Differentiated instruction benefiting CCE students, teachers

Because all students are not alike, Clay Central-Everly (CCE) teachers have a relatively new goal of altering their classroom instruction to better fit the learning needs of all the district's students.

Differentiated instruction, a relatively new concept, allows students multiple options for taking in information and making sense of ideas. The model -- which is a blend of whole-class, group and individual instruction -- requires teachers to be flexible in their approach to teaching.

"This should be a way of thinking about meeting the needs of all the kids that sit in front of you," CCE High School Principal Al Laboranti said. "You can't teach the same way to everybody. If I was a doctor, I couldn't give five people who came in to see me all the same medication, because it might be five different problems. That's the same way we should look at teaching.

"It's a lot of work up front for the teachers in planning, preparation and visioning. But, you have to take into consideration who you have sitting in front of you. Everyone comes in with their own set of needs and learning styles," he continued. " ... They're doing it as well down at Royal; but we're, (grades) 9 through 12, really focused on meeting the needs of all learners and really trying to differentiate our processes of how we teach and the activities we use based on student learning styles, interests and readiness."

CCE staffers, meanwhile, are still becoming acclimated with the form of classroom instruction. Some may need to adjust curriculum or the presentation of information.

"I'm really stressing, and the staff is doing a great job, with trying to get away from being the 'sage on the stage' and be more 'a guide on the side' to get them more engaged, actively involved and empowered as students. I think more learning takes place when that happens," Laboranti said.

Laboranti, who is marking his first year as a Clay County school administrator, attended a two-day workshop, along with CCE High School teachers Liz Kardell, Nathan Asmus and Kristen VanVoorst, on differentiated instruction this fall. The four educators are scheduled to learn more about the teaching model from Carol Ann Tomlinson, known nationally for her work and research in this area, and associates of hers from the University of Virginia in February.

The three CCE teachers who attended the workshop quickly realized they'd already been implementing some of the described strategies in their classrooms.

"This just took it to the next level for us after that conference," Kardell said. "When we came back, we all did something new in relation to differentiated (instruction) that very next day. It's exciting when you see it work and the students are engaged and enjoying what they're doing."

While Kardell, Asmus and VanVoorst have demonstrated examples of the teaching method to their CCE peers during inservice times this school year, Laboranti has also practiced differentiated instruction with staff to relay the new information during inservice sessions.

"I think it's really helping us reach all of the things we want to do," Kardell, the high school's business and computers instructor, said. " ... This strategy really gave me more ideas on how to reach every student."

Using it in the classroom

"Differentiated instruction helps you come up with ideas on how to challenge and accommodate someone that's capable, even though they're in a freshman class," said Asmus, who had a first-semester geography class consisting mainly of freshmen, a few sophomores and one senior.

To address this, the CCE teacher assigned different activities for the same material. While some students worked on political cartoons, others wrote creative essays. Asmus explained two girls took a unique approach to explain the term "slash-and-burn farming" for one class he taught.

"They actually wrote out lyrics for a rap song, and it was a whole page," Asmus said. "That, actually, would have been harder than an essay or something like that. But that's what they were interested in, so they stopped seeing it as work."

VanVoorst, who often leads large math classes at CCE, indicated she's also differentiating her assignments.

"Once I explained to them that I don't want anybody to be bored in class, and this is why I'm choosing which assignments you do vs. which assignments the other students do, the kids got it," she said. "Now, every once in a while, I'm able to offer a choice and say, 'Hey, how did you feel learning today? Do you feel like you really got this stuff? Do you want to challenge yourself? You choose which ones you want to do.' I still get about half the class choosing the more-challenging problems. The other half, who don't feel confident enough, choose the somewhat-basic problems that will still give the same strategies for what we've learned. It's kind of neat to see the kids grabbing their own education and taking responsibility for it, instead of just having the teacher give them what they need to learn."

VanVoorst acknowledged she alters assigning homework assignments with allowing students to select their own. She also mentioned that there's a lot more group interaction instead of continuous, old-school lecturing.

Benefits witnessed

While CCE students have noticed differences in the ways their teachers are leading classrooms, CCE teachers have grown excited about differentiated instruction as they've witnessed their students' reaction to it.

"Part of differentiation is understanding your students' interests," Kardell explained. "With business class, we do a lot of real-world scenarios and activities. So, some days I'll do an activity where they get together with (students who have) their same interests. But, there are other times where I'll mix up their interests, so they can all share different things and add different points to a lesson.

"One of the results for me," she added, "is I know better where each student is at. I think I just know better what each student is understanding, which then helps me relay information. Which, in the end, is going to lead to helping them understand what they're doing."

VanVoorst suggested students in her math classroom began labeling one another as "the smart ones" and "not the smart ones" when she began using differentiated instruction in her classroom. "But, when they understood that it was important to me that they learned something, the lower-level kids were like, 'Oh, I'm learning something, so I'm important to her'."

CCE's principal indicated classroom management is better at the high school because the students are more engaged. Laboranti also acknowledged he's seen a lower number of student-discipline referrals to his office since teachers began working with differentiated instruction.

"Once the kids get acclimated to it, there's a lot more success and achievement than just standing in the front, putting things on the board and lecturing. That's not high-level learning," he said. "We're really after higher-level thinking skills: Analysis, application, synthesis and evaluation."

Laboranti continued, "But, you have to begin with the end in mind. So, you have to have a clear sense of what you want them to know, understand and be able to do first.

"If nothing else, we're starting to use and talk the same language around the school. The bottom line is what's best for the students. We want to increase student achievement and success."

"Obviously," Laboranti added, "we're trying to get everybody on board here to try new things. I always say they need to go out on a limb, because that's where all the food is."