Differentiation Reading Response

Differentiation in Practice, by Carol Ann Tomlinson and Caroline Cunningham Eidson

These units as an example of differentiation really appeal to my linear nature. I love how every thing is step by step and the overview show what differentiation strategies are being used. Because my field is in 1st grade I really focused on the first two units, All About the ABC’s, and What Plants Need.

I like how the ABC unit includes a station where the students use the same materials to engage in tasks that are differentiated for readiness. I really like that the unit works toward an authentic product- individual ABC books.

I like that the science unit engages all the students in reading, writing, and creating at their readiness. This unit is so rich, with students observing, recording, experimenting and researching.

It seems like it could be complicated to plan like this but the unit overviews make it seem more doable.

Differentiation Reading Response

Fulfilling the Promise of the Differentiated Classroom, by Carol Ann Tomlinson, p.g. 120-162

From my Ch. 6 response:
I love the things from the toolbox. They are great examples of scaffolding and differentiating for readiness and interest. But the coolest thing is the can be scaffolding tools for my task of becoming a differentiating teacher.

I really like the graphic organizers. I especially like p.g. 124, Developing Clarity About Learning Goals. Some of my classmates and I were observing that sometimes it seems as if what's on the test is a mystery or a secret. I love that the students can see exactly what the goals are.

I love menus. I love how students have choices. I like that the deserts are things that kids will want to do. In the example the deserts are writing activities. Students who choose these can work on them in writers workshop if they don't have during science. I like how the side dishes have such a variety of ways for students to "consume" information: with a friend, on the computer, watching, and reading. I like that the responses for the side dishes are simple- only what will fit on an index card, but very specific.

I'm not sure I understand complex instruction all the way, but I like how everyone in the group is responsible for understanding all of the tasks, but they divide up the tasks and work on the tasks that best utilize their strengths. Then they have to make sure that everyone understands it.

As a student and a parent I love rubrics. As a teacher I like how they let you ensure that your task is aligned with your objective. I also like how they help you narrow in on what to grade of projects and keep you from grading based on your "favorite."

I like how the contracts guide a teacher in developing differentiated tasks, Think dots provide variety and multiple entry journals provide structure and guidance for student responses.

I'm so glad I have the toolbox as a resource.

Differentiation Reading Response

Fulfilling the Promise of the Differentiated Classroom, by Carol Ann Tomlinson Ch. 7

Much of this chapter reminded me of the things I blogged about last week.

"If we allow ourselves to fall in love with what we do, we will be reborn countless times, almost always in a form stronger and more fully human than the one that preceded it." (p.g. 92-93)

This made me think of my own analogy to go along with how I've been feeling about differentiation and teaching. In The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by, C.S. Lewis, Eustace has been positively yucky, very selfish, and inconsiderate. These traits lead him to a choice of which the consequences are being transformed into a dragon. After he has learned many lessons from this experience Aslan comes to him. He is afraid of Aslan without really knowing why. Aslan is lit by moonlight even though there is no moon. Aslan tells Eustace that he must undress and bathe in the pool he has been taken to and Eustace knows he must tear off the dragon skin. He does so, again and again. Finally Aslan assists him. It hurt more than anything else but it was such a relief at the same time. At first the bath smarted in his new skin, but then became delicious.

Sometimes as teachers we need a mentor or friend to remind us to shed the old and begin again. Sometimes we are in the dark, but answers and ideas can still come. Often we are afraid of what the answers might be or how we might implement them or if they will succeed. Sometimes we remove the old over and over and are uncertain of the effect and sometimes we need extra help to find ourselves more human. Becoming more human, reaching every student, taming the fox, is nearly always a struggle and sometimes it smarts, but eventually it becomes "delicious," if only for a moment before we begin the process again.

I feel for certain that many of my tries to differentiate will fall short of my ultimate goal, but it doesn't matter if I "just begin" and keep looking for new beginnings.

Differentiation Reading Response

Fulfilling the Promise of the Differentiated Classroom, by Carol Ann Tomlinson, Ch 5-6

I was really drawn to the authors description of her two classes, math and German. This affirms what I've been starting to believe since I began the UVU teacher ed program-The teacher makes all the difference.

So much of this chapter is what we've been learning in our other classes, from Social studies methods to Math methods. Important, focused, engaging, demanding and scaffolded. Some of these I feel like I can accomplish easily. Work that is demanding AND scaffolded I don't feel like I have the knowledge or skills yet. The end of the chapter says that we can't focus our efforts on the whole class if we want to be differentiators, we have to focus on individuals. This is what I wrote in the margin when I finished the Chapter:

I can teach in general ways I believe children learn best, by using a variety of methods and models , including movement, integrating art, using children's literature, designing authentic tasks and assessments, using group processes, creating a class community, BUT I don't have a clear idea of how to scaffold for individuals.

