Using Three-Dimensional
Graphic Organizers for
Classroom Differentiation
Kim A. Hardin and Yara N. Farah
Increase in Diversity
• Diversity must be considered by teachers when preparing and delivering instruction.
• Demographic trends in the United States show that the nation’s schools are
increasingly populated by students from diverse backgrounds related to differences
in:
 Culture
 Language
 Ethnicity and Race
Abilities
Socioeconomic Status
(NCES, 2010).
Effective Instructional Practices with Diverse
Students
• Children come to school with multiple and varied experiences,
abilities, learning preferences, interests, and talents (Bruner, 1985; DarlingHammond, 1995)
• For this reason, an effective use of instructional practices takes into
account individual differences (Tomlinson, 2000).
Differentiation
• Tomlinson and Allen (2000) define differentiation as “a teacher’s reacting
responsively to a learner’s needs” (p. 4).
A. Content: the knowledge and skills needed as well as desired by the
student
B. Rate: the time needed to learn new material
C. Environment: the type of setting that enhancing the learning experience
D. Preference: the student’s choice of learning resources
(Johnsen, Haensly, Ryser, & Ford, 2002)
Why Foldables®?
• Schema Theory – the general knowledge structure in comprehension; new
information must be linked to existing knowledge (Bartlett, 1932; Bransford, 1979; Piaget
& Inhelder, 1969)
• Zone of Proximal Development and Scaffolding Learning (Vygotsky, 1987; Wood,
Bruner, & Ross, 1976)
• Engaging students in active learning (Bruner, 1960)
• Creating student pride/ownership through generative activities (Peper & Mayer,
1986; Stefanou, Hoffman, & Vielee, 2008)
• Note taking aids in the organization and access to knowledge and increased
retention (Castello & Monereo, 2005; Einstein, Morris, & Smith, 1985; Kiewra, 1989; Peper & Meyer,
1986; Piolat, Olive, & Kellogg, 2005; Stefanou, Hoffman, & Vielee, 2008)
1- tab, 2-tab, 3-tab,
and Multi-tab
• The ‘Jack-of-all-Trades’!
• Awesome for vocabulary and definitions
• Great for linear information!
Shutter Fold
• Excellent for Projects and Storage
• Can be cut into a multi-tab to show cyclical
relationships
Layered Book
• Good for showing and differentiating between
levels of information
• Great for layering when there is a large volume
of information
Envelope Fold
• Good for when you’re tired of multi-tab and
shutter folds
• Great for historical figure “Bio’s”
Thank you for Coming Today!
Feel free to contact us at
[email protected]
[email protected]
References
Bartlett, F. C. (1932). Remembering. London: Cambridge University Press.
Bransford, J. D. (1979). Human cognition: Learning, understanding and remembering.
Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Bruner, J. S. (1960). The Process of education. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.
Castello, M., & Monero, C. (2005). Students’ note-taking as a knowledge-construction tool.
Educational Studies in Language and Literature, 5, 265-285.
Einstein, G. O., Morris, J., & Smith, S. (1985). Note-taking, individual differences, and
memory for lecture information. Journal of Educational Psychology, 77(5), 522-532.
Peper, R. J., & Mayer, R. E. (1986). Generative effects of note-taking during science lectures.
Journal of Educational Psychology, 78(1), 34-38.
Piaget, J., & Inhelder, B. (1969). The psychology of the child. Basic Books.
Piolat, A., Olive, T, & Kellogg, R. T. (2005). Cognitive effort during note taking. Applied
Cognitive Psychology, 19, 291-312.
Stefanou, C., Hoffman, L., & Vielee, N. (2008). Note-taking in the college classroom as
evidence of generative learning. Learning Environments Research, 11(1), 1-17.