Benchmark 2
June 25 Chapters 3 & 4
FOUR QUESTIONS:
- What was new for you in these chapters?
- What did you read that you know is true and can relate to based upon what you have seen in your experience as an educator?
- Did something interest you that you would like to research further to obtain more information?
- How will this change what you do daily or how can you implement what you learned from these chapters?
1. I have been trained to plan lessons for the middle-high level and then add modifications and differentiations for learners on both end of the spectrum. What was interesting to me in chapter 4, was the emphasis on building a plan/curriculum that challenges the most advanced of learners and then differentiating to make it accessible to each individual in the classroom. In other words, making it reach to the slowest of learners without sacrificing challenge, interest and relevance.
ReplyDelete2. When establishing classroom management, I totally agree that students are more likely to follow if the effort was collaborative between the teacher and the students. If the students were empowered to figure out collaboratively what makes a classroom environment conducive to learning and appreciation, they are more likely to follow and respect that.
3. I would like to research ways on how to make myself increasingly "useless" in the classroom instead of coming to the rescue when problems arise. I'd like to research ways on how to make this process an empowerment process rather then coming off as unwilling to help.
4. I've always believed in the power of lesson grabbers at the beginning of every new skill/concept. What the teacher does at the beginning of every unit sets the tone for weeks and drives he learning process. I'd like to implement more of the investigative approach, that was mentioned, at the beginning of lessons, making the students feel like detectives, or transporting them into other personalities in different eras or cultures. That would empower and compel them to be in the driver seat when continuing with the learning journey.
Mona you are never "useless". What you need to do is empower students and help them develop self-assessment strategies. Keep reading this book and your questions will be answered. Do not fly through this book. Reread for deeper understanding.
DeleteJoan, I was simply re-quoting what the author is saying on page 58, line 5: "Every day, teachers should make themselves increasingly useless in their students' lives. Instead of providing solutions, allow students to figure out for themselves" I'm a rescuer in character and would like to get away from that by increasingly empowering students, like you said, without sacrificing quality, structure and guidelines.
DeleteI had to smile when you say you are a rescuer. :)
DeleteWhen teaching kids, whether they are your own children or your students, in hindsight we all know that it is good to let them struggle to solve their own problems, but it is hard to watch. See my comment below. So good teaching has to be a balancing act where we allow the struggle to happen, but not to the point of creating discouragement in the students. What a tightrope to walk!
In chapter three, it was mentioned that students learn best when provided a moderate challenge. Similar to reading a just right book, as educators we have to make sure that we are providing students with a just right challenge. The tasks provided cannot be too easy nor can they be too hard. I loved reading the comment on page 34 about challenging students to "risk leaping into the unknown" while still providing students with just enough background knowledge to get started. Yes, they may struggle at times, but they do have the necessary knowledge and support needed to be successful.
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DeleteMona do not race through this book. This is plotted out so everyone can have time to read and reflect. Consider my next questions. Thank you Jo
ReplyDeleteJoan, I have two trips coming up with only one week in between. One of the trips is overseas. I would like to take advantage of the flexibility and be able to read ahead, if I may, so by the time my second trip approaches in July, I would be done with the book. I can assure you that I'm not sacrificing interest or understanding of this book. I hope my responses didn't indicate to you otherwise. I responded to your questions below. However, are we supposed to answer all the questions that you post, in addition to the benchmark questions?
DeleteThank you for letting me know about your trip.
DeleteRegarding the additional questions, I want you to think about them and answer one.
Chapter 3 questions to dig deeper into this book.
ReplyDelete1. How would you say that children in school today are different from children of the past? How has understanding of how humans learn changed over the past quarter century??
2. On pages 31–34, the author notes four findings about learning that are relatively new in the history of education: (1) intelligence is varied rather than singular; (2) the brain is malleable; (3) the brain needs meaning in order to learn; and (4) humans learn best with moderate challenge. How does your classroom or school integrate these findings into practice? Alternatively, what are key indicators that your school has not made these findings a central part of practice?
3. Think about the diversity of your school's student body. Which students have the most equity of access to the best curriculum, learning opportunities, teachers, practices, and guidance that the school has to offer? Which students do not?
1. With the presence of media, and the ease of accessibility to other cultures, notions or ideas, children today come to school with a higher level of background knowledge from children in the past. That might make it harder for teachers to keep the students motivated and challenged.
