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NCTM Article on How and Why to Differentiate Math Instruction

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NCTM Article on How and Why to Differentiate Math Instruction

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Ed Tech

Sometimes, we just need some help organizing our thoughts - students AND educators.

Paper versions of graphic organizers can do a nice job of that. But by making them digital in Google Apps, they instantly become customizable. Multiple people can collaborate on them in real time. They can be shared with a link, embedded in a website or downloaded as an image file.

In short, digital graphic organizers are more versatile.

In Google Apps, there's a highly powerful yet highly overlooked app called Drawings. It gives users a blank canvas where they can add text, shapes, lines, etc. When done, they can save their work as image files or PDF files and can add those images to documents, slides and spreadsheets.
Drawings can be the virtual page where students can gather and process their ideas.

I used to shy away from doing a lot of graphic organizers because it's hard to design them in Google Docs; the moment I learned that you could change the page set-up to 8.5 x 11 inches, my world CHANGED. Now I rarely use Google Docs to make *anything*; I use Google Slides by default because I can add more graphics and have better control of the overall configuration. - Amy Nolan, high school English teacher, Commerce, Texas

Creating graphic organizer templates with Google Drawings

As Amy mentioned above, Google Slides can be used to create these as well as Google Drawings. The difference - Drawings focuses on one single page; Slides has multiple slides, which allows for multiple pages.

I've created 15 of them (see links below) that can be copied, saved, changed, tweaked or completely redone to fit your needs and your students' needs. We have added 10 more that were created by the Ditch That Textbook community and shared with us for this post.

It took me about 90 minutes to make 15 of them so that averages out to six minutes each. (Some were more time-consuming than others, and I got faster at making them as I progressed.)

Sharing your Google Drawings graphic organizers
Once you've created a graphic organizer (or have saved one of mine), there are a few easy ways to get them to your students:

If you use Google Classroom, create a new assignment and choose the option to deliver a copy of your graphic organizer to each student.

You can copy the URL (link) to the graphic organizer and deliver it to students via a class website, SeeSaw etc. You can also make a shorter, easier URL to type with URL shorteners like Bitly and TinyURL. (Check your Internet filter to make sure your shortened URLs come through. I've found that TinyURL works in most schools' filters.)

Using the blue "Share" button, click the "Get shareable link" button and set the document as "Anyone with the link" at the top and "Can view" at the bottom. That way, students won't be able to change your original copy and will have to make a copy of their own.

PRO TIP: When you copy a URL (link) to any G Suite file, it probably says "view" or "edit" at the end of it. If you change that word to "copy", it will force whoever opens that link to make a copy of the file instead of opening your file. That's another trick to keeping your original version from being altered. (If you assign it through Google Classroom, you won't need to do this.)

Here are 25 graphic organizer templates that can be used for many different subject areas and grade levels.

Feel free to make a copy of any of these google drawings templates and adapt them for your own use:

Question: What other graphic organizers would be useful to create in Google Drawings? Can you share a link to a graphic organizer you've created so others can use it, too? Leave a comment below!

Looking for even MORE G Suite resources?

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101 Ways to Ditch That Textbook with G Suite, tons of practical, creative ways to use Google tools in the classroom.

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25 FREE Google Drawings graphic organizers - and how to make your own

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Using Google Drawings to create graphic organizers can help students gather their thoughts and customize to their needs. Here are 25 templates to get you started.

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21 Ways to Differentiate in the Secondary Math Classroom

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21 Ways to Differentiate in the Secondary Math Classroom

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In our schools we have a range of students. Some of them come with IEPs or 504 plans. Then, there are students who don't have individual plans and aren't in any special programs, but we know that they have a similar need for additional support. At the same time, there are the students who don't really struggle or need a lot of extra support. When there's such a wide range of student abilities entering our math classrooms, what can we do in our 50-65 minutes together that meets the needs of all students? How do we differentiate our math instruction to give all students a path to success in our classroom?

We want to help those struggling students during our regular math class, but sometimes that seems too overwhelming. In fact, sometimes it feels like the only solution is to teach 3 different classes simultaneously, which is completely overwhelming.

I don't know about you, but sometimes when I hear people say "just differentiate!" it sounds like an impossible task. It conjures images in my mind of completely different lessons plans and lessons, not to mention coordinating a wide range of student activities while ensuring that everyone is doing just what they should be.

But that's not what differentiating needs to be. There are pragmatic steps that we can take in our regular math classes that help more students experience success. So, what can we do that meets the students where they are without running teachers out of the profession? Let's dig into low-prep, high-impact strategies to meet our students' needs and help them move forward.

Differentiated Instruction Background

When I started writing this article I reflected on the many trainings I've attended, I read a lot of other people's articles, and I thumbed through a couple books I've read before about differentiation. One thing I noticed- there are some books or articles that come at this topic with a more scholarly approach that hardly seems to be rooted in the classroom.

In my opinion, it's not possible to give all students choices all of the time, or to make sure that every lesson has three distinct levels. Also, it's not necessary.

When I was a new teacher, Theresa and I differentiated everything, all the time. We had 3 different levels of ELL students and were left to teach them English in whatever classroom, closet, or hall space was available (no exaggeration). Even with so many challenges, my students were eager to learn English and willing to work hard. I had 12 students and they were most definitely at 3 different levels. No English, some English, and fluent social English speakers (having been in US schools since kindergarenten, but with low academic language).

The two of us and our bright-eyed optimism were working until 10 o'clock every night and on weekends coming up with different lessons for the wide-range of student needs. Now, that experience definitely shaped me as a teacher and taught me so much about teaching and learning.

But, while I learned the importance of differentiating, I also gained the appreciation for differentiating in a reasonable way. It's not reasonable to ask people to differentiate everything all the time. It's impractical to say that the solution to a wide discrepancy in student abilities (i.e. some students at a 2nd grade math level and others at an 8th grade level) is to simply differentiate. The truth is, differentiating instruction in those extreme ways can be ridiculously time-consuming, and frankly I couldn't do it right now in my life.

Low Prep Strategies for Differentiation

So, today I want to share teaching approaches and strategies that differentiate for student needs without creating entirely different lessons for different students. These approaches worked for me in the math intervention classroom, and translated well into the mainstream math classroom:

Create a routine

Sentence Starters

Got It - Not Yet Cards

Math Paths

Pre-Teaching Concepts

Discovery Lab & Activities

The Ripple

Exit Tickets

Gallery Walks & Scavenger Hunts

Students Tracking Their Progress

Split-Questions

Support in Note-Taking

Students Choice of Activities

Partner Work

Model it Again

Task Cards with Increasing Difficulty

More Time for Students

Create a Culture of Learning from Mistakes

Create a routine

Creating a routine might not seem like a strategy for differentiation, but the students who struggle the most need structure. If they don't have boundaries, they'll wander. Sometimes they wander with the behavioral choices they make and other times their mind wanders. Some of them actually wander around the room.

