Week of 10/31; • Ch. 11; “The How To’s of Planning Lessons Differentiated by Readiness” (pages 72-78)

Choose one question to answer from each chapter and respond to at least one other person’s answer.

1. Describe some times in your classroom when you do or could differentiate content based on student readiness. When you differentiate content based on student interest. When you differentiate content based on student learning profile.

2. The chapter offers several instructional strategies for differentiating content. Which of these might you use (and when) to enhance learning for some of your students? What other strategies for differentiating content might you add to the list?

Week of 10/31; Ch. 10 “The How To’s of Planning Lessons Differentiated by Learning Profile” (pages 60-71)

Choose one question to answer from each chapter and respond to at least one other person’s answer.

1. Take a look at the instructional strategies suggested in the chapter to encourage students to work in preferred learning modes. In what specific ways might you use one or more of the strategies to help students learn more effectively?

2. Study Figure 10.3 and/or 10.4. What do you see as potential benefits of the differentiated versions of the classrooms compared to the nondifferentiated versions for students who struggle with school? For advanced learners? For “typical” learners? For students with particular learning profile preferences?

3. Give your students the learning profile on page. 70. What did you learn about your students? Were there any surprises?

Plan an interest-based lesson. What does it look like? How will you measure it's success?

I think I did this. I wanted to teach animal adaptations. I used my "antique" Newbridge Big Books, and allowed students to choose an animal from an environment. The kids got really excited when I showed them the books, and most knew immediately what animal they wanted to do and who they wanted to work with. They formed interest groups. My immediate measure of success was that all of the students were very engaged. They also had a choice of poster or newspaper to tell about the animal. Not all the finished projects clearly show the 3 adaptations, so I asked the children in the groups what the adaptations were.

Make a list of approaches to help learners who struggle with materials, tasks, and projects.

1. The buddy system: that student who is more organized than me cane make sure that materials get into the proper folder and papers get turned in correctly.

2. Allow a choice of task. A disorganized student will find a way to organize a task he likes and wants to so.

3. Don't forget learning styles / modalities. A student who can't finish an assignment may be able to draw something and then do the work.

4. This year's class is SO ADD, but they will focus for the games that we learned in PD, and they LOVE it when I change the words to some silly song and sing. So music can be an organizer.

5. Less is more. Make sure the stuff that needs organizing is valuable enough to organize. (Never could understand why my son had to keep all his graded work in order in a notebook with a table of contents to turn in for another grade.Needless to say it was never100%!)

6. Use the technique of due dates for each small part of a project, rather than one date at the end.

OK, your turn!

Differentiated Instruction Book Study: Week of 10/24; • Ch. 9 “The How To’s of Planning L...

Differentiated Instruction Book Study: Week of 10/24; • Ch. 9 “The How To’s of Planning L...: 1. Take a look at the 8 instructional strategies suggested in the chapter to invite students to link their interests with the requirements o...

I think I could use the Literature Circle strategy. I have a book on literature circles that I have found interesting. These literature circles are different then the circles we have implemented at our school. In these circles, kids all play a role based on their comfort level. My circle group has 18 kids. I could break the kids up into interest level groups and have them read the book and pick their various roles. This book includes supplemental materials for the kids to use. I need to get the book out and review to remember the various roles. I have been thinking about what to do differently with my circle group and after reading this chapter it made me remember that book. I think this strategy would work for me. I need to challenge my circle group more and this may do the trick! The students could help me pick the 3 books we would use. I would have 3 groups of 6. I am going to look for the book tomorrow.

Differentiated Instruction Book Study: Week of 10/24; • Ch. 8 “The How To’s of Planning L...

Differentiated Instruction Book Study: Week of 10/24; • Ch. 8 “The How To’s of Planning L...: 1. Select or create an activity you might use in your classroom. Adjust it by moving it along one or more continua of “The Equalizer” (for...

Small leap to Great leap I think I could use in my classroom. I think this concept would work well with math. We are getting ready to start teaching area, perimeter and volume in math and science. We start by introducing it on paper and then we move to practicing it with materials in the classroom. I have found that kids need to actually measure objects with their rulers to help reinforce the concept. A lot of times they can tell me area is length times width, but they really don't know what that means. When we practice with hands on objects the students seem to understand. Some kids are then able to apply area, perimeter and volume to real life applications.

Week of 10/24; • Ch. 9 “The How To’s of Planning Lessons Differentiated by Interest” (pages 52-59)

1. Take a look at the 8 instructional strategies suggested in the chapter to invite students to link their interests with the requirements of the curriculum. In what specific ways might you use one or more of these strategies to draw on student interest in your classroom?

