DOCUMENT RESUME EC 309 371 ED 471 951 Gartin, Barbara C.; Murdick, Nikki L.; Imbeau, Marcia; AUTHOR Perner, Darlene E. How To Use Differentiated Instruction with Students with TITLE Developmental Disabilities in the General Education Classroom. DDD Prism Series. Council for Exceptional Children, Arlington, VA. Div. on INSTITUTION Mental Retardation and Developmental Disablilities. DDD-Vol-4 REPORT NO ISBN-0-86586-67-7 ISBN 2002-00-00 PUB DATE NOTE 83p. Council for Exceptional Children, 1110 Glebe Rd., Suite 300, AVAILABLE FROM Arlington, VA 22201-5704 (Product no. D5515: $11.40). Tel: 800-328-0272 (Toll Free); Tel: 888-232-7733 (Toll Free); Fax: 703-620-2521; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: http://www.cec.sped.org. Non-Classroom (055) Guides Books (010) PUB TYPE EDRS Price MF01/PC04 Plus Postage. EDRS PRICE *Academic Accommodations (Disabilities); Access to Education; DESCRIPTORS Classroom Design; *Classroom Techniques; *Curriculum Design; Curriculum Development; *Developmental Disabilities; Educational Environment; *Educational Strategies; Elementary Secondary Education; *Inclusive Schools; Mental Retardation; Student Evaluation; Teaching Models *Curriculum Differentiation IDENTIFIERS ABSTRACT This book discusses how educators can achieve inclusive classrooms that give students with different abilities the maximum opportunity for growth. It provides frameworks for planning learning environments, content, process, and products that enable students with learning challenges to succeed with meaningful curriculum. Decision-making guidelines are, offered for teachers who must work with standardized curriculum and non-standardized students. In addition, the book give detailed examples of how the curricular and instructional frameworks would look when applied to the learning needs of students with a range of learning needs and in a range of grade levels and subjects. Specifically, chapters address: (1) the inclusion philosophy and what is meant by differentiated instruction; (2) the relationships between curriculum and instruction and the Planning Pyramid Model for differentiating instruction in the inclusive classroom; (3) learning environment considerations, including optimal classroom physical (4) content arrangements, instructional grouping, and classroom climate; modifications, instructional adaptations, multilevel instruction, text (5) process modifications, independent alteration, and learning contracts; projects, and instructional technology; and (6) product modifications and types of planned outcomes. The final chapter presents three teachers using differentiated instructional practices in inclusive classrooms. Appendices include an instructional planning form and Web site resources. (Contains 34 references.) (CR) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. SSION TO REPRODUCE AND PERMI MINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS DISSE BEEN GRANTED BY DDD AOGLYCCJe, 3. Prism Series EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES TO THI ORMATION CENTER (ERIC) INF Volume 4 1 Now to Us Differentiated Instruction With Students With Developmental Disabilities in the General Education Classroom by Barbara C. Gartin, Nikki L. Murdick, Marcia Imbeau, and Darlene E. Perner U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION 1 CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. A Publication of Council for iew or opinions stated in this Points of do not necessarily represent document the Division on RI position or policy. official OE Exceptional Developmental Disabilities of Children the Council for Exceptional Children BEST COPY AVAILABLE DDD Prism Series The Board of Directors of the Division on Developmental Disabilities of the Council for Exceptional Children is pleased to offer its fourth publication of the Prism Series. Each volume in the series is intended to provide prac- tical and timely information related to serving children and youth with developmental disabilities, including cognitive disabilities/mental retarda- tion, autism, and related disabilities. We thank Drs. Gartin, Murdick, Imbeau, and Perner for writing this fourth volume in the series. We are confident that readers will find the informa- tion offered in this work to be of significant value. Jack Hourcade, Editor Cindy Perras, President DDD 2002-2003 Board of Directors (and appointees) Darlene Perner, Newsletter Editor Leslie Brown, Canadian Member Cindy Perras, President Kerry Rice, Web Coordinator Jim Thompson, Midwest Member Andrea Babkie, President-Elect Jennifer Padora, Northeast Robert Stodden, CAN Barbara Gartin, Vice President Representative Member Valerie Sharpe, Past