6. Principles of Learning
• Learning requires the active
participation of the student
• People learn in a variety of ways
and at different rates
• Learning is both an individual and
group process
8. Where to Differentiate…
Should not be
differentiated
May be
differentiated
Should be
differentiated
9. Differentiated Instruction (DI) –
4 Key Principles:
1. Activities need to be linked to
common learning outcomes!
2. Activities should take roughly the
same amount of time
3. Activities need to be equally engaging
4. Activities need to be equally respectful
10. Differentiated Instruction
Dos and Don’ts…
• Don’t offer more than two options to begin DI -
you can add more choices when you know your
students better
• Do think in terms of clusters of students
• Do use Multiple Entry Points
Remember: DI is NOT individualized instruction!
11. Comparing Classrooms
Traditional Classroom Differentiated Classroom
Assessment is most common at the Assessment is ongoing and diagnostic
end of the learning to see “who got to understand how to make instruction
it.” A single form of assessment is more responsive to learner need.
often used. Students are assessed in multiple ways.
Many instructional arrangements
Whole-class instruction dominates
are used
Coverage of texts and curriculum Student readiness, interest and
guides drives instruction. A single learning profile shape instruction.
text prevails. Multiple materials are provided.
Mastery of facts and skills out-of- Use of essential skills to make sense of
and understand key concepts and
context are the focus of learning principles is the focus of learning.
Single options assignments are the Multi-option assignments are
norm frequently used.
14. Learning Pyramid
Average Retention
Rates After 24 Hours
Lecture 5%
Verbal Processing
Reading 10%
Audiovisual 20%
Verbal and Visual Demonstration 30%
Processing
Discussion Group 50%
Practice by Doing 75%
Doing
Teach Others/Immediate Use of Learning 90%
15. Six Effective and Readily Differentiated
Instructional Approaches
Hume, K. (2008). Start where they are: differentiating for success with the young adolescent. Toronto, Ontario: Pearson Education Canada
1. Project-based Learning
Students are assigned authentic, real-life tasks that they investigate over an
extended period of time. This approach supports the development need for
relevance and differentiation by students’ interests. The challenge of a project
work is in making sure that all students are working at a level that challenges but
doesn’t frustrate them.
2. Problem-based Learning
The teacher provides students with a believable problem for which they must
acquire new knowledge, declarative or procedural, in order to solve it. Some
role-plays, simulations, and games qualify as forms of problem-based learning.
3. Inquiry Learning
An approach within the philosophy known as constructivism. In inquiry learning
situations, students actively engage in the development of new knowledge
through a combination of reading, writing, viewing, representing, discussing,
experimenting, and discovering, often in response to essential questions.
16. 4. Integrated Learning
A single teacher works with students on a concept through a variety of disciplines,
or several teachers team up to make connections across disciplines, often in
response to one or more essential questions. Integrated learning enables students to
make connections across the curriculum, improving relevance and supporting
transfer of understanding across the disciplines.
5. Explicit Instruction
The teacher models a strategy gradually releasing responsibility for the execution of
the strategy to the learner. The intention is for students to learn to use effective
strategies independently so that they become more efficient learners, but each
student develops that independence at different times and will be supported by the
teacher until that time.
6. Cooperative Learning
Structured group activities built around Johnson’s (1999) five elements:
– Positive Interdependence
– Individual Accountability
– Interactive Skills
– Face-to-Face Interaction
– Group Processing
Cooperative learning is not synonymous with group work. Cooperative learning
requires structured group activities and has been found to enhance higher-order
thinking skills (Shellard & Protheroe, 2000).
17. Six Effective and Readily Differentiated
Instructional Approaches
1. Which of these approaches are you currently
using in your practice?
2. Which approaches are not common practices in
your classroom?
3. Which ones would you like to learn more about?
18. Designs 2010 Feedback Form
1. What was the most significant/meaningful
component of this series for you?
2. Please give us feedback about the structure of
this series (e.g. dates, time frame, variety of
speakers, balance of theory vs. practical
information, venues, refreshments, etc.)
3. Please provide ideas/suggestions/possible topics
for district in-service during the 2010-2011
school year.
20. Exciting Workshop opportunity
with Karen Hume May 10, 2010
The North Vancouver School District 10:15-11:30am
is pleased to welcome acclaimed LMCC
teacher, administrator, author,
speaker, and workshop leader,
KAREN HUME, to our Curriculum
Implementation Day on May 10th,
2010. In addition to providing the
keynote address for the day, she will
be facilitating a workshop on
Differentiated Instruction ~
Student Engagement Focus Karen Hume draws from her wealth
of experiences and extensive
As a consistent participant in the knowledge base to provide focused,
Designs 2010 series, you are invited practical, and inspiring support to
to attend this exciting workshop! teachers and administrators.
Please RSVP by Monday, April 26th to Chelsea Read
(cread@nvsd44.bc.ca)
