkers.  The other option was to write a short imaginative piece of dystopian fiction about an America without the Bill of Rights, which required at least three specific rights to be violated.  This assignment appealed to the more global/creative thinkers and is one of very few opportunities for creative writing in my integrated Humanities class with its extreme time pressure to cover vast amounts of material.  Both assessments were scored for content knowledge and for the writing traits I chose to assess this time (Ideas/Content and Organization). 

I am designing my Civil War unit today, our semester work day.  In the past, the culminating project has been a collaborative group novel set around one specific aspect of the Civil War (4 - 6 students per group), based on the model of Paul Fleischman's Bull Run.  This year, I want to accommodate those students who 1) really, really hate group projects or 2) really, really hate creative writing.  So I will offer an alternative assessment, a multimedia digital movie project in which a student researches and presents learning about one specific aspect of the Civil War.  Both projects will be scored on content knowledge, research, and writing targets, using the same rubric.

Because my students have figured out that my classroom is a place where differentiated assessments are welcome, students are beginning to take me up on the option of "make a proposal and get my approval" more than ever before.  Because I am clear on the learning targets, I have a way to evaluate their proposals.  For the Bill of Rights assessment, two students opted to write a series of newspaper articles written as if the Bill of Rights had been repealed.  Two others opted to create a graphic novel portraying their dystopian fiction.  They were awesome!  And they were scored with the same rubric.

Maybe this is all a big no-brainer, but for me it has been a big aha!  If I start with the learning targets I will assess, it gives me the structure I need to provide differentiated assessments that are authentic measures of student skills.   This is very different from simple creating a menu of fun, interesting, creative products for students.  Maybe next time I teach these units, I will be able to expand the options.

If anyone is interested in seeing these assignment handouts, I'm happy to share.  Comment to this post or e-mail me at Ilana_Rembelinsky@beaverton.k12.or.us and let me know what you want me to send.

Quote of the Day

From Differentaiting Instruction in the Regular Classroom by Diane Heacox, Ed.D:

"The act of differentiating instruction captures the creative spirit."

Article of the Day

Differentiation and Special Education

Great introduction to differentiation in the classroom. 

Reading Strategies

I am starting a unit on the Bill of Rights in my Humanities classroom and so I must face my foe, the textbook. Being a life-long nerd, I personally love textbooks. In fact, I remember the geek-high I got in college when I found out that I owned the textbooks, and thus I could mark and highlight well into the night.

However, as a teacher, the relationship has changed. I still am enthralled by my personal textbooks, but the students hate theirs. When I teach History, my biggest challenge is to help students read and comprehend the material from the textbooks. I switched to a more engaging textbook, History Alive, which has helped a little. My students read pretty well- they love To Kill a Mockingbird, they are moved by To be a Slave, and they even make it through A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Why is this? Is it because textbooks are nonfiction? Is it because reading skills are assumed to be only for the realm of Language Arts teachers? Is it because most teachers are voracious readers and have always been and cannot connect to reading problems? Is it because textbooks are often the first place a young reader struggles? Is it because of poor textbooks in previous classes? I don't know. I do know that I teach classes of students who would rather pull out their toenails (or mine) than read the textbook. Even some of my TAG/highly capable students won't read the textbook, relying instead on memory and class notes to master the material.

Therefore, I went looking for help. I just finished reading Laura Robb's Teaching Reading in Social Studies, Science, and Math. I recommend this book to any teacher who is frustrated with a lack of reading comprehension in class. It is quick read, with chapters on strategies for before, during, and after reading. There are examples of how these strategies look in practice for different subjects and grade levels.  Moreover, there is a wonderful chapter on building vocabulary through reading.

Armed with knowledge and tools, I started mapping out some strategies before I started the unit on the Bill of Rights. These are to aid the comprehension of all of my students, but the struggling/reluctant readers in particular. Here's what I have planned:

Pre-reading Strategies:

• wordle (see wordle.com) of Bill of Rights, discuss
• pre-assessment
• students generate list of five important freedoms
• front-load some key terms (Bill of Rights, warrant, self-incrimination, due process)

During Reading Strategies:

• students use post-it notes to write questions or mark difficult parts of text
• focus questions
• text workbook

After Reading Strategies:

• Rewording/paraphrasing of amendments
• vocabulary graphic organizers

My goal is that all my students read the textbook more consistently and therefore comprehend the material more deeply.

