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Welcome!

Differentiation and Agile Mind

Asynchronous Professional Learning Module

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Presenter Introduction

Abby Neumeyer

Regional Director of �Professional Services
Supporting Agile Mind �teachers and leaders�for 10+ years
Taught using Agile Mind’s �Algebra I and Biology Programs

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Differentiation and Agile Mind Outcomes

Develop a common �understanding of �differentiation grounded �in enduring research
Connect this research to the design of Agile Mind course programs
Build on the program design by applying additional research-based strategies in the context of an Agile Mind block or lesson

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Module Agenda

Module Introduction
Learn about key Differentiation �tenets
Connect the tenets to �Agile Mind design
Learn about 2 whole-class task differentiation strategies
Connect those strategies to Agile Mind & apply to course-based tasks
Take Survey and/or submit Google Form

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Conversations Grounded in Research

Teaching Student-Centered Mathematics: �Developmentally Appropriate Instruction �for Grades 6-8 (Volume III) (3rd Edition) �3rd Edition

by John A. Van de Walle (Author), Jennifer M. Bay-Williams (Author), �LouAnn H. Lovin (Author), Karen S. Karp (Author)

Publisher: Pearson; 3 edition (January 30, 2017)

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Connections to Research

Read introduction to ch. 4,� “Differentiating Instruction”
Make notes:

Highlight places where there are direct connections to tools and resources you have seen in Agile Mind
Comment the direct connection (e.g. components of Course Contents, Professional Support, Assessment)

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Independent Study 1

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Research-based principles	Agile Mind Design Look-fors
Teaching Mathematics through problem-solving	Opportunities for students to approach problems in different ways that make sense to them
Planning Meaningful Content, Grounded in Authenticity	Explicit awareness of what students should know, understand, and be able to do Emphasizes key ideas in ways that require students to develop relational understanding
Content: What You Want Each Student to Learn	Key ideas relatively the same for all students Depth differentiation informed by readiness Breadth differentiation informed by interests
Process: How Students Engage in Thinking about Content	Process/Practice standards inform differentiation strategies, especially representation, communication/reasoning when grounded in student’s own ideas
Product: How students demonstrate what they know	Result of completing single task or after extended learning experience allows a variety of ways for students to demonstrate understanding of essential content

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Research-based principles	Agile Mind Design Look-fors
Teaching Mathematics through problem-solving	Opportunities for students to approach problems in different ways that make sense to them
Planning Meaningful Content, Grounded in Authenticity	Explicit awareness of what students should know, understand, and be able to do Emphasizes key ideas in ways that require students to develop relational understanding
Content: What You Want Each Student to Learn	Key ideas relatively the same for all students Depth differentiation informed by readiness Breadth differentiation informed by interests
Process: How Students Engage in Thinking about Content	Process/Practice standards inform differentiation strategies, especially representation, communication/reasoning when grounded in student’s own ideas
Product: How students demonstrate what they know	Result of completing single task or after extended learning experience allows a variety of ways for students to demonstrate understanding of essential content

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Research-based principles	Agile Mind Design Look-fors
Teaching Mathematics through problem-solving	Opportunities for students to approach problems in different ways that make sense to them
Planning Meaningful Content, Grounded in Authenticity	Explicit awareness of what students should know, understand, and be able to do Emphasizes key ideas in ways that require students to develop relational understanding
Content: What You Want Each Student to Learn	Key ideas relatively the same for all students Depth differentiation informed by readiness Breadth differentiation informed by interests
Process: How Students Engage in Thinking about Content	Process/Practice standards inform differentiation strategies, especially representation, communication/reasoning when grounded in student’s own ideas
Product: How students demonstrate what they know	Result of completing single task or after extended learning experience allows a variety of ways for students to demonstrate understanding of essential content

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Research-based principles	Agile Mind Design Look-fors
Teaching Mathematics through problem-solving	Opportunities for students to approach problems in different ways that make sense to them
Planning Meaningful Content, Grounded in Authenticity	Explicit awareness of what students should know, understand, and be able to do Emphasizes key ideas in ways that require students to develop relational understanding
Content: What You Want Each Student to Learn	Key ideas relatively the same for all students Depth differentiation informed by readiness Breadth differentiation informed by interests
Process: How Students Engage in Thinking about Content	Process/Practice standards inform differentiation strategies, especially representation, communication/reasoning when grounded in student’s own ideas
Product: How students demonstrate what they know	Result of completing single task or after extended learning experience allows a variety of ways for students to demonstrate understanding of essential content

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Research-based principles	Agile Mind Design Look-fors
Teaching Mathematics through problem-solving	Opportunities for students to approach problems in different ways that make sense to them
Planning Meaningful Content, Grounded in Authenticity	Explicit awareness of what students should know, understand, and be able to do Emphasizes key ideas in ways that require students to develop relational understanding
Content: What You Want Each Student to Learn	Key ideas relatively the same for all students Depth differentiation informed by readiness Breadth differentiation informed by interests
Process: How Students Engage in Thinking about Content	Process/Practice standards inform differentiation strategies, especially representation, communication/reasoning when grounded in student’s own ideas
Product: How students demonstrate what they know	Result of completing single task or after extended learning experience allows a variety of ways for students to demonstrate understanding of essential content

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Looking for Differentiated Design

Participant Activity Sheet:

Review the identified�topic
Connect research-based �principles to design �look-fors in the topic.