Begin by making your routines simple, structured, and consistent. Once you've established routines, then you can get fancy with mixing things up. Some routines that have worked for me are: 1) have one activity that students start the class period with every day, 2) have them sit in the same seats each day, and 3) have them work with the same partner over a period of time. If the class has the sense of calm and normalcy, then you have a good canvas on which to differentiate.

Sentence starters

I am the Queen of Sentence Starters. They're the one of the easiest ways to differentiate. We use them whenever students have to produce sentences. Students get the option to use or not use them. I find that students that don't need them typically don't use them, and students who don't know where to start get started by writing with the sentence starter.

Here's my favorite tips for using sentence starters:

Use sentence starters for spoken responses as well as written responses.

Have students write first, then orally share answers.

Embed target vocabulary into the frame. This gets students practice using academic vocabulary.

Make an expectation that answers will be given in complete sentence form, whether or not students choose to use the frame.

When starting out, have all students use the frame. You can change that expectation over time.

Sentence starters can work miracles. With this simple support, you'll see that most kids will get started and then have great ideas to share. Or sometimes what they share is that they have no idea what they are doing. The best part is that it gets the door open for everyone. That's at the core of differentiation. To learn more about this simple strategy, check out our video discussion in this post.

Got it, Not Yet Cards

If you're doing split or parallel tasks with students, you need to have some strategies on how to know who is in which group. For example, sometimes I'll give direct instruction, and then I'll have an "exit ramp" when I tell students that we'll do more practice together, but if they're ready to move onto independent practice, they can go now. I find that letting the students themselves tell you when they're ready to move on works really well.

You might be wondering if students will just skip to the other group even if they aren't ready. That does happen, but if you use this approach consistently, a lot students really find to go where they're comfortable. Plus, if students start the independent practice and then get stuck, they can jump back into the "still practicing" group.

You can do this strategy with Got It, Not Yet Cards. I use these name placards and students can just turn the way it's facing the teacher to show if they're moving on, or if they need to keep working with you. Then, you can see in a glance who feels like they get it and who's still following you for more explanation It's a simple strategy that doesn't really shine a huge light on the students that need more support. There's no pulling them to the back table, it's just continuing to teach while giving permission for students to move ahead at their own pace.

Do you want to grab your own FREE download of this Got It - Not Yet card for students? It's one of 7 resources you'll get when you sign up to have the 7 Resources & Tips for Math Intervention sent right to your inbox!

Math paths

When I was in 4th grade the two 4th grade teachers put all of our two classes together and gave each of us a math path. It was a mimiographed sheet of tasks to complete related to a topic (I can still smell that Ditto ink!). This was back in 1987 and I think they were a little progressive for the time. I went through these paths like a cheetah hunting prey. Sometimes I'd work with others who went at my speed, and sometimes I worked alone. Other students went a lot slower. This method has always stuck with me because I never got bored and I was constantly challenged.

As a teacher I've built on that method and have used something similar. It's a set course of assignments in a sequence. The part that is differentiated is where students start on the course. The path ends with more difficult work, usually a harder open-ended challenge. Also, we usually have 2 or 3 starting points. Students get working, but with this approach their work and speed depends on their own ability. I don't expect all students to complete all portions of this path, necessarily. Instead, there's a baseline expectation of work that I make sure all students complete, and then additional practice depends on what they need.

The way I see it is this- if you think of learning like practicing a sport, you'd never expect that every player would make the same progress in the same session. You just want to make sure that each students has the optimal chance to make the optimal progress in that class period.

Pre-teach grade level concepts

Pre-teaching grade level concepts is an approach you can use with the students who need the most support. Usually, they have some sort of support class where they can get a 15 minute mini-lesson on the upcoming topic. Giving them a little preview helps them during the whole class lesson. They get more out of it, and boosts their confidence during the lesson. Coordinating with a support teacher to pre-teach grade level concepts can increase what those struggling students achieve during regular class time.

Another technique is to take some time during the beginning of class or end of class and pull a group over and pre-teach for 5 to 10 minutes. This gives them some background that they'll need when the new topic comes. Most of the other students already have this background and pre-teaching gives more kids a chance to participate at the beginning of a concept.

My students love this approach, and they'll raise their hands to answer questions like never before. Also, they'll be the ones helping their partners, giving them a huge motivation boost.

Discovery Labs or Activities

Discovery activities make a level playing field for students. These activities give students mathematical situations, and students have to figure things out. I like to start units with these, before we've taken notes on a topic.

Students can't just ask the teacher for help or look back in their notes. They examine the scenario and makes observations and guesses. This pushes students to think differently, and they have to have productive struggle. By having students work on this activity in partners or small groups, they share different ways of thinking about the situation. If the discovery activity is working, then it won't be super easy for anyone.

Using discovery-based activities creates a differentiation opportunity because all students have chance to learn. I've found that this activity kind of turns the classroom hierarchy on its head. Some of the high flyers shut down because they don't already know the answer. Also, some of the students who struggle, but are willing to make mistakes, shine in this type of activity.

The Ripple

Everywhere you go in education you'll hear about Think-Pair-Share. When it is mentioned at a professional development with veteran teachers in it, you will inevitably hear a sigh. Well, Think-Pair-Share got an upgrade when Pérsida and William Himmele molded it into the Ripple.

With the Ripple, each student thinks about and answers the question in their head and on their paper. Then, they share their well thought out answer with their partner. Finally, a select few students are randomly called on to share with the class. The key is that every students is given time to answer the question and that they write down their answer. Then, every student has the chance to hear another's thinking and share their own. Finally, every student is accountable to be prepared to share with the class, whether or not their name is ultimately called.

In a typical question and answer part of the lesson, the same three students tend to do all the thinking and talking. With the Ripple, every student is doing the thinking and the random name calling means that everyone has some skin in the game. Also, everyone has had the opportunity to get prepared.

Exit Tickets

Gathering formative assessment information gives you information for differentiating. Plus, the exit tickets themselves can be differentiated. One easy way to differentiate the exit ticket is to have a list of prompts that students can respond to. This gives them a chance to decide what they want to reflect on.

I've used an exit ticket prompt that asks students to talk about a mistake they made, and how they fixed it. Sometimes they didn't make a mistake and this doesn't work for certain students. Maybe the exit ticket asks them to tell about a math term they learned today. It's possible that not all students learned the term you thought you were teaching, or that some students already knew the term, so they didn't really learn it.

You can differentiate exit tickets by giving students different prompts to choose from. I like to have a set of common exit ticket prompts inside their math notebooks or posted on the wall, so they're easy for students to choose from and use.

Oh, and for one of my all-time favorite exit tickets, the emoji reflection exit ticket seen above, be sure to sign up here for the 7 Resources & Tips for Math Intervention

Gallery Walks or Scavenger Hunts

Most students love to work with a partner and to walk around the room. I find that gallery walks and scavenger hunts get students excited and engaged. Now, how can you differentiate with them? Well, you can differentiate by the way that you pair students to work together. ou can pair them by heterogenous (varied) or homogenous (similar) readiness levels, or you can let them choose their partner.

