WELCOME

DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION
Differentiating Instruction:
The Journey

"In the end, all learners need your

energy, your heart and your mind.
They have that in common
because they are young humans.
How they need you however,
differs. Unless we understand and
respond to those differences, we
fail many learners."
*

Tomlinson, C.A. (2001). How to differentiate

instruction in mixed ability classrooms (2nd
Ed.). Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
The biggest mistake of past
centuries in teaching has been to
treat all children as if they were
variants of the same individual
and thus to feel justified in
teaching them all the same
subjects in the same way.
Howard Gardner
 Differentiated Instruction Means
Recognizing Differences
• There are no two students who learn at the
same pace.

• There are no two students who solve problems

in exactly the same way.

• There are no two students who have the

same interests.

• There are no two students who have learned

the same skills.
 Differentiated
Instruction
Defined
“Differentiated instruction is a teaching
philosophy based on the premise that
teachers should adapt instruction to student
differences. Rather than marching students
through the curriculum lockstep, teachers
should modify their instruction to meet
students’ varying readiness levels, learning
preferences, and interests. Therefore, the
teacher proactively plans a variety of ways to
‘get at’ and express learning.”
Carol Ann Tomlinson
 Why Differentiate Instruction?

When a teacher tries to teach something

to the entire class at the same time,
chances are, one-third of the students
already know it; one-third will get it and
the remaining third won’t. So two-thirds
of the children are wasting their time.

Lillian Katz
Differentiation is a Way of Thinking
About Teaching and Learning
 Differentiation
Is a teacher’s response to learner’s needs

Guided by general principles of differentiation

Respectful tasks Flexible grouping Continual assessment

Teachers Can Differentiate Through:

Content Product Environment

Process
According to Students’

Readiness Interest Learning Profile

Belief Statements from Education for All
1. All students can succeed.

2. Universal design and differentiated

instruction are effective and
interconnected means of meeting the
learning or productivity needs of any
group of students.

3. Successful instructional practices are

founded on evidence-based research,
tempered by experience.
Belief Statements from Education for All
4. Classroom teachers are the key
educators for a student’s literacy and
numeracy development.

5. Each child has his or her own unique

patterns of learning.

6. Classroom teachers need the support of

the larger community to create a learning
environment that supports all students.

7. Fairness is not sameness.

 Universal Design for
Learning…

• shapes teaching to provide all students

with access to the curriculum
(Turnbull et al., 2002)
• assumes every student is unique, and will
therefore benefit from a flexible curriculum
that provides appropriate pathways for
instruction, as well as fair and accurate
assessment
 Universal Design for Learning…

• encourages teachers to develop a class

profile and then plan, from the beginning, to
meet the needs of all students and not only
those with special needs
• helps eliminate ‘after the fact’ modifications
• depends on flexibility and inclusion to
provide real learning experiences for all
students, regardless of their performance
level
 Knowing the learners and consciously
and strategically planning to address
their styles, intelligences, and learning
preferences will increase the chances
of engaging them and offering a variety
of ways to learn.”

(Gregory and Chapman, 2002, p.35)

Remember…… to think
of DIFFERENTIATION as
the lens you look
through when using any
materials, programs or
instructional strategies.
How will you use what
you learn about today to
differentiate for YOUR
students?