I went to another professional Development yesterday about:
Differentiating Your Instruction!
What is Differentiation?
Changing the pace, level, or kind of instruction provided in response to individual learners' needs, styles or interests.
In the beginning we were given a classroom practice
Inventory checklist to see what you are doing in the classroom to differentiate
your instruction! I was surprise now how many items I need to work on for next
year! Look at the following list and see where you lie!
Place an “x” on each line to show where your currently
teaching practices lie on the continuum
Traditional classroom Differentiated Classroom
Covering the curriculum is my first I base my teaching on students' learning needs
priority and directs my teaching. as well as on the curriculum.
________________________________________________________________________________
Learning goals remains the same for Learning goals are adjusted for students based
all students. on their needs.
________________________________________________________________________________
I emphasize mastery of content and skills. I emphasize critical and creative thinking and
the application of learning.
________________________________________________________________________________
Students use the same informational I match students to specific informational
resources (books, articles, Web sites). resources based on their learning needs and
abilities.
________________________________________________________________________________
I primarily use whole-class instruction. I use several instructional formats (for examples,
who class, small groups, partners, individuals).
________________________________________________________________________________
I tend to group students heterogeneously. As appropriate, I group students for instruction
based on their learning needs.
________________________________________________________________________________
All students move through the curriculum The pace of instruction may vary, based on
together and at the same pace. students' learning needs.
________________________________________________________________________________
All students complete the same activities As appropriate, I give students opportunities to
choose activities based on their interests.
________________________________________________________________________________
I tend to use similar instructional strategies I use variety of instructional strategies
day to day ( for example, lectures, manipulative, role
plays, simulations, readings)
________________________________________________________________________________
All students complete all activities. Students complete different activities based on
their needs or learning preferences.
________________________________________________________________________________
All students are involved in all instructional. I use methods for testing out of work and for
activities. compacting (speeding up, eliminating,
replacing) work, as appropriate.
________________________________________________________________________________
My enrichment work provides more content My enrichment works demands critical and/or
or more application of skills. creative thinking and the production of new
ideas, thought, and perspectives.
________________________________________________________________________________
In reteaching, I provide more practice using In reteaching, I use a different instructional
a similar instructional method. method from the one I used to teach the material
the first time.
________________________________________________________________________________
My reteaching activities typically involve My reteaching activities demand higher level
lower-level thinking-knowledge and thinking while reinforcing basic skills and
comprehension-to reinforce basic skills content.
and content.
________________________________________________________________________________
I assume the students have limit or no Before beginning a unit, I use pre-assessment
knowledge of curriculum content. strategies to determine what students already
know.
________________________________________________________________________________
I usually assess student's learning at the I use ongoing assessment to check students'
end of an instructional sequence. learning throughout an instructional sequence.
________________________________________________________________________________
I typically use the same assessment tools, I allow for learner differences by providing a
product, or project for all students. variety of ways to show learning.
________________________________________________________________________________
(from Differentiation Instruction in the Regular Classroom: How to reach and teach all learners, Grade 3-12 by Diane Heacox)
I will posted some of the keys points on the workshop tomorrow! Anyone surprised on where your teaching practices lie? I have to admit, I had more X on the traditional side than I would have liked. I will need to work on that and hopefully flipping my classroom will help my classroom be more differentiated!
