Week 8

For Week 8... Your "last" required blog response!

Differentiating in Practice: A Resource Guilde for Differentiating Curriculum (Tomlinson & Eidson, 2003)

The unit I decided to pick was "It's All a Matter of Chance: A Mathematics Unit on Beginning Probability" This semester in field, I will be working with sixth grade students and teaching them graphing strategies. Therefore, I thought that this section would be helpful for me to see a differentiated math unit which involves graphing!

1) What impresses you most about the unit;

This math unit is fantastic! It is very thorough and covers all of the important elements needed to teach beginning probability. I was amazed at the teacher's ability to differentiate many of the assignments and activities based on interest and learning profile. She comments on the fact that "many mathematical concepts can be taught effectively using student learning profile and interest as the basis for instruction and grouping" (p. 151). I was really impressed with her ability to assess the students understanding and put them in many different groups and pairings that would most likely benefit their learning. Her ability to use flexible grouping was definitely a strong point.

2) Anything you learn about differentiation, just from studying this one unit;

I noticed the extreme amount of "up front" work (like what we have been talking about during class). Most of the sections, assuming the teacher knew her students fairly well, could and most likely were, prepared ahead of time. I learned that giving directions is critical. The directions given in these lessons are all very clear and were specific for each activity. Anyone could have followed this lesson plan outline and would have been able to teach these lessons as long as they understood the terminology!

3) What you don't understand about the unit or how it works;

I understand everything about how the teacher set up the unit. The only part I am confused about was some of the terminology associated with probability.

4) what, other than the content, you believe you would have to modify in the unit if you were going to teach it to your student-teaching class; I think that I would have to most likely modify the amount of time that this unit takes. I would most likely have to find a way to condense the ideas and activities and cut some of them out to make it more concise!

5) why you would modify it; I really liked the ideas and activities given in this unit, but our teachers are always teaching us about using our time wisely in the classroom and not spending too much or too little time on certain units. Where there is so much in this unit, I feel like maybe some of the activities could be modified and possibly some of them just taken out for time convenience.

6) how you would modify it. There are four lessons in this unit that take up two class periods each. I think that the introduction and pre-assessment as well as the final assessment would be a good lessons to allow two periods for, but I would consider revising the other two lessons to see if I could make them fit into one class period: A race to the end and the Sampling lesson.

Week 7- Tiering (differentiating)

From my understanding, tiering (differentiating) a lesson is a process that requires pre-assessment, understanding of students prior knowledge, and different scaffolding techniques for the flexible groups that will be created for my lesson. I understand that to plan a lesson like this, I need to be certain of the Big Idea and the ultimate lesson objective. This will enable me to choose different activities for different groups at different readiness levels that are appropriate and achieve the same learning objective so that the whole class is reaching the same goal in the most beneficial way for each student. I am a little nervous as to how I will exactly know how to make appropriate activities that will target each of my learners. I hope that with practice and observation of other teachers differentiating, I will better be able to understand how to do it in the most effective way. The more times I can be exposed to it, the better I understand it and can come up with my own ideas to implement it for my own classroom!

Week 6- Chapter 7

1. I really liked all of the bullet points, but here are a few I really connected with!

• Effective teachers spend a great deal of time working and interacting directly with students.

In my experience as a student, I have found that when my teacher spends time with me and interacts directly with me, I develop a sense of high respect and interest in the topic they are teaching me. When I can ask them questions and they answer me and explain to me why, what they are telling me is important, I connect and become more engaged in what they have to offer me. I want to be the effective teacher that spends time working and interacting directly with my students because they deserve to feel that same sense of understanding for what and why they are being taught the curriculum that I am giving them as their teacher.

• Effective teachers clearly identify learning goals and link them with activities designed to ensure student mastery of the goals.

It is such a difficult task to make certain all students acquire mastery of each subject that is being taught. I have found it very frustrating at times when I am planning to create ways to test students for their mastery of the topic. Sometimes I feel like I don't know what to do to find out if what I have taught them has "sunken in." Despite my worry, which I understand is a worry for many new teachers, I love the task of getting a learning goal and trying to find good activities to link with that goal to create a lesson plan. Sometimes they do not always go perfectly well and then it takes a little bit of reflection and revision, but the process, experience and challenge make it worth the effort.

• Effective teachers set high expectations for themselves and their students with an orientation toward growth and improvement evident in the classroom.

I have high expectations for myself and do hold high expectations for those that I teach, whether it be dance or school or scouts. I love to observe in a class when growth occurs and students make improvements. I believe that making these improvements in the classroom is the only way to progress, so I will make sure to hold appropriate expectations for each of my students according to their developmental abilities in different subjects.