Thoughtfully partnering students allows for differentiation and support in the classroom. One way to think about creating heterogenous groups is to break your students into 4 overall groups: high achievers (1), high average (2), lower average (3), and those who struggle (4). When pairing students, don't put the high achievers and those who struggle together. It's best to put students from group 1 and 3 together, and then students from group 2 and 4 together. This structure can provide students the best opportunity to learn from each other.

Have students track their own progress

If you want each student to learn and to be able to articulate what they've learned, then have them track their progress. They can track test scores, or monitor their progress with I Can statements.

When tracking test scores, it's important to not just tell them what their scores are and assume those numbers mean something to them. You have to explain to them what the results mean. Frame everything in what they know and what they don't know, YET.

This helps focus students on their own current level and their own path forward- which is really at the heart of differentiating.

We keep a set of I Can statements in our notebook and we refer to it on basically a daily basis. Students get to see what they are expected to learn and then self-evaluate how they're doing.

With test scores they can keep track of those in their notebooks as well. Remember that you have to discuss what test scores mean, and to be honest you'll find they mean different things to different people.
Be sure to grab this amazing download of 7 Tips and Resources for Math Intervention. This download will help your math intervention students show their progress, reflect on their learning, and stay engaged in learning math. Just these 7 tips & resources to help make your math intervention run a little more smoothly.
Split-Questions

This technique is new to me, but the idea behind it seems amazing. You post two questions on the board instead of one. Then, students answer the one that they are the most comfortable with. This creates a way for students to self select into two groups.
Read more about the split-question method in this article.
You can learn about your students by which group they self select into. At first they might struggle knowing which question is at that just right level. If you do this activity often and model for them how to choose the right question, they'll get better.

Different level of support when giving notes

Throughout my years of teaching, I've seen many students that cannot keep up with note-taking. Some students can't go that fast and others struggle to copy off the board.

When using interactive notebooks you can offer different students different levels of notes. With the notes I've created over the years, I like to have a couple of versions. One version of the notes have a little bit of information filled-in for the student, while another version might have all the "notes" already filled in. Instead of spending their time copying, students would instead underline and circle key aspects of their notes.

This technique requires upfront organization by the teacher. It's particularly effective helps if there are two teachers in the room to help facilitate this modified note-taking by some students.

If you differentiate the notes, you can really make the note-taking experience fit the needs of individual students. It's worth the little extra time to have 2 or 3 different versions of class notes.

Student Choice Activities or Stations

One way to meet students' unique needs and abilities is to give them choice of activity. This can come in the form of choice boards or stations. You can offer these different activities at different levels, or just different activity types.

I've seen this done with a tic-tac-toe board of activities or through learning centers. My #1 suggestion for this strategy is to keep this very simple. If you are doing centers, don't have more than three centers to choose from. With the choice board, don't have too many activities. Also, make sure some of the activities have feedback embedded within them.

Partner work

Working in partners can be so beneficial for students. You might want to start working toward being a "partner whisperer". Pairing students up to work together is both an art and a science. You can't just randomly put students together. Finding a sweet spot so that each student in a partnership does some of the heavy lifting leads to success.

Setting up effective partners means balancing out students who will, for lack of a better description, get stuff done with those who are less inclined to finish. It also takes into account students' personalities. Some people have a hard time helping others, while some 7th graders are masters at it. Finally, I've found that your students who struggle most often benefit from partnering with students who do well in class, but don't necessarily learn everything the fastest.

If you get students with the right partner, then you'll see a lot of working and talking to each other. This provides invaluable support for students as they learn and practice their math skills.

Model it Again

Another way you can split the activity or introduce a parallel task is by modelling it again. When teaching with the "I do, we do, you do" approach, often when you get to the "You Do" part of the lesson you'll find that some students need more help before moving into practice.

So, when starting the "You Do" section of the lesson, I use the Got It, Not Yet name tent (see the section on this strategy above). Then, with the students who don't get it yet, I keep modeling and doing guided practice together. I continue modeling a few more problems or until everyone turns their card to Got It, showing their confidence to move into trying it out.

I love this because it lets me work with a small group without the transition time or the singling kids out. Students really appreciate the extra modeling and if you keep helping them until they get it, they're more likely to keep working at it. Meeting students where they currently stand helps them really improve.

Task Cards with increasing difficulty

There's so much to love about task cards. I'm not sure where to even start! You can have students work on them in partners, they can be used in a variety of whole class review games, and they're invaluable for quick cyclical review.

I design my task cards to increase in difficulty. By allowing students to answer questions in any order, they can attack the problems they feel comfortable with first. I also strongly believe students should use the answers and explanations on the backs of the cards. This gives everyone real time feedback while working at their own pace.

One of the biggest ways to differentiate with task cards comes from not emphasizing finishing all of them. Let students go at their own pace and as long as they're working productively, they get credit for them.

More time for slower learners

Some students just take longer than others. This happens in every type of class. You can have a class of 30 advanced honor students and they all still work at different paces. So, how can we give the students who need it more time?

If you have some sort of advisory period, make sure that these kids get more time to complete their work and learning. Or, "find" time for them by removing another assignment for them. Finally- look at the rest of their school day. Is there a lab or support class that they're also in where they can have some dedicated work time?

Giving them just a little bit more time can be the difference for some students. Some of them cut their learning off just before they "get it," and then they move to the next topic.

Create a culture of "We Learn when We Fix Mistakes"

Differentiation can come in many forms, and imho mindset needs to be considered as one of them. Teaching students what growth mindset is, and creating a classroom culture that sees mistakes and temporary failure as a natural part of the learning process, can pay off in a huge way.

Many students see mistakes as bad and shut down when they make even the smallest mistake. This is particularly true with students who typically don't feel successful at school. You can combat this by creating a culture that embraces the fixing of mistakes as the essence of learning.

Shower your students with examples of places where mistakes are accepted, fixed, and moved on from quickly like video games, playing an instrument, and sports. Creating this culture means explicitly teaching students how to deal with mistakes and failures in your classroom.

But, beyond a one-time lesson, this requires consistent reinforcement. You know, saying cheesy things like, "Remember, our mistakes help us learn!" and "What can we learn from this mistake?" ( My Favorite No is one of the best routines to help students reframe how they see mistakes.)

Establishing a growth mindset culture will help all of your students, particularly those who may struggle in math. If you can get everyone on this train you'll see improvement in effort, attitude and performance from all students.

Try One Thing- What will YOU differentiate?

Feeling overwhelmed? Good news! I just waved my magic wand and granted you permission to not differentiate everything all the time. Choose a few things to differentiate, and you'll make a big difference for your students.

So what strategies will work best for your students and your classroom?

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21 Ways to Differentiate in the Secondary Math Classroom - Idea Galaxy

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In our schools we have a range of students. Some of them come with IEPs or 504 plans. Then, there are students who don't have individual plans and aren't in any special programs, but we

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Smash Boom Best is a debate show for kids and families from the makers of the award-winning podcast, Brains On! Every episode takes two cool things, smashes them together and lets you decide which is best. Our debaters use facts and passion to make their case -- teaching listeners how to defend their own opinions along the way.

