June 5, 2014
Differentiating to Promote
Growth for High Ability Students
Lisa Rubenstein, Ph.D.

Fluid Agenda
✤ 9:00 - 9:30 Session 1: Overview
✤ 9:30 - 10:30 Session 2: Pre-Assessments
✤ 10:30 - 10:40 BREAK
✤ 10:40 - 11:45 Session 3: Creating Tiered Lessons/Complex
Questions
✤ 11:45 - 12:15 LUNCH
✤ 12:15 - 1:35 Session 4: Integrating Interests: For Real
✤ 1:35-1:45 BREAK
✤ 1:45 - 2:15 Session 5: Utilizing Technology
✤ 2:15 - 2:45 Session 6: Classroom Management/Grades
✤ 2:45 - 3:00 Evaluation and Questions

Session 1:
Experiential
Overview

Graph Me
Reading Math Board Games Sewing Running Building Dancing

Fibonacci
51
Diophantus
55
Kovelevsky
57

What are the some of the
principles of differentiation?
What are essential
characteristics of
differentiation?

Big Ideas from the Lesson
✤ Groups are ﬂexible.
✤ All students are treated as practicing professionals.
✤ They all receive honorable tasks.
✤ Everyone can contribute to the discussion at the end.
✤ Students have an opportunity to work with others who will challenge
their thinking.
✤ Pre-assessment matched the lesson.

Differentiation is not...
✤ Individualized instruction.
✤ Chaotic.
✤ Tracking.

Differentiation is...
✤ Proactive.
✤ Qualitatively different.
✤ Rooted in assessment.
✤ Multi-dimensional.
✤ Student centered.
✤ Anchored in standards.

What is the purpose of a pre-
assessment?

Why pre-assess?
✤ Informs of starting levels of
knowledge and pre-existing
conditions
✤ Informs of misconceptions
✤ Measures growth
✤ Allows for internal
consistency within our units

Using the samples, what are some
principles about constructing pre-
assessments?
What are the characteristics of a
good pre-assessment?

Principles of Pre-Assessment
Design
✤ High (enough) ceiling
✤ Directly connected with lessons/objectives
✤ Open (enough)
✤ Range of difﬁculty
✤ Avoid situated cognition

Objectives
Pre-
Assessment
Post-
Assessment
Learning
Experiences
Internal Consistency of
Instructional Design

Pre-Assessment Planning Guide
✤ What do you want your students to be able to do? What do they need
to know?
✤ What are the different misconceptions students might have?
✤ What are the various ways to represent this information?
✤ Why is this important?
✤ What comes next?

Objectives
✤ Estimating length to the nearest inch.
✤ Measuring and drawing line segments to the nearest inch.
✤ Drawing congruent line segments.
✤ Using appropriate units and tools to measure length, temperature,
and weight.
What do you want students
to know, be able to do, and
understand?

Misconceptions
✤ Everything they will measure will be an exact number.
✤ That you can only measure objects with a ruler.
✤ 25 inches is a quarter inch.
✤ You have to start at the 0 part of the ruler to measure an object.

Representations
✤ Various ways to introduce the content: songs, discovery, lecture...
✤ Various ways to represent the content: different rulers, different
objects, when are estimates acceptable? different units of measure

Why is this important?
Put the content
in context.

What comes next?
✤ What is the next level? How can we increase the depth or complexity
of the content?
✤ Is making the numbers or objects bigger the only way to do this? At
what point does this lose its power?
✤ Thoughtful questions could be used to prompt students to take the
content to the next level. Could they consider estimation v. actual?
What about why we use inches and we don’t measure items with
pencils? Cat applied it to geometry...
✤ Deﬁne test ceiling.

Create the pre-assessment using
that information.
What does the pre-assessment
have to include?

Question 1: How long is this object?
Pre-Assessment Example
Question 2: Draw a line
segment that is congruent to
the line segment below.
Question 3: How long are the line segments below?