• Effective teachers accept responsibility for student outcomes

The harsh reality of teaching is that what you teach and what the students get out of it depends primarily on the way you prepare, the enthusiasm you have for the topic, and the classroom community that has been created in the classroom. I understand that if I am not on top of these different traits that my students may not achieve the best outcomes. I also realize that if I can do my job at 150% that my students, no matter their differing levels, will leave my class with a greater understanding of the curriculum and life skills in general.

2. I loved the metaphor about McNulty's mother's gravy. I loved that the emphasis on this metaphor was that "she learned over who knows how much time that making the gravy was a representation of herself--that the task had dignity and possibilities beyond her initial recognition of the.. There is no recipe for love...she gave herself to it. She lost herself in it..." and it didn't happen overnight but through a process (p. 92). I connected with this entirely because sometimes I feel so overwhelmed that I cannot do everything that the "great" teachers do. I know though that it takes time to accumulate all of the knowledge and experience needed to be one of those teachers. Most importantly however, I need to make certain that I just keep my heart in my creation and my work! That is most important.

Week 5: Chapter 5-6

1. -"The brain is inefficient at rote memorization and seeks instead to make meaning of information. If we don't make meaning of what we study, we are likely not to remember it, be able to retrieve it, or be able to use it" (58). I feel a very strong connection to this statement because I have personally experienced the different types of learning. I can say that the majority of the information I have learned from rote memorization, I cannot still remember; however, the information I have learned through making meaning of it and relating it to my life and the prior knowledge that I brought to the table has stuck with me and been stored in my long-term memory. I want to be the kind of teacher that only uses rote memorization when there is no other option for learning or confirming memorization. I would like to find ways to teach my students and have my students teach each other in order to create meaning and make connections with the topics being learned in the classroom.

-"Students in schools, classrooms, and educational systems that teach less and teach it better score higher on standardized measures than students in schools that seek coverage of massive amount os information with little emphasis on understanding" (59-60). In other words, curriculum that is a mile wide but only an inch deep is ineffective in producing real learning." I loved this point because it made me feel a little bit better about the task I have before me of becoming a teacher. I can see myself reading all of the information that the students are supposed to know and breaking down at the thought of trying to squeeze it all into the time frame. I love how this point states that the students who had to focus on less, did better....that means I don't have to teach EVERYTHING, I just need to make certain that what I am teaching is of great importance, relates to students, and is taught WELL.

2. "It is highly likely that students achieve much more when we present them with tasks that we genuinely believe to be beyond them, and then set out to ensure their success on those tasks. Aiming high means, at least, that all tasks require serious thought, that they deal with important ideas, and that they cast students as problem solvers" (p. 81). I believe that the idea of setting tasks at the right level beyond the students ability allows the student the chance to take charge of their own abilities and really expand upon their learning. As a teacher I need to make sure that I think through the lessons that I teach in order to aim high for the different students in my classroom and to target their ZPD (Vygotsky) so that they are being stretched sufficiently.

"Enabling students to succumb to excuses empowers the problem that already diminishes their vision of a possible future" (82). This quote comes out of the "Take a 'No Excuses' Stance" section of the chapter. In my experience as a coach I have seen this exact idea come into play in both the negative way and the positive way. As my third year coaching, I felt like I was more confident in my ability to help my dancers take charge of their responsibility and get the work done. There were so many individual excuses that arose almost daily and weekly dealing with doctor appointments, family situations, school field trips, parental concern, rivalry etc... that brought about many different situations to find a solution to. In the end, my girls knew that the work had to get done, they were reminded of why they were there and what we stand for as a team each day. "No Excuses" was a driving force in the success of my girls...and they were a success! (it is still something I find very difficult, however, and need to work on because I am a softy somtimes...)

WEEK 5 CHAPTERS 3&4

1a. I Feel like "living what you believe" (fulfiling the Promise, page 26) can be both difficult and easy for teachers for many different reasons. A difficult aspect for a teacher is that if they expect their students to be remarkable, respectfull, responsive, and engaged, then the teacher, as well, needs to mirror these attributes through her daily life and teaching methods. Sometimes, as human beings, we expect more from others than we expect from ourselves. For many of us (elementary educators) it can be the opposite and we expect more from ourselves. I feel that to live what you believe, there needs to be a balance between the two where the expectations and the performance on both ends mirror each other and never contradict each other! The easy aspect of this idea would be for the teacher to have a positive outlook on her students, herself, and the possibilities that those things together can create (this could be difficult for some). If I, as a teacher, can remember my purpose in the classroom and the reason I love it and I chose it, my classroom will mirror my enthusiasm. I will live what I believe because I will remember why I am there and why I am priviledged to teach the special individuals I chose to surround myself with.

1b. Differentiation can and should direct living what I believe because it will play a key role in my expectations as a teacher for myself and my students. The chapter dicusses the cog on how the teacher responds. Each student is different and in order to establish the correct expectations for myself and each student, I must differentiate for their needs. Therefore, living what I believe will be directed by differentiation.

