Reading- Oct 21st Pgs. 120-129

The last part of the reading for this class goes over what I reflected about last week. I definately have a better understanding about what tiering is after class. My main confusion was cleared up. I didnt understand that teachers have to select the goups. I thought that maybe students could, but I can see now why it is important for the teachers to carefully select them based on their readiness levels. I thought all these graphs and worksheets are great tools to use for differentiation. As I was looking over them, I was asking myself how some of these could be tiered and if they were using differentitaion effectively. I liked these examples too because they seem pretty clear. It is something that students know exactly what is expected of them to complete and they can do these at their own pace. I like how the science menu on dinosaurs and adaption gives you choices of a proejct to do so that students can do something they are interested in. I can see how this has potential to be tiered if needed. I like the evaluation checklist too because I think it is important to have students assess their own progress and how they are working. They will be honest with themselves most the time. I think its a great tool to use, but it is also important as a teacher to be continually assessing them so you can move them into groups based on their readiness levels because not every student progresses at the same rate and I am sure rearranging takes place a lot. I am beginning to understand more and more how differentiation and tiering are used and can be very beneficial in the classroom.

Tiering

pg. 136-140 Tiering is a strategy used to look at the student's readiness levels and differ their work according to how ready they are. You look at the essential knowledge, understanding, and skill. You want to put them in groups that will challange them. Making sure it is not too easy or too hard is the key. You want them to know fairly well what they are doing, but also have a little struggle and challange because that is where learning takes place. I liked the equalizer and how is gives different examples of how you can cuntinally assess and adapt to their needs based on their readiness and levels. The examples from the book were pretty clear and I feel like I have a fairly good understanding of what tiering is.
pg.130-135 The tic-tac toe example in the book is definately tiered. The teacher arranged 2 different boards for the same assginments. They vary in some ways, but are still similar in some. What the student is expected to do in the novel think-tac-toe verison 1 is a little simpler then the version 2. They are modified in a way that still the same content is being covered, but they are just required to do different assignments and amount of work for each one. I like how at the end is says that you could let them set an appropriate due date wthin a certain amount of time so that they can regulate and manage their own time. Not everyone works at the same speed. If they know they are better at something then at another assignment, they can give themselves more time on the harder one. I had never really hard that idea and really liked it and think it can work well. The RAFT activity is a good example of tiering as well. Students are able to pick their own options based on how confident they feel. They will likely pick the ones they find most interesting and they feel they know the most about to write a story with. These were both great ideas and something I definately think I would use!
pg. 149-162 As far as I could tell, all of these examples seemed to be tiered, just in different ways. I thought they were all good examples and my understanding of tiering is a lot better when I read all these examples of how to use them. The first examples of a learning contract is tiered. A learning contract is when you let students decide on their time limits for finishing something and what they need to get done and it is signed by the teacher and the students. It is obviously going to be different for every student, since every student has different levels of expectations and different levels of readiness and content knowledge. The think dots with matter was also a tiered lesson. There were 2 different versions of it that were modified based on student's readiness of the subject. They are reach required to complete 6 different questions, but the questions are a little different with each version. All the journal entries were also a good example. It is the same table and outline, just with different questions once again based on the readiness of the student. I can see how some teachers might think this is teduis to make more then one worksheets for each assignment but I can definately see how it is worth it. Each child is able to make progress and grow on their indvidual level instead of the whole class moving at one pace. Tiering is definately a useful tool that I hope to get more practice with in field and student teaching.