Other Pre-Assessment Formats
✤ Unit tests
✤ Informal assessments (e.g., conferences, KWL charts)
✤ Homework/journals/stoplight learning
✤ Open-ended assignments (e.g., concept maps, graphic organizers,
lists)
✤ Exit/entrance cards
✤ Metacognition self-checks

POLYGON
What
is
a
polygon?
Draw
a
shape
that
is

NOT
a
polygon
Name
the
three
types

of
polygons
Draw
a
polygon
that
is
concave
Geometry-‐ Polygons

(Chapter
1
Lesson
6)
Name:
Draw
a
polygon
that
is
convex
Megan
Walleske,
2011

3
Things I learned
about
differentiation...
2 Ways I will apply it
in my classroom...
1 Question I still
have...

Google “EVALUATION TREE”
From Ms. Konigbacher’s Class

Readiness Groups
Group 1: Students
who understand the
concept
Group 2: Students
who almost
understand the
concept
Group 3: Students
who show no
comprehension
Flexible Grouping
Then what?

Session 3:
Creating Tiered
Lessons & Complex
Questions

What can we learn from this
video?
Can we apply it to differentiation?
How?

Now What?
Pace of Study, Pace of Thought

Now What?
Tangible. Literal.
Physical Manipulation.
Symbolical. Hold in
mind.

Now What?
Common vocabulary.
Accessible.
Combine. Complex
vocabulary.

Varying the Lesson
✤ Concrete v. abstract
✤ Simple v. complex
✤ Structured v. open
✤ Varied independence

From measurement example
✤ Abstract: Create your own ruler. Which objects are the easiest to
measure? What strategies do you use to measure challenging objects? How
accurate are you? What would help you be more accurate? Use cubes to
measure.
✤ Complexity: Why do you think we use inches rather than centimeters?
Which should we use for this example? Why do we use inches to measure
things? Why an inch? Why not a foot? Or a coffee cup? What problems do
we need to solve that require measurement? Provide different rulers and ask
them what is different and which one they would prefer to use.
✤ Open-ended: When is it important to be exact? What are all the ways you
could measure a football field? List everything that is about 3 inches.
✤ Independence: Encourage students to write their own problems.
Measure their own objects.
✤ Metacognition Questions: How do I know if an estimate is reasonable?
How do I know if an estimate is close to the actual measurement?

Apply the questions to your
lesson.
✤ Abstract?
✤ Complex?
✤ Open-ended?
✤ Independence?
✤ Metacognition?
Brainstorm with a
partner.

DesigningTiered Assignments
✤ Be clear about goals. What has to be constant? What is variable?
✤ Tier by complexity, content, process, products.
✤ Introduce all activities with equal enthusiasm.
✤ Remember different not more.
✤ Design for equally engaging and fair in terms of time expectations.
Think about the
patterns lesson.

What about flexibility and time?

Quick Strategy: Be less helpful.
✤ Think about all the scaffolding you provide.
✤ Take that scaffolding away.
✤ Provide it if they need it.

Card Game Capers
Tens Place Ones Place
Discarded Number
Goal
Make the largest number
possible by drawing
numbers 0-9 out of a bag.

Exploration
✤ What if you are trying to get the largest number and the ﬁrst number
drawn is a 4? Where should you put it? Why?
✤ How many different two digit numbers are possible if the two digits
cannot be 0? How would you ﬁgure this out without writing every
possibility? How do you you know you have them all?

What hint or challenge cards
could you develop for your lesson?

Session 4:
Integrating Interests

What does this mean for our
students?
In 1 Minute

Connecting
Sharing
Accessing
Knowledge
Students have
incredible
opportunities
for..

Motivation?
Growth?
Differentiation?

Interest
Sharing
Is it this simple?

Think...
✤ What is something you are good at?
✤ How much do you think your ability level plays a role in how good
you are?
✤ How much do you think your effort plays a role in how good you
are?
✤ How much do you think your interest plays a role in how good you
are?
1 10