Delete2. Although all form of intelligences are tapped into at my school, not a lot of bridging is happening across intelligence. For example, relating music to the science until that is being taught. I think there should be more lesson planning happening between the 4 core subjects and the arts. For (2), this aspect varies from teacher to the next. In general, all students end up higher from where they have started. However, the level of testing that is required by the state and the test practices before that do affect the richness of learning. (3) The learning that I notice at our school encourages children to make connections with their surroundings and see the relevance of it in their lives. Rotating stations are set up in math or science that ties what they have learned into practical experiences.That is one way of providing meaning to the learning process. (4) Complexity of learning at our school happens, in one way, through implementing more student driven projects, where research and information have to be gathered and applied to show relevance to the topic in question. Various lessons can be drawn from a simple project that would demonstrate to the the student the complexity and appeal of the topic in question. For example, proper grammar and punctuation can be learned in second grade from having to write a book about famous people with the intent of reading it to younger grade levels. Plagiarism would be a concept to introduce while working on the project. Proper citing would be another lesson that can be built upon that project. This would keep the project getting continuously challenging without losing it's appeal.
3. The extent of parent involvement, interest in their kids' education and maintaining the challenge outside of school is very apparent in the students' performance.Those kids benefit the most.
A lot of people don't think of my school as diverse, but actually we have a lot of students from all over the world. A lot of our parents are in the oil industry so we have Russian, French, Italian, you name it. We also have a large & growing Asian community. I think we could do more to welcome our international friends. I have been working a bit on my collection (various dictionaries, Fiction titles reflecting an international vein, etc) & I hope to work more closely with the ESL teacher & others to meet the needs of our diverse population. Book Clubs have been one of the greatest successes for me & I often find these shy foreigners taking part in our book clubs. I think it is a safe place & we have it during lunch which is often an awkward time for them as lunch is all about hanging out with friends & many of them have not yet made a friend.
DeleteWhen asked how children of today differ from children of the past, my mind quickly focused on the following statement from page 35: "They know more things but may understand less of what they know." This comment is greatly disturbing to me. Despite our knowledge of the multiple intelligences we are making little progress ensuring that students grasp true meaning from the content presented. I agree with this statement. As mentioned several times throughout these two chapters, educators today often focus too much on strict curriculum guides and correct answers. Much of this is due in part to the pressure from standardized testing. Rather, we should allow the curriculum to guide us in a way that best meets the interests of students and is relevant to their lives and academic needs. I loved the example of the math teacher who presented students with both the problems and answers. This automatically eliminates the pressure for calculating a correct answer and allows students to focus on the varying methodologies for reaching the answer. This, therefore, contributes to the students overall understanding of the content.
Delete1. I believe the biggest change in our students of today versus the past is their easy access to and complete reliance on the Internet and social media. While the Internet is a great source of instantaneous information, we all know that it is not always the most accurate or unbiased source. I’m afraid the Internet has made today’s students “lazy learners” whose first impulse is to “Google it” and accept the first hit they get. As a librarian teaching research skills to elementary students, I constantly have to model for students the importance of checking their sources, evaluating the websites referenced and including multiple sources in their research (yes – including good old-fashioned print resources as well as online ones!). Since there are so many different levels of databases, books, and websites available, this balanced approach to research plays well into the goal of differentiated learning. Regardless of the students’ academic level or style of learning, there are great resources to be had if we can break them of the knee-jerk reaction to just “Google it” and move on.
DeleteI think no matter how diverse your school is - what matters for equity of access is the teacher and how they facilitate learning. There could be a class of students from perfect homes, with perfect incomes and perfect lives, but if the teacher does not challenge them, they won't grow in any new ways. In contrast, there can be a class of students who are on free lunch, immigrants, and less than perfect lives with a teacher who challenges them. Their grades may not show it but they can be growing in new ways. Once again it all comes back to relationships.
DeleteGreat point Brandee. If these students are not challenged in the classroom, no matter what their home, life they won't grow academically. Relationships are so important! Once a student knows that you care about them and you want them to grow and learn, when they trust you, then you have made it and you can teach them. They need to trust you, with some kids it takes longer to earn their trust, but it's worth the work.
DeleteNatalie, I think you make a great point about so much being focused on curriculum and correct answers. Teaching middle and high school most of my career, it was very difficult to get kids to realize there was more than one way to answer a question or learn the material. They had been so used to looking for the "correct answer" that they didn't enjoy or learn along the way. I would love to see kids trying and exploring more so they can find "a" way not "the" way to make learning relevant and important for them.
