JSET ejournal
Research
& Practice
Associate Editor Column
Dave Edyburn
Technology Supports for Differentiated Instruction
Special education teachers who support students in the general
education curriculum are often expected to make extensive modifications
to the curriculum as well as to instructional materials. This
problem is a historical legacy that one size fits all. The problem
is also a contemporary one in the context that high standards
are misunderstood to mean one curriculum, one instructional approach,
and one test to assess understanding.
We are slowly recognizing the disservice the one-size-fits-all
model of curriculum, instruction, and assessment is having on
our increasingly diverse student population. The Nation's Report
Card (the National Assessment of Educational Progress, NAEP)
on the reading skills of fourth graders for the year 2000 reveals
that only 32% of the fourth graders read at proficient or expected
levels (Donahue, Finnegan, Lutkus, Allen, & Campbell, 2001).
Similar data documents the achievement gap between white students
and students of color on all subtests of the NAEP, nationally,
and on a state-by-state basis (The Education Trust, 2003). These
findings raise serious questions about the efficacy of current
educational practice to enhance educational achievement among
the bottom 68% of our students.
Special education is addressing the problem of underachievement
by students with disabilities through the application of universal
design as a means of gaining access to the curriculum (Hitchcock,
Meyer, Rose, & Jackson, 2002; King-Sears, 2001). Meanwhile,
the attention of general education has been captured by a compatible
philosophy known as differentiated instruction.
The purpose of this column is to introduce readers to professional
development resources for learning more about differentiated
instruction. In addition, we'll examine the research supporting
differentiation as an effective instructional strategy as well
as web sites that allow teachers to explore theory in practice.
What is Differentiated Instruction?
University of Virginia professor Carol Ann Tomlinson (2001,
1999) is the name most frequently associated with the current
interest in differentiated instruction although the roots of
this approach can be found in child psychology and gifted education.
At the core, Tomlinson describes differentiation as a response
to modify instruction in light of student differences. She acknowledges
that all teachers make such modifications in small but significant
ways throughout the school day. However, the challenge is to
embrace the concept on a scale and
scope that will positively enhance student achievement.
Acknowledging that there is no recipe for differentiation, Tomlinson
(1999) outlines a number of principles which guide the practice
of differentiation:
1. The teacher focuses on the essentials
2. The teacher attends to student differences
3. Assessment and instruction are inseparable
4. The teacher modifies content, process, and products
5. All students participate in respectful work
6. The teacher and students collaborate in learning
7. The teacher balances group and individual norms
8. The teacher and students work together flexibly
While this philosophical approach is new and challenging to some
general educators, special educators will find that there is
much to embrace. Indeed, some special education teachers have
observed that inclusion efforts are significantly enhanced when
a general education teacher attempts design and implement differentiated
instruction.
How Can I Learn More About Differentiated Instruction?
Several options are available learning more about differentiated
instruction. The following lists outlines resources in the form
of books, Web sites, and professional development workshops/kits.
Books
Gregory, G. H., & Chapman, C. (2001). Differentiated
instructional strategies: one size doesn't fit all. Thousand
Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Heacox, D. (2002) Differentiating instruction in the regular
classroom: How to teach and reach all learners, grades 3-12.
Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing.
Tomlinson, C. A. (2001). How to differentiate instruction
in mixed-ability classrooms. Alexandria, VA: Association
for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Tomlinson, C.A. (1999). The differentiated classroom: Responding
to the needs of all learners. Alexandria, VA: Association
for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Tomlinson, C.A., & Allan, S.D. (2000). Leadership for
differentiating schools and classrooms. Alexandria, VA: Association
for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Web Sites
Strategies for Differentiating
http://members.shaw.ca/priscillatheroux/differentiatingstrategies.html
How to Plan For Differentiate Instruction
http://www.teach-nology.com/tutorials/teaching/differentiate/planning/
Classroom Management and Successful Practices
http://www.mcps.k12.md.us/departments/eii/eiimanagepracticespage.html
Differentiated Instruction Resources
http://www.differentiatedinstruction.com/DIResources.htm
Mapping a route toward differentiated instruction
http://www.ascd.org/pdi/demo/diffinstr/tomlinson2.html
Differentiated Instruction
http://www.cast.org/ncac/index.cfm?i=2876
Professional Development Workshops/Kits
The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
(ASCD) sponsors frequent full-day workshops on differentiated
instruction. For additional information, visit: http://www.ascd.org.
