Since I moderated the twitter discussion this week, I will start this question off with my observations from that conversation. I expected to hear some people talk about struggles between parents and use of technology in their classroom. Not surprisingly, everyone has a supportive group of parents or adult learners. The "preparation" needed to build a bridge between parent and technology isn't very applicable to our current classrooms. However, the readings and further study on why parents would feel uneasy about the use of technology truly opened my eyes. I realized that I am the middle man between parent-student-technology-education. As teachers, we need to effectively manage a healthy balance and partnership between all sources. It never occurred to me that I would have to justify why I am sitting a 7 year old in front of an Ipad during school. Perhaps, this is because of my age and grew up understanding technology can be used as a tool. Still, it was insightful to read the tips from How to Differentiate Instruction in a Mixed-Ability Classroom. It outlined the conversation format for talking to parents of advanced learners, parents who are pushy, and parents who stay away ( ). Across all three I found a commonality. We must create a partnership or in any way make it known that we are here to work with the parents and support their child. As we explain to parents the why's and how's of differentiation we can rely on a few methods for ensuring a positive conversation. In the Iris Center, it outlines helpful tips for communicating with parents about differentiation. It is recommended to give parents flexible time to talk, be open to different communication styles, and allow time for them to respond (2016). Involving parents in differentiation can start by having them be involved in the classroom. From the article by Jordan Capatano, he wrote that the National Coalition for Parent Involvement reported that parent involvement greatly improves student performance in school. When parents are involved in the classroom, they can see first-hand how the use of technology benefits the learning of all students. Of course, this is more applicable to the younger years. The CDC website has a great document about how to effectively talk to parents. I often refer to this for a variety of situations. It has many tips that can be used when talking about differentiation with a parent. Some suggestions include highlighting the child’s strengths and using milestone checklists to back your decision with research and not just feelings. A milestone checklist can be found herehttps://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/childdevelopment/positiveparenting/middle.html As we discuss differentiation with parents, it is important that we make it explicit that our goal is to keep students moving on from their starting point (Tomlinson, 42-43). In my opinion, we will often find that parents who question the level of challenge in their child’s classroom will be the ones of advanced learners. As Tomlinson states, these parents want the challenge without the failure. It is our responsibility to make it clear that, “Risk-free talent development, painless challenge, and growth without tension are anomalies, if they exist at all (Tomlinson, 42)." References: Tomlinson, C. A. (2001). How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-ability Classrooms. Alexandria, Va: Assoc. for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Cdc.gov. Tips for talking with parents about developmental concerns. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/pdf/parents_pdfs/tipstalkingparents.pdf. The Iris Center. Retrieved from: http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/di/cresource/q3/p09/#content http://www.clipartkid.com/11-pictures-of-men-fishing-free-cliparts-that-you-can-download-to-you-1AfamL-clipart/ As I was trying to think of a way to represent the idea of the teacher being the middleman between parent-student-technology, I kept picturing a fishing pole (I must be from Southeast AK). I am the support for the parent trying to pull in a successful educational experience (or the parent who distances him/herself from their child's education). Just as the pole is the connection to where the fisherman can’t go-- deep under water with a fine hook-- I am the connection to education, to technology, and differentiation. As I bring these ideas closer to the parents, their ability to see the success is more likely.
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This week's blog was a much more productive and reflective blog-- and it's only week two! I felt that the responses I received from my cohorts were meaningful and created more thinking. There was some disagreement, which I love because we all teach different ages and subjects so what I experience isn't always the same as someone else's-- eye opening. Gerald disagreed that we can't always skimp the details in our curriculum because of mandated testing. The unrelenting pressure and high-stakes testing makes him feel that there is no room to be idealistic and focus on the bigger meaning. Is this true for just the higher grades, or am I sugar coating the idea of differentiating at the elementary level too much? As I read through everyone's blogs I noticed a lot of similarities. Mariah and I related on the importance of classroom environment. Creating a foundation for differentiation begins with the environment. There were moments of reflection and being open about ways we can improve as educators. Cherie brought up the point that she finds herself being too directive with her students. This is an innate part of us-- it appears-- and she made me really think about how directive I can be in any given day. I was glad to gain a lot of insight from the blogs this week. Based off of the feedback I received from my blogs, there was a lot that people agreed with. A significant point in my blog was that I differentiate based off the needs of my students THAT day, and a few really appreciated that point. Differentiation in my classroom includes a lot of centers or task cards and a few people asked me to further elaborate on this. I thought it was neat we all shared that common interest and they were wanting to know more about my methods. Through our blog’s and twitter discussion, I gained an even deeper awareness of differentiation. We go through school and teacher programs with this as a forefront of our learning, but applying it in the classroom is something that can’t be taught. I am going to go into this next week (starting small) with the goal to differentiate every lesson with a conscience effort. What I mean by this is that I differentiate every week for most lessons. However, sometimes I get lazy and I do enough to “just get by.” This week, I am going to be differentiating so that there is a meaning and purpose behind each tweak and addition. My student’s deserve to have well-thought out lessons. My dream teaching style is to be the teacher who facilitates all student led learning. To be the teacher who asks all the right prompting questions that gets students engaged in their own learning. Create an environment where students are encouraged to ask questions and then explore how to find the answer. The ideal teacher who gives them hands-on learning opportunities where they learn without realizing it. This is differentiation at its finest! With all the demands surrounding a teacher day in and day out, I have realized that this ideal teaching style is really, really, exhausting. Truth is, I am the teacher who will slip and ask questions that don't allow students to critically think. I can be lazy and expect them to learn content from rather mundane material. I