Staff
Development Specializing in Differentiated Instruction
from Pieces of Learning
Judy Rhoads' Topics
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Session Descriptions
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Differentiation: An Introduction
Audience: K-12
In many school environments, myths and misconceptions about differentiated instruction are prevalent. Educators often ask such common questions as: “Isn’t differentiation the same as tracking? Aren’t the so-called advanced students getting stimulating curriculum while all the others are stuck with skill and drill? Don’t I already differentiate? How can I possibly have enough time to plan differentiated units?”
Sound familiar? If you are interested in basic information with a focus on what differentiated instruction is and is not, you will find the content highlighted in this breakout session interesting and useful. The information shared will strengthen your ability to discuss the learning opportunities differentiated instruction provides for all students.
Learning Objectives of Session:
Participants will
1. Be able to dispel common myths regarding differentiated instruction.
2. Be able to recognize the basic tenets of a differentiated classroom.
3. Be able to discuss how brain and intelligence research dovetails with theories about differentiation.
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Audience: All content teachers- High School
How do you reach and teach your students with learning differences in your mixed-ability high school classroom? While the goal for each student is challenge and increased academic achievement, secondary teachers must often define challenge and achievement differently in response to students’ varying interests and readiness levels.
In this breakout session, Judy will guide participants through a menu of teacher-friendly differentiation strategies that adjust the pace and vary the depth of instruction for the variety of learning levels in their content-focused classrooms. Educators will explore a variety of field-tested instructional techniques.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leadership for Differentiating Schools and Classrooms
(Audience: Teacher Leaders and Administrators)
Expert educators teach individuals the most important things in the most effective ways. The term “differentiation” simply means attending to the needs of a particular student or small group of students rather than the more typical pattern of teaching the class as though all individuals in it were basically the same. This workshop will assist instructional leaders as they encourage and support teachers who are striving to match their instructional approaches to the needs and interests of every student. It will also assist administrators as they work with educators who are hesitant or reluctant to differentiate curriculum and instruction for their students. The work of leading authorities will be examined and will lead participants through the process of moving schools and districts toward differentiated classrooms. Differentiation policies, leadership practices, staff development approaches and communication strategies that help schools address the needs of all students will be explored.
Participants will:
1.
Become familiar with key vocabulary and
principles of effective differentiation.
2.
Be able to internalize key principles which
guide differentiated instruction.
3.
Be able to identify key features of an effectively
differentiated classroom.
4.
Be able to assist teachers in the expansion
of their repertoire of strategies for assessing student readiness, interest and
learning profile.
5.
Revisit lessons from the literature on
change.
6.
Establish conditions to initiate systemic
change.
7.
Explore practical strategies for
implementing a differentiation growth plan.
8.
Develop job-embedded strategies for
differentiated professional development.
9. Develop a plan for
effective communication about differentiated instruction for parents and the
general public.
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Five Formats
for Writing Differentiated Lessons and Units
(Any grade level combinations)
Almost all differentiation strategies require careful and thoughtful planning. At the same time, this planning cannot be too difficult or time-consuming. In this workshop, we will explore five practical formats teachers can use to plan differentiated units and lessons. Each has a specific purpose and function. Participants should bring their own curriculum materials to utilize during periods of processing and practical application.
Books recommended for this workshop:
Standards Based
Activities and Assessments for the Differentiated Classroom
Successful Teaching in
the Differentiated Classroom
Tiered Literature
Lessons
Tiered Activities
for Learning Centers
Demystifying
Differentiation for Middle School
Demystifying
Differentiation for Elementary School
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Curriculum Compacting:
Open Access to High Achievement for All Students
Curriculum compacting is a differentiation strategy that incorporates content, process, products, classroom management and a teacher’s personal commitment to accommodating individual and small-group differences. This approach can benefit teachers of all grades in most content areas, and it addresses the demand for more challenging learning experiences designed to help all students achieve at high levels and realize their potential. This workshop will explore how a teacher might phase in curriculum compacting for students who have already mastered their curriculum and for students who learn at a faster pace when the content is new. Participants should bring their own curriculum materials to utilize during periods of processing and practical application.
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Assessment in the
Differentiated Classroom
(K-5, 6 - 8, 6 -12, 9-12)
Teachers have a number of concerns about how they should assess students in the differentiated classroom, especially when it comes to grading. Confusion about how to fairly grade students who are not doing the same assignments is common. In this workshop, we will explore the difference between assessment and grading as well as develop teacher-friendly assessment tools to use in the differentiated classroom. Participants should bring their own curriculum materials to utilize during periods of processing and practical application.
Books recommended for this workshop:
Teaching Tools for
the 21st Century
Standards Based
Activities and Assessments for the Differentiated Classroom
Solving the
Assessment Puzzle Piece by Piece
2 * 5 * 8 Plan
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Pieces of Learning
Division of Creative Learning
Consultants, Inc.