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Post by paulette on Nov 13, 2015 0:34:26 GMT
I like what you do with the novel. Responsible research is a much needed skill they will use for years to come.It sounds like you do a very thorough job with your students. I'll bet they love the books that you do in class! |
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Post by paulette on Nov 13, 2015 0:42:03 GMT
Sorry Jeff, my response got added onto yours, somehow!!
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Post by paulette on Nov 13, 2015 1:21:06 GMT
Ch. 6 Most of the classes I teach in my room are either reading/language or math.
What am I differentiating? Once I have determined the level at which a student is reading, I look for a curriculum for that student. Content is important. I need to know whether a student will be successful in their curriculum. Some students need stories they can relate to. Some students cannot handle stories that are several pages long, etc. How am I differentiating? By choosing a curriculum that will interest the student. In math I am looking at what the student needs to progress and work independently. Does a student need to know his facts or is it better to use a calculator. Does a student need to know algebra or is he better off doing a life skills math. Each student is an individual with his own capabilities. What is right for that student may not be the choice for another. Why am I differentiating? A main goal is that each student will experience success in school, so that he may be an independent citizen when he leaves here.
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Post by paulette on Nov 13, 2015 1:26:48 GMT
Bruce, Sounds like you are doing a good job with the students. Keyboarding is definitely a class to use differentiation.
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tammy
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Post by tammy on Nov 13, 2015 2:14:08 GMT
I am just starting a unit in Science on Animal Groups. The students will be learning about mammals, fish, birds, amphibians, reptiles, mollusks, insects, and spiders. I just touch on the basic characteristics of each group, and we compare and contrast them.
What could I differentiate? Most of the students come in with at least minimal knowledge of each group. For those who have a greater understanding, I ask them to find out even more or to learn about an animal they are unfamiliar with. I also encourage students to find other sources to get information from like the internet or trade books.
Why differentiate? So that all students are challenged and feel that they are learning something new. For the more advanced students, this is something they love doing. They can't seem to get enough!
Differentiate how? By providing access to materials other than the textbook and by allowing students to come up with their own questions and then answer those questions.
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tammy
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Post by tammy on Nov 13, 2015 2:19:27 GMT
Ch. 6 Most of the classes I teach in my room are either reading/language or math. What am I differentiating? Once I have determined the level at which a student is reading, I look for a curriculum for that student. Content is important. I need to know whether a student will be successful in their curriculum. Some students need stories they can relate to. Some students cannot handle stories that are several pages long, etc. How am I differentiating? By choosing a curriculum that will interest the student. In math I am looking at what the student needs to progress and work independently. Does a student need to know his facts or is it better to use a calculator. Does a student need to know algebra or is he better off doing a life skills math. Each student is an individual with his own capabilities. What is right for that student may not be the choice for another. Why am I differentiating? A main goal is that each student will experience success in school, so that he may be an independent citizen when he leaves here. If anyone needs to differentiate it's you, Paulette! With your mix of students at different grade and ability levels you've been doing it for a long time. The goal you have for your students is the goal we should all have for every one of our students. Well said! |
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tammy
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Post by tammy on Nov 13, 2015 2:24:23 GMT
1. In Kindergarten, we do many math lessons on patterning. We start out easy with an AB pattern and then get into more complex patterns. I vary the patterning activities into different groups depending on their readiness levels. At the different tables they have different materials they are able to use. Some of these materials are linking cubes, pattern blocks, teddy bears and pattern strips. The beginning learners will only have a few materials and a few colors to choose from and the more emergent learners will have more colors and more materials to choose from. The end result for all students to be using a wide variety of materials and colors when they are ready. Differentiating what? The task as a whole enables students to become successful with patterning. Differentiating how? I am differentiating based on my ongoing observations of the kindergarteners' readiness. Differentiating why? This process gives the students different opportunities for patterning and they are also able to look at their classmates patterns to see different combinations to spark new ideas. By a certain time of the year hopefully all students have mastered the AB patterns and are able to move onto more complex patterns of their own. Great way of teaching patterning! They don't always have to be doing the same things to be learning the same things. Keeping them interested where they are is very important. |
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Post by cyarndt on Nov 13, 2015 2:37:41 GMT
Answer the following question and respond to two colleagues.
1. Think about an example from your own curriculum and classroom. How might you answer the what, why, and how questions in terms of planning differentiation? In thinking of my classroom in the past (I'm no longer pulling out small groups), reading and math are what I differentiated. Typically, when students came in to my classroom I had to find materials that would re-teach the concepts general education teachers were teaching inside their classrooms. Students that came to me were already differentiated based on academic skill level, I further differentiated based on their specific need within their ability, tried to use various modes of instruction (technology or game based), or we created products based on the skill for the week. When answering the question why, I think it is essential to target individual skill deficits so that students can become successful and build upon that success in other content areas. Now that I am in other classrooms, I feel I have a greater opportunity to work on projects collaboratively with teachers rather than isolated. I also feel that some of the opportunities I had with students being pulled out into a different classroom are more difficult to achieve. This is an area I want to improve on as the year goes on. Finally, running individual interventions (while they are scripted) also is differentiated. Students come with independent goals to reach and need different curriculum to achieve that goal. |
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Post by noreen on Nov 13, 2015 4:15:01 GMT
As a special education teacher, I get the opportunity to teach mainly reading/language arts and math interventions one-on-one or in small groups. Most of the curricula I use are interventions programs that are very scripted and rigid.
