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July/August 2010
Districts, schools and teachers, however, are implementing differentiated instruction in a myriad of ways. In fact, if you ask 10 teachers what differentiated instruction is, you might get 10 slightly different answers. And therein lies one of the challenges: Without a consistent model for implementing differentiated instruction, educators may not be embracing the fullness of the model. Any implementation of differentiated instruction, then, must begin with a clear understanding of the model and its goal. The most celebrated model is the one Carol Tomlinson heralds. A renowned educator from the University of Virginia, Tomlinson is a pioneer of differentiated instruction and has authored several books, including “How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-Ability Classrooms” and “The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of all Learners.” Here’s the elevator pitch on differentiated instruction, according to Tomlinson: With an understanding that students come into the classroom with differing backgrounds, levels of readiness to learn, life experiences, cultures, languages and learning styles, classroom activities are differentiated based on students’ unique qualities. In other words, differentiated learning demands responsive teaching rather than one-size-fits-all instruction. Many believe differentiated instruction is the key to meeting the special learning needs of individual students. But studying the concept and agreeing with the philosophy of differentiated instruction are just part of the journey. Designing, implementing and monitoring district-wide processes may be the most difficult and neglected part of the road to differentiated instruction success. The differentiated instruction model. Before any district can implement the differentiated instruction model, the administration needs to thoroughly understand the model’s terminology and best practices. Many educators, for example, lump differentiation and intervention into the same instruction pot, so to speak. But each serves a different purpose. “When people talk about differentiation, it’s almost always about helping the struggling learner,” says Martha Kaufeldt, author of “Teachers, Change Your Bait!” “But differentiation shouldn't just be applied to intervention. We need to move up the spectrum to make sure we are challenging gifted students and highly capable learners. The same goes for average learners. Students at all levels respond better to differentiation.” Based on research, the Differentiated Instruction Model is framed on six pillars: High-Quality Curriculum, Continual Assessment, Respectful Tasks, Building Community, Flexible Grouping and Teaching Up. Here are their definitions based on Tomlinson’s Differentiated Instruction Model:
“While we almost inevitably see the differences in students, we somehow have difficulty taking the next step, which is ‘I have to do something about those differences to be really good.’ But differentiation asks that of us,” Tomlinson told an audience during a recent speech at Amherst College. “Great teachers are students of their students. And as much as they study the content, they try to figure out who those critters are, and what makes them tick, and why they are the way they are under certain circumstances.” Implementing differentiated instruction. To implement differentiated instruction, the model must be aligned with the district’s philosophy. The first decision to make is whether or not to tackle a districtwide implementation or a school-wide implementation. The next decision is to determine which subject matter to begin with and in what ways the teachers will differentiate, according to Vonita White, a primary curriculum services consultant for Texas Professional Development Systems.
At the outset, White suggests building a team of teachers, principals and central office staff to monitor classrooms and recognize any differentiation teachers may be doing already. During these assessments, stakeholders can begin thinking about the best ways to differentiate for a particular student body — by readiness, interests, learning profiles or learning strengths. Districts may also decide to allow teachers to make those decisions individually. “Districts need to have a strong curriculum in place — not just a lesson plan, but a curriculum where differentiated instruction spirals through the lesson plans and the teachers understand the expected outcomes,” White says. “The teachers then need to be equipped with various differentiation strategies. Once a district has developed their definitions of differentiation and how they are going to approach it, the multi-year journey can begin.” Teacher training is critical. Of course, teacher training is critical to successful implementation, because teachers are at the heart of the entire process. It’s also important because many teachers are coming out of college with a mindset that mandates “teaching to the test,” Kaufeldt says. “There is always a conflict regarding time [you have] to teach, the ways kids learn and mastery of the standards. The challenge is trying to cover all the standards, but that demands differentiation if you want all students to succeed,” Kaufeldt says. “Otherwise, it’s just spray and pray — spray out the information and move on, praying the kids get it. Teachers need to be empowered with strategies to differentiate.” As Kaufeldt sees it, teachers can be trained to follow the classroom pacing calendars more creatively. For instance, perhaps a teacher can think of three new ways to help students memorize verbs ending in “ing.” This differentiates the learning experience without sacrificing the pacing calendar. Beyond the plethora of topical books, seminars and workshops on the market, there are full-blown differentiation programs that districts can adopt for teacher training. Districts also can bring in consultants to teach differentiation strategies. Of course, the teacher training depends on the individual school districts — or even the schools themselves. Schools with high ESL populations may need to approach differentiation differently than other schools. The district-wide plan should ultimately drive the training initiatives. Enhancing the implementation. According to White, if differentiated instruction is not embraced as a campusor district-wide initiative, then it becomes too overwhelming for teachers to adopt wholeheartedly. Administrative support is the key to success. “In the differentiation movement, schools must provide consistent support for the teachers and the staff in the areas of training they need,” White says. “It goes back to planning and then implementing that plan across the board. What is differentiation for this district? Why are we going to do it? What’s the vocabulary that we’re going to use as we travel through this? What are the non-negotiables? What are we committing ourselves to?”
“Taking a district-wide or campus-wide approach to differentiation does not mean that a classroom teacher can’t start differentiating in her classroom,” White says. “Let’s suppose a teacher goes to a workshop and the approach really clicks with her and she sees the need and she brings a new strategy into her classroom. That’s one little part of differentiation. But doing it as a whole school or, even better, as whole district, requires a comprehensive model.” JENNIFER LeCLAIRE also writes for The New York Times and Christian Science Monitor. |
Differentiated instruction. It’s both a philosophy and a way of teaching — and it’s gaining momentum in the field of education.
Furthermore, White says that a successful implementation is a multi-year process. This means districts also need to decide what elements of the differentiated instruction will be implemented in the first year, second year, third year and so on. However, that doesn’t mean that pioneers can’t embrace differentiated instruction on their own and be successful at it.