Differentiated Learning

Differentiated LearningDifferentiated Learning

Mark BenthallMark Benthall20072007

What is differentiation?What is differentiation?

Within the classroom students differ Within the classroom students differ from each other in mental, physical, from each other in mental, physical, social, and emotional development.social, and emotional development.

Differentiation is a PHILOSOPHY that Differentiation is a PHILOSOPHY that enables teachers to plan strategically enables teachers to plan strategically in order to reach the needs of the in order to reach the needs of the diverse learners in classrooms today.diverse learners in classrooms today.


Differentiation is not a set of Differentiation is not a set of tools, but a philosophy that a tools, but a philosophy that a teacher embraces to reach the teacher embraces to reach the unique needs of every learner.unique needs of every learner.


Differentiated instruction gives the Differentiated instruction gives the teacher a variety of options to teacher a variety of options to successfully reach targeted standards.successfully reach targeted standards.

It meets learners where they are and It meets learners where they are and offers challenging, appropriate options offers challenging, appropriate options for them in order to achieve success.for them in order to achieve success.

Teachers can differentiate:Teachers can differentiate:

The content that students learnThe content that students learn

The assessment tools being usedThe assessment tools being used

The performance tasks selectedThe performance tasks selected

The instructional strategies usedThe instructional strategies used

What do learners need to What do learners need to succeed?succeed?

ALL students, to succeed, need to ALL students, to succeed, need to believe that they can learn, and that believe that they can learn, and that what they are learning is useful, what they are learning is useful, meaningful, and relevant.meaningful, and relevant.

They need to know that they are They need to know that they are responsible for their own learning as responsible for their own learning as well as their own behavior.well as their own behavior.

What do learners need to What do learners need to succeed?succeed?

Effective teachers believe that ALL Effective teachers believe that ALL students can learn and can be students can learn and can be successful.successful.

Effective teachers create a climate Effective teachers create a climate where all students feel included.where all students feel included.

Effective teachers believe that there Effective teachers believe that there is potential in each learner and is potential in each learner and commit to finding the key that will commit to finding the key that will unlock that potential.unlock that potential.

Create a Climate for Create a Climate for LearningLearning

There is no wrong opinionThere is no wrong opinion No put-downs or sarcasmNo put-downs or sarcasm Everyone must be heardEveryone must be heard Mistakes are learning pointsMistakes are learning points


Emotions and Learning:Emotions and Learning: Students living in fear cannot learn.Students living in fear cannot learn. The classroom must feel safe.The classroom must feel safe.

Safety in the classroom means Safety in the classroom means intellectual safety as well as physical intellectual safety as well as physical safety.safety.

Students who are challenged beyond Students who are challenged beyond their skill level are more concerned their skill level are more concerned about being embarrassed or laughed about being embarrassed or laughed at than the quest for learning.at than the quest for learning.


Emotions and Learning:Emotions and Learning: In classes where the teacher simply In classes where the teacher simply

teaches to the “middle,” some teaches to the “middle,” some students may be bored from a lack of students may be bored from a lack of challenge and others may feel fearful challenge and others may feel fearful from too great a challenge.from too great a challenge.


Emotions and Learning:Emotions and Learning: Teachers need to consider where their Teachers need to consider where their

learners are in relation to the learning learners are in relation to the learning goal and plan learning experiences goal and plan learning experiences just just beyondbeyond the skill level of each student. the skill level of each student.

All students are more likely to be All students are more likely to be engaged in learning, rise to the engaged in learning, rise to the challenge, and have a sense of self-challenge, and have a sense of self-confidence as they approach the task… confidence as they approach the task… if they feel they have a chance to if they feel they have a chance to succeed.succeed.


Emotions and Learning:Emotions and Learning: Teachers need to consider the Teachers need to consider the

degree of complexity of the learning degree of complexity of the learning tasks so that they will be challenging, tasks so that they will be challenging, but not overwhelming to the but not overwhelming to the students.students.

Students are most productive in that Students are most productive in that delicate zone between boredom and delicate zone between boredom and anxiety.anxiety.

The emotional environment The emotional environment interacts with instruction and interacts with instruction and influences how information is influences how information is

consolidated.consolidated. Emotional Intelligence:Emotional Intelligence: Emotional intelligence is a person’s Emotional intelligence is a person’s

ability to use his or her emotions ability to use his or her emotions intelligently.intelligently.