2. Plan an interest based lesson. What does your lesson look like? How will you measure its success?

Week of 10/24; • Ch. 8 “The How To’s of Planning Lessons Differentiated by Readiness” (pages 45-51)

1.  Select or create an activity you might use in your classroom. Adjust it by moving it along one or more continua of “The Equalizer” (for example, making it more abstract than the original version, or more structured).

2. Make a list of approaches you can think of to help learners who struggle succeed with materials, tasks, and products so that they experience more success and less frustration.

Chapter 7
The question students most frequently ask is "how come..." when all the assignments are not the same. That's probably why I like offering student choice. In the old days, we would cross out part of the assignment for some students, and the others would wonder why they had to do it all. Good question, huh. With choice, a student is actually choosing the degree of effort to put into the work. When a student chooses an option that seems too hard, they usually rise to the challenge!
Parents usually just want to know that their child is getting the best possible education. I don't think I've ever heard a parent ask if their child's education was adequate! If I can say to them"Your child has these skills, so now we're moving on to these skills in this way" that 's what they really want to know.

Week of 10/17; • Ch. 7 “Preparing Students and Parents for a Differentiated Classroom” (pages 39-44)

Choose one question to answer and respond to at least one other person’s answer.

1. What are the key questions you believe students would ask you about differentiation? What specific responses and steps might you take to help them join you in establishing and maintaining an effectively differentiated classroom?

2. What might you do to rebuild the trust of parents who feel their students have frequently been ineffectively served in school?

Week of 10/17; Ch. 6 “Strategies for Managing a Differentiated Classroom” (pages 32-38)

Choose one question to answer and respond to at least one other person’s answer.

1. Review the list of 17 guidelines for managing a differentiated classroom suggested in the chapter. What can you add to at least three of the guidelines in the way of concrete suggestions based on your experience?

2. Choose one technique to try from Figure 6.1 on page 34, “Begin Slowly-Just Begin!” Which strategy did you incorporate in your teaching? Rate the success of the technique in meeting the needs of students.

Differentiated Instruction Book Study: Week of 10/10; Ch. 5 “A Look Inside Some Different...

Differentiated Instruction Book Study: Week of 10/10; Ch. 5 “A Look Inside Some Different...: Choose one question to answer from each chapter and respond to at least one other person’s answer. 1. In what ways would your classroom an..

At McGregor, you will see teachers working really hard to meet the needs of all students. Some teachers are masters of learning and interest centers., especially our primary teachers. At the intermediate level, you see a lot of large group, small group and partner work. I think our Lit circles are very successful. I love the math centers that we do in our classroom. You will see a varying degree with the use of differentiated instruction. Some people are more comfortable than others. I feel like I am more in the beginning stages of doing it, but I am eager to learn more!! Mo matter which classroom you enter, you will see teachers working really hard!

Differentiated Instruction Book Study: Week of 10/10; Ch. 4 “The Learning Environment in ...

Differentiated Instruction Book Study: Week of 10/10; Ch. 4 “The Learning Environment in ...: Choose one question to answer from each chapter and respond to at least one other person’s answer 1. Use one of the scaffolding strategies...

I love using study guides for math, science and Social Studies. The use of these guides help my 4th graders start to understand how to study and also helps parents see what will be on the test. It seems like 4th graders don't understand how to study and need to practice just like they practice spelling words. I always think about what will help my kids for 5th and 6th grades. Sometimes I worry I "baby" them too much. I really want them to become independent thinkers and learners.

Chapter 5

How do my colleagues classrooms look like those in the chapter? You will (probably have!) see lots of variety at McGregor. You will see whole group instruction, but you will also see circles. You will see small groups of various sizes with various purposes practically everywhere! I haven't seen anyone in the custodian's closet yet, but there is room for a couple of chairs in there.. I love the idea that we are going to target our special ed kids to make sure that group gets AYP. I believe that if I design instruction that benefits the neediest kids, the whole group will benefit! But I think we are really good at flexible grouping.

What advantage do I see for students in using flexible grouping? Well, I love that fact that it IS flexible. I can create heterogeneous groups for one task, and and homogenous groups for others. More importantly, a student is not delegated to a group forever. A student who learns faster doesn't have to wait for the group to catch up. A student who usually is at the head of the class but has difficulty with a particular concept can have more time.
Also, flexible grouping builds self - esteem. Since groups change frequently, no one can say"I'm in the dumb group." This was especially apparent when I had that tiny class. I did leveled texts in ability groups, but the selection in gender groups, which meant that Legend (limited), Chris (proficient) and Steven (accelerated) read together. Legend realized that he could read! Chris realized that he was a good reader.
Finally, I like being able to switch up the groups based on who needs a skill. Sometimes students have a good DIBeL and a good OAA, but still has difficulty with sequence, or Fact/opinion or (insert skill here). Building better groups means building better readers and mathematicians.