DeleteKaren, most people don't realize that MWE is very diverse as well. So many students come from varied cultural and economic backgrounds. Our diversity is one my favorite things about MWE because we truly feel like a melting pot. However this is a blessing and a curse, especially since our staff does not reflect the diversity of our population. Our students come to school with many varied experiences, which means our teachers have the challenge of meeting each student where there are based on where they came from.
DeleteChapter 4 thought provoking questions.
ReplyDelete1. How might the current approaches you and your students take facilitate differentiation or make it more of a challenge to implement?
2. This chapter makes the case that compelling curriculum contributes to a positive learning environment. What's really compelling (exciting) to you about the content you teach? What do you do to help students experience the excitement of ideas?
3. The author proposes that believing in the capacity of students means having high expectations for all and providing lots of "ladders" to help everyone climb to new levels of success. In what ways do you agree or disagree with this assertion?
4. Think about "positive classroom management" as it's described in this chapter. What does it look like?
I was talking to a teacher, not too long ago, who voiced her concern to me that one day "they're" going to require us to have a plan for every student and that they would expect us to differentiate for every single one of them. I feel that we do it anyway, to a certain extent, although not in the formal manner that this teacher is fearing. I feel that students, even in elementary age, have become much more vocal about voicing their concerns if something is not working for them. As parents and teachers, we are always trying to empower our kids to think for themselves, use their words and never be afraid to advocate for themselves. I've had students tell me, "I don't learn that way, can I try doing it another way." So, I feel that teachers all over have no choice but to differentiate, no matter how small or big the extent of it is. I feel that we are all gradually evolving towards full differentiation and the more we do it the easier it gets. At my school, students walk into the classroom and expect that at some point or another each one will be working on their own thing. They take pride in that and it has become part of their identity.
Delete2. Although I'm not assigned to a specific subject right now, I tend to enjoy science and math the most. Sharing the investigative nature of science and how we can observe and do science everyday in our lives without actually knowing it, is something that is very exciting to share with kids. Sharing with students how we can get from point A to point B in a math problem or illustrating certain concepts with daily connections that they encounter and seeing that light in their eyes, is very rewarding.
3. I totally agree with the author's belief. Every student is deserving of the highest expectations that we can present them with and then providing them the different pathways and tools to help them get there.
4. Positive classroom managagement is something that is totally attainable with treating students and respecting them as individuals. When students are in charge of their own learning goals and they trust that their teacher has their best interest at heart, misbehaviors would be minimized. At the same time, having time for fun and shared excitements alleviates tension between students and teachers and reinforces that trust. Serious work becomes more important because students know that there will be time for fun at a later time.
When I first started teaching I yelled a lot. I taught science & lots of labs - it was loud - lots of activity. I would go home exhausted. Raising my voice is not in my nature, however I was modeling after two teachers who were my mentors both men & one an ex MARINE. Ha ha. Anyway, it took me a while but I learned that for me, the best method was to "kill them with kindness." Once you have established a positive classroom environment it is a joy & it is no longer you against them. For me, it was not too hard to achieve as science lends itself to exploration, discovery, & downright fun. It was about letting go & giving up a bit of control. If the students wanted to experiment a little longer with something fun, I let them. It may have meant not finishing the lab .. or getting to the point of writing the conclusion, but there was always tomorrow.
DeleteMsR,
DeleteYour comment about having to shout to your class reminded me of some rowdy classes I’ve had in the past where I felt like the only way to be heard above the din was to shout myself. It was only through the happenstance of a bout of laryngitis several years ago that I proved to myself that even the rowdiest of classes could be tamed if I first modeled a quiet, calm voice. My laryngitis had reduced my voice to barely a whisper and I explained to the students in my crackling voice that they’d need to be extra quiet to be able to hear me because it hurt too much to speak any louder. To my amazement, they were very quiet and even responded back to me in whispered tones! I’d never experienced such a calm, quiet class in my life!! It just goes to show that it’s the teacher’s responsibility to model the expected behaviors to create the desired classroom climate.
I agree Millie, students do respond better to softer tones. When I was doing my student teaching, I complained to my mentor that one of my weaknesses is that I'm soft spoken. She contradicted me and said that that would actually be one of my strengths. It gets the kids to quite down so they can hear me. It calms them down.