create fun innovative lessons only to find that I ran out of time and only finished half of the lesson. Despite all these obstacles that are making it a slower process to becoming the teacher I dream of being, I know that I am doing what I can on my end to differentiate lessons for my students. Differentiating isn't something I decide to do on certain lessons or certain days. I am constantly incorporating differentiation and assuming that some students will need a lot of support, some won't need any, and some will need more of a challenge. Starting with the environment, I set-up my classroom to encourage communication and teamwork. I allow students to move around the classroom as they wish so that they can freely refocus themselves as they need. As for discussions, I do my best to ask guiding questions that lead them to the objective. I pull information out of them that will move them in the direction I want-- without me explicitly saying what they are to learn. I do a lot of small group work. Students are grouped on level/ability or strategically (ex: group students who struggle with a math concept or by a phonetic skill they aren't getting). While I do small group work, students are given similar work that will challenge them even more. In the Edutopia.org article (2014), he suggests having processing time every 30 minutes or so to help students digest the information they learned. This is a great tool that I do in my classroom every 15 minutes. However, I want to incorporate more/different experiences for my students this semester. It is important for me to make my classroom meaningful as I differentiate. In the text How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-ability Classrooms it explains, "Covering information takes a back seat to making meaning out of important ideas." This mindset is absolutely true at any age. We never should worry about whether they are comprehending each piece of information. Our goal in differentiating should be to give them the tools necessary to understand the meaning. When they just aren't understanding the main idea, that is when I play more of a role and intervention comes into play. As seen in the TeachingChannel.org video, the ideal differentiating setting is when all levels of learners are actively engaged in meaningful learning. In this video, Pronovost shows how using the math software Planet Turtle and DreamBox challenges his at grade level/above grade level students while he can simultaneously work with low level students. Splitting students into appropriate skill level groups does wonders for targeting the areas that they are struggling with. I love to do centers and after reading an article on Scholastic.com, I want to incorporate this more on a daily basis. The article from Scholastic.com "4 Proven Strategies for Differentiating Instruction.", highlights the importance of task cards. Task cards allow independence and for students to move at their own pace. They allow for intervention/accommodation while also promoting learning to happen. A few strategies that were mentioned in the article, 15 Ways to Use Task Cards in Your Classroom, were self-pacing, games, and a method of assessment. My personal favorite method is using them as games. The competition aspect in a classroom is a great way to make students forget they are learning. Additionally, you can pair students according to their ability (2014). Ultimately, my decision to differentiate stems from knowing my students and their needs. Every day I may get a different version of the same student, and I need to be ready to accommodate their daily needs. Sources:
Kesler, C. (December, 2014). 15 Ways to Use Task Cards in Your Classroom. Retrieved from http://www.keslerscience.com/15-ways-to-use-task-cards-in-your-classroom/ McCarthy, John (2014). 3 Ways to Plan for Diverse Learners: What Teachers Do. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/differentiated-instruction-ways-to-plan-john-mccarthy Pronovost, R. Differentiating in Math Using Computer Games. Retrieved from https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/differentiating-in-math Tomlinson, C. A. (2001). How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-ability Classrooms. Alexandria, Va: Assoc. for Supervision and Curriculum Development. White, J. 4 Proven Strategies for Differentiating Instruction. Retrieved from https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/4-proven-strategies-differentiating-instruction/ Differentiating is something I constantly struggle with. It was really nice to hear from others their experience and how they interpret DI.
I will be reading more on this topic because I feel like I can greatly improve in this area. I feel like I have put a lot of attention towards my low and above grade level students.. but am I also thinking about my at grade level students? How can I make my lessons a little more challenging for them? How do I know all of them are really understanding my lessons when I am so focused on differentiating for the lower and advanced students? I think they are often forgotten about and this is the ultimate task-- being able to give them the attention they deserve. I am constantly thinking about DI, but I feel like I am not always the best teacher because of it. I always feel like I am not doing enough, or that I could have done something else. It is my first year teaching, so I think these are insecurities that will (hopefully) vanish with time and experience. However, it is all a balancing act and I hope that while I work hard at improving DI, I am also dividing my attention equally among other areas. DI is the idea that not all students are treated equally, but are given a fair chance to reach the same goals. Fair isn't always equal. When we see students as individual learners whose educational needs are different from other students, we are in the first stage of differentiating our instruction. The next part would be identifying how a student needs more or less support. When we actively use these tools/resources/support to help a student achieve goals we are engaging in differentiated instruction. DI helps a student meet their own goals based on their academic ability and type of learning style. As I pursue this course, I am adapting a "tech" mindset where I look for ways to support student's learning through technology. Technology can greatly assist a teacher in differentiating by providing a plethora of resources. These resources range from digital text, audio, digital enhancement, software, visual, and targeted populations as cited in, WestEd’s Regional Technology in Education Consortium. While reading, How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-ability Classrooms, I felt a strong connection to the idea that as educators we never stop differentiating our instruction. There is always something we can do better. If we start to think that we succeeded and met our differentiating goals, then we aren't fully understanding the idea of DI. "There is always one more way we can make the classroom a better match for its learners.(Tomlinson, 2001). Sources:
Roberts, J.L. & Inman, T.F. (2013) Teacher's Survival Guide: Differentiating Instruction in the Elementary Classroom. Retrieved from http://www.prufrock.com/assets/clientpages/pdfs/tsg_diff_elem_sample.pdf Tomlinson, C.A. (2001). How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-ability Classrooms. Alexandria, VA: Assoc. for Supervision and Curriculum Development. WestEd’sRegionalTechnologyinEducationConsortium. http://www.wcs.k12.va.us/users/honaker/Technology-Tips-DI.pdf |
Author2nd Grade teacher at Keet Gooshi Heen in Sitka, Alaska Archives
April 2017
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