Sternberg’s Intelligences
CreativePractical
Analytical I like...
• Designing new things
• Coming up with ideas
• Using my imagination
• Playing make-believe and
pretend games
• Thinking of alternative solutions
• Noticing things people usually
tend to ignore
• Thinking in pictures and images
• Inventing (new recipes, words,
games)
• Supposing that things were
different
• Thinking about what would have
happened if certain aspects of the
world were different
• Composing (new songs,
melodies)
• Acting and role playing
I like...
• Analyzing characters when I’m
reading or listening to a story
• Comparing & contrasting points
of view
• Criticizing my own & others’
work
• Thinking clearly & analytically
• Evaluating my & others’ points
of view
• Appealing to logic
• Judging my & others’ behavior
• Explaining difficult problems to
others
• Solving logical problems
• Making inferences & deriving
conclusions
• Sorting & classifying
• Thinking about things
I like...
• Advising my friends on their
problems
• Convincing someone to do
something
• Learning by interacting with
others
• Applying my knowledge
• Working and being with others
• Adapting to new situations
• Taking things apart and fixing
them
• Learning through hands on
activities
• Making and maintaining friends
• Understanding and respecting
others
• Putting into practice things I
learned
• Resolving conflicts
Sternberg & Grigorenko, 2000

Migration Example
• Analytical – Find two animals that share a similar migration pattern. Chart their similarities and differences. Be sure
to include information on each animal’s characteristics, habitat(s), adaptations, needs, migratory path, movement time
frames, etc., as well as the reasoning behind these facts. Include an explanation as to why you think they share this
pattern.
• Practical – National Geographic has asked you to research the migratory habits of _________ (your choice). They
would like you to share your ﬁndings with other scientists AND to offer them recommendations about the best manner
of observing in the future. Be sure to include information on the animal’s characteristics, habitat(s), adaptations, needs,
migratory path, movement time frames, etc., as well as the reasoning behind these facts. Include a “How To” checklist
for future scientists to use in their research pursuits of this animal.
• Creative – You have just discovered a new species of ____________. You have been given the honor of naming this
new creature and sharing the fruits of your investigation with the scientiﬁc world via a journal article or presentation.
Be sure to include information on this newly-discovered animal’s characteristics, habitat(s), adaptations, needs,
migratory path, movement time frames, etc., as well as the reasoning behind these facts. Include a picture of the animal
detailed enough that other scientists will be able to recognize it.

Kristi Doubet (2005)

Feudal System Raft
Role Audience Format Topic
King The Subjects Proclamation Read My Lips,
New Taxes
Knight Squire Job Description Chivalry, Is it
for You?
Lord King Contract Let’s Make a
Deal
Serf Animals Lament Poem My So Called
Life
Monk Masses Illuminated
Manuscript
Do As I Say,
Not As I Do
Lady Pages Song ABC, 123
Following the RAFT activity, students will share their research and perspectives in
mixed role groups of approximately ﬁve. Groups will have a “discussion agenda”
to guide their conversation. -Kathryn Seaman

Gentry’s Choice Study
What makes a
choice a choice?

Which line
represents
reading, writing,
and question
asking?

Essential Questions
Model asking them.
Encourage students to
ask.
Build in time for
exploration.

Good job.
That is an interesting
thought.

Change OneThing
✤ Teachers design a question focus.
✤ Students produce questions.
✤ Students improve their questions.
✤ Students prioritize their questions.
✤ Students and teachers decide on next steps.
✤ Students reﬂect upon what they have learned.

Change OneThing
✤ Teachers design a question focus.
✤ Students produce questions.
✤ Students improve their questions.
✤ Students prioritize their questions.
✤ Students and teachers decide on next steps.
✤ Students reﬂect upon what they have learned.
Build in authentic
sharing.

What is a good question?
Are we asking them?
Are our students asking them?

Essential Questions
✤ Arguable
✤ Heart of the discipline
✤ Engage interest
✤ Recur in professional life
✤ Meaningful
✤ Require analysis, evaluation, synthesis
These inevitably
promote
differentiation.

Developing Habits of Mind
✤ Evidence: How do we know?
✤ Viewpoint: How might this look if we examined this from a different
perspective?
✤ Connection: Is there a pattern? Have we seen something like this
before?
✤ Conjecture: What if it were different?
✤ Relevance: Why does this matter?

Session 5:
Utilizing Technology

What does technology bring to
differentiation?

Technology and Differentiation
✤ Technology can provide different content and types of products to
meet different students’ needs.
✤ Technology can provide you the tools to organize multiple levels.
✤ Technology can provide inspiration.

What else is like this?
How can I use this?