DeletePositive Classroom Management takes a while to build. I went to a three day reading/writing workshop several years ago and it changed my life as a teacher. Ms. Tomlinson's words echo what I learned in that workshop! September was used as a time to get to know each other, set up routines, etc. and then by October we were in "family" mode. It reminds me of a teacher at SBMS. We had a group of 6th grade boys who liked to hide in the restroom during class so we called them "The Bathroom Bandits". One of them refused to hide a second time and went to his ELA class. When the A.P. asked why, he said, "I didn't want to miss class. It's like a family." THAT is positive classroom management!!
Delete3. I agree with the author’s contention that having high expectations of students will result in better results. That’s why I think it makes sense to have heterogeneous classrooms with all levels of students present. By doing so, students can learn from each other’s strengths. The author commented that “remedial classes tend to keep remedial learners remedial.” I feel there’s truth to that and by challenging even remedial students, while providing appropriate support (ladders), more progress will be made. When a teacher knows her students well enough, she can tailor the ladders needed to support each individual student’s climb to their highest heights.
Delete2. Compelling curriculum is key along with finding the nuggets of essential understanding that all students need out of that curriculum. I love that I can get super excited about so many different curriculum topics in the library through the research and discovery that happens when classes visit the library throughout the year. But what I find most compelling in the library right now is the ability for the library to be a place of discovery. Whether it is through Maker Space activities, coding lessons, or finding that just right book, the library is an exciting place to be!
Delete1. What was new? I loved figure 3.2 with our Understanding v. Reality in Education Practice. This was not necessarily “new” to me, but I’ve never seen it presented this way before. It hit the nail on the head perfectly with respect to what we often do when presented with students who don’t meet the “academic norm”.
ReplyDelete2. What did I know was true? The part on page 49 about what learners are like in all ages and stages is wonderful. It’s so important to remember that in general, students are all alike and different, they need acceptance, they need guidance, and they need to feel secure in their environment. I loved this section about the author’s mentor.
3. Did something interest me further? The section titled “Characteristics of a healthy classroom environment” was wonderful. It highlighted such important and impactful things to consider when managing a classroom. I would love to really think on and plan how I can make sure that my library embodies these characteristics!
4. How will I change what I do? I’m not sure I’ll completely change anything, per se, but I will, as I stated in #3, really examine my library and the environment I’m trying to cultivate. It’s extremely important to me that students and patrons feel free, stimulated, excited, happy, and safe in my library. The thoughts in Chapters 3 and 4 reinforce my passion to create this type of library feel.
(Karen Harrell) Although these thoughts are not new to me - bringing them forward to reflect on is good: We think, learn and create in different ways; the development of our potential is affected by the match between what we are asked to learn and how we are able to apply our particular abilities to the process of learning; and learners need opportunities to discover and develop their abilities in a range of intelligence areas. Although we have always had some kind of differentiated instruction in place - I think the last statement is the most important - develop in a range of intelligence areas. I think we get stuck in one type of teaching...We need to really consider brain research as we create learning environments so that we help different kinds of learners.
ReplyDeleteWhat did I know is true - everything said about heterogeneous grouping - however, I was a product of homogeneous grouping - and that did not allow me to learn at my speed (or no speed), but it did not encourage me to step up and learn at a faster rate. With heterogeneous grouping, differentiation will help take care of the learning differences - however it will take a master teacher to put the environment together. I always look at the library as an enormous classroom - so differentiation is imperative in the library. The difficult position is "knowing" each child. The bulleted statements on page 42 are so important as we think of differentiation. As I look to what I need to "look into further" I need to work harder on relationships with students. This last year I didn't have my lunch groups - I didn't know my students as well - and they didn't feel as welcome to enter the library. As I move into the "new building" I need to refocus on the library environment - am I focus on the students or am I focused on the facility. I need to think about the term "Joyful Learning" and bringing energy into learning with the students being the director of the learning. When I think about PGP I am thinking about the variety of students in the program - do they leave PGP energized or are they ready to nap - are they motivated to research or do they have "all they need." The library should be a hub of excitement and activity - all centered around the standards - but students should be motivated. Need to really take a look at the library environment. Of all places to be differentiated in a school - the library is the perfect place. How will I change what I do? Keep reading and evaluating - using books like this one to be a model or reminder of what we need to see in a library/classroom.
I like your comments. Yes, I too feel like I get overpowered by the facility & other tasks .. taking me away from engaging with students. I too want to make a concerted effort to get to know the students & think more about them & less about the facility. I've sort of got my facility the way I want it so it is something I should be able to do next year.