ASCD also sells a Professional Development Inquiry Kit which
contains printed materials and videos that can be used for conducting
local inservice training on differentiated instruction. "Differentiating
Instruction in Mixed-Ability Classrooms" ($191 retail, $159
members) is available through the web (http://www.ascd.org) or
by phone (800/933-ASCD).
What Does the Research Say About Differentiated Instruction?
Differentiated instruction is a philosophy about teaching
and learning that focuses on designing instruction in ways that
enable all students to be successful. Naturally, it is reasonable
to assume that there are research studies that support the effectiveness
of this instructional approach. Unfortunately, little research
has been completed on the effectiveness of differentiated instruction.
Rather, the evidence base argues by analogy, that is, using concepts
such as readiness, individualization, the zone of proximal development,
and the effective instruction literature to illustrate that the
principles of differentiation are effective for enhancing student
achievement.
The following resources specifically address the issue of
the research associated with the principles of differentiated
instruction:
Differentiation, Research, Evidence, and Implications for
Practice
http://ideanet.doe.state.in.us/exceptional/gt/archive/001128.html
Differentiated Instruction
http://www.cast.org/ncac/index.cfm?i=2876
Differentiated Curriculum and Instruction
http://www.aea11.k12.ia.us/curriculum/differentiated.html
Theory in Practice
Special education teachers charged with making modifications
to curriculum and instruction will appreciate many of the same
resources general education teachers can use when attempting
to implement the principles of differentiated instruction. As
a result, some special educators are finding it helpful to build
a toolkit of resources on differentiated instruction.
The following list provides some excellent starting points for
teachers who begin with a specific instructional topic and seek
to locate high-quality materials for differentiating curriculum,
instruction, and/or assessment.
Cool Spots 4 Kids
http://www.4kids.org/coolspots/
Eduscapes
http://eduscapes.com/
Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators
http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/
Kid's Hub
http://www.kidshub.org/
TrackStar
http://trackstar.hprtec.org/
Tomlinson talks about tiered learning activities (1999, pp. 83-87)
as a way that children can explore and interact with learning
materials when their skills and interests may be at different
levels. The following web sites provide tiered learning activities
and are an interesting place to start exploring differentiated
instruction theory into practice. All three of these web sites
illustrate how it is possible to align curriculum to different
ability/interest levels. As a result, they offer interesting
models for the future development. That is, if differential instructional
materials were aligned with the standards for my state, and delivered
using web templates like the ones on the following web sites,
would students be able to achieve at higher levels?
Ben's Guide to US Government for Kids
http://bensguide.gpo.gov/
StarChild: A Learning Center for Young Astronomers
http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/StarChild.html
Windows on the Universe
http://www.windows.ucar.edu/
---------------------------------------------
Insert Figures 1 and 2 about here
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One example of particular interest to special education teachers
looking for alternatives for students who have difficulty reading
is the StarChild Web site. The StarChild Web site features materials
tiered at two interest/reading levels (see Figure 1). In addition,
the web site provides the option for the students who select
Level 1 to listen to the text being read to them (see Figure
2). While ideal for many students with disabilities who struggle
in reading, the application of this universal design principle
has the potential to help every student in the classroom.
Conclusion
Many special education teachers and administrators are intrigued
by the potential of differentiated instruction to enable students
with disabilities to experience more success in general education
classrooms. In the short-term, identification of differentiated
instruction resources via the web holds considerable promise
for helping special educators move theory into practice. In the
long-term, efforts to assimilate the concepts of differentiated
instruction, universal design, and assistive technology would
be valuable for creating unified approaches for designing instructional
environments that provide demonstrable gains in academic achievement
for all students.
References
Donahue, P, L., Finnegan, R. J., Lutkus, A. D., Allen, N.
L., & Campbell, J. R. (2001). The nation's report card:
Fourth-grade reading 2000. Executive summary. [WWW document].
URL http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pubs/main2000/2001499.asp
The Education Trust. Ed Watch Online: Data to drive educational change. [WWW interactive document]. URL http://66.43.154.40:8001/projects/edtrust/index.html
Hitchcock, C., Meyer, A., Rose, D., & Jackson, R. (2002). Providing new access to the general curriculum: Universal design for learning. Teaching Exceptional Children, 35(2), 8-17.
King-Sears, M.E. (2001). Three steps for gaining access to the general education curriculum for learners with disabilities. Intervention in School and Clinic, 37(2), 67-76.
Tomlinson, C. A. (2001). How to differentiate instruction in mixed-ability classrooms. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Tomlinson, C.A. (1999). The differentiated classroom: Responding to the needs of all learners. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.