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Differentiation Examples for All Subject Areas

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Differentiation Examples for All Subject Areas

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Daily Activities or Choice Board Template · SlidesMania

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Copy of Real World Writing Exemplar Choice Board - GL

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This type of choice board is pretty self-explanatory, but the templates linked above allow students to express themselves and choose to demonstrate their learning in the way that works best for them.

This choice board format also provides students the opportunity to use different types of technology to build new skills or refine current ones.

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Fortnite Digital Menu Student Creation Template

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Fortnite Digital Menu Student Creation Template

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They can create a project in the format of their choosing and this template also fosters collaboration.

You can use this template for any unit, project, or content area by customizing the options students can choose from. You can make a copy of this template and add in projects or activities that are aligned to your rubric.

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FORTNITE Digital Menu [Season 9] (by @tommyspall)

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CHOICE BOARDS, ALSO KNOWN AS LEARNING MENUS, ARE A GREAT WAY TO ALLOW STUDENT CHOICE AND INCREASE PERSONALIZATION OF LEARNING!

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Choice boards, also known as learning menus, are a great way to allow student choice and increase personalization of learning!

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Podcast: Digital Differentiation with Google Suite Tools

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Podcast: Digital Differentiation with Google Suite Tools

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Differentiation is a big buzzword in teaching, but it is often easier said than done.

Let's discover ways to use our favorite Google tools to level the playing field and make differentiation a reality in your classroom.

This student-centered teaching strategy helps us reach all learners.

G Suite tools help teachers and students communicate and manage multiple assignments with ease.

Listen closely for step-by-step instructions, implementation ideas, and some Google tips that will save you time and reap many benefits for you and your students.

I hope this episode inspires you to dig deeper into differentiated instruction, and how to use the tools you have available to support all of the learners in your classroom.

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In This Episode:
[00:28] - Kasey welcomes listeners to the show and reveals today's topic: Digital Differentiation - with G Suite Tools.

[01:17] - This week's shoutout goes to Our Lady of the Lake Catholic School in Mandeville, LA. They made it through the Dynamic Learning Workshop just before school let out! Learn more about The Dynamic Learning Workshop here and the online course .

[03:07] - Let's discuss digital differentiation using G Suite and why this is such a hot topic.

[04:56] - Learn what differentiation is and is not.

Differentiation Is

Differentiation Is Not

[08:11] - Kasey mentions three key areas that can be differentiated:

[08:47] - Why differentiate digitally?

1. Provide Flexible Learning Paths

2. Develop Future-Ready Skills

3. Provide an Effective Way to Use Digital Tools FOR Learning (not just an end product)

[09:31] - Kasey breaks down the different Google Tools that teachers can use to support differentiation, including Google Classroom, Google Forms, and Google Slides.

Differentiating Assignments in Google Classroom
Tips for Naming Differentiated Assignments in Google Classroom

Always number and use consistent naming conventions

For differentiated assignments, consider a group or individual identifier in the assignment title. (Ex: Group 4, Special Assignment, Extra Credit, EC Sarah Jones, or come up with your own consistent naming convention.)

Remember the name of the assignment names Drive files.

Tips for Differentiated Assignment Directions in Google Classroom

Get specific with your directions!

The more information that is available in Google Classroom, the fewer excuses students have for not completing the assignment and the fewer interruptions you are likely to have.

Attach a rubric if you have one!

Resource: How to Package Your Digital Assignments

Tips for Group Differentiated Assignments in Google Classroom

Designate a group leader in the assignment.

The group leader is responsible for creating any new files and "turning in."

Consider asking students to submit a reflection at the end of group work to help you get the whole picture of the learning process.

Student Choice Assignment Tips

Number the assignment and detail the choices in the directions and/or in an attached (view only) document. (Note: This is also great way to use digital learning menus and choice boards.)

Attach links to digital tools that may be offered as a choice for completing the assignment. (Example: Using one of the digital tools below, create a digital story retelling, "The Tell-Tale Heart," in your own words.)

Long Term Projects, Modifications, or Enrichment

For long-term projects, special projects like Genius Hour, or for students with special modifications, you may consider creating a separate "Class."

(Note: This is really only worth the time if these groups are long-term, or reused.)

Using G Suite to Create Interactive Choice Boards

[15:43] - G Suite is the perfect companion to create digital choice boards. Learn more in Episode 8, and get the FREE eBook!

Choice Board Templates and Resources

How to Differentiate Questions in Google Forms

[21:16] - Kasey provides an of how to use Google Forms to create a branching assessment or review.

[25:00] - Google Forms can be very complicated. Kasey offers great tips to make your forms successful and effective teaching tools.
Google Forms Branching Tips

Start small, just a few questions.

Map out your branches before you begin.

Utilize the page titles and descriptions to help you organize.

Test it! Then, test it again!

Remember, this type of assessment will not be graded-Assessment FOR Learning!

Your spreadsheet will not be pretty! But that's okay!

Kids are smart! You must facilitate this type of assessment.

Other Ways to Use Branching in Google Forms

When a student answers correctly, they could be taken to a harder question.

When a student answers incorrectly, you could show more specifically where they went wrong with each answer choice (not just review a concept)-like solving a math problem incorrectly.

Student choice: Use this feature to allow students to select from a menu of choices to demonstrate their learning, then upload the file to the form to submit. The spreadsheet would allow you to see what they select and should be working on during class.

Gamify! What if every correct answer revealed a clue or a puzzle piece? Students could collect and work individually or collaboratively to put together.

Put this feature in students' hands and let them create something for their class, or another class to teach a skill, or play a game.

[20:16] - A friend of Kasey's, Sylvia Duckworth , created a Choose Your Own Adventure form for her French class that allowed students to create their own ending to a story!

Differentiate with Google Slides

[30:08] - We can't leave out Google Slides, the Swiss army knife of G Suite! Kasey gives tips on how to use slides to create interactive assignments.

Podcast Question of the Week

[34:35] - Thank you for tuning in! Please subscribe to the podcast, and leave a review on iTunes. (Bonus points if you use the word "y'all" in your review!)

Links and Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

Questions & Comments

Do you have a question you would like me to answer on the show? I'd love to hear from you!

I also love to hear from students!

Leave me a voicemail and your message could be played on the podcast!

Do You Want to Be on the Podcast?

To learn more about our process for selecting guests, please visit our show page here.

Sponsorship and Other Inquiries

If you have other questions or inquiries about the podcast, please use this contact form.

© Shake Up Learning 2019. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog's author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Kasey Bell and Shake Up Learning with appropriate and specific direction to the original content on ShakeUpLearning.com. See: Copyright Policy.

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Digital Differentiation with G Suite Tools - SULS016

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Today, we are chatting about one of my favorite topics: Digital Differentiation with G Suite! Differentiation is a big buzzword in teaching, but it is often easier said than done. Let's discover ways to use our favorite Google tools to level the playing field and make differentiation a reality in your classroom.

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Progressive Choice Boards: Provide Choice without Overwhelming

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Progressive Choice Boards: Provide Choice without Overwhelming

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Ed Tech

Once, when teaching high school Spanish, my students and I had finished covering a new verb tense. We practiced it. They were getting the hang of it.