Here are some other strategies recommended by Laura Robb: 

Pre-reading: brainstorm/categorize, K-W-H (What do I know? What do I want to know? How will I find out?)
During reading: pose questions, retell, identify confusing parts
After reading: connections to text/self/community/word issues, summarize

Twice Exceptional Learners - Bridging the Gap Between Home and School

Here is a condensed version of a presentation I made at the Fall 2010 OATAG (Oregon Association for Talented and Gifted) Conference at Reed College.  It highlights the characteristics of Twice Exceptional Learners, those who are both exceptionally gifted and exceptionally challenged in one or more ways.  It provides strategies for parents and teachers to support these students and suggestions for communication between home and school to facilitate maximum success for these students who often mystify us and all too often slip between the cracks. 

Part 1:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGvabAZcQQo
Part 2:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuP0ed9vTdo
Part 3:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuP0ed9vTdo

I have focused a lot on this population in the last few years and welcome any questions or suggestions.  Working with these students can be like playing detective, following the clues to figure out how these "different-brained" children operate and how to tap into their gifts.

In another post, I'll add the slide show that I designed specifically for a teacher audience.

How we Differentiate

This is from an activity in our Differentiation PLC. Ilana and I wanted to show how we all already differentiate in our classes. We had large pieces of butcher paper labeled "Process," "Product," and "Content." The teachers all add their ideas and discussed in small groups and then as a class.

Product:

• Tic-Tac-Toe
• Oral vs. written assessments/assignments
• Choice (e.g. reading material, writing a R.A.F.T.)
• Challenge/extension options
• Amount of assignment
• Including items that require higher-order thinking

Process:

• Scaffolded Outlines/ writing/ steps
• Rubric use
• Personal support/ time
• Sentence frames for reading
• Modeling
• Peer assistance
• Small groups for targeted instruction
• Partner reading
• Accelerated pace
• Open/closed sort

Content:

• Jigsaws
• Writing a R.A.F.T./M.C.R.A.F.T.
• Leveled reading/ leveled texts
• Multilingual texts
• Debates
• Literature groups/Literature circles
• Accelerated pace
• Visual vs. Audio vs. Tactile-Kinesthetic
• Reading buddies

There is more than on way to skin the differentiated cat, so to speak. Feel free to add your methods in the comments section and I’ll add to the list. If you are not familiar with one of these, drop us an email or ask a colleague!

Differentiation by Class Period

If you teach the same subject multiple times in the course of your day, you know that each class has a slightly different personality, sometimes more than slightly different. The kids who are in your room when the high math class or the AP physics is scheduled are not the same kids who are in your room when the low math class is scheduled.

I have four core classes of Humanities in my teaching day. As you probably do, I naturally and instinctively differentiate my instruction from one core to the next. Some move faster; some need more repetition. Some are ready for higher level questioning; some need the graphic organizer. Some work independently very well; some need to work with a partner or as a whole class. Some are ready for extension activities; for some you’re thrilled just to cover the basics.

For example, we’ve been working on the Constitutional Convention. To prepare, students had some choices, but they were steered in particular directions based on the class “personality.” To prepare for an in-class simulation of the convention, the more highly able class looked at the main issues the convention delegates considered, brainstormed possible solutions, and considered the advantages and disadvantages of each proposed solution. The mid-level class read in a grade level textbook and filled in an organizer about the main issues, while the lowest ability class read a simplified text and filled in the organizer to prepare for the convention. The simulation ran differently in each period, too, in terms of how many issues we were able to cover, in terms of how many students rose to be recognized versus using a random procedure to call on delegates, and in terms of their grasp of the issues and their resolution, therefore requiring differing amounts of debriefing in each class.

Another example has to do with a class that was really struggling in September to get up to speed with all the class routines and demands, especially some new electronic submission requirements and online calendar links. I simply waited until they were ready, at beginning of the 2^nd trimester, to introduce the higher level vocabulary program the other class began in September. They won’t learn quite as many words as the other students, but hopefully they’ll learn them well. They would have been overloaded and discouraged if I had heaped one more demand on them before they were ready.

What’s the point of this entry? We all differentiate in many ways, some of which we don’t even think of as differentiation. We are skilled professionals, and we do what it takes to meet the needs of our students. When we raise the instinctive to the conscious and begin to apply the variations to specific students in addition to whole groups, we are well on our way to creating a differentiated classroom.

Right Brain Left Brain Differentiation

Even though these terms are oversimplified and not scientifically accurate, I'll use the right brain left brain model to talk about summative assessments that appeal to your global, creative, outside-the-box learners or to your linear, analytical, logical learners. Of course, we want to stretch kids outside of those preferred modes, but it is a good idea to offer a choice of assessments, especially summative assessments, that appeal to students with a strong learning preference for one of these types of thinking. Quicker, simpler, and easier than creating a whole menu of assessment options.