It involves maintaining a balance It involves maintaining a balance between reason and emotion.between reason and emotion.


Emotional intelligence can be Emotional intelligence can be organized as a set of emotional organized as a set of emotional competencies that occur in 5 competencies that occur in 5 domains:domains:

1- Self-Awareness1- Self-Awareness

2- Managing Emotions2- Managing Emotions

3- Self-Motivation3- Self-Motivation

4- Empathy4- Empathy

5- Social Skills5- Social Skills

Elements of DifferentiationElements of Differentiation

The Teacher Focuses on the EssentialsThe Teacher Focuses on the Essentials

The Teacher Attends to Student The Teacher Attends to Student DifferencesDifferences

Assessment and Instruction are Assessment and Instruction are InseparableInseparable


The Teacher Modifies Content, The Teacher Modifies Content, Process, and ProductsProcess, and Products

All Students Participate in Respectful All Students Participate in Respectful WorkWork

The Teacher and Students Collaborate The Teacher and Students Collaborate in Learningin Learning

Elements of Differentiation Elements of Differentiation

The Teacher Balances Group and The Teacher Balances Group and Individual NormsIndividual Norms

The teacher and Students Work The teacher and Students Work Together FlexiblyTogether Flexibly

Comparing ClassroomsComparing Classrooms

Traditional Traditional ClassroomClassroom

Student differences are Student differences are masked and acted masked and acted upon when problematicupon when problematic

Assessment is most Assessment is most common at the end of common at the end of learning to see “who learning to see “who got it”got it”

Differentiated Differentiated ClassroomClassroom

Student differences Student differences are studied as a basis are studied as a basis for planningfor planning

Assessment is ongoing Assessment is ongoing and diagnostic to and diagnostic to make instruction more make instruction more responsive to learner responsive to learner needneed



A relatively narrow A relatively narrow sense of sense of intelligence intelligence prevailsprevails

A single definition A single definition of excellence existsof excellence exists


Focus on multiple Focus on multiple forms of intelligence forms of intelligence is evidentis evident

Excellence is defined Excellence is defined in large measure by in large measure by individual growth individual growth from a starting pointfrom a starting point



Student interest is Student interest is infrequently infrequently tappedtapped

Relatively few Relatively few learning profile learning profile options are taken options are taken into accountinto account


Students are Students are frequently guided frequently guided in making interest-in making interest-based learning based learning choiceschoices

Many learning Many learning profile options are profile options are provided forprovided for



Whole-class Whole-class instruction instruction dominatesdominates

Coverage of text Coverage of text and curriculum and curriculum guides drive guides drive instructioninstruction


Many instructional Many instructional arrangements are arrangements are usedused

Student readiness, Student readiness, interest, and interest, and learning profile learning profile shape instructionshape instruction



Mastery of facts Mastery of facts and skills out of and skills out of context are the context are the focus of learning focus of learning


Use of essential Use of essential skills to make skills to make sense of and sense of and understand key understand key concepts and concepts and principals is the principals is the focus of learningfocus of learning



Single option Single option assignments are assignments are the normthe norm

Time is relatively Time is relatively inflexibleinflexible


Multi-option Multi-option assignments are assignments are frequently usedfrequently used

Time is used Time is used flexibly in flexibly in accordance with accordance with student needsstudent needs



A single text A single text prevailsprevails

Single Single interpretations of interpretations of ideas and events ideas and events may be soughtmay be sought


Multiple materials Multiple materials are providedare provided

Multiple Multiple perspectives on perspectives on ideas and events ideas and events are routinely are routinely sought sought



The teacher directs The teacher directs student behaviorstudent behavior

The teacher solves The teacher solves problemsproblems


The teacher The teacher facilitates students’ facilitates students’ skills at becoming skills at becoming more self-reliant more self-reliant learnerslearners

Students help Students help other students other students solve problemssolve problems



The teacher The teacher provides whole provides whole class standards for class standards for gradinggrading

A single form of A single form of assessment is assessment is often usedoften used


Students work with Students work with the teachers to the teachers to establish both establish both whole-class and whole-class and individual learning individual learning goalsgoals

Students are Students are assessed in assessed in multiple waysmultiple ways

Differentiated Learning

Business

learning emotions

learning tasks

learning goal

end of learning

learning profile options

based learning choices

differentiated instruction

differentiated classroom