President Toni Smith, Executive Director Jim Forristal, Southeast Member Koren A. Kainz, Secretary Jack Hourcade, Publications/ Tina Dyches, Far West Member Dan Ezell, Treasurer Communications Chair Kim Carper, Student Governor Scott Sparks, Professional Dev/Standards Stan Zucker, Journal Editor Diversity (Ad Hoc) How to Use Differentiated Instruction With Students With Developmental Disabilities in the General Education Classroom © 2002 DDD Barbara C. Gartin, Nikki L. Murdick, Marcia Imbeau, and Darlene E. Perner Arlington, VA All rights reserved Additional copies may be purchased from Council for Exceptional Children 1110 North Glebe Road, Suite 300 Arlington, VA 22201-5704 1-888-232-7733 Product # D5515 ISBN 0-86586-967-7 Special thanks to Patty Riches, Prism Layout Editor, Human Technologies Consulting a d Phil Parette, Consulting Editor DDD Prism Series Volume 4 Now to Use Differentiated Instruction With Students With Developmental Disabilities in the General Education Classroom by Barbara C. Gartin, Nikki L. Murdick, Marcia lmbeau, and Darlene E. Perner I Council for Exceptional Children A Publication of the Division on Developmental Disabilities of the Council for Exceptional Children HOW TO USE DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION WITH STUDENTS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES IN THE GENERAL EDUCATION CLASSROOM Foreword 1 Acknowledgements 5 1-7 Chapter 1: Philosophical Overview What is Inclusion? 1-7 What is Differentiated Instruction? 1-8 Summary 1-11 Chapter 2: A Model for Differentiating Instruction in the 2-13 Inclusive Classroom 2-13 Types of Curricula What Is the Relationship Between Curriculum and Instruction? 2-14 2-16 The Essential Elements of Differentiation Critical Factors in Implementing an Instructional 2-18 Planning Model 2-20 Developing an Effective Planning Model 2-22 The Planning Pyramid Model Curricula for the Inclusive Classroom 2-24 Summary 2-24 Chapter 3: Learning Environment Considerations 3-27 How Does a Teacher Develop a Healthy Learning Environment? 3-27 Summary 3-32 Chapter 4: Content Modifications 4-33 Curricular Decisions and Modifications 4-33 i Curricular Changes 4-34 Instructional Adaptations 4-35 Multilevel Instruction 4-36 Text Alteration 4-37 Study Guides 4-38 Learning Contracts 4-38 Activity Stations 4-39 Summary 4-40 Chapter 5: Process Modifications 5-41 What Instructional Strategies Are Effective? 5-41 Summary 5-49 Chapter 6: Product Modifications 6-51 Types of Planned Outcomes 6-51 Options in Assessment 6-54 Summary 6-57 Chapter 7: Putting it All Together 7-59 Educator 1: Sally 7-59 Educator 2: Frank 7-64 Educator 3: Geraldo 7-69 Summary 7-73 References 75 Appendix A: Instructional Planning Form A-79 Appendix B: Websites B-81 6 II Differentiated Instruction FOREWORD Our nation's history is built on two key values-equity and excellence. In education, our equity heritage leads us to believe that all of our young citizens deserve access to a high quality education that prepares them to participate fully and vigorously in a dynamic society. Our excellence focus guides us to the premise that all our young citizens should have the chance to become the best person they can be. Those are ambitious values in the best of settings. In contemporary classrooms, they are devilishly difficult to achieve. Even cities and towns where immigration has previously been an academic concept now have large populations of students for whom English is a second language. Varied cultures shape students variously even when language is not an issue. In virtually every school, sizeable numbers of students grapple with physical, cognitive, and/or behavioral challenges. In the same schools are students who spend most of their school careers waiting for challenge because they come to school years ahead of prescribed curricula. There are, of course, also more "typical" students-those for whom the timelines, learning sequences, and materials of school are designed. Even these students learn in varied ways and represent the widest possible range of interests and dreams. Add to that mix students whose home lives are so dark that they threaten to extinguish all light from the young they are charged to protect. Of course, many students represent several of these categories at oncea child who cannot see, but who excels in mathematicsa learner who speaks no English and has a learning disabilitya student who is a brilliant writer, terrified to go home at the end of the day, and who has a behavioral disorder. In such classrooms, teachers are generally provided one textbook for all corners. The school class, day, and year are standard lengths, despite the non-standard