1c. When Tomlinson suggests that a teacher, early and often, should say to students, “Let’s figure this out together. Let’s make this our class,” she is emphasizing the importance of shared responsibility in the classroom. Tomlinson states that, "Positive environment, clear communicationm, mutually agreed-on guidelines, clear routines, and plentiful support for success are huge factors in helping each student feel pride and ownership in the classroom" (pg 53). Students must feel that they are a member of the community in the classroom and that they must work together and depend on each other to make the classroom run smoothly and effectively. If all students "feel invested in what happens in a classroom, the odds are inestimably higher that outcomes will be better than if one feels invested and 29 wait for that one person to make things work" (53). Some examples of this: Use evaluation checklists, involve students in scheduling decisions, engage students in assessing their own progress, and help sutdents learn to set their own academic goals (54-55).

Week 4 INVENTORIES

1. Hallmark #1: A strong link between assessment and instruction: assessment and instruction are inseparably connected...
The two inventories on page 100-103 in Fullfilling the Promise.. are two great ways to begin a year and to assess were many students are coming from and what interests they may have in different topics or activities. The first inventory is a student profile survey. I would use this survey to help me to understand what my students feel strongly about in their learning styles and what learning styles or activities they do not like. I would make two more columns that said "a little like me" and "a little different than me." I think these additional columns would be valuable to me as a teacher so that I could understand other learning possibilities that may fit, alongside the absolutes that are stated in the "like me" and "not like me" columns.
The secong inventory is a Student interest survey. This survey asks a bunch of questions that help the teacher understand where each student is coming from and their learning preferences. I would probably ask more specific questions on what the students want to learn about in each of the subjects (#8). This would allow me to get a clearer picture of what they already know and want to know, as well as giving them a heads up for the upcoming curriculum.

2. From the File of Inventories and index of inventories..
I liked a lot of these inventories because the idea of the inventory was to gather information about each student, observe them, and allow them to speak to the teacher about their ideas, worries, concerns, and strenths through the many different content areas. Some similarities that i observed were the constant student assessments and response. I felt that asking the students what they like and what they don't feel comfortable with is one of the most important ways to pre-assess what to teach them and how to differentiate each lesson for your students. I liked that there are a lot of anecdotal notes that teachers can use that have different focus questions to help the teacher observe and assess student learning and understanding. Another thing that I liked about these pre-assessments is that many of them were very low key and avoided stress (opposite to a test). The questions say things like, do your best, show me as much as you know about this, how do you feel about this topic etc...

What I am beginning to learn about differentiation content, or process or product for readiness or learning profile, or interest is that it takes communication and observation that is low stress, asks questions, profides accurate feedback, and involves a teacher/student understanding toward the feelings and attitudes attached to specific areas of study. Teachers must understand what level the child is coming from and what level they feel they are at in order to decide how to differentiate for their needs. These inventories provide great ways to aid the teacher in discovering student needs and uncovering the important skills that have yet to be taught and mastered.

Week 3 Response

1. I think one of my favorite definitions that made sense to me for defining differentiation is on page 10. Tomlinson says, "...we teach responsively when we understand the need to teach the human beings before us as well as to teach the content with which we are charged... we are no longer teaching if what we teach is more important than who we teach or how we teach." This made sense to me because it brings students into perspective as individuals who have similar needs to each other, but also have very specific personal needs and requirements that the teacher needs to be aware of and differentiate for. From what I understand, becoming an effective differentiation teacher is an emersion process that evolves, and can only evolve when the most vital step, the teacher-student relationships, are established as well as the skills required to become a flexible teacher are obtained. I loved the metaphors given in the chapter of taming the fox and the clockwork of the three cogs! These metaphors helped me to realize that there is so much more to differentiation then simply planning well. Knowledge of your students, their culture, home life, and prior experiences, as well as what they are seeking from their experience are some of the vital ideas which shape the flexible forms of differentiation that should be transforming their experience in your classroom. (Some of the definitions also reminded me of the Emergent Participatory Teaching theory for ESL).

2b. On page 22 it says in correspondence with "Looking back (reflection)...and Ahead, "The point is not to entertain guilt. the point is to relentlessly seize the remarkable opportunity of a teacher to shape lives--to do the best we can to ensure that we are better at reaching children today than yesterday, better at it this year than last. Connecting with each child is at the heart of differentiated teaching..."

I LOVE this quote because by the time I finished reading the chapter, I asked myself, "well now what can I do to start..." and I felt lost and confused. As a teacher, I want to have all of the qualities and teaching strategies figured out so that my students can have the best opportunity to learn and feel safe in my classroom. These quote is comforting to me because I realize that it is going to take a lot of hard work and a lot of practice to get to the point that I want to be in with using differentiation in my classroom. I need to remember that as long as I am taking the opportunity to learn from my experiences and work harder to teach my students more effectively tomorrow, I am doing my part and the outcome is that both my students and I will grow and learn from it each day!