Week of 10/10; Ch. 5 “A Look Inside Some Differentiated Classrooms” (pages 27-30)

Choose one question to answer from each chapter and respond to at least one other person’s answer.

1. In what ways would your classroom and those of your colleagues be similar to the classrooms described? In what ways would they be different?

2. Based on your ideas and experiences, what would be a logical and feasible next step for you to take in crafting your classroom to be more effective in addressing the needs of academically diverse learners?

Week of 10/10; Ch. 4 “The Learning Environment in a Differentiated Classroom” (pages 21-26)

Choose one question to answer from each chapter and respond to at least one other person’s answer

1. Use one of the scaffolding strategies in Figure 4.1 on page 23 in the text (Scaffolding: Providing the Support Needed for a Student to Succeed in Challenging Work). Describe which strategy you used, how you used it, and the degree of success with which it was implemented.

2. What potential benefits do you see for individual students in flexible grouping? For the teacher? For the class as a whole?

Chapter 3

The chapter lists 17 skills of learning to differentiate instruction. With which of those are you the most comfortable in your teaching? With which are you least comfortable? Why?

I feel the most comfortable with sharing responsibility for teaching and learning with students, ensuring that students are prepared for the shared roles. Being an intervention specialist allows me to build relationships with not only the parents of the students I work with, but also their teachers in terms of significance the teachers may notice with my students. I also have to be on the same page as the classroom teachers because I must adhere to the curriculum while providing the instruction essential to the learning goals of the students’ IEPs. I feel very comfortable discussing issues that may arouse with the student or the learning environment of the student. The area I am the least comfortable is scrounging for a variety of materials. I have never worked at a site with so many different means used to reach students with learning disabilities or struggling learners. I feel as though I am in the Mecca of instruction. The Oz of academia because many of the items I have learned about through my studies I am seeing first hand and students are achieving at a higher rate of success because the teachers have the opportunities to learn how to use the resources at the site effectively.

Chapter Two

We cannot reach those students whose minds we don’t engage. Who are the students in your classroom or school that remain frequently disengaged? What efforts in your classroom or school are consistently made to engage these learners?

The students I find at the school in which I frequently disengage are the older students. These students are not able to see me often and when they do, I am not a concern because I am not a part of their immediate education. Our school provides time in the morning during breakfast and duties are given in which I have been able to engage with older and younger students than those I teach because I am in the mix of the circulation that takes place during those times. In my classroom, I question my students about their relatives who attend our school to receive another avenue to get to know the students I am not working directly with. I work with many teachers inclusively at least twice a week which lends the opportunity to make my presence known among the peers of the students I teach. I work with the afterschool program, but again I work with the grade in which I teach and do not get much time to work with the students who are older. I think it is important for me to know as many students, both younger and older than the ones I currently instruct, because I could very well have these students as my own one day. Establishing a good rapport will build trust with the students and I can then move onto teaching instead of explaining who I am to the students.

Chapter One

Why is a “quantitative” approach to differentiation unlikely to work for advanced learners? For learners who struggle?

Quantitative approaches to differentiation for advanced learners tend to turn off the excitement in education for the students. The reason is because the students are receiving more work in which they are accounted for instead of more instruction. Would a teacher teach a student content the student has mastered or move onto another skill and perhaps build on the skill mastered? In the end the push for advanced learners to do more is ineffective. What we as educators must do is find a different means to connect the content the student has learned without monotonous assignments.

For students who are struggling learners, quantitative approaches seems like punishment as the text explains, for not knowing the proper way to solve problems or complete assignments. There is more than one way to skin a cat is the approach teachers must take in the classroom in order to find ways that target the creativity in students so they will be willing to display their areas of growth in the knowledge we provide.

Chapter 1

In what ways is differentiation likely to be organic based on both teacher growth and the passage of time in a given classroom?
The passage of time will lead to growth and development in the childen, which changes the types of activities they can (and will) engage in as well as the topics they are interested in and the level of independence that they have.
Hopefully, the passage of time for a teacher will add to the number of techniques we have to choose from in differentiating a classroom. Years ago, Canton City hosted summer Assessment Academies where we learned to develop and apply rubrics so that learning could be assessed in a variety of ways by teachers and by the students themselves. We also practiced writing units that were similar to learning contracts so that students chose from a "menu" of possibilities to demonstrate understanding of the story we read, or a topic in sciences or Social Studies. Later we added cooperative learning, where students would take the teacher's choice, but interact to achieve it. Then we added Schlecty's WOW, which combined these and more with the concept of QUALITY work. I think if I combined all these, my classroom would begin to resemble that diagram at the end of chapter 1, which to me resembles a heartbeat. Come together, flow out, come together; and which makes sense because all the models of engagement agree that there are some things better managed whole group.