Differentiation Strategies Suggestions and Feedback for Beginner Teachers

Differentiation Strategies, Suggestions and Feedback -for Beginner Teachers

NESA - Differentiation Students are individuals who learn at different rates and in different ways. Individual differences may include: ● cognitive abilities, including students’ current level of understanding and ability in relation to a particular topic or skill ● prior learning experiences ● learning styles and preferences ● motivation and engagement with learning ● interests and talents. Through differentiated planning and programming, teachers can consider students’ varying abilities, learning styles, interests and needs. Differentiation is a targeted process that involves forward planning, programming and instruction - it recognises an interrelationship between teaching, learning and assessment that informs future teaching and learning. . https: //syllabus. nesa. nsw. edu. au/support-materials/differentiated-programming/

Differentiated programming: ● provides teaching, learning and assessment for learning experiences that cater for the diversity of learners so that all students can learn effectively ● provides alternative methods and choices for students to demonstrate their knowledge, understanding and skills ● considers what resources and stimulus materials will assist students ● includes a range of activities and resources appropriate for students with different learning needs and levels of achievement ● promotes flexible learning experiences and encourages students to work at their own pace to develop their knowledge, understanding and skills ● monitors student learning over time using evidence of student achievement to guide future teaching and learning opportunities ● considers how individualised feedback to students can help identify student strengths and areas for improvement. Differentiated programming provides students with opportunities to: ● demonstrate, in different ways, what they know, understand can do at different points of the learning cycle ● discuss with their teachers their preferred learning style and new ways of learning ● explore, experiment and engage with the concepts and principles underpinning what they learn ● develop higher-order thinking and creative and critical thinking skills. https: //syllabus. nesa. nsw. edu. au/support-materials/differentiated-programming/

DELIVERY OF CONTENT STRATEGIES ● curriculum compacting ● providing key vocabulary ● developing individual learning goals ● including learning centres to facilitate guided or independent learning ● providing a variety of stimulus materials in a range of mediums. DIFFERENTIATION OF DEMONSTRATING LEARNING ● collaborative and individual learning ● project-based work ● student choice ● teacher/student dialogue around learning activities. INSTRUCTION AND LEARNING ACTIVITIES ● tiered and levelled activities ● interest centres ● learning contracts ● problem-solving and challenge-based learning opportunities ● open-ended questioning ● group and independent study. DIFFERENTIATION OF THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT ● structure and organisation of the classroom, including class routines ● ways students interact with and work with others by providing opportunities for individual, collaborative and whole class group work. DIFFERENTIATION OF ASSESSMENT ● different learning needs ● a range of learning styles and preferences. https: //syllabus. nesa. nsw. edu. au/support-materials/differentiated-programming/

Moving away from NESA…. . So essentially differentiation is ‘effective or good teaching’. Most teachers who have been at it a while differentiate at some level, even as the class is progressing. For beginning teachers it is perhaps more about the confidence, knowing it’s ‘right’ and the ‘Organisation of Differentiation’. As well as a wealth of collegial advice from those who have been teaching on class for some time we also have more specialised colleagues at our disposal. EALD, Support - both remedial and gifted & talented, School counsellors etc Laura Richards is here today to answer your questions and give advice.

What to Differentiate? CONTENT PROCESS PRODUCT Includes curriculum topics, concepts, or themes. Reflects state or national standards. Presents essential facts and skills. Refers to how students make sense or understand the information, ideas and skills being studied. Reflects student learning styles and preferences. Tends to be tangible, for example reports, tests, brochures, speeches or performances. Reflects student understanding. Involves: ● providing students with choices in order to add depth to learning ● providing students with additional resources that match their levels of understanding. Involves: ● providing varied options at different levels of difficulty or based on differing student interests ● offering different amounts of teacher and student support for a task ● giving choices about how students express their understanding ● varying the learning process depending upon how students learn. ● providing challenge, variety and choice ● giving students options about how to express required learning (for example, create a puppet show, write a letter, or develop an annotated diagram). LEARNING ENVIRONMENT Is the ‘climate’ of a classroom. Includes the operation and tone of the classroom - class rules, furniture arrangement, lighting, procedures and processes. Involves: ● considering the look and feel of the classroom ● providing a safe and positive environment for learning ● allowing for individual work preferences managing the learning space.

