1. Differentiated Instruction
and the Art Classroom
Graduate Teaching Assistant, Sarah Cress
Art Ed 4273

2. MoStep Madness Agenda…
• Dream Curriculum Peer Share
• MoStep Two Video Share
• Sketchbook Prompt
• Sketchbook Discussion
• MoStep Three, Can I Have a Volunteer?!
• A Differentiated Sample
• Break
• Group Collaboration
• Tips for Success
• Strong Differentiated Anchors
• Artifact Brainstorm Session

3. Sketchbook Prompt…
Think back to your years as an
elementary student. What did you
struggle with? What did you succeed at?
Now, imagine you have a mini-me in
your art classroom. How will you best
instruct yourself on a regular basis?

4. MoStep Three…
1.2.3 The preservice teacher understands how students differ in their
approaches to learning and creates instructional opportunities that
support the intellectual, social and personal development of all
students.
• Performance Indicators: The preservice teacher…
• 1.2.3.1 identifies prior experience, learning styles, strengths and
needs
• 1.2.3.2 designs and implements individualized instruction for
students based on their prior experience, learning styles,
strengths and needs
• 1.2.3.3 knows when and how to access specialized services to
meet students’ needs
• 1.2.3.4 connects instruction to students’ prior experiences and
family, culture and community.

5. MoStep Three Rubric…
The preservice teacher demonstrates an
exemplary ability to adapt instruction and
assessment to meet the diverse physical,
intellectual and cultural needs of individual
students. Based in high expectations, activities
connect with and build upon students’
individual strengths, prior experiences, family,
culture, and community heritages. The
candidate demonstrates knowledge of when
and how to access specialized services.

6. A Mini Critique…
Considering our
basic understanding
of differentiation,
consider how your
current instructor
abides to this method
of teaching. Create a
list of the ways in
which you have
observed her
differentiating.

7. What Students Need…
• Acceptance
• Understanding
• Respect
• Belonging
• Evidence of
contribution
• Challenge
• Support

8. The Best Sign of Success…
“The children are now working as if I
did not exist.”
-Maria Montessori

9. Some Obstacles in DI…
• Getting started into groups smoothly
• Giving directions for multiple tasks
• Minimizing stray movements
• Starting or stopping a lesson
• Promoting on-task behavior
• Helping groups effectively
• Curbing noise
• Keeping track of who is learning
what
• Grading daily tasks
• Turning in work

10. A Differentiated Situation…
• While viewing the
following video
sample, write down
all the various
instructional tools
used to relay new
concepts and
information.

11. A Differentiated Situation…

12. A Differentiated Situation…
My classroom is a beginning art 1-2 course composed of 8 males, 10 females, 50% ethnic minority.
2 students are hearing impaired and accompanied by a signer, 6 have active IEPs (Individualized
Education Program) with full inclusion, 2 students see the social worker regularly for anger
management issues and 3 are ELL. The class is a mixture of 6 sophomores, 9 juniors and 3 seniors,
16-18 years old where 16, function at grade level. My class is very diverse in terms of individual
personalities. The class as a whole was shy and quiet in August, but now appear to be lively, curious
and talkative. Although the class is a mixture of grade levels, cultural and linguistic diversity, the
students work well together. They understand they have the same artistic skill-set and are extremely
patient with one another. My hearing impaired students have extremely low reading and writing
ability, and their interpreter currently does much of the writing for them. Although they are weak in
these skills, they are eager to learn techniques. The remainder of the class ranges in writing ability. 4
have extremely high, above average writing ability, while the remainder are low. This class is one of
5 that meet in the same room everyday, as we are fortunate to have our own classroom and
darkroom. Recently, our school district cut funding from previous years. Those cuts pose a threat to
elective courses, like art, and may remove many programs and staff in our school that offered
additional support to students who were low achieving. Prior to these cuts I did several writing
assignments with my students involving critique and reflection. Now, it is crucial to foster even
more opportunities for students to strengthen their writing. It is because of the diverse abilities
within this class, that instruction of good writing practice is a challenge. A majority of my students
are visual learners, while a few of them are auditory learners. Although 4 of my students are
extremely talented writers, none of them have had experience writing about art. In order for all
students to succeed and grow, I must present information in a variety of ways to ensure growth.
Graphic organizers and other writing techniques and tools are used regularly to help students
organize and present their thoughts in an engaging way.

13. How Would You Manage??
In small groups devise an instructional plan for
the described class. You have been asked by
your divisional to create a lesson that
incorporates writing and historical concepts in
addition to art making. You have decided to
present to students one art movement that
profoundly shaped the history of creation.
Within you group accomplish the following
tasks…

14. How Would You Manage??
• Choose a major art movement to center your
lesson around
• Make a list of the instructional resources you will
need to adequately teach to all needs
• Plan a written activity in which students are asked
to digest and interpret a specific work of art
• Plan an oral activity in which students share their
perspectives of the chosen art movement
• Plan a process-based activity in which students
create an art artifact using what they have learned

15. Burning Questions…
• How will you present your
chosen artistic movement to
the class considering their
variant needs?
• How will you work with each
individual student to ensure
that they aren’t struggling, but
are still being challenged?

16. Tips for Success…
• Present information in a variety of ways. In
addition to the typical lecture style of presenting
information also:
– Use handouts
– Use PowerPoint and/or
overhead transparencies
– Use manipulatives
– Use games
– Use your blackboard to provide additional direction
– Provide hands-on instructional opportunities

17. Traits of Effective Anchors…
• Important – related to key
knowledge, understanding and
skill
• Interesting – appeals to student
curiosity, interest and learning
preference
• Allow Choice – students can
select from a range of options
• Clear Routines and
Expectations – students know
what they are to do, how to do
it, how to keep records, etc.

18. Examples of Artful Anchors…
• Journal writing
• Sketchbook assignments
• Sketchbook experimentation
• Brainstorming sequences
• Article reviews
• Online research
• Book reviews
• Preliminary artist statement writing
• Preliminary peer critiques, oral or written
• Paraphrasing of learned ideas or processes
• Working on final products
• Final artist statement writing
• Final peer and teacher critiques, oral or written

19. The Cress Café…

20. How to Manage and Assess…
• Utilize your present resources!
– Speak with school counselors about general
student concerns. Understand the context in which
your students are coming from. Understand the
population you will be addressing.
– Speak with your support staff. Identify students
with special needs and IEPS before the school year
begins and gain a clear understanding of their
specific accommodations.

21. How to Manage and Assess…
• Begin each term with a
pre-assessment that
accomplishes the following:
– Elicits information about
student’s readiness to learn
skills and concepts
– Gathers information about
student’s preferred methods
of learning
– Gathers information about
students attitudes about the
learning process

22. How to Manage and Assess…
• Check student understanding of key concepts
regularly through any of the following
techniques:
– Sketchbook assignments
– Journal writing
– Exit sheets
– One on one discussions
– Group discussions

23. Artifact Brainstorm…
Now, let’s
brainstorm
some ways
we can
demonstrate
our newfound
knowledge.