The more I explore and learn the more I'm not sure how to do what I know is best. I know it may take several years for my teaching to start to be truly differentiated. I know I will always be almost there, always decreasing the distance between where I am as a differentiating teacher and where I want to be: always striving, never arriving. However, I feel empowered by what I am learning and know that giving it my best shot, though far from what I aspire, will reach students. Will touch, empower, validate, and help them become more.

Then I reach Chapter 6. The scenarios in chapter six made me feel like I have a better grasp of how to scaffold! I haven't quite left the point where I know what it looks like but I can't yet create it. I can look at the scenarios in the book and see how the different tasks support different readiness and are all important and challenging. I still feel a little fuzzy about how I will accomplish it. But overall I feel a lot more comfortable having a go at it.

I love the things from the toolbox. They are great examples of scaffolding and differentiating for readiness and interest. But the coolest thing is the can be scaffolding tools for my task of becoming a differentiating teacher.

Differentiation Reading Response

Dear Jaremy,
When I read about your experiences as a Teach for America teacher on Jamie's blog (http://futuresuperteacher.blogspot.com/) it seemd your situation was pretty dismal. In class our instructor asked Jamie to read her blog post and told us our next blog assignment would be to write to you, hopefully offering advise about differentiation and definitely referring to our next assigned chapters. As I read the chapters I composed in my mind the things I might tell you about them. A lot of the time I thought how trite my advise might sound. After I read our assigned chapters I looked up your blog (http://jaremysjourney.blogspot.com/) and read many of your posts. And guess what I discovered! You are already doing many of the things we are learning to do and thinking about many of the things we are hoping to think about as teachers. So as you read my advise (based mostly on ch 3-4 of Fulfilling the Promise of the Differentiated Classroom, by Carol Ann Tomlinson) I hope you will see many things you've already thought of, or are attempting to accomplish and maybe there will be something new that will help you a little farther down the path of making a difference in your students lives.

At the core of differentiated teaching is making meaningful connections with your students and meeting their needs. This you have begun to do; you are seeking ways to connect with them and ways for them to connect with their own education.

A first way to meet student needs is to affirm their worth and belonging in the classroom, providing way for them to contribute and feel essential to the class community. An element of this is sharing ownership of the classroom. You are showing them that you value their contribution and that you are willing to learn from them when you listen to their suggestions about your teaching.

Another way to meet student needs is by giving them challenging, important, and worthy things to do that can help them to be all they can be. "Simply put, opportunity is more closely related to exhilaration than drudgery" (p.30). It seems to me that this is something you are thinking about--you are worried about how much copying they have to do. I also see two things you have done to begin to address this: the marshmallow models and having them act out concepts.

Two more important things are being invested and persistent as a teacher. I can see your investment in your willingness to take on dance club, give students rides and expend all your energy on trying to reach them. Your students will begin to see it too. You will show your persistence as you continue to search for new ways to make connections and meet needs; as you try something new when your first idea fizzles.

The last thing the text talks about in this chapter is being reflective. Your blog shows that you are reflecting and adjusting. Think of these ideas as you continue to be a reflective teacher:

" --I watch you and listen to you carefully and systematically.

--I make sure to use what I learn to help you learn better.

--I try to see things through your eyes.

--I continually ask, 'How is this partnership working?'

--I continually ask, 'How can I make this better?' "(p. 34).

The next chapter touches on these topics: the classroom environment, communication in the classroom, classroom operation, routines, supporting student success, and shared responsibility. I believe that the most important of these is classroom environment. The text points out the importance of studying student culture which you have begun to do. Also pointing out students' contributions to the class, helping the students know each other, and celebrating success.

We have been learning a way to facilitate these outcomes and more. In elementary classrooms it's called morning meetings. As i was reading this chapter i thought over and over again, "Morning meeting addresses this.v If you choose to implement something like this in your classes you will undoubtedly have to modify some things to fit into a secondary environment. Morning meetings usually last 15-30 min and contain these components:

Greeting: Greeting activities can be simple or complex but the important thing is that each student hears his name and is greeted in a respectful way by one or more of his classmates.

Activity: Can be game, song, chant, cheer, or academic activity--helps to build common ground and community.

Sharing: Students share based on teacher guidelines, then they ask their peers for comments or questions. Comments show interest in the sharer's news, not become a second share. Sometimes a quick share is used where every one answers the same inquiry quickly, moving around the circle, with no questions or comments. Sometimes only a few students share each day.

News and announcements or message: Teacher message is read, contains things like what we're going to do today and transitions into the academic part of the day.

I'm really excited for the sense of community and belonging that morning meeting can build. This is especially important because students can't learn until their basic needs, such as belonging and power, are met. Oh I forgot, after you introduce your class to meetings and establish a routine and expectations you can have the students take turns running the meeting.

