This document contains responses from Jack Becker, Michelle Harbin, and Susie Murphy to a professional development session on differentiation by readiness. It includes examples of formative assessments using tools like GradeCam, entrance slips, and exit slips. Participants were asked to choose a color of paper corresponding to their comfort level with formative assessments, readiness levels, or creating differentiated activities. The document aims to provide teachers with strategies for grouping students by readiness and designing lessons accordingly.
2. A. I have heard of formative assessment.
B. I can create formative assessments.
C. I’ve used formative assessments at least once to
guide my lesson plans.
D. I often use formative assessments to
alter my lessons.
4. A. I have never used it before.
B. I plan on using it this year.
C. I use it occasionally.
D. I differentiate every stinkin’ day.
5. A. Spiders & bugs
B. High places
C. Confined spaces
D. Public speaking
6. A. Using readiness is just another way of ability
grouping.
B. Readiness reflects what a student knew last week.
C. Readiness is what a student can do today in light of
what the teacher is planning to teach today.
D. The goal of readiness is to make the work easy
enough for all of your students.
7. KUD?
• Understand the purpose and benefits of
differentiating by readiness. U
• Create readiness groups using teacher D
created formative assessments
• Identify and/or create instructional
D
activities that are appropriate for
each of your readiness groups
8. Define and discuss differentiation, readiness
and formative assessment
Give examples of instructional activities
based on formative assessment for readiness
Grade Cam to create readiness groups
Entrance Slips to create readiness groups
Exit Slips to create readiness groups
Assess your personal readiness to take these
activities back to your classroom
9. “A systematic approach to planning
curriculum and instruction for academically
diverse learners” that provides students of
different abilities, interests, or learning needs
equally appropriate ways to learn (Tomlinson
& Strickland, p.7).”
10. What it is: What it is Not:
•Teaching with variance in mind •New
•Tracking or Streaming
•Responsive teaching rather than
one-size-fits-all teaching
•IEP for every child
•Constant Group Work
•Meeting kids where they are… •Occasional Variation of
not where we wish they would be teaching styles
•On the spot adjustments
•“Shaking up” the classroom so
students have multiple options
for making sense of information
Chart from Strickland, “Differentiation of Instruction at the High School Level.” ASCD, 2012.
11. A way of thinking about the classroom with
the dual goals of honoring each student’s
learning needs and maximizing each
student’s learning capacity.
3 Ways to Differentiate
Learning Styles
Interest
Readiness
12. “Current knowledge, understanding, and skill
level a student has related to a particular
sequence of learning” (Tomlinson & Strickland p. 6)
It reflects what a student knows, understands
and can do (KUD) TODAY in light of what the
teacher is planning to teach today.
13. Readiness differentiation is to make the work
a little too difficult for students at a given
point in their growth- and then to provide the
support they need to succeed at the new level
of challenge.
Why?- to appropriately challenge ALL learners
14. The students’:
“Attitude (toward school & topic)
Experience with the topic (outside of school or
previous courses)
Knowledge, understanding, and skill with the topic
Preconceptions about the topic
Overgeneralizations about the topic
General communication, thinking, & reasoning
skills”
http://www.foridahoteachers.org/differentiation_framework.htm
15. Frequent and ongoing assessment,
completed en route to mastery; ongoing
assessment could be considered as
“checkpoints” on students’ progress and the
foundation for feedback given- the most
useful assessment teachers can provide for
students and for their own teaching
decisions. (Wormeli, 2006)
16. Formal
Informal
Not necessarily for points
Entrance slips
Exit slips
Thumbs up/ thumbs down
17. How many of you have heard of GradeCam?
Who has used GradeCam in their class?
How many of you use GradeCam on a weekly
basis?
The following example utilizes the GradeCam
grading system for a quick way to assess an entire
class.
18. Benefits:
Student grades and data are immediately
collected and compared.
Quick assessment allows the teacher to form
groups based on readiness within a short period of
time. This could be done at the beginning of class
or at the end.
Instructor is able to see what percentage of the
class struggled with specific questions.
19. The following activity is based on a new unit using the topic of
WWII.
Everyone will take the formative assessment
All questions are related to historical information specifically
on WWII.
As you finish, I will choose several individuals to have their
assessment graded.
