Differentiation of Instruction is all about the HOW!
Educating All Students in a Mixed Ability Classroom
PART THREE: Wrapping it up!
By Jeri Asaro
This article is the final part of a three-part series on Differentiation of Instruction (DI). Section One covered The Basics. Section Two explained Specific Strategies often associated with DI.
Once again, I am repeating information from the introduction article, but it is important that we begin in the same place. Getting to know your students is the very first step in being able to differentiate instruction. Once you have accomplished the task of learning student interests and academic levels, and you have created a comfortable learning environment, the next piece of the puzzle is the HOW. Teachers differentiate through their CONTENT. This content is what the teacher wants the students to learn. Content is the essential group of ideas that are required in the state standards and the school district's curriculum. The middle part is called the PROCESS. This next step includes the activities and lesson procedures that are designed to ensure that students learn the content information. The procedures/activities/steps which are followed, so that students create their final outcome, is the process. The final outcome, and the last step, is the PRODUCT. The product is often, but not always, used as an assessment vehicle by which students demonstrate what they have learned.
The content drives the process. The process creates the product.
Planning your first lesson (or unit) using Differentiation of Instruction may seem like a daunting task, but in reality, you may have been practicing various DI strategies all along and not even realizing it. All good teachers work to reach their learners using an instructional style that works for both the teacher and the wide variety of students in the classroom. If you have been changing your instructional ideas regularly, and not using a teacher-directed approach repeatedly, you are already on the route to DI success. The difference here is that you are actively planning your lessons with DI in mind. Your choices are intentional. If you have been following my columns for awhile, you may have already come across my Active Learning Strategies column printed last year. It includes over 50 strategies for pre-assessment, CONTENT, PROCESS, PRODUCT, and post-assessment. I refer to it later during this article.
A DI lesson or unit plan does not look much different than any other lesson/unit plan with the exception of a few details. Here are the points to consider:
What is the CORE curriculum standard or standards you are teaching in your lesson or unit?
What do you expect the students to understand at the end of the lesson/unit? What is the basic concept to be learned? What is your essential question? An essential question is the most important question of the lesson. It is vital for students to be able to answer with understanding. It is the CORE of the lesson.
What do you expect the students to be able to do by the end of the lesson/unit?
Will you use a pre-assessment strategy or technique to decipher the varied levels of prior knowledge in the classroom? What is that strategy? KWL Chart, pre-test, journaling question, Boxing Chart -- a visual KWL chart where students draw what they know, etc., Graffiti Wall strategy, Active Learning Strategies.
If a pre-assessment tool does not work for your objective, is it possible to create a study guide for all students so that your learning expectations are clear to students at all academic levels?
Can you use the "Compacting Strategy" to move students along at different paces? . This idea was developed by Dr. Joseph Renzulli and Linda Smith in 1978. Simply put, after a pre-assessment is completed, the teacher documents what the student already knows and does not know. When the student is more advanced in any given subject, teachers provide more challenging enrichment activities. The student is responsible to know all the material (provided on a possible study guide), but they do different, more advanced assignments. It is a CONTENT acceleration tactic that enables students to skip parts of the curriculum because they have already mastered the CONTENT.
What will you differentiate? The CONTENT, the PROCESS, the PRODUCT, or all three (or possibly two) items in this list
Think about your CONTENT. Can it be delivered in more than one way? Can you integrate technology? Can you incorporate any life or career skills? Can you offer choices in the delivery? Visual, auditory, reading comprehension, technology, lecture, modeling, discussion, etc.
Think about your PROCESS. Can students learn/understand/master the material through a number of different activities? Can you integrate technology? Can you incorporate any life or career skills? Can you offer choices in the PROCESS? Small group discussion, open-book research, visual interpretations, brainstorming, interviewing, virtual visits, web-quest, etc.
Consider the various levels of Bloom's Taxonomy you want and need to reach, and begin the PROCESS planning with Bloom's in mind.
Decide upon the different learning styles you want to approach. You may not be able to reach all learning styles with every lesson, but the idea is to mix-it-up so that you reach all of the students at least some of the time.
Will grouping strategies (see first article in this series) be used throughout the PROCESS to bring the final PRODUCT to completion?
Think about your final PRODUCT (and possibly your assessment piece). Can you offer choices in the PRODUCT? Can you integrate technology? Can you incorporate any life or career skills? Oral report, panel discussion, debate, PowerPoint, traditional research paper, storyboard, collage, timeline, student-created video, portrait, role play, poetry, double-entry journal, scavenger hunt, etc.
Reflect upon the varied levels of students in your classroom, and create products which will automatically adjust expectations for the different levels, and appeal to different learning styles and/or multiple intelligences.
Keep in mind the modifications that may be needed for the specific class you are teaching. Each class is different. You may have more students who are "below" standard in some classes than in others, and the vice versa may also be true.
Provide choice in PRODUCT method, but each choice must demonstrate understanding of the of the CORE concept or essential question. This choice will allow for the different academic ranges among students, as well as varied student interests.
Recognize that the different methods and choices are of equivalent value, and create rubrics which equalize the PROCESS/PRODUCT for all students.
Judge if an additional assessment strategy will be needed beyond the PRODUCT to ensure understanding and/or mastery. Always keep in mind that assessment can be formal or informal, and not every step or every item needs a formal assessment. Some teachers and school districts encourage the use of formative assessments at the end of a unit to ensure that your students are on the same level or better than other students at the same grade level. Another option is to use the pre-assessment tool for post-assessment as well. Options for final assessment could include a self-evaluation, a pencil and paper traditional test, a portfolio writing assignment, etc.
Will you need a whole group ending to bring the class to the finish line before you move onto the next topic. Rather than a test or assessment, a full circle closure activity is a great idea. Sometimes a Gallery Walk works well. Read through my Active Learning Strategies article for this idea and others.
DI is quality instruction, although from an outsider looking in, it may look a bit like organized chaos as students move from one activity to another, or different groups interact with each other. For the teacher, DI requires more upfront planning, but if managed well, the classroom time is a pleasure for both the engaged student and the facilitating teacher. DI inspires creativity and helps students to understand concepts at a higher level of thinking. At any level of education, teachers provide the foundation for the next level of learning -- whatever that may be for any given student. We should all be aiming for optimal learning and the highest of expectations, but at a variety of levels. Differentiation of Instruction is one of many tools which allows us to meet each individual student where they are at in the education process, and get the most out of him/her. As we meet the social, emotional, and academic needs of students within our classroom environment, we create learning spaces that students enjoy entering, being involved in, and ultimately, a place where they become active participants. If we are successful, students are encouraged, engaged, self-reliant, and motivated. In the end, ensuring student success in your subject(s) area is what you are paid to do, what you are expected to do, and if you love your job as much as I love mine, what you enjoy doing most. Take pleasure in the challenge; appreciate the results, and best of luck!
