Meeting the Individual Needs of Students:

Differentiated Instruction

Eileen Brusek-Kaczmarek

August 25-26, 2010

CTE CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION
A VIABLE PATHWAY TO SUCCESS IN COLLEGE AND CAREERS
Workshop Goals

• Recognize learning and thinking

styles
• Identify techniques and processes
that teachers can use to adjust
instructional delivery to their
students’ needs
• Examine multiple instructional
strategies and grouping techniques
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Norms for Working Together

• Equity of voice
• Active Listening
• Respect for All Perspectives
• Safety and Confidentiality

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Identifying Learning Style

Community Builder:
True Colors

Activity and Handout: “True Colors”

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Identifying Learning Style

Activity: Learning Styles Associated With

True Colors
1. Stand with group associated with your
color
2. Form a triad within your group
3. Discuss the following:
• Does “True Colors” accurately describe
your personality/learning style?
• Why is it important to know the
personality/learning styles of student?

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What Is DIFFERENTIATION?

Differentiation is…

• “…a process which teachers can use to increase

achievement by improving the match between
learner's current unique characteristics and
curriculum components.
-Dr. Deborah Burns, University of Connecticut

• “…planning instruction in a variety of ways to

meet the needs of a variety of learners.”
-Dr. Kathie F. Nunley, Differentiating the High School Classroom
Think/write/group share

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 Why Differentiate?

• Standard-based classrooms
• High expectations for ALL children
• Multicultural diversity
• Student diversity
• Research on human learning
• Rapid technological change

Table partners/group list

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Differentiation of Instruction
Is a teacher’s response to learner’s needs

guided by general principles of differentiation,

such as

Authentic Flexible Grouping Ongoing assessment

Tasks and adjustment

C. Tomlinson, The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners (p.15)
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Differentiation of Instruction

Teachers can differentiate…

… Content Process Product

…according to student’s

Readiness Interest Learning Profile

C. Tomlinson, The Differentiated Classroom:

Responding to the Needs of All Learners, p.15

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Critical Components of Differentiation

 Get to know your students

 Build Community in your classroom
 Assess students regularly
 Formal (end of unit tests, essays, product)
 Informal (pretests, exit cards, KWHL, student
surveys—thumbs up/down, review ques.)\

Popcorn

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Know the Learner

Preferred Learning Styles

Auditory
Visual
Kinesthetic

Carousel activity

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Multiple Intelligences

http://pkab.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/multiple_intelligences_diagram3.jpg
handout

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Develop Student Profiles
• Jack (IEP) concrete learner who needs visual
representation to learn and demonstrate understanding
of content material.

• Samantha (GL) has exceptional concept mastery in

auditory terms but struggles with written language.

• Brian (underachieving AGL) demonstrates exceptional

ability in reading, writing and math but only under certain
circumstances. Typically strong artist (music/drawing)

• Chris (GL) can adapt to auditory, visual and spatial

instruction. Reads and writes at grade level
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 Fundamental Practices in
Differentiated Classroom

1. Flexibility of:
a. Teaching modes
b. Learning styles
c. Assessment
d. Grouping
2. Ongoing assessment
a. Formal
b. Informal

Shout out
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 Fundamental Practices in
Differentiated Classroom

1. Grouping by
a. Readiness
b. Interest
c. Learning style
d. Whole class
e. Individual
f. Pairs
g. Small groups
http://www.grownetwork.com/assets/groups3.gif

Elbow partner

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 Differentiation Planning Strategies…

Jigsaw
Bloom’s taxonomy
Differentiated Questioning
Inquire based learning
Graphic organizers
Cooperative learning groups
Role playing
Menu/contracts (think-tac-toe)
Tiered assignments
Turn & talk/handout on thumbdrives

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Assessment

http://simmonsatshowcase.wikispaces.com/file/view/Testing_Cartoon.jpg/33641679/Testing_
Cartoon.jpg
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 Authentic Assessment
 Authentic assessment aims to evaluate students'
abilities in 'real-world' contexts. Students learn
how to apply their skills to authentic tasks and
projects.
 Authentic assessment does not encourage rote
learning and passive test-taking.
 Instead, it focuses on students' individual
analytical skills; ability to integrate what they
learn; creativity; ability to work collaboratively;
and written and oral expression skills.
 It values the learning process as much as the
finished product.
(Pearson Education, 2002, 1)

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Authentic assessment can include
many different types of assessments
Performance-based
assessment
Short investigations
Open-response
questions
Portfolios
Self-assessments

shout out/ handout/ turn & talk

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 EXIT CARD
1. How will you determine your students’ preferred
learning style next year?
2. Think of a lesson you teach. How can you present the
concept or lesson to accommodate differentiation
using multiple intelligences and preferred learning
styles?
3. List two authentic assessments you will incorporate
into your classes next year?
4. Which differentiation strategy will you try to in your
classroom next month? Differentiation Planning Strategies…
5. On a scale of 1-4 (4 means you understand
everything), rate your understanding of Differentiated
Instruction
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“Not all students will make the same
journey as they learn, but this diversity
of learning styles enriches the
classroom community.”
— Jennifer, Student Teacher
Adapted from Touch the Future…Teach!, 2006

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