This weeks reading...

I’m not sure what it is you are looking for exactly, but I will give you my opinion on the pages for this week. I loved all the different graphic organizers. I love to use them in my classes that I am taking, I feel that they help me really get to the point of want is important. I especially liked the self evaluation when working with peers. I feel that this gives students a chance to really reflect if they were helpful or not. In my fall field last year the sixth grade class I was in did this same type of evaluation. I was surprised to see how many students really thought about their answers. I really liked the learning menu too! What a fun way to give students choice, I can see myself using this in my kindergarten class.

Tiering

I enjoyed looking through the tiered lessons (or that I thought were tiered) I understand that tiering is teaching the same subject with varied activities to meet each students readiness level. I really liked the lesson with the Think Dots I feel that this type of activity can be used in many tiering lessons. As I have now been to class I realise that these lessons are not tiered they are differentiated but not tiered. I now understand what the difference is! Tiering is creating a lesson that is specified for readiness. While differentiation is giving students a choice in how they want to proceed through activity. Today's class helped me really understand how I can tier and differentiating in my class. I know I wasn't suppose to revise this but I wanted to let you know that i get it now and that I now know the lessons in the chapters are not tiered! I see how tiering is important with learning and assessing.

Creating an engaging curriculum

Teachers can make or break the learning experience for students. I liked how Tomlinson pointed out that teachers need to teach students, not just the subject. This is done by affirming the student through eye contact, smiles, checking for knowledge, giving tasks that are worthwhile and important for future reference. Curriculum needs to be created with meaning. These lessons are essential for students to gain and retain the knowledge. When connections are made to the lesson and to life they understand better. Not only should curriculum have meaning, but it should be activities that will help students engage in the learning process. I feel that when this happens students are more likely to try new ideas and explore. As we plan our curriculum we must remember to teach the student, not the subject. These chapters of creating an engaging and well saturated curriculum remind me of Backwards Design. All the components of the backwards design are there, such as, meaningful audience, significant problem solving, presenting to exploring ways to make connections, and grading at an individual’s level. I loved the last 3 guide lines the teacher accepts when investing in a student. 1. Because I value you, I will connect with you. 2. Because you are unique I will come to you on your terms and accommodate your needs. 3. I will teach what matters most in your life. All teachers should live by these guidelines.

Living what you believe...

Before I dive into my take on the reading I want to share a few of the lines of the chapters that caught my attention. I loved what the principal said about her teachers. “They do it because they live what they believe.” I loved this because I do and will learn to live more fully what I believe, that all children can excel if they have the tools necessary to do so.
These chapters help me not to feel so overwhelmed with how I can differentiate. I liked the examples it gave in each of the 5 sections. With these statements it helps me to realize more clearly how I can approach each students and how I can make them feel a part of our community. Reading through the scenarios I realized I may have to be quick to change direction and open for new situation. I understand how important it is to create a classroom that is positive safe. I never really thought of the setting of desks, walls, books, and students material hanging on the walls as part of making the environment feel one of community or isolation. I feel that in creating this environment students need to know what to expect from me and form each other. These chapters gave lots of great ideas on how to create that environment through transitions, answering questions, and doing work. I loved the ideas of the windshield check! (p. 43) its fun activities and saying like these that make students feel more comfortable asking questions and participating in the class. For me these chapters made differentiate even that much more plausible.

Interest Surveys

I found this week’s reading to be of great use. As I looked over some of the suggestions and ideas I quickly began to think, “How can I use this with my future kindergarten class.” This was a great brainstorming secession for me! I liked all the surveys and found all of them to be beneficial, but there are a few that I feel wouldn’t apply to kindergarten or would need major adjusting. One of the ways I would do this “major adjusting” would be with the content specific survey. I think the content specific survey might be too difficult for the students to fill out questions. However, I feel that I can adapt this to work in a different format. I would do this by bringing to class something that is content specific (for example a spider for science). I would than ask the students to tell me all they could about this spider. As the students begin to give ideas I would make notes of what they know, the misconceptions, and what interest them most. I have done this before and usually they strike up conversations that are more detailed than I could give. While they are discussing this topic I can usually pick out the students who are more interested in what they eat, how they live, and so on. This can also bring many children to describing, drawing, or acting out their ideas and understanding. I feel that this is good indication or precursor to how this particular child learns. I think this type of pre assessment will work during my spring field because the students will have a better understanding of how to express their ideas, but it can also work in fall field, I can’t wait to see! The other pre-assessment I liked was the multiple intelligences. I have always been a fan of the multiple intelligence and find it not only interesting, but of great use to find different learning types. I would use this type of survey frequently because the pictures make it easy for the kindergarten students to respond.

