Using Diffit - Creating Differentiated, Tiered Readings

Earlier, I wrote up a blog post about learning about AI and how it can be used in the classroom, especially for creating readings in the target language. Here is another web app resource which Stefanie Gigante demonstrated: Diffit.

According to its website: What does Diffit Do?

• Adapt any reading, excerpt, article or video for any reading level - to help all students access the content you’re teaching. 
• Generate short informational or narrative texts on any topic, for any reading level.
• Cherry on top? Diffit creates an automatically generated summary, comprehension checks, vocabulary words, and more to go with whatever text you’re working with! 

Then export to our ready to use Google Slide, Google Doc, and Google Form Templates.

Essentially, Diffit can take any text and create a differentiated reading of it based on the level parameters which you set.

In her presentation, Stefanie gave an example of creating a differentiated text using a Cambridge Latin Course reading. I decided to do the same with a stage 27 reading, where Modestus and Strythio hide out beneath the granary. I entered the text with the following parameters to create the following readings (the unique word count is my own):

Original (202 words/152 unique words)

Modestus et Strythio, e carcere egressī, ad horreum fugerunt. per aditum angustum repserunt et sub horreō celati manebant. centurio Valerius, cum portās cellārum apertās carcerem desertam vidisset, iratissimuserat.

imperavit militibus ut Modestum Strythionemque caperent. militēs tamen, quamquam per tota castra quaerebant, eōs invenīre non poterant.

illī duōs dies manebant celati. tertiō die Modestus erat tam miser ut rem diutius ferre non posset.

Modestus: “quam infelix sum! malim in illō carcere esse potius quam sub hoc horreō latēre! qualis est haec vita? Adest Strythio, comes exiliī, sed me non adiuvat. nam Strythio est vir maximī silentiī, minimī ioci! eheu! me taedet huius vitae!”

Strythio: “mi Modeste, difficile est nobīs hic diutius manēre. Nunc advesperascit. visne me, ex horreō egressum, cibum quaerere?

Modestus: id est consilium optimum! i primum ad coquum! eum iube cenam splendidam coquere et huc portāre! deinde quaere Aulum et Publicum, amicōs nostrōs! invitā eōs ad cenam! iube Aulum amphoram vinī ferre, Publicum lucernam. tum curre ad vicum; quaere Nigrinam! optima est saltatrix! saltatricēs mihi solacium afferunt.”

Strythio, ut mandata efficeret, invitus discessit. persuasit coquō ut cenam splendidam parāret. persuasit Aulō et Publicō ut vinum et lucernam et aleas ferrent; oravit Nigrinam ut ad horreum venīret, sed ei persuadēre non poterat.

4th grade  (144 words/105 unique words)

Modestus et Strythio, duo homines qui ex carcere evaserunt, ad horreum fugerunt. Ibi se celaverunt. Valerius, qui erat centurio, erat iratus cum vidit portas cellae apertas et carcerem desertum. Ille imperavit militibus ut Modestum et Strythionem caperent, sed milites eos non poterant invenire per tota castra.

Illis duobus diebus, Modestus et Strythio manebant celati sub horreo. Sed Modestus erat tristis et miser. Vita sub horreo non erat bona. Strythio, amicus Modesti, non iuvabat eum. Modestus dixit, "Vita haec qualis est? Me taedet huius vitae!" Strythio respondit, "Difficile est nobis manere hic diutius. Nunc sol occidit. Visne me ex horreo egredi et cibum quaerere?"

Modestus acceptavit consilium Strythionis. Strythio discessit ut mandata efficeret. Ille rogavit coquum ut pararet cenam splendidam. Ille rogavit Aulum et Publicum ut ferrent vinum, lucernam, et aleas. Ille quaesivit Nigrinam, saltatricem optima, ut veniret ad horreum, sed ei persuadere non potuit.

