Differentiating Instruction: Responding to the Needs of ...Sep 14, 2015 · Differentiating Instruction: Responding to the Needs of All Learners Dr. Marcia B. Imbeau, Professor University
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Ensuring an environment that actively supports studentsin the work of learning (mindset, connections, community),
Absolute clarity about a powerful learning destination(KUDs, engagement, understanding),
Persistently knowing where students are in relation to thedestination all along the way (formative assessmentfor and as instruction),
Adjusting teaching to make sure each student arrives at the destination and, when possible, moves beyond it (addressing readiness, interest, learning profile),
Effective leadership & management of flexible classroom routines.
Talk at the doorEarly interest assessmentsSmall group instructionDialogue journalsStudent conferencesOpen room daysAsk for student inputInvite examples, analogies,
experiencesSeek student input on classUse Socratic or student-led
discussionsShare your own stories
ListenSeek varied perspectivesShare own interests,
questions, plansStart class with kid talkGo to student eventsWatch before & after
school, at lunchKeep student data cardsTake notes during classAttend extracurricular activitiesBuild curriculum on student
Best Thing about the Week ____________________________________
Lord of the Flies Anticipation GuideWarm-up Activity: Read the statements below and write an “A” next to any with which you agree, a “D” by any with which you disagree, and “NS” if you’re not sure how you feel. Explain BRIEFLY why you feel as you do.
1. _____________ Children are capable of horrific behavior.Explain:________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Some alternatives: Action State (wishing I were skateboarding); How you’re feeling about the novel; favorite movie; do you like hot dogs; worried about; etc.
• Establishes the framework for a responsive classroomEach student’s need for a “next step”Responsibility for own growth“We’ve got your back” mentalityCompetition against self (vs. others)Fair as each student getting what he/she needs to succeedWorking like colleagues
• Begins with teacher mindset• Extends to student belief in one another• Supports the belief that we win or lose together• Ensures security/safety necessary for academic growth• Enables students to work as a team• Provides the teacher with “teammates” too
Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot).
Grade 7 Reading Standards for Literature
Working from a Standard to a Differentiated Lesson
Essential Question: What makes a story tick?Transfer Goal: Explain the architecture of a story or drama, showing how the elements of fiction interact to shape events.
Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot).
Grade 7 Reading Standards for Literature
Know (Essential Knowledge)Elements of fiction (plot, setting, character, theme)Analysis, evidence, interaction, supporting a position
Understand (Essential Understanding)Elements in our lives affect us and affect one another.
The people we associate with help shape us—and we help shape them.Time of day, weather, where we are, the music we hear all impact our
mood, thoughts, and actions.The “themes” of our lives that most strongly represent who we are and what we stand for shape our thoughts, lives, and actions.
Authors use the elements of fiction in purposeful ways to guide readers’ thinking.Stories are representations of life and in that way, act like our lives do.Each element in a story shapes every other element in the story.
Do (Essential Skills)Recognize the elements in a story.Analyze and explain how the story elements interact—and why.Provide evidence from the story to support your explanation.
1.Explain in words or words and images how you think our lives are like the lives of characters in a story or a movie or a play.
2.What are the elements of fiction? Please define or describe the elements you list.
3. How would you explain to a fourth grader what you do when you analyze something?
4. What do you think the most important theme in your life is? In other words, what theme does the best job of capturing who you are and what you stand for?
Name_____________________________________ Class Period________________
A pre-assessment to determine students’ entry points with critical knowledge, understanding, and skill related to interaction among elements of fiction
Patterns from the Pre-Assessment How our lives are like the lives of characters in movies or plays:
Some students provided shallow, evident, concrete answersOther students provided more thoughtful and abstract answers, generally making
either more connections that were meaningful or more elaborated anddeeper connections.
Elements of Fiction6 students listed and accurately explained all of the key elements12 students listed at least 3 elements and explained most of them with general accuracy11 students left the answer blank or listed just 1-2 elements and provided ambiguous or incorrect explanations
Explaining analysisOnly two students provided an effective, step-by-step response that would be helpful in understanding how to analyze something.
Major theme in your lifeA large group of students noted topics (I like sports)7 students provided a theme-like statement and shared how/why it represented themA large group of students left the answer blank or provided a brief response not readily connected with the question
Whole Class DifferentiatedDiscussion on elements in our lives and how they interact.
Introduction to unit.Review of elements of literature using matchingexercise in which some students have cards w/ element names, some have definitions, some have examples from stories students have read in common.Discussion of things we analyze in our daily lives and how we go about it—ceate a set of steps in analysis.
Students work in quads or triads to analyze a story to identify story elements and analyze how they work together. Group size, story choice, and graphic organizer used to guide work will vary based on pre-assessment results. Teacher will meet with small groups throughout the class period.
Whole class review of theme, proposing themes in lives of famous people, analyzing how they arrived at those themes.
Practice with themes in brief “stories” –Stories vary by
reading level and/or interestIdentify and support your conclusionIdentify and demonstrate how the elements
contribute to the themeDevelop a story in which elements interact to point to a theme
It requires an “orderly, enabling environment.”These are found in smoothly run classrooms, with an often looser (though not loose) structure, and a wider range of routines and instructional strategies in evidence. These classrooms were most likely to focus on meaning and understanding.
No. 1: Teachers’ ability to manage a set of complexactivities in the classroom
No. 2: Teachers’ ability to teach intellectuallychallenging material
Because the novel tasks required for problem solving are moredifficult to manage than the routine tasks associated with rotelearning, lack of knowledge about how to manage an inquiry-oriented classroom can lead teachers to turn to passive tacticsthat dumb down the curriculum (Carter and Doyle, 1987).
Preparing Teachers for a Changing World What -- Teachers Should Learn and Be Able To Doby Darling-Hammond & Bransford • Jossey-Bass • p.331
No. 1: Teachers’ ability to manage a set of complexactivities in the classroom
No. 2: Teachers’ ability to teach intellectuallychallenging material
In a recent study of four high schools, McNeil (2003) confirms that intellectual expectations can be lowered when teachers “teach defensively,” choosing methods of presentation and evaluation that simplify content and reduce demands on students in return for classroom order and minimal student compliance on assignments.
Preparing Teachers for a Changing World What -- Teachers Should Learn and Be Able To Doby Darling-Hammond & Bransford • Jossey-Bass • p.331
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• Has a vision for something good• Has the capacity to share the vision
& enlist others in it• Builds a team for achieving the
vision• Renews commitment to the vision• Celebrates successes• ABOUT PEOPLE