1 Differentiated Instruction: What It Is/What It Isn't

1
Differentiated Instruction
What It Is/What It Isn’t
If someone were to ask you what’s new in education, what would you say?
Here are my observations:
Technology use has exploded. Students are increasingly using online platforms to
learn and to make and submit their work. 1:1 laptops, tablet computers, and
smartphones are now regularly used in the classroom, and are changing the face of
differentiation.
Collaboration is now routine in language classrooms. Student group
performance/work is now a twenty-first century skill often prized and encouraged
over individual performance. Teachers, too, are collaborating, sharing generously of
their experiences and successes as well as asking for help with the wave of technology
advances in online professional learning networks (PLN).
Administrators and state and national legislation place an immense emphasis on
standards and record-keeping. Teachers are now expected to keep (and are
evaluated for competence in using) records of student progress and achievement on
the basis of national standards such as the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) now
in use in many states. Teachers today must validate, align, verify, and support
curriculum choices. For this reason, in this new edition, when suggesting strategies I
am including the CCSS points, the ACTFL standards, DOK, and Bloom’s Taxonomy
Copyright © 2016. Routledge. All rights reserved.
information for each, in a text box format.

In tandem with all the record-keeping, feedback formats are of greatly increased
importance. Rubrics are the first things teachers ask other teachers for when sharing
ideas and successes in their PLN, as those are the most common tools.
Use of thematic units has caught fire, moving away from textbooks and into the
realm of #authres (authentic resources). A thematic approach endeavors to make
learning more active, interesting, and meaningful to students by concentrating on key
objectives (such as “can-do” statements) as well as differentiation, hands-on tasks, and
models.
Blaz, Deborah. Differentiated Instruction : A Guide for World Language Teachers, Routledge, 2016. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/uwsau/detail.action?docID=4415709.
Created from uwsau on 2020-03-21 05:17:57.
An “alphabet soup” of new teaching methods are available and/or required or
adopted by state or local boards of education: PBL, IPA, DOK, SMART, CATs, SAMR,
JiTT, GAFE, BYOD, AIM, CLIL, AAPPL, Inquiry Process, and many more (see
Appendix B for definitions). This list does not include all the new options online that
use technology to deliver information. Since these method focuses vary from state to
state, and district to district, changing schools may require a major change in teaching
methods.
These are all forms of differentiated instruction, or require knowledge and mastery of
differentiation in order to be successful!
This new edition of my book will address all these changes, as well as keeping discussion of
items from my list (still very applicable) from the first edition:
Brain-based teaching strategies

The emphasis/explosion of variety in learning styles and how to appeal to them
The paradigm shift in curriculum from what topics should be taught to what students
will be able to demonstrate (emphasis on performance)
An emphasis on increased rigor in instruction
Movement away from tracking and toward mixed-ability classrooms, including
mainstreamed students with ISP/IEPs as well as students with ADHD/ADD
What Is Differentiated Instruction?

Basically this is a term that encompasses a wide range of teaching strategies and attitudes that
all focus on the two concerns of any good educator: students and learning. The standards and
curriculum tell us what students need to know, and differentiated instruction techniques help
us get them there.
Is It Something New?
No. Differentiated instruction has been around for at least two decades, for gifted and talented
students (those working above grade level). About eight or ten years ago, teachers began
using it for special education students as well (those working below grade level). Then came
the realization that it would be good for ELL (English-language learner) students, and at last,
the notion that it can work for all students.
Differentiated instruction is somewhat hard to define. Let’s start with the dictionary’s
definition. The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary gives us this:
Differentiate
Transitive Senses
1: to mark or show a difference

2: to develop differential characteristics
3: to cause differentiation of in the course of development
Intransitive Senses
1: to recognize or give expression to a difference

2: to become distinct or different in character
3: to undergo differentiation
Related Words comprehend, understand