2^nd grade  (106 words/77 unique words)

Modestus et Strythio erant duo amici qui evaserunt ex carcere. Ibi erat periculosum, itaque fugerunt ad horreum. Sub horreo se celaverunt et ibi manebant. Centurio Valerius, miles iratus, eos non poterat invenire. Modestus tamen erat tristis et misellus. Strythio dicit, "Nobis hic diu manere difficile est." Modestus respondet, "Vade ad coquum et iube eum cenam splendidam parare. Postea quaere Aulum et Publicum, amicos nostrum, et invita eos ad cenam. Iube Aulum amphoram vini ferre et Publicum lucernam. Tum curre ad vicum et quaere Nigrinam, saltatricem." Strythio discessit ut mandata efficeret. Coquo persuasit ut cenam splendidam pararet. Aulo et Publico persuasit ut vinum, lucernam, et aleas ferrent.

Observations

1. While it did create differentiated readings of the original passage, the various versions were still very vocabulary driven. I do wish there were a way to explain to AI how to create a reading which "sheltered vocabulary, not grammar." In other words, while the length of the passage was shortened, for a differentiated reading, being an "easier" read for some students is debatable.
2. I am still impressed at the grammatically-correct Latin (for the most part) which AI can produce!
3. Diffit can also produce assessment questions - this is a tool which I wish to explore further!

Easy Ways to Begin Giving Students Choice and Differentiation

One of the current buzzwords and phrases in education is student choice, or more commonly known as differentiated instruction. To a degree as language teachers, we are probably already addressing differentiated instruction, since language encompasses so many different modalities of input/output such as listening, reading, writing, and speaking. How can we allow students to learn and to demonstrate mastery in a way which best suits them and their interests?

Let me say that the topic of student choice/differentiated instruction is HUGE and cannot be fully addressed in a single blog post, nor do I want to oversimplify the topic. However, here are some initial ways/baby steps in which you can modify some of your current activities/assessments to begin implementing student choice:

• On any type of written assessment (outside of final exams and other standardized assessments), give students choice of the minimum number of questions which they must answer to demonstrate mastery; anything which they answer beyond that correctly can count towards backup credit. For example, if you give 10 questions, students only have to answer 8 of them but may answer more as backup credit. On a recent sight reading comprehension assessment which I gave, there were three sections which students had to address. However, these were the directions for each section:

• 1) Main Idea - pick TWO of the details below to answer in English. You may answer all three as backup credit:
• 2) Details: Marcus experiences a number of different emotions in this reading. Pick TWO of them to answer in English and explain why he feels that way according to the story. You may answer all three as backup credit.

• 3) Drawing Conclusions: Answer ONE of the following questions in English. You may answer both as backup credit.

• For formative listening comprehension assessments such as a dictation, give students the option to either draw a picture of what they hear or to write out a translation of what you are dictating. Do not mark errors in a translation unless it does not demonstrate comprehension.
• Culture Choice - when addressing a cultural topic, give students a choice of aspects of the topic to address. Last week in my Latin 2 classes, since we are reading Emma Vanderpool's Incitatus (a horse whom the Roman emperor Caligula made a senator - yes, most likely this did happen in history!), I wanted students to learn about Caligula (not an easy topic to address if you know anything about him). It turned into a 2-day in-class assignment where on day 1, they took notes on an article called "Caligula - The Embodiment of Cruelty." However, on Day 2, students then had a choice of topics about which to read which focused on "the other side of Caligula". Students then had a Google Form to complete where they used their notes from the Day1 article combined with whichever Day 2 topic they chose in order to "reconcile both sides" of Caligula: 

Observations

1. I have found that when it comes to assessment questions, students are VERY appreciative of having the choice of which questions to answer. While I have found that most students will indeed answer all of them, there are those who like that they do not have to answer every question, especially if they do not know the answers to those questions! In giving students a choice of which questions to answer, they are able to demonstrate mastery to me in those areas where they feel successful. 
2. In a drawing dictation, I love giving students the choice of drawing or translating what they hear me dictate. In either choice, students are demonstrating comprehension in the way which feels best for them at that moment. Plus, I have students who HATE drawing!
3. The Caligula Choice Board went very well, and I was very pleased at what students had to say about this emperor based on the Day 1 article and their Day 2 topic choice. No one topic was chosen over the others, so students apparently were able to pick something which interested them.