student population. Grading systems do more to reinforce the obvious than to support maximum growth in all students. Now, teachers are also faced with lists of learning goals that are often long, fragmented, and decontextualized, and with what appear to be political mandates to ensure that all students arrive at a normative point of understanding by a specified calendar date and that each student be ready to express that understanding in an identical format. Foreword Page 1 Differentiated Instruction Teaching has never been more challenging. Yet great challenges always carry with them great opportunity. We are situated at a moment in our national educational history when we have the opportunity to learn anew how to craft classrooms in which each student has access to high quality knowledge, understanding, and skill. There are three significant implications contained in this opportunity. First, we can no longer accept classrooms that relegate some students to low level learning. Second, in addition to providing rich, powerful, high quality curriculum for all learners, we must ensure instructional support systems that make it possible for each learner to take advantage of what a high quality curriculum has to offer. Third, we must learn how to establish the goal of ensuring that each student grows as much as he or she can grow at a given timeand how to acknowledge the growth appropriately when it occurs. To succeed in establishing classrooms where all students work with ideas and skills that equip them for a future of continued learning, to provide support systems that promote systematic development of the individual, and to settle for nothing less than the best a student has to offer is to achieve classrooms that represent both equity and excellence. What a challenge! What an opportunity! In this book, four educators who know both the scholarship and practice of education have collaborated to move forward the educational conversation about how to achieve classrooms that prepare in advance to give students maximum opportunity and expect maximum growthand to extend a teacher's repertoire for doing so. Barbara Gartin, Nikki Murdick, Marcia Imbeau, and Darlene Perner provide frameworks for planning learning environments, content, process, and products that enable students with learning challenges to succeed with meaningful curriculum. They offer decision-making guidelines for teachers who must work with standardized curriculum and non-standardized students. In addition, the book gives concrete, detailed examples of how the curricular and instructional frameworks would look when applied to the learning needs of students with a range of learning needs and in a range of grade levels and subjects. Up-to-date web sites provide a wealth of resources for educators who continue to seek insights about classrooms that genuinely work for all young people who count on them. The authors also wisely caution us to include in our plans for differentiation the collection of data to assess our successes and guide our future work. Page 2 Foreword Differentiated Instruction This book is, in my opinion, an example of "defensible" differentiation. It is not a bag of instructional tricks to be used randomly in the classroom. Rather, it offers a sound rationale for beginning with quality curriculum and then making purposeful classroom modifications to support success of students who have difficulty accessing, remembering, or expressing the ideas, skills, and understandings that help young people become effective learners and contributors. Carol Ann Tomlinson, Ed.D. Professor of Educational Leadership, Foundations, and Policy The University of Virginia Foreword Page 3 Differentiated Instruction ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Starting during our student years and continuing into our professional of lives, the Council for Exceptional Children has been a constant source professional support. This book is our attempt to thank the organization in a small way for the tremendous assistance that CEC and the Division provided throughout the years. on Developmental Disabilities has There are also several individuals we would like to thank. First, we thank Carol Ann Tomlinson for translating Jean Maker's ideas into the language of teachers. Secondly, we thank Tom E.C. Smith and the other officers of the Division on Developmental Disabilities for allowing us to share our thoughts on Differentiation of Instruction through this PRISM book. Finally, we thank our reviewers, Kim Carper and Ed Polloway, our editor, Jack Hourcade, and Phil Parette, consulting editor, for their invaluable suggestions and work. Acknowledgements Page 5 0