Strategies to Differentiate Instruction

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Learning Contracts

 

Outcomes:

 Teachers will understand and design a learning contract.

Time Needed:

 Approximately 1 hour

Instructional Materials Required:
  • Tomlinson, Carol Ann. Differentiating Instruction. 2 Videocassettes. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1997. This item can be ordered from the DCMO BOCES Media Library - Order # MK 0170 - Video #2.

Prerequisite:

 Teachers should have had the basic introduction to Differentiated Instruction. Please call the BOCES to arrange for this training.

Procedures:
  1. Watch the Learning Contract segment of Carol Ann Tomlinson's Differentiated Instruction Video #2.

  2. Set up small groups to look at learning contract templates from the DCMO BOCES Web site and to discuss the following guiding questions and ideas.

    1. Contracts address skill-based tasks. What are some of the skills in your classroom?

    2. A contract needs a focus such as applying, extending or enriching key content. What focus would you choose?

    3. How does a contract differentiate instruction?

    4. How might teachers plan and enforce contract timelines?

    5. Contracts involve student organization and management skills. How might you teach those skills?

    6. What about behavior and work guidelines?

    7. Contracts should be similar in design and appearance. Consider balancing amount of work, engagement and learning styles. Make each level of the contract engaging. Lower level students should not be assigned all skill and drill while upper level students are assigned hands-on projects.

Assessment Plan:
  • Facilitator observations
  • Monitor level of engagement and discussion

Evaluation:

 Please fill out and submit the online evaluation.