Contrasted Words confound, mistake
Antonyms confuse
(By permission from Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate® Dictionary, 11th Edition and Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate®
Thesaurus ©2005 by Merriam-Webster Inc., www.merriam-webstercollegiate.com.)
In differentiated instruction, the teacher is the transitive, and the student is the intransitive!
As the definition indicates, (1) teachers must mark/identify the differences in both students
and in possible teaching strategies, and make adjustments according to what will benefit
students most and best facilitate learning in the classroom. (2) They then develop and
implement, bit by bit, the characteristics of a differentiated classroom. (3) The key word is
development. Any good educational program is always under construction: assessment,
evaluation, and reflection are the keys to finding what works and what doesn’t work, and
trying to fix the latter.
Continuing the definition, with students as the intransitive aspect, students must learn to
recognize their differences, strengths and weaknesses, their learning styles, interests and
intelligences, and how to deal with those and find the best way to express them. They must
develop the confidence and self-esteem that is so necessary to be able to learn.
What Differentiated Instruction Is
Differentiated instruction is complex and flexible, with many ways to accommodate different
teaching styles as well as student differences in:
learning styles
interests
prior knowledge
socialization needs
comfort zones
level of engagement/readiness
technology they have access to and know how to use well
Differentiated instruction is
rigorous, providing challenging instruction that motivates students

relevant—not more of the same, or extra “fluff, ” but essential learning
proactive, using methods like hands-on projects
The best, differentiated classrooms are based on certain beliefs and practices. Here is a list of
those, organized alphabetically rather than by importance, as the items are equally important.
Choice. Students in a differentiated classroom have a choice in what they learn, how they
learn it, and how they show the knowledge they have. They are less likely to learn well if the
teacher makes all the decisions. “The best learning environment offers a large variety of
choices to satisfy individual abilities and talents” (Jensen, 1998).
Collaboration. Most teachers would agree that students listen best and learn best from
other students, that lower-functioning students improve when working with more
academically capable ones, and that many future jobs will require an ability to be a
contributing member of a team (twenty-first century skill). In a differentiated classroom,
students collaborate with the teacher and with each other.
Communication. Any classroom should be communicative and interactive in nature, but

clear communication of expectations between students and teacher or student groups to
produce and present in the target language (TL), as well as precise rubrics or checklists is
especially necessary in a differentiated learning situation.
Connections. New learning gets stored in the long-term memory when a connection is
made between it and a student’s previous experience, knowledge, or interests. This is why one
of the five C’s in the ACTFL standards is Connections: connections to their native language, to
other students and the teacher, to things learned in other classes, or to the community and the
world. Any connectedness has a positive effect on learning and is a major goal for any
differentiated instruction lesson.
Learning how to learn. The teacher should take time to make the students aware of how
they learn best (metacognition), and teach them strategies that will benefit them inside and
outside the classroom.
Multiple learning modes. Brain research tells us that there are many different learning
methods: inquiry, memorization, technology, socialization, and many more. Both the students
and the teacher learn new learning methods, in a differentiated classroom, from each other.
Learning is not just a one-way street—my students love to help me learn new things as much
as I love helping them.
Teaching is an art, and every teacher is different. We all know the value of humor and
enthusiasm, communication and intuition, as well as a love of our subject matter and our
students, whether we teach using thematic units, a text, or Total Physical Response
Storytelling (TPRS). Differentiating does not mean you need to change what works for you; it
asks that you consider expanding your repertoire to see if you can reach a few more students.
Open-endedness. Assume that learning never ends and that thinking about a topic should
continue. Sometimes thinking comes up with more questions (curiosity is a great stimulant of
knowledge) instead of just a single answer. Strategies like Socratic seminar and many upper-
level Bloom’s or DOK activities (see Chapter Three) are open-ended.
Routine. Routine, besides making students feel secure and establishing classroom
expectations and therefore teacher control of that environment, also can trigger memories of
facts learned. Structure is important. Without clear expectations for classroom management,
communicated well to students, differentiation will be very difficult to implement.
Variety in instruction and assessment. Variety can bring excitement and even joy to the
learning environment. The more variety you use in assessing students (summative or
formative, written or oral, daily or at the end of a chapter, announced or unannounced), the
more feedback both you and the student will have on whether success is taking place. Also,
using a variety of assessments will help students unsuited to pencil-and-paper tests feel
successful.
Finally, here is another vital element that is not part of a classroom, but is essential to good
implementation of differentiated instruction in any classroom:
Collegiality. Communication with other teachers and/or consultants helps everyone
involved. Years ago at my school, those of us interested in differentiation took turns presenting
strategies we’d tried to each other. Now, I belong to many PLNs (professional learning
networks) on Facebook (French Teachers in the US; there is also a great one for Spanish), on
Twitter (#langchat and many others), and via blogs and wikis as well as Google Hangouts and
Pinterest, among others. Teachers all over the globe and I have shared materials (maps,
manipulatives, even bulletin boards) and critiqued each other’s ideas, looking for ways to
implement or improve learning. Teachers, too, need connections, talk, open-endedness, etc., as
well as the feeling that we don’t exist in a vacuum. I’ve often heard foreign language teachers
say they feel this way. With modern technology (and enough time to read all the postings)
there is much help to be found.
What Differentiation Is Not
Since graphics often help comprehension, here’s a compare/contrast table.
Table 1.1

