Planning Your Own Differentiated Instruction Workshop!

I recently created and facilitated a worked on Differentiated Instruction That Works. The hardest part about planning for professional development is creating the framework for the presentation.  Once you have the framework, you can do your research and synthesize all the materials into the framework.  I created this workshop on Differentiated Instruction for the administrators and lead teachers from each building in one of the districts where I provide professional development.  Also this professional development is different from any workshop that I have ever facilitated because every document, video, or webinar is hyperlinked in the agenda for the participants.  Participants had the freedom within each session to view the webinars and the view and/or read the attached documents.  Each session ended with embedded activities for reflecting on the takeaways from within each session.  In addition, each session ended with participants creating goals and action steps in a schoolwide action plan to ensure the implementation of differentiated instruction.  I am sharing the hyperlinked agenda, including copies of all of the posters.  The DI Message Frames are available FREE and this workshop is available for purchase at my TPT store.  So, no matter if you are going to facilitate a workshop on differentiated instruction, or are looking for resources for your classroom or improving professional practice, this is a great resource on differentiated instruction all in one place!

Resources:  How to Differentiate in a Mixed-Ability Classroom, Carol Tomlinson, 2001

 Leading and Managing a Differentiated Classroom, Carol Ann Tomlinson and Marcia B. Imbeau, 2010                                     

 Step 1:  I created the framework. The presentation is divided into four sessions:

1.       Getting Started With Differentiated Instruction

2.       Managing Differentiated Instruction

3.       Low-Prep Strategies

4.       Community of Practice School Action Plan

Step 2: I created a two-column agenda that is organized into sections for each of the sessions.  Each session had an opening activity and a closing activity for reflection.  Each session was part of creating a schoolwide action plan.  As I listed each item on the agenda in column one, I attached the appropriate document, video or webinar hyperlink.  Right before the workshop, I emailed the hyperlinked agenda to each of the participants.  Each participant then had control over what they took away from each session.  I just facilitated the workshop as we as teachers facilitate learning in our classrooms. 

Step 3:  I created all of the posters and workshop materials including a handout.  The posters include: Belief Statements about DI, DI Message Frames, Hot Spots in a Differentiated Classroom. I also created a sample Choice Board and a sample Learning Profile Pre-Assessment (pictured below)

Sample Learning Profile Pre-Assessment (Opening Activity)