20. In what year did WWII begin?
a) 1945
b) 1929
c) 1939
d) 1941
21. Which countries were on the side of the axis
powers?
a) The United States, Germany, and Hitler
b) Germany, Italy, and Japan
c) The United States, France, and Japan
d) The UK, Germany, and Italy
22. What country did the allied forces invade on
D-day?
a) Germany
b) France
c) Italy
d) Japan
23. Which of the following best describes America’s
reaction to the Holocaust?
a) Once reported by the media, Congress took
action to save lives.
b) War bond sales and fund-raisers took place to
assist Jewish refugees.
c) The military immediately made plans to bomb
the concentration camps.
d) Prejudice, disbelief, and insufficient media
attention led Americans to ignore the reports.
24. On which two cities did the United States
drop atomic bombs?
a) Hiroshima and Nagasaki
b) Nagasaki and Pearl Harbor
c) Tokyo and Osaka
d) Munich and Berlin
25. Now that we have finished the quiz, it’s time to
grade them.
Students can come up as they complete the quiz to
quickly see their grade.
Here you can place them in a group while keeping their
scores discrete.
What if GradeCam doesn’t work?
▪ Have the students grade their own if your assessment is at the
beginning of the period.
27. Having your formative assessment done this
way is not only quick and easy, but you have
all of the students scores and data on record.
Summary of student performance
From here you can create your groups based
on the students readiness.
Ex: Students are placed in groups by their score.
Students who scored 0-60% in group 1, students
who scored 60-80% group 2, and 80-100% in
group 3.
28. Teachers can do this formative assessment at the
beginning or end of the period.
Beginning may take time to set up groups, and
you need to have a differentiated lesson ready.
▪ Bell Check
End will allow teachers to set up group for
following day.
▪ Exit Slips
29. ENTRANCE SLIP: Do as much of the
following conversion as possible. I will
call time when you need to turn it in.
Convert 2.34 mL to kL
30. 3: Students who
• 1: Students who2: Students who set up the
get the problem
didn’t write problem but didn’t know the correct: meet to
anything: meet values for the metric do three other
with teacher and
prefixes: Meet together and problems, one
go through howcreate a
to challenge
do conversion song/poem/chant/way to 4: (if necessary):
problems: do remember the values for the Students who were
three other metric prefixes. (use notes almost correct.
problems that are get values). Complete Meet to do three
to
similar Meetsthree other problems that other
Teacher: with each group as others work.
have a variety of metric problems, similar
ANCHOR ACTIVITY: Everyone completes five problems
prefixes.
to show they know how to do conversions.
31. KNOW UNDERSTAND DO
Definition of simile Authors use both similes Critically analyze current
Definition of metaphor and metaphors to create text to find and explain the
their works. similes or metaphors
present.
Writing becomes more
elaborate and descriptive Distinguish between these
when both are used. two types of figurative
language.
Create prose that uses a
unique metaphor and
simile.
32. Exit Slip: What is the difference between a
simile and a metaphor?
Give an example of each to explain your
answer.
33. • Activity 1: students who struggled to define the terms:
Have students use their text or notes to write out what
each term means. Complete a worksheet that lists several
of each. Create a simile and a metaphor.
• Activity 2: Students who defined the terms correctly but
didn’t have strong examples: Have students look at
several examples of each. Give them some text and have
them identify at least one of each. Create a simile and a
metaphor.
• Activity 3: Students who correctly defined the terms and
gave strong examples: Students analyze text and identify
examples of each. Learn the various types of metaphors
and create one of a certain type. Create a simile with like,
with as, and a metaphor without either.
34. Comment on how similes and metaphors
affect the tone of a story by using examples
from literature.
35. • Formative assessment: Choose one of the
following statements that best describes where
you think you are in relation to the content of
this workshop
• A. I need more examples of formative
assessments .
• B. I need more examples to help me understand
the different kinds of readiness.
• C. I need more examples of how to create
activities based on the formative assessments.
36. • Green paper: list of examples of possible
formative assessments
– Based on these think of one you could use during your
next unit
• Blue paper: List of different kinds of readiness
– Based on these different kinds of readiness, think of
one thing you could do for students who show a lack
of exposure to a topic
• Yellow paper: Examples of tiered tasks, mini-
lessons, advanced vocabulary ideas
– Based on these examples, think of one thing you
could do during your next unit
37. • Ice breaker (four corners)
• Pool Entry Example Susie shared
• Questions: Jack asked…How many of you
have heard of Gradecam? Who has used
Gradecam? Etc
• Gradecam
• Entrance slip
• Exit slip
• Pick color of paper to match your answer
• Whip around
38. Jack Becker
Michelle Harbin
Susie Murphy
Thank-you for attending! Have a great day!