Not
• Student-centered • Class-centered
• Mainly for students with learning
• For all students
problems
• For heterogeneous groups • A tracking system by abilities
• A change in philosophy about how learning should • A recipe for learning: it is how to
take place teach, not what to teach
• Multiple approaches/options for Content, Process, • A different lesson plan for every
and Product student (individualized instruction)
• A mix of whole-class, group, and independent
learning •Whole-group drill and practice or any
single structure or activity
• More about quality than quantity
• Flexible and varied • Fact-based learning alone
• Student-centered and proactive in the planning
• Unmanageable or undisciplined
stage
• Modifying the instruction up or

• “Rooted” in assessment
down in difficulty
• A method that you will need all new
•Based on continual reflection and adjustment to help materials for
students learn well
• Cost-free
•A belief system that says all learners come to the • Just about learning styles
classroom with potential ready to be accessed • Just a set of strategies and activities
Some Research to Support Differentiation
There is little research done specifically regarding new language learners. This is primarily
because differentiation is more a way of thinking about teaching and learning that can be
translated into classroom practice in many different ways. If you look for research on using
RAFT writing or Tic-Tac-Toe choice boards or almost any other aspect of a differentiated
lesson, you will find how effective those are; there are hundreds of studies. Differentiation has
so many forms (see the following chapters) that few researchers want to juggle that many
variables. However, it has been done. Notably, in one three-year study in Alberta, Canada, the
Anglophone part of the country, it was found that differentiated instruction in French in K–12
classrooms consistently yielded positive results, especially when using small groups and with
targeted instruction for learning-disabled students (McQuarrie, McRae & Stack-Cutler, 2008).
Solid research does validate the practices that are the basis for differentiation. Studies show
the effectiveness of methods like instruction based on readiness (Vygotsky, 1986), interests
(Csikszentmihalyi, 1997), individualization, zone of proximal development, learning profiles
(Sternberg, Torff, & Grigorenko, 1998), attention to students’ varied learning needs (Danielson
& Axtell, 2009), and especially, effective instruction.
Let’s look more at the last one listed. I first became interested in differentiation when,
teaching on a block schedule, I searched for more effective methods of instruction, and tried to
implement a greater variety of teaching styles.
My personal first “contact” with aspects of differentiated instruction was with Madeline
Hunter’s Direct Instruction Model. Her essential elements of instruction are:
An anticipatory set to introduce a new concept

