Differentiated Instruction

Warm-up: what is differentiated instruction? Do you already differentiate in your classes, and how?

No two students learn in the same way or at the same pace. Differentiated instruction means adapting what students learn (content), how they learn it (process), how they show what they have learned (product) and the learning environment to their readiness, interests and learning profiles. Its best-known advocate is Carol Ann Tomlinson.

In this unit, you will discover concrete strategies such as station rotation, task cards and flexible grouping, and learn the vocabulary you need to talk about them, for example in a job interview.

Step 1 – Understand

• Differentiation and the brain: a discussion with Carol Ann Tomlinson (Hawker Brownlow Education)

• Differentiating instruction: it's not as hard as you think (Education Week)
• Bilingual glossary
• Pedagogical vocabulary (.docx)
• Differentiated instruction, with French translations (.docx)

Step 2 – Station rotation

• Watch the video (Edutopia)

• Watch the video and fill in the gaps

Step 3 – 15 differentiated instruction strategies

• Watch the video (Prodigy Education)

• Watch the video and fill in the gaps (with, then without the word list)
• Vocabulary: match the words, then use them in context (2 activities)

Step 4 – Talk about your own practice

• “How do you differentiate in class?” A model answer for a job interview: fill in the gaps

Step 5 – Go further

• Differentiating instruction: a guide for teaching English-language learners (Education Week)

• Differentiated instruction strategies: multiple intelligences, 22 min (QEP VideoCoursesForTeachers)
• Distance learning with Carol Ann Tomlinson (ASCD)