DeleteWhile it wasn’t new, I like to be reminded of the learning triangle (48). I think it’s important to always have this idea in my head—that I should always be thinking about the teaching, the students, and the content as an interconnected piece. I also liked the quote, “It’s not so important to be ‘right’ as to be open; it’s not so important to have all the answers as to be hungry for them.” I used to think I had to be right all the time to have credibility, but as I got more experience, I discovered that my students were a lot more excited about learning when I was learning also—when I wasn’t afraid to say “I don’t know—let’s find out!” They saw an adult who was eager to learn and they were eager to learn as well.
ReplyDeleteI would like to do more research on how teachers in one room schoolhouses taught such a range of students. This is something I’ve wondered about before, and, in the context of differentiation, I wonder how I could apply this to my teaching. I’ve also been interested in how our brains learn and remember when we make connections and meaning. On p. 33 Tomlinson says, “[Our brain] responds far more effectively and efficiently to something that carries deep and personal meaning—something that is life shaping, relevant, or important or taps into emptions.” When I taught 10th grade Humanities we tackled really deep and sometimes controversial issues in the world. The students usually brought in their own topics after we had discussed a topic for a while. The next year I taught the same students in English, and I found that they remembered so much of Humanities class and that they related everything back to units in Humanities—because they made an emotional connection to Humanties.
I always like the specific examples (like in ch. 4). They examples help me visualize what she is talking about and think about how I can implement these ideas in the library. These examples give me an idea of what my teaching could “look like”.
I think it’s interesting how much children have changed in just the time that I’ve been teaching. Remember when the policy was “no cell phone”? Now it’s BYOD (and if you don’t have one, we are looking into grants to provide you with one). My current students see the world very differently from how I do and even how my past students did. It’s interesting and also kind of scary. On p. 35, Tomlinson says, “The world is both larger and smaller than their parents and grandparents.” This is so true and interesting. They know more things, but their understanding seems broad instead of deep. It’s our job to help them understand more deeply—to help them question ideas. Tomlinson phrases it well when she says, “They know more things but understand less of what they know.”
The author proposes that believing in the capacity of students means having high expectations for all and providing lots of "ladders" to help everyone climb to new levels of success. In what ways do you agree or disagree with this assertion?
I think this is the backbone of differentiation. In and AP or IB class, for example, not all students are necessarily at the same level, but they are all expected to become AP- or IB-ready. In order to meet these high expectations, there need to be “ladders” for all the students. Some will need different “ladders”, which is where knowing our students and their needs comes in.
I liked when you quoted, “It’s not so important to be ‘right’ as to be open; it’s not so important to have all the answers as to be hungry for them.” I think I became a much better teacher when I could tell a class that I didn't know the answesr to their questions, but I could find out the answer. I believe that some students think teachers are smug for knowing all the answers, which WE know they don't, and it creates a barrier between students and teacher. Conversely, I think it also creates a barrier when the teacher lacks content knowledge, so it is quite a balancing act to know enough but not appear to be arrogant by knowing everything, if you know what I mean.
DeleteI also think it is important to explicitly tell students that we believe in their ability to learn. I've had way too many students who had never been told that they were smart by anyone, including their own parents.
I also found the comments about the relative size of the world interesting. Our students have the knowledge of the world in the palm of their hands and at their fingertips. This is amazing and scary at the same time. This is why lessons on digital citizenship and using technology responsibly is so important. This technology is also what can be used to equalize students who come to us with varied backgrounds. It is all about how we use it. "With great power, comes great responsibility!"
Delete1. So often, I think, when we look at our classrooms and how things are going there are so many possible issues we sometimes ignore the teacher and his/her improvement. The author states on page 41 that “the solution lies in finding the will to support teacher expertise in creating classrooms where “high-end curriculum” is the standard and differentiation is the mechanism…” While I know how to utilize differentiation in my library/classroom, many teachers don’t. Expertise is only gained through practice and experience. As an instructional leader in the school, I need to help support teacher expertise every time I collaborate with another teacher as we discuss the lesson, resources, and objectives students need to master in order to help teachers (and myself) gain more experience and practice in creating differentiated lessons that will effectively engage and challenge students. This idea of supporting teacher expertise is definitely something I hadn’t thought about, but will work on making more of a regular practice.