Online Resources ● Differentiate Your Kindergarten Classroom - with some run downs of activities. https: //www. scholastic. com/teachers/blog-posts/allie-magnuson/differentiate-your-kindergarten-classroom-1/ ● NESA https: //syllabus. nesa. nsw. edu. au/support-materials/differentiated-programming/ ● https: //www. teachstarter. com/ ● http: //cmsnew. pdst. ie/sites/default/files/Session%202%20 -%20 Differentiation%20 Resource%20_0_0. pdf ● Differentiated startegies and examples https: //www. prodigygame. com/blog/differentiated-instructionstrategies-examples-download/ ● Inspirational quotes http: //elearninginfographics. com/10 -inspiring-quotations-help-differentiateinstruction-infographic/ ● PDF from a course based on Carol Tomlinson - has some great strategies & exapmles http: //www. caroltomlinson. com/2010 Spring. ASCD/Tomlinson_Quality. DI. pdf and http: //caroltomlinson. com/handouts/Strategies%20 for%20 Differentiation. pdf Her website http: //www. caroltomlinson. com/ and PDF link http: //www. caroltomlinson. com/2010 Spring. ASCD/Rex_SAstrategies. pdf ● Strong Start Great Teachers http: //www. ssgt. nsw. edu. au/documents/3_content_pro_etal. pdf ● assessment and student success in a differentiated classroom by carol ann tomlinson, tonya moon, and marcia b. imbeau http: //www. ascd. org/ASCD/pdf/site. ASCD/publications/assessment-and-diwhitepaper. pdf ● Tomlinson article. http: //shop. ascd. org/ASCD/pdf/journals/ed_lead/el 200811_tomlinson. pdf

Videos on Differentiation Differentiated Instruction: Centers and Workstations Differentiated Learning - Incredible Teaching Tip Differentiation at Greystanes Public School Differentiating Instruction with Rotating i. Pad Centers Tips & Strategies for Effective Differentiation & Instruction. wmv Effective differentiation | Jodie Parsons and Yvonne Reilly, Sunshine College | TEDx. Rosalind. Park. ED

The following slides are designed to give you either background information or strategies to assist with differentiation in the classroom. Please add comments in the speaker notes or using the comment icon in the above bar. Also adding to the ideas here will be beneficial to all - this is a working document.

GENERAL STRATEGIES

What might the classroom look like? Primary Professional Development Service http: //cmsnew. pdst. ie/sites/default/files/Session%202%20%20 Differentiation%20 Resource%20_0_0. pdf

Blooms Taxonomy Primary Professional Development Service http: //cmsnew. pdst. ie/sites/default/files/Session%202%20%20 Differentiation%20 Resource%20_0_0. pdf

KUDo. S Primary Professional Development Service http: //cmsnew. pdst. ie/sites/default/files/Session%202%20%20 Differentiation%20 Resource%20_0_0. pdf

Tiered Assignments Primary Professional Development Service http: //cmsnew. pdst. ie/sites/default/files/Session%202%20%20 Differentiation%20 Resource%20_0_0. pdf

ICT in the context of Blooms Primary Professional Development Service http: //cmsnew. pdst. ie/sites/default/files/Session%202%20%20 Differentiation%20 Resource%20_0_0. pdf

MATHS Depth of Knowledge Questioning - an alternative style

Depth of Knowledge How much do our students really know about a topic? - are they kicking dirt around, digging away or have they found the diamonds? This Robert Kaplinsky table is a handy resource; It is American based but it gives you an idea and could easily be applied to our curriculum. http: //robertkaplinsky. com/t ool-to-distinguish-betweendepth-of-knowledge-levels/ Math Contents Page

Math Contents Page Questioning - an alternative style Check out this TED talk from Dan Meyer about Maths questioning. Can be applied to any level of student. It's an interesting perspective, not for use all the time or with everyone but great to try and use it for what it is a different approach. . He recently gave a full one hour presentation on a virtual summit but the free access has ended so here is the shorter version for you. https: //www. ted. com/talks/dan_meyer_math_curri culum_makeover? language=en

ENGLISH

Pre Writing Strategies Variety is key! ● ● ● ● ● Clustering, brainstorming, listing, freewriting, looping, Drawing, Conferencing, Researching. samples English Contents Page

Graphic Organisers English Contents Page Flow charts. Graphs. Spider webs, rivers, or trees. All these and more can help visual and spatial learners see all the parts of a writing assignment and how they fit together. Google search by image is a quick way to find ideas, Pinterest can also be helpful. If you see a teacher using one that works - ask for it. Keep an electronic folder of them. You might like to keep a physical folder with a few copies of each in plastic sleeves for quick use. Perhaps divide them into text types. Maybe you have one you’re using with the class but it’s just not working for a student - try another from your folder of tricks!

Location, Location! Sometimes introducing a little movement or a change of scene into the lesson will help kinesthetic learners focus or think in new ways. Walking to a new location in your school or community and having students record their thoughts and observations can be a nice way to stimulate writing. You can use this as a break in the routine or you can use it as a creative activity. Encourage them to jot down anything that comes to mind, or ask them to "collect" words they see during their walk ("Exit, " "Cafeteria, " "Break glass in case of fire, " etc. ) and use these words in a future assignment. (https: //www. shmoop. com/teachers/curriculum/differentiation-writing. html ) Physical Setup; Use writing stations so you can have students work in ability groups or group them by likability depending on the task. Stations can all operate on the one task (learning intention) but vary the Success Criteria. Eg: one group could be focusing on adding in adjectives or verbs, one for adding an extra sentence linked to the one before, another on punctuation and whole sentence structure etc English Contents Page

English Contents Page Technology You might use it in the pre writing stage, to assist with spelling and grammar, as the way of writing, for group writing, quick brainstorming sessions, 5 minute writing tasks. Just remember it should enhance not create or block the writing process.

Visual Aides