It was time for them to demonstrate understanding. Show what they know.

Feeling pretty brave, I gave them their assignment. At the time, I felt like it was probably the most innovative Spanish class assignment ever. I was pretty proud of it.

I addressed the class. "So, to show what you've learned, here's what you'll do." I paused. Smiled. Let the moment sink in before I hit them with it.
"You can do anything."
I continued. "Anything you want. Whatever fits your own unique skills and talents. Whatever interests you the most. As long as it shows that you've learned our new concept, the sky's the limit."

My mind spun with the possibilities. Someone might write a song. Someone might create a video. I might get some clever visual art. Or maybe I'd get something I never would have imagined.

I looked to my students for their reaction. I thought they might cheer -- or, at very least, flash beaming smiles. I was disappointed. Instead, they looked confused. Then, the questions started.

"So ... what exactly do you want us to do?"

"Are you talking about a PowerPoint?"

"Can you just tell us?"

"I don't think I understand."

"You want us to make a PowerPoint, right?"

I was crushed. This was a gift I was giving them! How could they squander this gift of creative freedom? We wrestled for a while to identify what this creative freedom would look like until eventually I caved.

"Yeah, it's a PowerPoint. Just do a PowerPoint."

The problems with too much freedom

Why did my attempt to give my students full academic freedom fail? A number of reasons, I believe.

For one, all of that freedom was paralyzing. They couldn't picture the assignment. As Amy Burvall and Dan Ryder wrote in the book Intention, "Creativity craves constraints." It needs some guardrails to keep us on the right track.

Also, I gave them too many choices. Actually, I didn't limit their choices at all. For my students to feel prepared to get started, they felt they had to consider all of their choices. That was too much by itself. When there are too many choices, deciding becomes hard. Barry Schwartz, in his TED Talk, says that too many options paralyze us, and to make people happy with their choices, the best thing is to limit them.

Finally, let's be honest. Full creative freedom was a lot of work. Many of them just weren't invested in being their best possible selves in high school Spanish. They were probably thinking, "Can you just give me a worksheet so I can do it and move on?"

A good option: the choice board

Sometimes, to remedy this whole situation, teachers give students choice boards.

A choice board is a document with a variety of assignment options. Students look through their options and pick one or two or three. Teachers often make them in a 3x3 grid, like a tic tac toe board, or like a 5x5 bingo board. Just pick one from each column.

A choice board gives them options so they can tailor the work to their unique interests and talents. But it provides some guide rails, avoiding the "paralysis by analysis" my students had.

It empowers students. It makes the assignment manageable. Students feel like they can do it.

Here's the problem, though. Choice boards can be overwhelming. Often, teachers invent lots of new activities for students to do on choice boards. Even though it limits their choices, students are still forced into "paralysis by analysis" all over again. They must learn new tech tools, new techniques, new activities AND demonstrate understanding.

It's a lot.

A better option: a progressive choice board

In hindsight, I wish I had given my students a progressive choice board instead. It's a choice board with a twist.

The word "progressive" here, of course, has nothing to do with political affiliation. It's about progress, a gradual release of new options throughout the year.

Imagine this progressive choice board is a 3x3 grid. At the beginning of the school year, it starts with nine question marks. We don't have any choices on it at first.

But soon, we add a new possible activity. Maybe it's a drag-and-drop infographic. Maybe it's stop motion animation with Google Slides. Maybe it's a YouTube-style unboxing video on Flipgrid.

A week or two later, we add a new activity to the choice board. Then another is added. And another.

Two ideas for adding a new activity to a progressive choice board:

1. Have the whole class do the new activity all together. Everyone creates that same artifact of learning so that everyone learns how it's done.

2. The teacher creates a tutorial showing students how it's done. This way, when it's added, not everyone has to do it, but it becomes an option for everyone.

What does the progressive choice board offer that a traditional choice board doesn't?

It doesn't dump lots of new options on students all at once. It slowly, progressively releases new options. It's kind of like a video game where you unlock new levels, new characters, new modes a little at a time.

It promotes a can-do attitude. It's easy to shut down and shut out the possibilities when you're overwhelmed by them. When students learn new activities little by little, it's empowering.

It helps them to learn what they like and what suits them best. It's kind of like going to a restaurant and trying a new dish. After that visit, you know if you like that one dish or not. Having one bite of a dozen dishes doesn't convince you in the same way.

It's a great way to learn new digital tools. I'm a huge fan of doing a lot with a limited number of digital tools. Google Slides is my jam, and in my classroom, we did a LOT with it. But you can't do everything with it. This lets students learn new tools a little at a time, and if they end up with a favorite, they can always come back to it.

It helps them own their learning. It lets students make choices about their learning. It's not something that's being imposed on them. When they get used to making their own choices about their learning, it becomes a mindset.

How can I make a progressive choice board?

Thankfully, this is the easy part. Making the choice board itself isn't any more complicated than creating a document or slide presentation. Each choice (the activity students will do) can have a link to instructions or a template to copy.

Here are a few easy ways to make a progressive choice board ...

The most basic: a simple document. To tell students what activities they can do, we don't have to get all high tech (if we don't want to). Just list the activities they can do in a simple document.

Remember, in a progressive choice board, you don't add all of the activities all at once. Just start with one or two that they've already done and write instructions for those. Then, as the year progresses, add more activities.

You can copy this template and use it if you'd like. It includes an easy-to-make clickable table of contents to get to the different parts of the document.
Click here to get the simple document template

A little fancier: a document with tables. This is almost the same idea as before. It lists all of the possible activities with instructions to do them. But this one creates a table (Insert > Table > 3x3) where you can add images and text. I used icons from The Noun Project ( thenounproject.com) to give my table some visuals. I even used a question mark icon as a place holder for the activities I haven't added yet.
Click here to get the document with tables template

More impressive options: other design apps. If you want to create something really impressive, you can go outside of Docs/Word and use one of these ...

Google Slides/PowerPoint: It's not super flashy or sexy, but it will open up some design creativity. Plus, if you list all of your possible activities on one slide (in a 3x3 or 4x4 grid), you can make clickable links from that activity to a slide with all of the instructions.

Genially: If you want to wow your students with a progressive choice board, Genially (genial.ly) will do it. You can create a page where students start with all of the options. Genially lets you create animations when you click on an option to go to the instructions page. It's more complicated than a simple document, but the results are stunning.

Slides Mania: It's no secret that we're HUGE fans of their free slide templates here at Ditch That Textbook. You can find some really cool choice board templates for Google Slides or PowerPoint here.

What kinds of activities can I add to it?

Again, the sky's the limit here! To keep it simple, here's some advice: Add the activities you already use in class. You don't have to create all new activities for this. If you have activities that work for you and your students, just add those in little by little to your progressive choice board.

But it's always fun to add new, creative activities to engage your students' minds, right?

If you're looking for some new ideas, here are some of our favorites:

Google Slides/PowerPoint infographics: Infographics are a combination of images (often icons) and text that create a very verbal/visual, brain-friendly example of what we've learned. They're easy to make, and I even have some "drag and drop" infographics templates that make them even easier to make. Click here to get those templates!

