1. What is differentiated instruction? Differentiated instruction is an approach in which teachers adjust their curriculum and instruction to maximize the learning of all students. Teachers can adjust three main instructional elements: content, process, and product. There are also three student characteristics that teachers should consider when planning instruction: readiness, interests, and learning profile. In addition, teachers who differentiate instruction employ ongoing assessment and flexible grouping.
  1. Describe at least four significant ways in which differentiated instruction differs from traditional classroom instruction.
  2. Teachers who differentiate employ different grouping formats for instruction such as whole-class, small groups and peer pairs. Homogeneous and Heterogeneous groups are also strategic ways of grouping students. Homogeneous groups are used to group students with similar needs so that they can work with them to focus on specific content or skills. Heterogeneous group students with different learning needs or dissimilar interests. In this way, each student brings unique strengths and knowledge to the group. Traditional classroom teachers have static groups based on the previous year’s achievement test scores.
  3. Traditional classroom teachers often administer written tests frequently and use them as the only form of assessing student knowledge. However, teachers who differentiate promote ongoing assessment by assessing students before, during and after a unit of study. This allows them to gather information critical to providing effective instruction. In addition, teachers who differentiate allow students to show their knowledge in different wants by differentiating student products.
  4. In a traditional classroom, worksheets are common and all students work on the same task. However, in a differentiated classroom, teachers vary activities students’ use to master concepts or skills. One way teachers differentiate is through tiered activities. When teachers tier a lesson, they design instructional tasks that are challenging for students at different levels of readiness: low, middle, and high levels. Although the students should master the same content or core skills, the means by which they do so vary. The activities assigned to the low, middle, and high groups often differ in complexity, depth of information, or level of abstraction.
  5. In a traditional classroom, teachers usually report one grade that reflects achievement, growth and habits. Although achievement is important in a differentiated classroom, growth is also critical as it is a measure of success. Teachers need to communicate to students and to parents how much growth each individual student has experienced. In a differentiated classroom, teachers grade achievement, growth and habits separately. They report grades based only on achievement and report information about growth and habits in other ways, such as in the notes section of a report card or agenda, sending a letter or email home containing this information or discussing at a parent-teacher conference.
  1. How can teachers get to know their students? Make sure to include the three characteristics of students that are important for differentiating instruction and give at least two examples of how teachers can learn about each. Before teachers can address the needs of groups of students, they must first get to know their students in terms of:
  2. Readiness – A student’s readiness level may vary across subjects or content areas. Teacher’s can determine the level at which a student is working in a given subject area by examining the results of informal tests such as standardized test or unit pre-test. Readiness level may also be assessed by viewing a student’
  3. Interest – Interest refers to topics, skills or activities that pique a student’s curiosity or inspire him or her. Discovering what students enjoy outside of class may involve a complete interest inventory. In this type of exercise, students reveal their interests by discussing likes in regards to activities, food, places and holidays. Another way teachers can get to know their students interests is by having students write a journal entry about themselves.
  4. Learning Profile - Learning profile refers to a student’s preferred method of learning new information or skills and to environmental factors that influence a student’s learning. A student’s profile can also be influenced by gender and culture. Teachers can assess a student’s preferred method of learning by observing the student during class or administering an inventory questionnaire.
  1. Ms. Hasbro has taught high-school Spanish for ten years. She would like to start differentiating instruction and needs to make some changes.
  2. Explain why each of Ms. Hasbro’s classroom practices listed below is not a differentiated practice.
  3. Describe what Ms. Hasbro can do differently with each of them.
  4. Delivers instruction primarily by lecturing – Delivering instruction primarily by lecturing is not a differentiated practice because a differentiated classroom involves a variety of instructional approaches. For example, when differentiating content, teachers should consider presentation styles. Ms. Hashbro is “saying it,” by lecturing and perhaps engaging her students in discussion and questioning. However, she is missing out on the “show it,” in which teachers make use of pictures, graphics, white boards and films. In addition, she is not “modeling it” through demonstration, acting out, building or construction or teaching with manipulatives. Implementing all of these learning styles makes for a successful, differentiated classroom.
  5. Does not permit students to retake tests they have failed – Not allowing student to retests tests after they have failed is a traditional classroom practice. Students learn at different rates and some might not perform well on the summative assessment. However, this does not mean that students cannot master the content or skill; they might just need a little more time. Teachers should give students another chance to demonstrate mastery without being penalized. Teachers should give students full credit if they master the content on subsequent attempts.