ReplyDelete2. The section in chapter 3 (pg. 39-44) and chapter 4 discuss the difficulty in balancing what we know we should do and what we frequently do in reality in our lessons. I see this as true so often in schools as I interact with both students and teachers. Sadly, too many teachers know what they should do, but think their students won’t work “up” to the high standards or its “too much work” to differentiate – especially in testing season (or in some lower performing schools). I love reading the specific examples and reminding my own self about what a differentiated classroom should look like. Creating lessons that are engaging and challenging for kids will help create that positive learning environment that we seek. Kids want to be engaged and excited about what they are learning and I love telling stories about my own personal experiences or bringing in stories/anecdotes that help the kids relate to the content. Also, having the kids find examples in their own lives about what we are learning (like the victim example in the book) helps tremendously too.
3. I would like to research and learn more about differentiating in a shorter time-frame like our library lessons. While I can definitely differentiate for lessons that are a longer term, it is more difficult to provide appropriate differentiation spur of the moment. However, preplanning for levels of understanding that we know exist already – no experience researching in the library, some experience using databases, etc. – can help me create some basic differentiation for certain lessons to use throughout the year. Obviously building relationships with my students and learning their needs will also be a must.
4. I think the biggest daily practice I will work towards is building differentiation into my library lessons – especially for research. I naturally differentiate in products and assessments, but I would like to work on the lesson delivery as well. Kids do come with a variety of experience levels and assuming that no one knows anything about what I’m teaching can make some kids simply disengage before even staring the project. Trying different ideas like flipping lessons, creating online tutorials/handbooks, and stations can help kids become more engaged in learning and growing. This approach requires numerous stages of coaching and help for kids who may need assistance, but can also challenge kids to step out of their comfort zone and try something new. Ultimately, the goal continues to be to create a library environment that is inviting, challenging, exciting, and a safe place to try new things.
I was intrigued by the idea of flipping library lessons. I saw a tweet recently about someone who has done this so that the time in the library is spent on the actual research and guiding the students to finding the information they need.
DeleteI also want to look deeper into the idea of using stations and centers in the library. Helping students work through the Code.org lessons would be one way we could use individualization in the library with those students who are interested.
1. I didn't find a lot of new stuff here in these two chapters. We've been talking about brain research & multiple intelligences for 10 years in education! Personally, as a science person I think it is a bit soon to make a lot of decisions based on brain research. We are still in the early stages. The table on page 43 Figure 3.2 whilst not new information was at least partially new to me as far as the examples & format. It is very stereotypical "What we often do." Who is "we" because I think the educational system not the teachers needs to take the brunt of this unfortunate factory that is our educational system. Addressing the differences & diversity of students is something I feel most teachers strive to do, but the time constraints & lack of communication/information about different students is problematic. As a Librarian, I find that I'm sometimes the last to know about a students' special needs. No one really thinks to inform us. Even though I might be seeing the student everyday & working with the student to accomplish tasks as he/she is sent to the Library. So, I've tried to befriend the reading specialist, the diagnostician, etc.. & now through conversations I'm a bit more in the loop.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure how this could/should be addressed. It is sometimes another mistake that can happen by those who would not really see us as "teachers."
2. I truly like & agree with the Artful Teacher triangle. The teacher is in a position of leadership, but also an integral part of learning along with the students as both explore the content. I agree with the information in Chapter 4 about children needing a nurturing environment where they can come to believe in improving themselves. I think it is a middle school hurdle not to judge them & think "well, he/she will never make it ..." Sadly, I hear this often from frustrated teachers.
3. Again the bullets on page 49 are something I need to preserve in my memory. I hope I can make use of it & improve my Library environment to be a safe heaven for students. It says that kids do better when teachers collaborate with them. I was thinking about a few times when instead of directing a student at the computer, I have plopped down next to them & told them I didn't know but maybe together we could figure it out. It makes a big difference & the student is truly paying attention & trying to problem solve with me. It is something that requires time & sometimes I don't have much of that :(
4. I would like to differentiate lessons & the materials I give them to help them with certain lessons. Like maybe a simplified handout, or a different power point/web page. Not sure? but something worth thinking about. I try to provide a variety of formats, but I could do more with my product.
I have read Caine and Caine in the past and was aware of the pliability of the brain—to both grow and shrink, but it was good to be reminded of how the brain works. Too often I have presented information that was just too complicated for students, and they just shut down at which point I would have to go back and consider how to break down the problem into smaller parts, help the students find connections that would make sense of the problem, and then proceed from there. It would have been nice to have started from there to avoid wasted time, but sometimes we don’t know where the students are until we give them something that rewards us with blank stares.