Here are a couple of examples. For a unit on the Bill of Rights, students will all get the same inputs -- reading several case studies of court cases that involve the Bill of Rights and viewing a so-cheesy-it's-kinda-good dystopian movie called Future Fright about life in America without the Bill of Rights (http://www.viddler.com/explore/askgriff/videos/20/). From there, students have two choices for a final assessment. The left brainers can choose to write a Supreme Court brief on one case, arguing for a verdict and including at least one paragraph for the minority opinion. The right brainers can write a dystopian story about America without the Bill of Rights, with the option to read/discuss at least one other dystopian story such as Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut or The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins before writing. Many students have already read at least one such story. Both assessments can be scored for understanding of the Bill of Rights, and both assessments can be scored for as many writing traits as you choose. The case study is recorded for persuasive writing and the story for imaginative. By the way, if you're looking for some options for dystopian young adult fiction, here is a link: http://www.bartsbookshelf.co.uk/2009/09/30/update-best-dystopian-ya-novels-redux/

Another example comes from Eddie Mateo, an English teacher at Wilson High School in Portland. For the end of his Lord of the Flies novel unit, students have the option to write the final chapter of the book or to do an in-depth analysis of literary techniques and elements (symbolism, plot devices, etc.) for the novel.

Differentiation Gone Wrong

Substitute differentiated lesson plan = bad idea. One of my students said to me the next day, "You know, not everyone knows how to do what you do."

Everyday Differentiation

Everyday Differentiation

There are so many ways to differentiate, from the complex multi-text tiered assignments with flexible grouping (the “Martha Stewart”) to very low preparation options. A great list of high and low preparation options can be found in Carol Ann Tomlinson’s How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-Ability Classrooms. Here are some of my favorite low preparation options:

Ø  jigsaw

Ø  multiple levels of questions

Ø  homework options

Ø  choice options

In the last week, I have employed the following low preparation differentiation strategies to meet the diverse needs of my students.

Ø  I used a “Caught Ya” as my warm-up in class. A “Caught Ya” consists of a few sentences with grammatical mistakes that students correct. After reading the sentences, I usually give the students one hint about a mistake that is easy to correct (“Look out for un-capitalized proper names!”) and one hint about a mistake that is harder to find or correct (“For those of you who want a challenge, we need a semicolon, too.”)

Ø  Homework choices that focused on either writing or social studies content knowledge

Ø  Student choice concerning which learning targets I would assess

Ø  My students summarized The Declaration of Independence and then re-wrote it as a break-up letter to King George III. Every student listened to a recording of the DOI and read along. They then chose different options to rewrite the letter. As they started to take summary notes, some students used the DOI with explanatory notes, some students used a simple English version of the DOI, and some students used a Spanish version with explanatory notes.

Ø  Multiple levels of questions. Williams Model is an excellent source of questions for your TAG and highly capable students. (http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/policies/gats/assets/pdf/uhsi3hstanzac.pdf)

BOTTOM LINE: Low preparation differentiation is a great way to get started immediately to meet the needs of all the students who will show up in your classroom tomorrow!

Characteristics of a Differentiated Classroom

This was supposed to be a closing activity for class on Tuesday, but all the amazing conversation and sharing of ideas put us off schedule. 

Listed below are some characteristics of a differentiated classroom. Some of these characteristics are from ASCD (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development), others are from Ilana and myself. Feel free to comment to add more characteristics. 

Differentiation PLC

What are characteristics of a Differentiated Classroom?  

    Differentiated classrooms can take many forms, and no one class will contain all of the following characteristics. Feel free to add your own ideas and observations.

• Proactive, not reactive- differentiation is planned for up-front
• Flexible groupings
• Students’ needs are met
• Respect for diversity
• Respectful student tasks
• Positive classroom climate
• Student centered learning/learner-led
• Student-teacher partnership
• Student Choice
• Knowledge-centered- the teacher has a clear understanding of the material
• Focus on academic growth, not competition
• Scaffolds growth
• Addresses student readiness, interest, and/or learning profile
• Students taking responsibility and ownership of work
• Stretches the student academically (ZPD)
• Derived from ongoing assessment
• Variety of materials to address student needs

Homework for Humanities PLC "Design for Differentiation - Theory into Practice"

Homework for Humanities PLC "Design for Differentiation - Theory into Practice"

Tuesday, October 2011

1. Try one (or more) of the strategies we discussed and be prepared to report back in our next class. 

2. Bring a writing unit, lesson, or assessment to our next class. 

3. Comment on one post on this blog. 

See you November 8th!

Using Depth and Complexity as a Differentiation Strategy

Just want to share a link to one of my mentor's wiki sites about the Icons of Depth and Complexity. These icons provide a great entry point for higher level interaction with material in any subject area. They're very adaptable and stimulate divergent and higher level thinking.

Here's the link:

http://depthandcomplexity.wikispaces.com/