Ch. 5 & 6

At the beginning of ch 5, the author relates an experience of an algebra class in 8th grade. She always had knots in her stomach and always felt incompetent and never felt affirmed in the class. I have had many experiences like this in my education, as I am sure most people have as well. It is sad how lasting that impression is and how long you remember those bad feelings that you may have had about a class due to poor teaching. Hearing these kinds of things makes me even more motivated to be that teacher that NEVER makes my students feel that way. It is such an awful feeling that no one should have to experience. That story just affected me a lot because I can totally relate to those feelings of inadequacy. Then she gives another experience, but this one is a lot more positive. She remembers the teachers name and that she smiled at her, believed in her, and knew she could succeed. She said she made her feel significant. What an awesome thing if I could sameday make every single one of my students feel significant. I hope to someday be that teacher. This chapter goes on to discuss how important it is to use instruction and currriculum that is engaging. You want your students to be involved and interested. Sometimes teachers get too caught up in trying to teach everything in the curriculum that they really dont take the time and assess the needs of the class and look for ways to modify and change their lessons. This is something I have become more aware of and hopefully wont fall into that trap.
Ch. 6 explores some ways that teachers can make curriculum and instruction important, focused, engaging, demanding, and scaffold to make sure each students indvidual needs are met in the classroom- "both as a human being and as a learner." (pg 69) I think sometimes we forget our students are first and foremost human beings and that we need to treat them with the respect we demand for them to give us. I liked the senario of Mr.Johnson's Unit on buoyancy cause you can tell he really modified his lesson to make the curriculum focused and important to the students. He related it a lot to them. He let them be curious and explore questions and find their own answers. I love that. I think that is so important to have students learn on their own where a teacher doesnt just stand and tell the students facts. I like the different ideas it gave to help enrich your instruction. My favorite one is to look for fresh ways to present and explore ideas. Dont be boring! Engage students and get them involved wth the lessons. I have sat in one one too many classes where the teacher just stands and teaches and I listen. I could not tell you one thing I learned from those classes today. But I do remember when I was engaged with projects or made songs and skits about a subject. Those are more lasting and memorable. I liked the student self-evaluation for group work. It is important for students to learn how to evalute themselves and look and see where their strengths and weaknesses are. It is a great assessment tool that I think helps see them how they are progressing, learning, and growing. There were SO MANY good ideas in this chapter! I love the think alounds, peer networks, & weekend study buddies. All of these are excellent things to use to ensure success for your students!

Ch 3 & 4 Fulfilling the Promise

These chapters I found to be very helpful. CH. 3 & 4 were about responding to student's needs. I guess I never thought it was as involved as it seems to be, almost seems a little complicating and that I need to consider more then i thought I would have. One of my favorite quotes from the chapter is on the first page.... " we need to become the kind of teachers who shape their studens' lives to reflect a greater hope, confidence, and promise, than these young people brought to the classroom as the year began." That is so true. I think it would be awesome if I can one day be described as a teacher who gave all my students a hope for succeeding and more confidence. I just loved that! :) It also goes onto saying that we need to make sure to live outside our hopes rather then admiring them from a distance. So much came to my mind when reading this chapter, and I just loved all the good guidelines it gives on how to better respond and listen to our students. Obviously, all of the 5 major points are very important and all need to be considered, but my favorite was the response to invitation. Children need affirmation. My favorite part about this is letting your actions and words know that you believe in them, you have time for them, and you need them there. Making a child feel special and unique should be a huge priority. The trust and everything that comes along with that is great, but I think most importantly it gives that child confidence and makes them feel like they really are able to succeed. Make them feel valuable and celerate their uniqueness. I love how this chapter was called a starting point for differentiation because it really is. Differentaition and learning can not take place if a child does not feel special and wanted in the classroom.
CH. 4 discusses more about responding the students' needs. I like the senarios and different situations that really help put it all into perspective for me. I like the part where it talks about celebrating success and says that a teacher called home to tell the parents how well their child is doing. Parents usually look at a phone call from a teacher as a bad thing, but the fact that she took the time out to resognize the student for a job well done, means a lot to the parent, and really boosts the student up a lot. I think thats a great suggestion and I will definately use that! I also really liked the idea of using a dialogue journal to comminicate with the student. I think students like to get their feelings on on paper for the most part and it is a great thing to use to help get them writing and expressing their feelings and emotions. I also really liked the idea of using goal cards. I never thought to have the students write their goals down and leave it in a place where they can see it while they are working in a group or individually. This chapter has so many great ideas that I cant wait to put into practice one day in my own class! :)

Student Profile Surveys

I think that surverys are an awesome tool to use to help in differentiation. This is a great thing to do right at the beginning of the year. Kids love to tell about themselves and what they like to do and what their interests are. I think if done the right way, the sample surveys from the book can be very helpful for the teacher. They can look at them and see exactly what the student likes or dislikes and what their strengths and weaknesses are. It also asks things like if they like to work with objects, words, or numbers and what kinds of conditions they will learn best in. As a teacher, I would give these to my students at the very beginning of the year and definately use them to help structure the flow and activity. I could use it to help break them into groups and maybe work on different kinds of projects if their interests and the way the learn best are similar. I also think it really helps you to get to know them on a more personal level. You can talk to them about what their favorite animals and sports are, and then they know you really do care about them indvidually and they will trust you and thats one of the most important things if you are going to help them be a successful learner. The only thing I would add to one of the surveys from the book is probably questions about their family. I think that would be a good time to figure out their home situation without just coming right out and asking them. Maybe just what their parents do for a living, who they live with, and about their siblings. Their home life is obviously important because if they have an unfortunate living situtation at home, it is definately going to be harder for them to learn at school and be as successful as someone who has a very supportive and structured household.
After looking at all the inventories/surveys online, I found that they will all be useful in their own ways. Some of them I feel are geared towards older grades. The 28 questions one and the Rome one I probably would not use in my 3rd grade class cause it would be difficult for them to answer all those questions and I think they would honestly get bored. Some of the vocabulary is also harder so it would be impossible for them to answer questions about themselves if they didnt even know what it meant. So for me personally, in my student teaching, I will use one of those surveys, but maybe shorten it a little and change some of the questions. I want to make questions geared towards specifically what I will be teaching them cause I am not with them all year. That's where I do think something like the Rome one would come in handy because it is very content specific. I do really like the multiple intelligence survery with the smiley faces. I think it's easier for them to answer more questions cause all they have to do is circle the faces and I think it helps them be able to evaluate and sort of rate things from their lives and they are more likely to tell you how they really feel and not how they necessarily think you want to answer the questions. I really think I might use that one, just so I can get to know them better and see where they all stand in different areas. It is also a great pre-assessment tool. :) I am glad I got to look at so many different examples and ideas for how to do these cause I do think they are important for differentiating your class.