Choice stories in Google Slides/PowerPoint: Do you remember Choose Your Own Adventure books? The ones where you choose what the character will do by turning to a specific page? Students can create their own in Google Slides using slide-to-slide linking (super easy). Click here to learn how to make them!

Stop motion animation in Google Slides/PowerPoint: Sometimes we learn about processes with multiple steps. If students can envision what it looks like in their minds, they can put it in motion on a screen with a stop motion animation. Click here for a tutorial that shows you how it's done!

The Instagram Stories template for Google Slides/PowerPoint: Students who use Instagram are familiar with Stories, where people share their day in short videos and images. It's a great way to show what you've learned, especially through someone's perspective. Click here to get the template!

The Ditch That Textbook templates library: We've pulled together dozens of FREE templates you can copy/download and assign to students right away. They include fun social media-style activities, interactive activities, and more. (Did we mention they're free???) Click here to check out those templates!

Comic strips in Google Slides/Drawings or PowerPoint: Students become the stars of the learning in these fun visual activities! Students use photos of themselves and add speech/thought bubbles to show what they're thinking or saying and more! Click here for more details on this activity!

The unboxing video activity on Flipgrid: If your students all want to be YouTubers, let them use that to show what they've learned! Unboxing videos are popular on YouTube, and students can use that type of video to show what they know. Click here for details on the unboxing video activity!

The top 10 video on Flipgrid: This is another popular type of video on YouTube! Students can rank a top 10 list (or top 5 or top 3) from what they've learned and justify their responses. Click here for details on the top 10 video activity!

Google Applied Digital Skills Lessons: Google has amassed a database of 150+ FREE lesson ideas that use digital skills. Each one has instructions, ideas for implementation, and even video instructions you can give students. You can learn all about Applied Digital Skills here, or check out some of our favorites:

CS First: Find lots of FREE ready-to-use lessons that incorporate coding in CS First. This database of lesson ideas from Google will help students with computational thinking and coding skills. Click here to find a lesson!

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Progressive choice boards: Provide choice without overwhelming

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Ed Tech Once, when teaching high school Spanish, my students and I had finished covering a new verb tense. We practiced it. They were getting the hang of it. It was time for them to demonstrate understanding. Show what they know. Feeling pretty brave, I gave them their assignment.

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Novel Study Tic-Tac-Toe Menu Choice Board by Kasey Bell

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Historical Writers Choice Board by Christi Collins

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TOUCH this image to discover its story. Image tagging powered by ThingLink

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Shakespearea's A Midsummer Night's Dream Pre-Reading HyperDoc GameBoard

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M - The Outsiders Final Project Choice Board

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PowerPoint on Math Stations and Differentiation

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PowerPoint on Math Stations and Differentiation

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A choose your own adventure choice board is a great way to give yourself a break from presenting or delivering a lesson.

With this choice board, you can give students voice and choice in how they learn and they can go at their own pace to complete the lesson asynchronously.

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300 Questions and Images to Inspire Argumentative Writing -- New York Times

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300 Questions and Images to Inspire Argumentative Writing -- New York Times

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Stations in the Secondary Mathematics Classroom

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Stations in the Secondary Mathematics Classroom

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Courtesy of Ms. Angela Nieves - FKMHS

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How well did you understand? Exit ticket

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Brain Dump Template (Brainstorming Strategy)

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Brain Dump Template (Brainstorming Strategy)

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Student Interest (to differentiate based on student interests) Template

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Student Interest (to differentiate based on student interests) Template

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Warm-ups - Make a copy (google.com)

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How well did you understand? Exit ticket

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Courtesy of Mahaffey Middle!

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Google Slides Task Card (Parts of Speech) Sample

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Google Slides Task Card (Parts of Speech) Sample

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Part of Speech Task Cards (Google Slides)

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Google Slides Exit Ticket Reflection Template

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Google Slides Exit Ticket Reflection Template

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Liven Up Your Lessons by Giving Students Choices

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Liven Up Your Lessons by Giving Students Choices

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Last summer, I went to the Fourth of July celebration at a lake in San Antonio, Texas. While my family and I waited on the shore for the darkness to signal the start of the fireworks displays, we were intrigued by an enterprising young man working his way through the people sitting in folding chairs and on picnic blankets.

He was a balloon artist, and his simple business plan was proving to be very effective. He would ask a child what he wanted, and he would create it for him. We watched, amazed, as he made flowers, swords, poodles, Spider-Man (it was awesome), scepters, and crowns. There seemed no limit to what he could create with simple balloons.

He had no want for customers, as they flocked to him rather than the other way around. He probably made enough money that night to cover much of his monthly living expenses!

Same Old Same Old

This experience got me thinking about another balloon artist I saw on television. On an episode of the sitcom My Name is Earl, the main character, dressed up as a balloon-making clown, is gruffly asking all the boys and girls at the party, "Do you want a snake, an eel, or a worm?"

It's clear that Earl was either unwilling to tie the balloons into the typical dogs, giraffes, and butterflies, or perhaps he didn't want to expend the effort, or maybe he didn't know how to create the shapes. So, instead, he just made long, straight balloons in a lame effort to give the children a choice.

In differentiating our instruction and student learning in our own classes, do we sometimes play the same trick? Rather than provide a rich variety of learning activities, do we simply stick with our favorite -- a tried-and-true strategy -- and maybe dress it up a bit by having students answer the odd-numbered questions in the book rather than the even-numbered ones?

If we do that, in essence, we aren't even asking students, "Do you want a snake, an eel, or a worm?"

Could it be that we don't know how to tie the balloons, or that perhaps we just don't have the energy to make them interesting? Heaven forbid that we might be reluctant to make the attempt, yet in many cases, I am afraid that some teachers praise the virtues of snakes, eels, and worms far too much.

The truth is that bookwork, copying notes, listening to lectures, filling in the blanks on worksheets, and coloring between the lines make up a large portion of the schoolwork in our classrooms. No wonder students are unimpressed when teachers try to engage them in these passive, uninteresting activities. Snakes, eels, and worms are boring!

Engage with Variety and Choice

Recently, I asked a 14-year-old student why he was struggling in school. He explained that it's because school is boring. To be blunt here, when I took five days recently and followed one student each in first grade, third grade, sixth grade, eighth grade, and ninth grade all day long through each of their classes, I was bored most of the time. I found it hard to sit still for so long, and I wondered how the students got through it.

I think you get the picture. As teachers, we need to start creating more elephants, giraffes, and swords -- and that awesome Spider-Man.

Let's say it's Monday, and the goal is to get students to read a textbook chapter for content and understanding. As a resource, textbooks have lots of information, but they are not the only source for information and learning.

I'd like to suggest that you offer something like the following selection for your students to choose from:

Create a slide show presentation to illustrate the major points of the chapter as if they were teachers teaching younger students.

Develop a newspaper article or a journalistic TV report about the chapter as if it were breaking news.

