Challenges of

Today’s Students
“Normal is only a setting on the washing machine”

Schmidt, M (2006). Losing Sight of the Shore:

Differentiating Curriculum and Instruction.
 Challenges of today’s students:
The diversity of students in the classroom

• Learning styles (visual, • Attitudes/ Motivation/

spatial, auditory, tactile, Persistence/ Confidence
kinaesthetic) • Readiness
• Interests • Socio-Economic and Family
• Strengths/ Weaknesses Factors
• Cognitive abilities • Learning Pace
• ELL’s

Source: Rob Irwin (n.d)

 Differentiated instruction:
A different spin of an old idea
 Differentiation of Instruction
is a teacher’s response to learners’ needs

guided by general principles of

differentiation such as:

respectful tasks flexible grouping ongoing assessment

and adjustment

ways to differentiate:

Content Process Product

according to students’
Source: www.FloridaInclusionNetwork.com
“The Differentiated Classroom:
Responding to the Needs of All
Learners,” by Carol Ann Tomlinson, Readiness Interests Learning Profile
1999, p. 15
 Traditional Classroom vs. Differentiated Classroom

TRADITIONAL DIFFERENTIATED
• Differences are acted upon • Differences are studied as a basis for
when problematic. planning.
• Assessment is most common at • Assessment is on-going and diagnostic
the end of learning to see “who to to make instruction more
got it” responsive to learner needs
• A relatively narrow sense of • Focus on multiple forms of
intelligence prevails intelligences is evident
• Coverage of curriculum • Student readiness, interest, and
guides drives instruction learning profile shape instruction
• Whole class instruction • Many instructional arrangements are
dominates used
• A single text prevails • Multiple materials are provided

Source: www.FloridaInclusionNetwork.com
Adapted from “The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners,” by Carol Ann Tomlinson, 1999, p.16
 Strategies
for Differentiation

Source: www.FloridaInclusionNetwork.com
 Tiered Instruction/ Scaffolding

Provides teachers with a means of assigning What can be tiered?

different tasks within the same lesson or unit. • Assignments
• Activities
The tasks can vary according to the students’:
• Experiments
• Readiness
• Materials
• Interest • Assessments
• Learning Profile • Writing Prompts

Source: www.FloridaInclusionNetwork.com
 Tiering the Task:
Create on-level task first then adjust up and down

Below-Level On-Level Above-Level

Task Task Task

Adjusting
the Task
 Tiering the Activities
Example:

Tier 1: One group of students in the class are very unsure

of the basic Count-On (count on 1,2,3,0) facts
Tier 2: One group of students in the class may need to
practice doubles
Tier 3: One group of students in the class have
automaticity with addition facts to 12, including Make
Ten strategy
WHAT TO DO?

Source: Rob Irwin (n.d)

 Tier 1: Choose specific cards/ •Foundational •Observation notes
specific dice (e.g. +1, •Less independence
Student A, B, C, D. E +2,+3, or combinations of
• Exit cards
•Simple
Unsure of very basic count-on facts based on
count-on facts students’ needs)
Differentiate Count-on 1,2,3,… Use of visuals (number

the activity
line)
Play game Count-On 1, 2,
3

Tier 2: Play game with •Concrete •Game recording slips

Student F, G, H, I doubles dominoes •Observation notes
•Exit cards
Need to develop
strategy of doubles
facts

Tier 3: • Play game with •Transformational •Game recording slips

Student J, K, L, M, N, different numbers •Multiple facets •Observation notes
(2x6 sided dice; •Complex •Exit cards
cards 0-12)
* Missing number
game

Source: Rob Irwin (n.d)

 Anchor Activities
Purpose…
What is it?
❑ Provide meaningful work for students when
Anchor activities are ongoing
they finish an assignment or project, when
assignments that students can work on
they first enter the class, or when they are
independently throughout a unit or a
“stumped.”
period.
❑ Provide ongoing tasks that tie to the content
and instruction

❑ Free up the classroom teacher to work with

other groups of students or individuals
 Flexible Grouping
Flexible grouping is an opportunity for students to work
with a variety of students, through whole group or in many
different forms of small groups.

The key to flexible grouping is in the name…FLEXIBLE.

Students have an opportunity to be in different groups
depending on the activity.
• Initially use whole group for instruction

• Divide group for practice or enrichment

• Not used as a permanent arrangement

• Use groups for one activity, a day, a week, etc.

Source: www.FloridaInclusionNetwork.com
 How does flexible grouping benefit students?

• Gives students and Group membership, based on:

teachers a voice in
work arrangements. · Readiness
· Interest
• Allows students to work
with a variety of peers. · Reading Level
· Skill Level
• Keeps students from
· Ba ck gro u n d K n o wle d ge
being “pegged” as
advanced or struggling.

Source: www.FloridaInclusionNetwork.com
 Exit Cards/ Self- Assessment

Group 1 Group 2 diidentifikasi secara cepat ketika anak membutuhkan bantuan, ketika anak sudah paham,
atau ketika anak sudah benar-benar memahami suatu materi.
Stud ents w ho Stud ents w ith
are so m e und erstand ing
strug g ling w ith of concept or skill
the
Group 3
concept or skill
Stud ents w ho
understand the Gambar 1.9 Membiasakan Diri Berefleksi dalam Belajar Matematika
concept or skill
Praktik evaluasi diri ini dapat dilakukan dengan meminta anak menempelkan atau
menunjukkan simbol berbentuk lampu merah (menandakan anak belum paham), kuning

Readiness Groups (menandakan anak baru memahami sebagian materi), atau hijau (menandakan anak sudah
benar-benar memahami materi) setelah suatu pembelajaran selesai.
Berikan ketiga simbol tersebut kepada seluruh anak. Pada akhir pembelajaran,
minta tiap anak menunjukkan satu warna yang sesuai dengan yang ia rasakan. Warna
We are for difference,
for respecting difference,
for valuing difference,
until difference no longer
makes a difference.