Applying Differentiated Instruction

In Front of the Class

by Brenda Dyck, Education World®

Author and educator Rick Wormeli notes in his book, Fair Isn't Always Equal that differentiated instruction is more than dividing students into groups -- the key is putting them into groups based on what you know about them.

In the book, Fair Isn't Always Equal: Assessing and Grading in the Differentiated Classroom, author/educator Rick Wormeli has given middle and high school teachers the book he wishes he had had when he began teaching.

Recognizing that most educators struggle with moving differentiation from theory to practice, Wormeli's newest book takes teachers behind the scenes of preparing a differentiated lesson, pulling together the research from a variety of differentiation experts, and offering practical advice gleaned from his own experiences teaching in a differentiated classroom.

Wormeli talked about his newest book and how the principles of differentiation not only result in sound teaching practices but lead to the professional "aha" moments or mini-epiphanies that fuel teachers to keep going.

Education World: What is (and what isn't) differentiation?

Rick Wormeli: The first thing that comes to mind when defining differentiated instruction is understanding that it is maximizing the learning that can happen over what traditionally happens with "one size fits all" lessons. At any point when you're choosing to maximize what students learn, as opposed to settling for what they can learn, that is indicative of a differentiated class.

In the book I use the phrases finessing the students for the curriculum and finessing the curriculum for students. I think it has to go back and forth -- so for example, you would teach the students to advocate for themselves by asking them which of the multiple intelligences best works for them or what their learning style is. Now I'll encourage students to advocate for those things in my classroom and in other people's classrooms. That would be a sign of a differentiated class.

A big part of a differentiation is flexible grouping, but not individualized instruction -- that is a bit of a myth. No one is asking everyone to do independent programs for every single child. We're talking about flexible grouping within the class and making sure that you're adjusting your instruction based on assessment that means in a differentiated class there is a heavy emphasis on formative assessment over summative assessment Emphasis on summative assessment is a sign of a non-differentiated class.

In a differentiated class, the principal should be able to walk down the hallway and happen to see you -- with no pre-planning, no advanced warning -- and ask you, "How did assessment inform one of your decisions this week regarding any student or group of students?" Your answers to that should trickle off your tongue right away; it should be very easy to answer.

There are some people who think differentiating is just putting kids in groups. That's only part of it; differentiation is putting them into groups based on something you know about them. So just putting them into groups is not differentiation. But putting them into groups that are purposeful, based on their individual needs -- now we're talking a differentiated class.

EW: Does scaffolding fit into differentiation?

Wormeli: Scaffolding is huge in the differentiated classroom. Scaffolding has a variety of different definitions. I'm looking at it in terms of providing lots and lots of direct instruction early on -- a template perhaps that students follow word-by-word -- lots of support, lots of direct instruction, and then slowly removing those platforms over time so that eventually the student or groups of students can fly solo and be autonomous to the teacher in performing the task as described by the standard.

EW: What are some of the tools that are needed to manage differentiation in the classroom?

Wormeli: There are lots and lots of tools. One would be that you'd get to know the students so well you'd know what buttons to push with them and you'd then push those buttons. That's a very important part of differentiate instruction.

You're going to be required to be flexible. You need to consider, "Am I giving them more work or less work?" as opposed to -- and the preferred way -- "Am I giving them different work?" Change the nature of the task, not so much the quantity of the task.

You need to think about:

• Am I going to modify the content? (which is your legally mandated curriculum)
• Am I going to modify the process by which they learn the content?
• Am I going to modify the product where they prove what they learned?
• Am I going to modify the emotional atmosphere (or the affect) of the room?
• Am I going to change the learning environment? (whether it be self-contained or different groups or using adaptive technology)

I might use constructivism at one time, but another time Bernice McCarthy's format model sounds good. You don't want to be in a rut -- in fact, a really good differentiated teacher is vigilant against being in a rut.

Additional Resources

• Preparing Teachers for Differentiated Instruction
• Paving the Way for Differentiated Instruction
• Standards-Based Teaching and Differentiation
• Readiness Differentiation
• School Issues Glossary: Differentiated Instruction
• Ways to Engage, Nurture Middle Schoolers

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