8 Lessons Learned on Differentiating Instruction My differentiation journey began in 2004 when my principal asked me to attend a weeklong summer conference on differentiated instruction. I was eager to please my principal so I quickly accepted her offer. I was also extremely curious about how I, one person, could possibly address the individual needs of 100 students. By the end of the conference, I was totally overwhelmed with information: flexible grouping, assessment, inventories, tiered lessons, Carol Ann Tomlinson. My real work, though, didn't begin until after the conference, when I was expected to start using the training I'd received. I was expected to create four differentiated lessons that school year. Throughout that year, I utilized a variety of management pointers for a differentiated classroom that had been presented during the conference. Lesson 1 Differentiation does not take place overnight; think of it as a wonderful work in progress. Lesson 2 Like students themselves, differentiation can take on many forms. Lesson 3
Differentiated Instruction & RTI for ELLs Each student comes to school, not only with unique academic needs, but also with unique background experiences, culture, language, personality, interests, and attitudes toward learning. Effective teachers recognize that all of these factors affect how students learn in the classroom, and they adjust, or differentiate, their instruction to meet students' needs. Here are some strategies for differentiating instruction for your English language learners. Differentiated Instruction Differentiated Instruction for ELLs In this article written for Colorín Colorado, Dr. Differentiated Instruction and Testing Accommodations for ESOL Students This guide from the Montgomery County Schools in Maryland demonstrates the parallel between differentiated instructional strategies for English language learners and state-permitted testing accommodations for ESOL students. Reading Rockets Webcast: Differentiated Reading Instruction Featuring Carol Ann Tomlinson, G. RTI for English Language Learners
Technology Articles The teacher's role has changed in recent years. There has been a shift of emphasis from instructional techniques to developing learning techniques. Our role is no longer that of the "sage on the stage". Today our role leans more towards facilitator or "guide on the side". Our role is to increase student motivation and develop the skills or strategies that make a student more competent and to structure the learning environment so that students are able to take ownership of their own learning. Motivation and achievement have long been recognized to have a close cause-effect relationship, as of course have ability and achievement. Joanne Rand Whitmore's Giftedness, Conflict and Underachievement (1980) and Sylvia Rimm's Underachievement Syndrome (1986) both deal with this concept in some depth. My experiences as a teacher dealing with underachieving students from time to time have been greatly influenced by these two women. There are many strategies for motivating students. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Technology Articles Within the four ways for differentiating instruction there are embedded several other learning strategies which are used in conjunction with each other. The Strategies: Readiness / Ability Teachers can use a variety of assessments to determine a student's ability or readiness. Also, to learn new concepts students may be generally working below or above grade level or they may simply be missing necessary prerequisite skills. However, readiness is constantly changing and as readiness changes it is important that students be permitted to move between different groups (see flexible grouping). Varying the level of questioning (and consequent thinking skills) and compacting the curriculum and are useful strategies for accommodating differences in ability or readiness. Adjusting Questions During large group discussion activities, teachers direct the higher level questions to the students who can handle them and adjust questions accordingly for student with greater needs. Compacting Curriculum
Assessment Assessment "Assessment is the process of collecting information on student achievement and performance. Assessment information provides the basis for sound decision making regarding teaching and learning." "The assessment process reveals what a student understands, knows and can do What is Assessment? Evaluation "Evaluation is a judgment regarding the quality, value or worth of a response, product, or performance, based on established criteria and curriculum standards" "The evaluation process indicates the quality of performance based on the curriculum (learner outcomes)." What is Evaluation? Reporting "According to McTighe, reporting documents should distinguish between the following factors: "... each of these factors should be reported separately. Source- A Framework for Communicating Student Learning, (AAC) 1999. p.21" Reporting How are assessment and evaluation related?