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Independent Study 2

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Research-based principles	Agile Mind Design Look-fors
Teaching Mathematics through problem-solving	Opportunities for students to approach problems in different ways that make sense to them
Connections to Agile Mind: Use of real-world context and multiple representations throughout Open-ended questioning in student-facing resources and the Advice for Instruction
Planning Meaningful Content, Grounded in Authenticity	Explicit awareness of what students should know, understand, and be able to do Emphasizes key ideas in ways that require students to develop relational understanding
Connections to Agile Mind: Goals and Objective in Advice for Instruction, and shared by teachers using their norms, procedures and routines Ideas build on each other mathematically and through contexts, and connections between ideas consistently reflected on, throughout the course

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Research-based principles	Agile Mind Design Look-fors
Content: What You Want Each Student to Learn	Key ideas relatively the same for all students Depth differentiation informed by readiness Breadth differentiation informed by interests
Connections to Agile Mind: All students progressing through same Agile Mind topics with same Goals and Objectives Depth differentiation: embedded scaffolding between pages and within animations Breadth differentiation: varying contexts and application (science, sports, cooking, driving, sales, etc.)
Process: How Students Engage in Thinking about Content	Process/Practice standards inform differentiation strategies, especially representation, communication/reasoning when grounded in student’s own ideas
Connections to Agile Mind: Student use of Process/Practice standards daily in design and supported by Deliver Instruction Daily small group work encourages communication, reasoning grounded in own ideas Encouraged use of multiple representations to communicate reasoning
Product: How students demonstrate what they know	Result of completing single task or after extended learning experience allows a variety of ways for students to demonstrate understanding of essential content
Connections to Agile Mind: Practice, Automatically Scored, Constructed Response, Agile Assessment, Suggested Assignments Embedded in Lessons, supported by Student Activity Sheets, manipulatives, Advice for Instruction

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Differentiation Strategies

Considerations:

Formative Assessment
Flexible Grouping�

Recommended Whole-Class Strategies:

Opening Questions
Parallel Tasks

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Formative Assessment

Use short and medium-cycle formative assessment �data to drive Differentiation decisions.
Meaningful differentiation: one size does not �fit all.

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Flexible Grouping - big ideas

Avoid continually grouping by ability
Can vary based on students’:

Readiness
Interest
Language proficiency
Learning profiles

Includes

Individual accountability

describing the group’s progress in content, process, and product, any member can be called on
individuals write and record solutions and strategies

Shared responsibility

pose questions to whole group
ask group members to explain others thinking

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Whole-Class Task Differentiation Strategies

Open Questions:

A question is open when �it can be solved in a variety �of ways or when it can �have different answers.

Parallel Tasks:

Parallel tasks are two or three tasks that focus on the same big idea but offer different levels of difficulty.

Both:

Work towards same learning outcomes
Involves student choice in how they �will approach the task

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Learning More about these Strategies

Read about the two whole-class differentiated task strategies:�

Open Questions
Parallel Tasks�

Reflect: Where are �example of these types �of tasks found in Agile Mind?

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Independent Study 3

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Connections to Agile Mind

Parallel Tasks	Open Questions
same big idea, different levels of difficulty assigned based on readiness (depth), or student choice	Students can choose their solution strategies, or a variety of answers Students asked to compare similarities and differences
Agile Mind	Agile Mind
Built-in to Animations Embedded drag and drop puzzles Reinforce items Guided Practice and More Practice	Overview Explorings Automatically Scored Constructed Response Deliver Instruction

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Applying the Strategies

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Whole-class Task Modification Considerations

Parallel Tasks	Open Questions
same big idea, different levels of difficulty assigned based on readiness (depth), or student choice	Students can choose their solution strategies, or a variety of answers Students asked to compare similarities and differences
Specific Strategies for Task Modification
Identify big idea Consider different ways students might reason Modify task by: size of numbers operations used insert sets of numbers	Give answer, ask for the problem Replace a number in given problem with a blank or a question mark Offer 2 situations or examples and ask for similarities and differences Create a question in which students have to make choices
Bringing Tasks Together through Whole-Class Discussion
Modifications work towards same big ideas, so all students can contribute meaningfully to whole class discussion after working on task.

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Guiding Questions for Task Modification

Why did you choose the modification you chose?
How does this differentiation strategy provide more entry points for students working towards the same learning outcomes for this particular task?
What formative assessment evidence might inform modifications to this task? What specific scaffolds are you working to provide through this modification?
Which groups of students would benefit �from the modifications you made? �What flexible grouping do you �anticipate?

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Applying the Strategies

In a course you teach, choose one task to apply a differentiation strategy
Consider the framing questions to guide your decision making

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Independent Study 4

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Key differentiation takeaways

Problem-based learning integrates many�facets of differentiation
Content, or learning outcomes, are largely the same for all students, and differentiation through depth and breath support all students in understanding these outcomes
Process differentiation includes strategies that allow students to explore the mathematics in different ways
Task modification for differentiation should provide additional access to the big ideas for more learners

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What’s next:

Here are five Sessions that would be a great follow-up to this one:

Culturally Responsive Instruction
Elicit and Use Evidence of Student Thinking
Support Productive Struggle in Learning Mathematics
Supporting English Language Learners
Special Education & Agile Mind

�Register at https://www.agilemind.com/professional-development-teachers-learning-events/

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Extension Articles

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Module Reflection

What is your biggest takeaway from this module?

What is an action step as a result of this module?

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Additional Support

Agile Mind Coach for questions about pedagogy

coach@agilemind.com�

Support for questions about technology

support@agilemind.com�

Participate Community - Be on the lookout for your invitation to join in August

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Link in Microsite

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Optional - Certificate of Completion

Pause for Independent Study and record thinking on a copy of the Participant Activity Sheet
Microsite Google Form:

Complete the Form
Upload completed �Participant Activity Sheet

Agile Mind will review your submission & will send Certificate of Completion