Leading for Effective Differentiation
September 25, 2014
Chiangmai, Thailand


A summary of responses to the following query on the

workshop evaluation form:


“Theory/Skills acquired from the workshop that you can use immediately”:  


Pre-reading/Assessment

Formative assessment

‘Teaching up’ as a way for time management of DI

‘Growth mindset’ as an essential model for leadership

KUDs are not achieved by increasing the workload but by establishing (and teaching to) appropriate levels of challenge

Teach up - Focus on high expectations

I need to differentiate as much for teachers as I would with my students

Curriculum is the least influential factor to student success

Assist teachers in how to scaffold in teaching up

When kids can’t see bridge to the other side let them know “ I’ll be the bridge for you”

Offer real world issues to solve to engage students

Classroom environment is key to learning

Links with formative assessment, UbD

If you hit these targets, you will hit success

Standards need to be packaged together and made to give meaning

Pre-assessment as simple pattern recognition

Unpacking standards for clarity in terms of KUDs

Progression of assessment pieces and differentiation decisions that were made to implement KUDs and allow for choice

Curriculum no matter how good is just a lump of clay

Five essential elements of differentiation

Create a whole school definition of differentiation

Communication with teachers is vital in the common goal of differentiation

Differentiation is vital to engage students

Perspective on approaching differentiation as a way of thinking not strategies

Differentiation is not an extra

Creating more of a community in the class/year group

Habrowski’s approach

The cogs working together

Environment must be flexible but predictable

Pre-assessment task analysis

Know/Understand/Do

Encourage all teachers to do a pre-assessment

Begin with the end in mind.  What will you understand?

Serving ingredients versus cooking