  6. Records zeros for missing assignments - Traditionally, teachers record a zero for students who do not turn in an assignment. Even for students who generally receive good grades, a single zero can significantly lower their overall average. This is also true for students who receive a very low grade on a test or assignment. Some teachers who differentiate instruction record a grade that will indicate that the students are not proficient in a given topic without skewing the student’s overall grade average.
  7. Groups students at the beginning of the year based on the previous year’s achievement test scores – While previous test scores give teachers an insight to a student’s academic performance, grouping students at the beginning of the year based on such is a traditional approach to grouping. It is important to remember that some students do not perform well on summative assessments, and therefore, should be given the opportunity to show their products in various ways. Instead, teachers should use grouping methods flexibly. Rather than belonging to static groups, group membership is fluid or dynamic, changing to meet the different needs of the students. Teachers might make group assignments based on the results of ongoing assessments. Alternatively, students might choose to work in a particular group based on their interests or learning needs. Flexible grouping offers students the opportunity to work with classmates who are either similar or quite different in skill levels or interests.
  8. Gives bonus points for classroom participation – Giving bonus points for classroom participation is not a differentiation practice because it does not reflect mastery of specific content or skills. Although typically not recommended in a differentiated classroom, if a teacher awards extra credit or bonus points, they should only be awarded if the extra credit assignment or bonus activity assesses this same content. If extra credit assignment or bonus point items are unrelated, students’ grades will be inflated and not an accurate reflection of mastery.
  9. Gives a test every Friday – Teachers in a traditional classroom typically assess student knowledge through written tests at the end of a unit of study. Students should be given the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge through a variety of products, and therefore, giving a test every Friday is not a differentiated practice. Promoting student choice with strategies such as Tiered Products, Tic Tac Toe, Learning Menus and RAFT are a few ways teachers can differentiate products for students. For example, in a RAFT (Role, Audience, Format, Topic) assignment, each column specifies the role the student will adopt, the audience he or she will address, the format of the work, and the topic to be addressed. Sometimes, students are asked to choose a row, and sometimes they are asked to make a selection from each column. In other instances, the teacher may assign students a row that matches their readiness levels. RAFTs can usually be completed in a relatively short amount of time. In addition to differentiating products, teachers can accurately evaluate student performance in different ways. For example, a teacher may use a rubric, portfolio or even have students complete a self-assessment to evaluate learning.
  1. Think back to a class you took in high school. Describe both the class and how the teacher typically conducted it. Describe five elements that you would change to make it more differentiated. (Make sure to include at least one each for content, process, and product.) In 10th grade, I had a geometry class in which my teacher simply handed out new worksheets each day of class. He made us complete these worksheets individually, and he would review these with us by working out the problems on the whiteboard. We were tested every two weeks over the content covered on the worksheets. There were never any projects, group work, technology incorporation or assignments that appealed to different learning modalities. Even those students who were able to learn through completing the worksheets became bored with the class and became uninterested in the subject. Here are five elements that I would change to make it more differentiated:
  2. Math is a subject that many people struggle with, and is also a subject that many people excel in. I think that tiered content would be an excellent way to different the classroom described above. This would allow all students, no matter what level they are on, to work on a level that is appropriate and challenging for them.
  3. Learning centers would be a good way to break away from worksheets and all teachers to differentiate the process element. Though learning centers are typically seen in elementary classrooms, even my high school geometry class could have benefitted from learning centers. Learning centers are an effective way for teachers to offer a range of activities that can target students’ readiness levels, interests, or learning profiles.
  4. Another way to differentiate instruction is by providing manipulatives for those students who are having difficulty understanding a concept. I think manipulatives would be especially helpful in the math setting that I described, because they would provide concrete objects that students can use to develop a conceptual understanding of geometry.
  5. My geometry teacher gave tests every two weeks. There was never a difference in product. Differentiating product would be an effective way to allow students to demonstrate their knowledge.
  6. Flexible grouping would be a way of differentiating the classroom I described. While it is important for students to have the opportunity to complete work independent, student collaboration through work with whole-group, small group and peer pairs allows students to learn from each other and reinforce ideas that the teacher has presented.