Objective, shared with students
Input*
Modeling
Guided practice
Checking for understanding
Closure
Individual practice*
The two starred elements above are key aspects of differentiation. Input, Hunter says, should
come from a variety of sources—print, visuals, videos, and so on—chosen by the teacher for
appropriateness (differentiation of content). Hunter mandates that the individual practice
portion be used in enough different contexts so that the skill/concept may be applied to any
relevant situation, not only the context in which it was originally learned (differentiation of
Process). Here is my favorite quote: “The failure to do this is responsible for most student
failure to be able to apply something learned” (Joyce, Calhoun, & Hopkins, 2003). She also
strongly advocates using higher-level activities using Bloom’s Taxonomy model (Bloom &
Engelhart, 1956), which my school uses to evaluate rigor in assessment strategies.
Then there are Spencer Kagan’s Cooperative Learning strategies, which all emphasize the
importance of using collaborative groups, of flexible groupings, and of varying the roles and
focuses of group learning, all important in differentiation.
Joseph Renzulli (Renzulli & Reis, 2008), who deals primarily with gifted and talented
students, developed these Five Dimensions of Differentiation:
Content Process Product Classroom Teacher
Notice that the first three dimensions are exactly the focus of a differentiated classroom. He
also advocates many of the best practices used in differentiated instruction. In his discussion of
content, he endorses exploring and webbing topics, and using open-ended questions. For
Process, he supports using as many instructional techniques and materials as possible, as well
as determining and motivating students’ different learning styles. For Product, he advises a
differentiated approach in which learners express themselves while applying the basic
learnings of the content area. For classroom, he envisions a combination of interest and
learning centers, study areas, and work areas for artistic and scientific discoveries. He also
advocates flexible group formats and an adaptable physical environment. For teacher, he
suggests that the instructor be part of the learning exploration through the use of personal
interests, collections, hobbies, opinions, beliefs and/or enthusiasms about issues related to the
content area being taught, to spark curiosity, confrontation with knowledge, or just to model a
love of learning.
Next, let’s talk about brain research, which I’d say has had the biggest effect on how I have
modified my teaching (and the most positive effect so far on student success and pleasure in
learning, in my opinion). Definitely check out Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligences
(Gardner, 2006) and David Sousa’s Brain-Compatible Learning for information that will
change how you look at teaching forever (see the Works Cited). These researchers both
maintain that how students learn is shaped by their culture, learning style, and intelligence
preference. Research supports those propositions, finding that student achievement benefits
from teacher attention to students’ learning patterns (Claxton, 1990, report on New York State
Regents). See Chapter 3 for more on this.
Preassessing readiness is an important part of differentiating. Basically, the numerous
theorists and appliers of brain research state that students do not learn effectively when tasks
are too simple or too complex for their level of readiness. Also, for learning to occur, tasks
must be moderately challenging: this is called the zone of proximal development, or ZPD
(Tomlinson, 2014, p. 33, citing Lev Vygotsky, 1986). Vygotsky discovered that the difficulty of
skills taught must be only slightly in advance of their current level of mastery. Classroom
research strongly supports the ZPD concept: in differentiated classrooms where students
performed with about 80% accuracy, they learned more and felt better about themselves and
the subject area (Fisher, Berliner, Filby, Marliave, Cahen, & Dishaw, 1980, in Tomlinson, 2014.)
Finally, brain and learning styles research also shows that addressing student interest
enhances their motivation to learn. When teachers are able to make required content appeal to
student interests, students are likely to respond with greater commitment, energy, and
endurance. Research confirms that when students are engaged in what they study, learning
outcomes are more positive in both the short term and the long term.
A Few More Things That Should Be Mentioned
Effective management procedures, especially in grouping students for instruction, are central to
differentiated instruction. These have been validated in so many studies going back to the mid
1980s that I’ll not cite any here, but I just wanted to mention that classroom management is an
important consideration and should be carefully thought through before implementing a
differentiated unit (see Chapter 2 for examples.)
Best practice activities must also be in your repertoire (Marzano, Pickering & Pollack, 2001).
There are many suggested activities in this book, as well as rubrics, and I have suggested how
each would align with Common Core and the ACTFL proficiencies.
Finally, a bit of personal action research: in my first year of differentiating, in each level I
taught, I deliberately differentiated the first half of one unit, including the assessment, and
then used little or no differentiation for the second half of the unit. Comparing test scores, my
students did, on average, 13% better on the assessment over the first part than over the second
portion (on my grading scale, that meant an A- class average for the first test, and a high C
average for the second). There were, admittedly, lots of uncontrolled variables (interest levels
of students in the new material, ratio of grammar to vocabulary in each half of the unit, as
well as the fact that I had already been teaching my students ways to use their own learning
style for success, and since they used those during the unit, I’m sure it affected and improved
their test scores) but still I felt that two letter grades’ difference was a very significant
difference in results, and confirmed my determination to continue differentiating in my
classroom.

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information for each, in a text box format.

Brain-based teaching strategies

What Is Differentiated Instruction?

1: to mark or show a difference

1: to recognize or give expression to a difference

Related Words comprehend, understand

rigorous, providing challenging instruction that motivates students

Communication. Any classroom should be communicative and interactive in nature, but

What Differentiation Is Not

Since graphics often help comprehension, here’s a compare/contrast table.

What Differentiated Instruction Is

• Modifying the instruction up or

An anticipatory set to introduce a new concept

Content Process Product Classroom Teacher

A Few More Things That Should Be Mentioned

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