Week One
Differentiated Instruction (DI) and Understanding by Design (UbD) - The Basics
Differentiated Instruction:
Identifying Components/Features
Several key elements guide
differentiation in the education environment. Tomlinson (2001) identifies three
elements of the curriculum that can be differentiated: Content, Process, and
Products.
Content
• Several elements and materials are used to support instructional content.
These include acts, concepts, generalizations or principles, attitudes, and
skills. The variation seen in a differentiated classroom is most frequently
the manner in which students gain access to important learning. Access to the
content is seen as key.
• Align tasks and objectives to learning goals. Designers of differentiated
instruction determine as essential the alignment of tasks with instructional
goals and objectives. Goals are most frequently assessed by many high-stakes
tests at the state level and frequently administered standardized measures.
Objectives are frequently written in incremental steps resulting in a continuum
of skills-building tasks. An objectives-driven menu makes it easier to find
the next instructional step for learners entering at varying levels.
• Instruction is concept-focused and principle-driven. The instructional
concepts should be broad based and not focused on minute details or unlimited
facts. Teachers must focus on the concepts, principles and skills that students
should learn. The content of instruction should address the same concepts with
all students but be adjusted by degree of complexity for the diversity of learners
in the classroom.
Process
• Flexible grouping is consistently used. Strategies for flexible grouping
are essential. Learners are expected to interact and work together as they develop
knowledge of new content. Teachers may conduct whole-class introductory discussions
of content big ideas followed by small group or pair work. Student groups may
be coached from within or by the teacher to complete assigned tasks. Grouping
of students is not fixed. Based on the content, project, and on-going evaluations,
grouping and regrouping must be a dynamic process as one of the foundations
of differentiated instruction.
• Classroom management benefits students and teachers. Teachers must consider
organization and instructional delivery strategies to effectively operate a
classroom using differentiated instruction. Carol Tomlinson (2001) identifies
17 key strategies for teachers to successfully meet the challenge of designing
and managing differentiated instruction in her text How to Differentiate Instruction
in Mixed-Ability Classrooms, Chapter 7.
Products
• Initial and on-going assessment of student readiness and growth are
essential. Meaningful pre-assessment naturally leads to functional and successful
differentiation. Assessments may be formal or informal, including interviews,
surveys, performance assessments, and more formal evaluation procedures. Incorporating
pre and on-going assessment informs teachers to better provide a menu of approaches,
choices, and scaffolds for the varying needs, interests and abilities that exist
in classrooms of diverse students.
• Students are active and responsible explorers. Teacher’s respect
that each task put before the learner will be interesting, engaging, and accessible
to essential understanding and skills. Each child should feel challenged most
of the time.
• Vary expectations and requirements for student responses. Items to which
students respond may be differentiated for students to demonstrate or express
their knowledge and understanding. A well-designed student product allows varied
means of expression, alternative procedures, and provides varying degrees of
difficulty, types of evaluation, and scoring.
Excerpted from:
Excerpted from:
NCAC Differentiated Instruction Effective
Classroom Practices Report, June, 2002. (PDF)