I hope you will find something in this note that will help you along your way in this awesome, challenging path you've chosen.

Rebecka

Differentiation Reading Response

Fulfilling the Promise of the Differentiated Classroom, Carol Ann Tomlinson, pg 100-103

I think it's helpful that one of the surveys gives answers for the students to choose from and one is open for the student to respond. I think both are important because some students will not know what to tell you and having prompts is helpful, but also hearing their open responses is useful.

The responses from the learning profile survey could help you begin to see how students learn best. It would make you more aware of preferences so you can plan for them. Just having this in the back of your mind would make you aware of which teaching strategies you are planning and who might need a change or a choice. Sometimes you may want to use this info to form groups. I didn't think of anything I would want to add to this.

The about me survey provides lots of info. This could guide you in helping children make connections with others, lesson planning with a variety of strategies, and pairing children to help each other. Knowing students interests can be valuable as you look for ways to integrate what's important to them with what's in the core. This is a great survey. There's one question I would consider adding: "Is there anything about school that worries you?" I want to know if their worried so I can help them find ways to fix, cope, and conquer.

"File of Inventories/Pre-Assessments"

I could see myself using any of these tools. I especially like the idea of students self assessing. A self assessment tells the teacher where a student is, but it also reminds the student of where he can go. I like the checklists for teacher observation because they give the teacher a place to start. My biggest question would have been "What should I look for?" Even if these checklists turn out to be not exactly what I need they can be built on as I experience more teaching and assessing. A method, besides these resources, for pre-assessing the class is the "what we know, what we want to know, what we've learned" strategy. I love how it can show what the students already know, what the have misconceptions about, and what's important to them about a topic.

Differentiation Reading Response

Fulfilling the Promise of the Differentiated Classroom: Strategies and Tools for Responsive Teaching, Ch. 1-2


Favorite parts and thoughts

When teachers "invite students to invest their time and energy in the pursuit of knowledge, understanding, and skill" by differentiating for their interest, students "are more likely to be engaged and to persist in learning." (pg. 3)

I love thinking of teaching as an invitation. We can't choose for a child to learn. He must choose for himself. If I can be the kind of teacher who understands her students interests well enough to help them find a bridge to the things society expects them to learn.......

The teacher must find a way to entice the child into the room of learning because the child who is dragged in takes nothing with him when he finally escapes. The child who enters because he sees something valuable to himself will stay, explore, grow, and never want to leave.

But there is more. The child must be more than in the room of his own choosing. He must be engaged with the content found in the room. He must find something to occupy his thought and cause him wonder. He must find thing he wants to grab a hold of. Then the child is engaged, then the child is learning.

(This line of thinking has called up a memory of when I was young. I read a book about babysitting, and one of the sections was how to calm a child or distract them if they were upset when the parents left. One of the strategies was to take with you a bag of things that might be interesting to a child. The book suggested to ignore the child's crying, reassure them and begin to focus you attention on some activity from your bag. The child will see your interest, want to watch, and eventually join you in the activity.)

"Other steps send me hurrying back underneath the ground. Yours will call me, like music, out of my burrow." (St. Exupery's The little Prince pg. 80,83)

There's something so touching about children who peek at you from their burrows wondering if you will be the kind of person to sing to them, to sooth them, to love them. And something heartbreaking when you can't find the tune they're waiting for.

"The truth is, we will never really do all each child needs us to do. A simultaneous truth is that the first truth is no reason to stop trying." (pg. 22)

It's a little discouraging to think that the ultimate goal cannot be reached. But like Esme I feel I must try. And that just trying makes a difference.

The classroom scenarios on pg 23 and 24 are also a little discouraging. The teacher is doing what we would guess is a great way to help students feel good about their work and being in the class, but they are totally missing the mark. I'm hoping that chapter three offers some advice on how to do better than this. I wish I could read it now, but alas other assignments are calling....

Differentiation Reading Response

Differentiation in Practice, pp. 1-14
Morning Meeting Packet

My favorite part of the Differentiation in Practice section was the hallmarks of differentiated curriculum. Many of the hallmarks are concepts we've been learning all through our courses: strong link between assessment and instruction, clarity about learning goals, using a variety of student groupings, and purposeful planning. I love how this section could be used by the teacher as a tool for self reflection or assessment.

Morning Meetings are one of the most exciting strategies I've learned about. As a parent I've become increasingly aware of the great importance of class unity, but I have been uncertain how to help students develop it. Last Friday I was able to visit the classroom of a friend who is an intern. I joined their Morning Meeting and was so impressed with the feeling when the students greeted each other by saying, "Welcome, Joseph." I love the idea that MM can set a happy tone for the day and get the children ready to learn. I like the idea of sharing and how it lets children practice showing interest in each other. I can see how it can guide them to caring about each other. I'm sold!