Prepare a debate on the chapter's main points and pose as either politicians or lawyers presenting their persuasive arguments.

Write a drama about the contents of the chapter and perform it to their peers and parents.

Construct an encyclopedic database of vocabulary, terms, and concepts included in the chapter, as well as prior knowledge that needs to be understood, and questions that are yet to be answered.

Design a virtual field trip to study topics and concepts to be learned based on the content of the chapter.

Invite experts to visit their classroom and ask them questions about their expertise based on the content of the chapter.

Use the contents of the chapter to devise an experiment to prove or disprove the assertions made in the chapter.

Fill the walls of the classroom with essential questions gleaned from the chapter and challenge the teacher and other classes to a content quiz show.

In each of these options, not once is it necessary for the teacher to say, "Open your books to page 37 and answer the questions at the end of the chapter." We want the students to love the content as much as we do, not to hate it. If we can get them to love it, then they will continue to learn.

Just as I saw the children's faces light up on the Fourth of July when they saw the balloons transformed into flowers or Spider-Man, I have seen students light up when the teacher takes a passive activity and makes it an active one.

Please share some ideas that you have found effective in transforming boring activities into energetic learning adventures.

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Liven Up Your Lessons by Giving Students Choices

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Last summer, I went to the Fourth of July celebration at a lake in San Antonio, Texas. While my family and I waited on the shore for the darkness to signal the start of the fireworks displays, we were intrigued by an enterprising young man working his way through the people sitting in folding chairs and on picnic blankets.

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Using Choice Boards to Increase Student Ownership

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Using Choice Boards to Increase Student Ownership

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Over the past few weeks, we have offered guidance on building 21st century classrooms, including a discussion of the importance of creating a student-centered environment. An excellent way to increase student ownership of learning in your classroom is through the use of choice boards.

Choice boards allow students to choose how they will learn. Structured like a Tic-Tac-Toe board, choice boards offer a series of activities that focus on students' specific learning needs, interests, and abilities. Students decide which activity they are most comfortable completing first, and once they master it, they can move on to more challenging activities.

Choice boards are easily adapted across disciplines and grade levels, and give students an opportunity to showcase the skills they've mastered, practice new content and skills, and extend their learning.

How to Create a Choice Board

1. Identify the instructional focus and learning outcomes of a unit of study. What do you want students to know and be able to do by the end of the unit?

2. Determine student readiness, interests, learning styles, and needs using assessment data, student surveys, and learner profiles.

3. Design nine different tasks that meet your students' various interests, needs, and learning styles determined in Step 2. Arrange each task so it has its own grid on the Tic-Tac-Toe board.

4. Select one required task for all students. This task should be placed at the center of the board.

5. Ask your students to complete three tasks, one of which must be the one in the middle. Students should complete their tasks in a vertical, horizontal, or diagonal Tic-Tac-Toe row.

In addition to providing student ownership, choice boards are a great way to differentiate instruction. Here are ways to adapt choice board activities to better support students in your classroom.

Adaptations to the Activity

Allow students to choose which three activities they want to complete even if they do not complete a Tic-Tac-Toe row.

Work with students to determine specific tasks based on their abilities and learning needs.

Design different choice boards based on learning style (e.g., visual, kinesthetic, and auditory learners each get their own boards, or one choice board can include three tasks from each category) or type of student population (e.g., English Language Learners, students with special needs, gifted and talented learners).

Create choice boards based on the three learning domains (cognitive, affective, and psychomotor) so students can develop skills and knowledge in each area.

Add additional spaces to your choice board to increase the number of opportunities students have to demonstrate their learning and practice skills.

You can find great examples of choice boards across content areas and grade levels at these links:

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Using Choice Boards to Increase Student Ownership

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Over the past few weeks, we have offered guidance on building 21st century classrooms, including a discussion of the importance of creating a student-centered environment. An excellent way to increase student ownership of learning in your classroom is through the use of choice boards. Choice boards allow students to choose how they will learn.

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9 Best DifferentiatedInstruction Strategies for CTE

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9 Best DifferentiatedInstruction Strategies for CTE

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PE/Health (Scroll to page 5 for samples)

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PE/Health (Scroll to page 5 for samples)

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Differentiation in PE: Being Responsive to Our Students’ Needs

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Differentiation in PE: Being Responsive to Our Students’ Needs

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PE Blog - Read & Discuss Current PE Topics

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The Four Components of Differentiated Instruction in PE - Gopher PE Blog

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Learn how to implement a differentiated instruction in PE that aids students of various backgrounds, skill levels and interests in Physical Education.

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Differentiation in the Middle School Orchestra Rehearsal - NAfME.pdf

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Increasing Differentiation & Choice in Physical Education

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Increasing Differentiation & Choice in Physical Education

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PE Blog – Read & Discuss Current PE Topics

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Choice Strategies: Increasing Differentiation in PE | Gopher PE Blog

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Empower students to take ownership in physical activity by offering choices. Find which games and levels of competition they prefer to play!

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Welcome to KPDSB's Graphic Organizers and Templates site. These resources were created in Google Docs and Drawings by KP educators.

Graphic organizers are organized under three headings. Click on the links below to access over 170 graphic organizers:

We always welcome new submissions and would love to add them to our website. Please submit under "Templates and Submissions" or contact .

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Welcome to KPDSB's Graphic Organizers and Templates site. These resources were created in Google Docs and Drawings by KP educators. Graphic organizers are organized under three headings. Click on the links below to access over 170 graphic organizers: We always welcome new submissions and would love to add them to our website.

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Mrs. Arsenault's Nerdy World of Science - EDITABLE DOODLE TEMPLATES

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I know that many find using the PDF copies of my Doodle Note templates helpful but I also know that there are times what another teacher designs just doesn't quite work. This is the place to come for editable versions of all templates I have created myself.

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Some students have no trouble expressing their thoughts, whether verbally or in writing. Others, though, need some help to get started. Sentence stems-sometimes called sentence starters, sentence frames, or thinking stems-help them do just that. Here's how they work.

How To Use Sentence Stems

Provide all students with a list of sentence stems they can use during discussions or when they're writing. For fluent writers or speakers, these stems may not be necessary, but they're always helpful to have on hand. You can give kids a handout, or post an anchor chart for them to refer back to.

Be sure to model them for kids, showing how to fill in the blanks. Practice both out loud and in writing, providing your own example and then asking for their take. It's OK if they simply fill in the blanks when they first start using these stems. But over time, students should use them more as a jumping-off point, to delve deeper into the topic.

Tip: Don't require sentence stems if students don't need them. Some kids will do just fine having a discussion on their own, or getting started on a writing assignment. But encourage others to use them as much as they need to. Eventually, these stems will become automatic, giving students tools to help them become better communicators.

Language Arts Sentence Stems

The author used this technique because ...

The narrator is reliable/unreliable because ...

Characters in this story started out ... but changed to ...

The theme of this story is ... which is shown by ...

This story reminds me of ...

If could change the end of this story, I would ...

I liked/disliked this character because ...

This story made me feel ... when ...

[Character] and [character] are alike/different because ...

My favorite part was ...