Session 6:
Classroom
Management and
Grades

Prepare to Differentiate
StudentsClassroomParents
Differentiate
Evaluate the Differentiation
StudentsTeacher
DoneLost
Management Components
Off-Task

Preparing parents
✤ Consider their perspective
✤ Provide information/support...Brochures/Blogs for Records and
Questions/Parent Night
✤ Transition Nights
✤ Partners (2 way sharing)
✤ IAG (IMAGES, bi-monthly)
✤ NAGC (Parenting for High Potential)
✤ Mile Markers
✤ Hoagies
Parents

Just wondering...
✤ Have you noticed any new interests?
✤ What does your child mention when you ask him/her about school?
✤ Do you have any additional information that may be helpful?

Create a system.
✤ Management system (How to
group, what happens in groups
or during group time?)
✤ Classroom ﬂow (Where do they
submit assignments, what
happens when they are done?
✤ Expectations and Grades

✤ Signal for quiet. Signal for no interruptions except
for...Batter’s Box (shared by Megan Walleske), Princess Crown (shared by Beth
Hoeing), Notebook/Journal
✤ Folders and organization.
✤ Desk drill-patterns of movement
✤ Red Cards or Question Chips
✤ Scheduled “Ofﬁce Hours” or Group Meeting Times (3Bs)
✤ Routines for materials...
✤ System for grouping (table tent, pocket chart, tickets, verbal,
instantaneous, stampers on exit cards)
Classroom
Organization
Classroom

Students
✤ Explicit discussion. Graph activity.
✤ Convey the system.
✤ Do a brief sample and evaluate.
✤ Independence takes time: whole group,
small group, partner, individual...
✤ Explicit behavior expectations including
sound levels. Have a way to signal
without interrupting.
✤ Procedure checklists and goals.
✤ Personal agendas
Students

During Differentiation:
OffTask...
✤ Workcards with step-by-step directions
✤ Checklist with time stamps
✤ Goal setting modeling
✤ You may need an individual conference: why the student is not
working, how you and he/she could work together to change the
environment, assure him/her that you think he/she can achieve,
provide something for the student to look forward to everyday, think
short term achievable goals.
Off-Task

Clear Anchoring Activities
✤ Before, during, or after instruction
✤ It is always safe...assurance.
✤ Not busy work, foster autonomy
✤ Organization: ﬁle folders, shoe organizer, bulletin board
✤ Generic examples...

I’m Confused...
✤ Creation of a support system: a rotating expert-may have an object
on their desks, a teacher’s aide, ask 3 before me, red cards...it comes
back to quality pre-preparation and student practice.
✤ Access to electronic help. This could be timed (http://
www.superteachertools.com/counter/#countdown).
✤ Direction could be presented both verbally and visually.
✤ Study Buddy for directions and quick guidance

I’m Done...
✤ Resident Expert, Independent Projects, Wonderwall
✤ Anchor Activities (variety)
✤ Challenge Cards
✤ Computer Options
✤ One possibility: grade a partner’s work, immediate feedback,
discussion
✤ Sharing Opportunities (online, to the class, with a small
group..)

Grouping
✤ Always have a reason for grouping.
✤ To get the most out of grouping, groups should be doing different
things.
✤ Grouping doesn’t have to be a physical concept.
✤ Vary groups.

Why Grades Stink
✤ Bare minimum: Little evidence that grades motivate students to learn
(Kohn, 1993; Tomlinson & Allan, 2000)
✤ Little evidence that grades communicate in meaningful or accurate
ways to students or parents, grades are equivocal
✤ Grades based on other students’ performances ensures that some
students will not work

Grading?
✤ STRATEGY 2: Multiple Grades...1 for content mastery, 1 for
effort. They may be separate or averaged. Additional
thoughts to follow...
✤ STRATEGY 3: Safety...Grade for content mastery and
encourage extra perhaps using extra credit or intrinsically
motivated projects, perhaps holistic, qualitative comments
✦ STRATEGY 1: Grade As
Is...Straight A Danger-
Perfectionism, Performance
Oriented, Scaffold with
Discussions (Parents and Kids)

Students’ Role in Evaluation
✤ Keep track of work logs, checklist participation: They are
involved in monitoring themselves every step.
✤ Peer review
✤ Timelines and checkpoints: Importance of doable to-do lists...
✤ Reﬂection component: Journals?
✤ Discuss progress with parents.

What are 2 things you could
implement? How?

Thank you!
Please email if you need anything! lmrubenstein@bsu.edu

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