Differentiating What? In these intervention programs the content and the process stay the same. The areas of product and affect is where the differentiating take place. I may have to reteach the skill area until the student gains the skills needed. I can set the expectations of learning for each individual to meet their needs so they can find success with out frustration.
Differentiating how? Students are placed into curriculum based on assessment data and skill readiness. I like finding what type of learners my students are; if they are visual learning I will use more visual aids or incorporate more auditory aids.
Differentiating why? I try to meet my students current skill level and help them gain the need skills to meet grade level standards.
*Warning-personal note* I found the introduction to this chapter a little disheartening. I hope I'm optimistic and determined to help my students. I do a lot of what I think this author would call "recipe" teaching. The intervention programs I use are extremely scripted and meant to have the same learning structure throughout the program.
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Post by noreen on Nov 13, 2015 4:23:39 GMT
Alecia-Long division is a tough of the piece of the math puzzle for some students. The strategies you use with your students allow them the practice and reinforcement needed to be successful.
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Post by noreen on Nov 13, 2015 4:36:27 GMT
Tammy-Your science lesson sounds fun and will meet all your students' learning styles and needs.
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Post by cyarndt on Nov 13, 2015 22:30:40 GMT
I am just starting a unit in Science on Animal Groups. The students will be learning about mammals, fish, birds, amphibians, reptiles, mollusks, insects, and spiders. I just touch on the basic characteristics of each group, and we compare and contrast them. What could I differentiate? Most of the students come in with at least minimal knowledge of each group. For those who have a greater understanding, I ask them to find out even more or to learn about an animal they are unfamiliar with. I also encourage students to find other sources to get information from like the internet or trade books. Why differentiate? So that all students are challenged and feel that they are learning something new. For the more advanced students, this is something they love doing. They can't seem to get enough! Differentiate how? By providing access to materials other than the textbook and by allowing students to come up with their own questions and then answer those questions. Tammy, I love that you are requiring students who are at grade level or above to gather more information and stretch outside of their comfort zone! I think too often we forget about pushing those who aren't "below level". |
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Post by cyarndt on Nov 13, 2015 22:33:54 GMT
1. In Kindergarten, we do many math lessons on patterning. We start out easy with an AB pattern and then get into more complex patterns. I vary the patterning activities into different groups depending on their readiness levels. At the different tables they have different materials they are able to use. Some of these materials are linking cubes, pattern blocks, teddy bears and pattern strips. The beginning learners will only have a few materials and a few colors to choose from and the more emergent learners will have more colors and more materials to choose from. The end result for all students to be using a wide variety of materials and colors when they are ready. Differentiating what? The task as a whole enables students to become successful with patterning. Differentiating how? I am differentiating based on my ongoing observations of the kindergarteners' readiness. Differentiating why? This process gives the students different opportunities for patterning and they are also able to look at their classmates patterns to see different combinations to spark new ideas. By a certain time of the year hopefully all students have mastered the AB patterns and are able to move onto more complex patterns of their own. I like that you use different materials and colors for different levels of learners! Differentiating based on readiness level allows you to assess the main goal, which is patterning rather than their understanding of shape/color! Great job, Lori! |
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steve
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Post by steve on Nov 14, 2015 5:22:54 GMT
Chapter 6
1. Okay, what. Currently my 7th graders are learning about heredity, mitosis, and meiosis, and how all of that ties into some of the characteristics and traits that are passed through generations. I began to engage the students (how) by having them do a pedigree of their own family traits by checking their own traits, their siblings, the parents, their grandparents, and as far up the gemology as they could go. I am also having them research some sex-linked diseases (not to be confused with STD's) that seem to be passed down family lines. With all this, I'm hoping to generate an understanding how traits are passed down the line and how genetics is learning how to possibly treat some sex-linked diseases or disorders.
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steve
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Post by steve on Nov 14, 2015 5:24:58 GMT
In attempting to answer this question with what I am already doing in my classroom, and have been doing for a nearly a decade now is what happens in our Eighth Grade Health class where we apply the what, why, and how components with drug education. In the what phase we are concerned with the content process, and product elements, and the how with interest and student readiness of each individual and why to motivate, challenge, and engage them fully. This is done by getting the students into drug classification categories such as narcotics ,hallucinogens, amphetamines, barbiturates, etc. where each person in a group is responsible to deliver and be an important cog in their respective area through research, writing, art work that may be utilized and presented. This encourages ownership by everybody contributing in the group as well as learning by osmosis within that group setting. We have a lot of differentiation taking place with this approach. Not bad: visual, auditory, and hands on. I've got some students that are great at that but always have a few that just hold on to the coat-tails of others. Never fun. |
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