The author wants us to believe ...

Social Studies Sentence Stems

These events are alike/different because ...

If this happened today ...

If I lived then, I would have ...

This happened because ...

The effects of this were ...

I agree/disagree with ... because ...

Science Sentence Stems

The cause of this is ...

The effect of this is ...

I was surprised when ...

We can find out by ...

We could change the outcome by ...

I discovered ...

The pattern I observed was ...

Math Sentence Stems

First I ... Then I ... Finally I ...

I found the answer by ...

This problem reminded me of ...

I can use this skill in real life when ...

I got the wrong answer because ...

This solution makes/doesn't make sense because ...

Discussion Sentence Stems

When you said ... I felt ...

I used to think ... Now I think ...

I feel ... when ...

If that happened to me, I would ...

What if we ...

I need some help with ...

How do you use sentence stems? Come share your thoughts and ask for advice in the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.

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How To Use Sentence Stems (Plus 60+ Examples for Every Subject)

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Sentence stems help students get started with writing or group discussions. You can use them for any subject, at any age.

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Stanley Cup Sticker Challenge > Intervention & Extension Ideas

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Stanley Cup Sticker Challenge > Intervention & Extension Ideas

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7 Strategies for Differentiated Math Instruction

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7 Strategies for Differentiated Math Instruction

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https://www.hmhco.com/blog/strategies-for-differentiated-math-instruction?srsltid=AfmBOopblG53An-QXMpZ9bGc7S2Nzvnl_ak3v-rlLXX-eZvNFwQGLim8

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7 Strategies for Differentiated Math Instruction

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These strategies provide differentiated math instruction to K-12 teachers looking for ways to personalize their mathematics teaching.

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https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1HPjLk5cxSWUQuh2CPQhfyBkesOVL3HdioHHYeG2bqWs/edit

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Q3: Argumentative Writing > Choice Board

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Q3: Argumentative Writing > Choice Board

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To explain differentiation in the words of fifth grade teacher Holy M. Levy, "The core of differentiated instruction is flexibility in content, process, and product based on student strengths, needs, and learning styles." One of the best ways to create this flexibility is through the use of technology like Pear Assessment (formerly Edulastic). Pear Assessment allows you to create a differentiated instruction environment for different types of learners, and this article explains five ways you can use it to differentiate learning in your classroom.

1. Make your assessments flexible for different learning styles

With over 30 different technology-enhanced question types and various assessment features, Pear Assessment makes it easy to create assessments that appeal to different learners. Try using question types you haven't used before, keeping in mind some learners are more visual, auditory, reading/writing, or a combination of a few styles. This doesn't necessarily mean making different assessments for each type of learner; you can make each assessment flexible for different students.

For example, try including pictures in your questions in addition to text, appealing to both reading and visual learners. For questions like reading comprehension, include a read aloud option for the auditory learners (premium feature). Also, be sure to allow scratchpad usage for the students who like to write out their process. Or go old school and provide students with pencil and paper to work through problems before they submit an answer.

2. Adjust assessment difficulty for each student or student group

Not only can you adjust the style of assessments on Pear Assessment, but also the difficulty. In the words of Betty Scola, elementary school teacher and media specialist, "With Pear Assessment, it is easy to make multiple versions of a test and assign to specific students. Students don't even know they have an easier or harder test than the student next to them. Also, for those students that tend to rush through a test, you have the redirect feature to send it back for them to review. I use the shuffle question option (premium feature) so if students do sneak a peek at another screen, they won't see the same question and they can't tell their test is different."

The ease of creating and modifying assessments on Pear Assessment, as well as the feasibility of assigning different assessments to different students, makes this differentiation tactic very possible. Middle school language teacher Katie Breitholtz seems to think similarly and explains, "I can give the same assignment for three different proficiency levels for my students. They can get more immediate feedback from me, and most of my students will ask to redo assignments if they are not happy with their results. The levels in my classroom vary from newcomers with little to no English, to students preparing to transition to general education classes with no native language support." From here we can see Pear Assessment makes it a possibility to teach a classroom of varying student levels without too much extra effort from teachers.

3. Pinpoint students who need more help and give them opportunities to improve

With the instant and detailed feedback Pear Assessment provides, it becomes very easy to see where different students are at and identify the ones who may need more help. What you do with this information can range from sitting down and making game plans with students, giving them extra resources, or making extra assessments for them to improve. Eighth grade English teacher Mary Long shared, "In my classroom, I created a formative assessment in Pear Assessment with the eight most missed questions on a test. Students who had made insufficient progress on the test took the assignment, and then did test corrections on any they missed again. I put in specific comments in the feedback they used to make the corrections. When we took the next quiz, these students did much better." With Pear Assessment, it's easy to assign different assessments to different students or ask specific students to redo assignments or do extra ones.

4. Use Pear Assessment to enhance group learning

Another way to use the feedback from assessments is to strategically form student groups. Working in groups is an important aspect of differentiated instruction as it provides variation for different types of learners, as talking concepts out and working with others is a style that helps many. As Holy M. Levy suggests, "By grouping students who are kinesthetic, linguistic, and artistic into separate groups, they can demonstrate three distinct ways to solve problems and show how they came to a solution." Pear Assessment could then be utilized by making different types of assessments for each of these groups of learners.

Alternatively, another option is to form groups based on differences rather than similarities, pairing strengths and weaknesses together. Joshua Miller, high school math teacher explains Pear Assessment has encouraged his students of different levels work very well together. He shared, "Since I began using Pear Assessment in my classroom, my students have been more motivated to do their classroom assignments...My students work together as a team and do amazing things to keep their peers on the same level as everyone else." He goes on to say that the stronger students, "step up to the plate and guide their peers."

Middle school language teacher Katie Breitholtz also uses Pear Assessment with group work and shares, "I have used Pear Assessment with my leveled literature circles/book clubs to check comprehension. Within the groups I can even have varying levels as needed." Assessment feedback can be monitored as a class, for individual students, and also for specific groups of students to see if they need extra help.

5. Create time to meet with students individually

One of the biggest benefits of Pear Assessment as a whole is freeing up time for teachers to actually spend with their students. Instead of spending countless hours grading tests, teachers can let Pear Assessment do the boring work and instead spend time with students face-to-face. Also, Pear Assessment provides an opportunity for teachers to work with students individually while the class is occupied with assessments. Middle school math teacher Anne McCluskey says, "Pear Assessment allows me to work with students individually, addressing their personal instructional needs, while all students are actively engaged. Students get immediate feedback and I can quickly provide interventions to each students' specific need."

Again, this is not a comprehensive list of strategies. With the many types of students out there, it's hard for teachers to cater to everybody. This is why technology like Pear Assessment is necessary to make differentiated instruction a reality. The various features as well as the immediate feedback allow teachers to provide more specific, differentiated instruction for all of the different learners in their classrooms.

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5 Ways to Create a Differentiated Instruction Environment with Pear Assessment - Blog | Pear Deck Learning

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Explore five ways you can create a differentiated instruction environment with Pear Assessment that creates an adaptive and inclusive classroom experience.