Ch. 2- Student Needs as the Impetus for Differentiation

This chapter starts out by saying that not all students are ready and anxious for school and to have a teacher in charge of their activities. Some are reluctant to give themselves to the demands of school. I think this is important to understand that not all students walk into the classroom with the same attitude and expectations for the school year. Some look at school as fun and a place to socialize and learn new things while others look at it like their freedom is taken away and the day is so structured. It said in the chapter that emotions trump learning. It is important to consider that students cant learn if they feel unsafe, threatened, or insecure. As a teacher, it is obviously very important to look at each student and make sure they feel a sense of belonging. They have to be able to trust you first and foremost. If they dont trust you, learning will not take place. You have to be able to connect with your students. They want to feel connected to you as a teacher and they are looking to you to help them find a sense of identity and answer questions dealing with their feelings and emotions. Learning about math and history are not their priorities. All students want to feel accepted and that their opinion really matters. They want to be listened to and heard. The different things that students usually seek is affirmation, contribution, power, purpose, and challenge. All of these are equally important and essential is you want your student's to succeed and learn to their fullest extent. " "Teaching asks us to do the impossible. It asks us to establish ties with each child-not to establish ties with all the children as though they were one student." This quote sums it all up so well to me. You can't look at your class as just a big whole. There are 30 parts that make up that whole. Each part matters and is just as important as the others. The chapter refers back to connecting and the importance of that. "Teaching is fundamentally about building lives." I can't wait and am anxious to help change lives. Hopefully I can be the teacher I dream about becoming and really make an impact on my students that they will remember forever and that will make them a better person and want to become a life-long learner. 

Fulfilling the Promise- Ch. 1- What's Behind the Idea of DIfferentiated Classrooms?

For the most part, I liked this chapter. It is written in a way that is easy to understand and was easy to follow. It kind of laid down the basics and really defined what a differentiated classroom is. It pointed out some interesting points I really hadn't thought of. Students that need to be be carefully considered and examined are students who: learn faster, learn slower, are just learning english, has a different culture then the dominant one in the classroom, an if a student has "given up"on school. They list all the factors and why this is such an issue. I know I will have students from all different races and backgrounds in my class. I also know that there will be students on all different types of levels of learning. It talks about how differentiated instruction is responsive instruction and occurs when teachers become proficient in UNDERSTANDING THEIR STUDENTS AS INDIVIDUALS. I think that is the most important thing I got out of this chapter. Just to look at each student, see that they all do have a story and take the time to show that you genuinely care about them and to let them know that you want them to succeed. No teacher wants to see their students fail, at least I dont. I would love all my students to be successful as a student and a life long learner. I agree with the 4 steps i goes through: readiness, interest, learning profile, and affect. I know you need to take all those into consideration when modifying or just teaching a lesson cause obviously not every student learns at the same pace. This chapter gave some good ideas of how to look and assess each of those in helping each student individually. I really liked the metaphor they used with the little prince and the fox. "Taming" takes time, practice, and listening. Those are all CRITICAL key factors in teaching differentiated instruction. I can really see how this applies. I am anxious to see it "hands on" in my field work and student teaching and put the things I have been reading about into practice. The last quote from a california educator Jill Carroll really stood out to me to. She basically states that it is really important to not just do a bunch of differentiated activities but to actually understand the reason and rationale behind it. She also states that, "teachers are likely to modify an activity in a way that defeats a purpose." I need to understand that and be cautious of that cause I have seen it happen before and I think it is a very easy mistake to make. Theory and examples are both very important when teaching lessons. You need to have both in order for your students the be successful!