Rubrics to the Rescue By Melissa D. Henning, M.Ed. Read this teacher-friendly article for an overview of the rationale for using rubrics and tools and tips for implementing rubrics as an assessment tool in your classroom. You will be able to create and start using rubrics for student assessment within an hour. What Are RubricsWhy Use Rubrics? s Study Skills Resources Create an online bulletin board (much like Padlet reviewed here or Lino reviewed here) for brainstorming and VOTING on any topic. The voting is what makes this tool different. Create an account. There is no waiting for email approval. tag(s): bulletin boards (17), gamification (53), images (258) In the Classroom Share your board with a projector or interactive whiteboard. Use Dotstorming to collect WebQuest links and information to share with students. Use Dotstorming as an "idea bin" where students can collect ideas, images, quotes, and more for a project.
Educational Videos and Games for Kids about Science, Math, Social Studies and English 48 Ultra-Cool Summer Sites for Kids and Teachers | Ed Tech Ideas A good majority of northern hemisphere and international schools are winding down the 2011-2012 school year and doors will be closing as the students and teachers take off on their summer adventures. Here is a list of great sites for kids and teachers to keep you happily productive and learning this summer. These are in no way in any order of personal preference or coolness. Happy summer! 1. If your students like The Magic Tree House Series (and let’s be honest, who doesn’t?) 2. Can’t afford that summer vacation schlepping around Europe? 3. ReadWriteThink creates a lot of great educational resources. 4. Spell With Flickr is a simple site that allows you to enter any word and it will create a photo representation of that word using pictures from Flickr. 5. Freeology is a fantastic resource for teachers to download pre-made, or create a plethora of free graphic organizers, forms, calendars, certificates, worksheets, and more! 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. CELLS Alive!
Encouraging Lifelong Learning: The Pathway to Success When I became a teacher, it was my dream to instil in all my students a love of learning that would last a lifetime. Such is the desire of many of our best teachers. They have that special heart to not rest until their students shine. When you think of it, this is such a tall order. What does a lifelong learner look like? Learning to knowLearning to doLearning to live together and with othersLearning to be Lifelong learners can: manage uncertainty;communicate across and within cultures, sub-cultures, families and communities, and;negotiate conflicts. The 6 Paths to Encouraging Lifelong Learning So how can we keep encouraging lifelong learning in our classrooms? Be a lifelong learnerSpeak it Rethink the definition of failureAssume that everyone learns by doingTeach positive self talkKnow that learning doesn’t stop when school ends An added dimension is life wide learning. Be a lifelong learner The kids are watching us. Speak it What can you say to keep encouraging lifelong learning?
63 Things Every Student Should Know In A Digital World 63 Things Every Student Should Know In A Digital World by Terry Heick It could be argued—and probably argued well—that what a student fundamentally needs to know today isn’t much different than what Tom Sawyer or Joan of Arc or Alexander the Great needed to know. Communication. Resourcefulness. Creativity. Persistence. How true this turns out to be depends on how macro you want to get. But in an increasingly connected and digital world, the things a student needs to know are indeed changing—fundamental human needs sometimes drastically redressed for an alien modern world. Of course, these are just starters. The Changing Things They Need To Know: 13 Categories & 63 Ideas Information Sources 1. 2. 3. 4. Learning Pathways 5. 6. 7. 8. Human Spaces 9. 10. 11. 12. Socializing Ideas 13. 14. 15. 16. Digital Participation 17. 18. 19. 20. Publishing Nuance 21. 22. 23. 24. Applying Technology 25. 26. 27. 28. The Always-On Audience 29. 30. 31. 32. Social Rules 33. 34. 35. 36. Diction 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43.
How To Handle Disrespectful Students Who Don’t Know They’re Being Disrespectful A student points their finger inches from your face and teasingly says, “I’m mad at you. That homework last night was hard!” Or . . . A student raises their hand and commands you to “Tell John to stop bothering me.” In either case you’re uncomfortable with the way you’ve been addressed. It’s given you pause, and you’re unsure how to respond. On one hand, neither student appears to have any malicious intent. From their tone of voice and body language, it’s clear they don’t realize they’re being disrespectful. On the other hand, they are being disrespectful, no doubt about it. So how should you proceed? Should you follow your classroom management plan as it’s written and risk causing confusion and resentment? What follows are seven steps that will allow you to handle this surprisingly common situation with grace and sensitivity, while all but removing the chances of it happening again. 1. The first step is to quickly move on from the incident while neither endorsing nor condemning their behavior.