In the Fulfilling a Promise book I like the survey of the student profile. I feel that this survey gives teachers a good look at the student’s interests, and how he or she views himself or herself. Again I think this would be hard for younger students, but I think I could adapt this. I don’t know if it would work but I could somehow create it with pictures they could cut out and place in the column that is like them or not like them. I don’t know if I could find pictures to describe all the statements but I’m sure I could come close. I find this week’s reading helpful and fun. I enjoy rethinking ways to pre- assess my students and find it very useful!

Fulfilling the Promise Chapter 1 & 2

The main idea of this chapter, I feel, is setting the stage for differentiation. I realize it begins with the teacher setting an environment that all children can flourish in. Although it is the teacher that sets this feeling she must realize that she is as much the student as her students are the teachers. When differentiation is set into motion the teacher is the one who begins but not always the only leader. In chapter 2 it gave suggestions on how to reach a level with your students that will make them want to be there and to learn with you. This goes back to setting the classroom environment. The classroom needs to be one of wonder and exploration with a sense of self worth and acceptance is always felt. This can be accomplished by letting your students know the importance of the subjects they are studying. When students can relate the information to everyday life or things they are interested in they will more likely listen and enjoy the learning. Curriculum needs to be challenging enough to push students out of their ZPD but not so challenging that they are not comprehending and have feelings of “I’m not smart enough”. Students need to see the good in them as well as good in others. Understanding differentiation is knowing who and how you are teaching.

Morning Mettings

Morning meetings, I feel are a vital part of building a community in the classroom. I enjoyed the reading on what constitutes a morning meeting. During the greeting hour it’s not just to know each other’s name it’s to build a sense of belonging in and out of the classroom. I feel for each of us to have the sense of belonging we have to know more about each other than just a name. Morning meeting help students to feel that. The other aspect of morning meetings I love is that the students take control. This brings that teaching to a student – teacher level that not all classes experience. I have truly been converted to the benefits of morning meetings. I want to implement them into my class. I found the question and comments to be very useful in explaining to parents and administrators why morning meetings are important. Moring meeting is not just for fun and getting to know each other. It is for building a community, reviewing and reinforcing curriculum, helping student be excited about the day, and giving them part of the decisions making about their education.

Being a true differentiation teacher

As I started this chapter I thought the definition simply meant teaching different ways and adapting to your students needs. In the reading it said you have to get to know your students, not just academically but really know them. Know their interests and expand your curriculum to meet their needs and interests. That is the key factor in becoming a differentiation teacher; you must know your students. Just adapting your curriculum to need their need in school doesn’t help them meet their needs in the real world. Once you know your students tap into their knowledge of interest and work with what they give you. When I read the various student abilities I thought, I would have such a hard time with that range of differing students there’s no way I could reach all their needs. Then it hit me, I will face this in my classroom I need to learn now how to approach it. I love how Tomlinson states that a teacher needs to set her own sights high and be a continual learner. If something seems that it is out of my reach I know I can turn to the specialist in my school to help me achieve it. This chapter helped me to see the true definition of what a differentiation teacher is. It is learning your student’s abilities and interests while making connections to each student’s life experiences or experience they will someday encounter. Work to adjust your curriculum and watch your students closely to see if the adjustments are working. If you need to readjust until something reaches to each student.

Plimoth.org Findings

Listen to the Gabcast under the heading "Welcome back from Thanksgiving break" an post your comments on what you have found in the website. Di scribe a new item of interest, how the people got a long, and what they lived in. Be prepared to discuss this in class on Monday.