ReplyDeleteThe one thing that I read that makes me want to shout at teachers is when I hear a teacher tell a class, “Well, if you don’t get it, it’s your own fault. I’ve done my part.” I’ve heard that way too often. We don’t have the right to give up on kids. I learned this the second year of my career when I met Austin. Ninth grade was his first year to be in mainstreamed classrooms. He was dyslexic, he stuttered terribly, and he lacked any kind of confidence in his academic ability. Despite all of these problems, he was a very confident baseball player, and he had a goal of making the baseball team. During the year he was often frustrated. I called his parents frequently and gave them ideas of how they could help him at home. I offered him extended time to complete assignments. I held him to high standards that sometimes he just couldn’t reach, but he never gave up—he wanted to play on that baseball team, and the only way he could do that was to pass all of his classes. I remember one night when I called his mother to check on his progress on an essay he was to write, in tears, she told me that he was crying, saying that it was too hard. I asked to speak with him. I told him that writing was difficult for the best of writers, that it would take time to work his way through his thoughts, but that I was sure that he could do it. He had put his mind to making the baseball team, and he did it, so I knew that he would give it his best shot, and that he could count on me to help him fix any problems. He calmed down and said he would try; this boy who had so much going against him wasn’t giving up even though he thought it was impossible. Just a few weeks later, I arrived at school and was booting up my computer when my wife rushed in and yelled, “Don’t read your e-mail!” She didn’t want to find out by e-mail that Austin had been killed over the weekend in a motorcycle accident. I cried. The boy who had worked so hard was snatched away in the blink of an eye. He had never quit; he’d never given up even when he thought he couldn’t do it. He relied on his parents, and he relied on me to help him see that he could do it. His parents asked me to be an honorary pall bearer at his funeral along with his beloved baseball teammates. In their pain, they thanked me for helping Austin and for not giving up on him. How can I ever give up on a student? It is more than my job to help students succeed, it is the obligation of my profession and the duty of one human being for another. Anytime I have a student who has problems, I simply remember the name Austin Garner. I smile and think that if he can never give up, I can, too. (Even now I shed a few tears for that boy. He’s always with me.)
Of all the things that could make a person a better teacher, I truly believe that simply caring about your students is the one most important thing that will lead to success, and that has to come from within and has to be genuine. We can all learn more content and strategies, but without compassion we might as well call it quits as a teacher.
I’m not sure that I’ll do anything different. By caring about my students, all of my students, I’m way ahead of some teachers, and by caring, I’m motivated to do whatever it takes to teach them, so I’m always looking for new and better ways to teach.
Richard, I agree with you completely that we must care about our students! They can pick up on the "fakers" and they will do anything for a teacher or faculty member who actually cares for them and wants them to do well. :)
Delete1. I found the diagram of artful teaching relevant to the philosophy of differentiated instruction. Although each concept on its own was not a new idea, the visual of this learning triangle was a new representation for me. With equal sides and balanced focus on each, it really helped provide for me a visual of the teacher, students, and content instruction in the classroom.
ReplyDelete2. As mentioned in the text, students come to school having a variety of learning experiences. Coming from a lower income school, I have found that many of the students I teach have more limited background knowledge and learning experiences than those of their more affluent peers at schools with higher socio-economic statuses. As mentioned in the text, however, these students can make up the lost ground if they are provided with rich learning experiences in the classroom. As educators, we must make sure to provide these students with the learning experiences they are lacking. In my experiences, students with limited learning experiences are more eager and willing to learn when presented with hands-on activities in which they can participate. When in the library, there are multiple ways the learning experience gap can be closed. Skyping with authors, makerspace stations, accessibility to technology, collaborative online environments, and virtual field trips are just a few of the possibilities.
3. On my campus, standardized tests and scores place a large amount of stress on educators. Standardized tests do not support differentiation. If differentiation is supported by research (as it is) why then does the state require an assessment that does not support the research? Tomlinson states that “schools administer tests on the premise that all students of a certain age should have reached an average level on the performance on the prescribed content (40).”If I were to research anything in more depth, I would want to know if any steps (although I highly doubt it) are being taken to change the current format of testing to better meet the multiple intelligences of all students.
4. Chapters three and four have encouraged me to self-assess my personal use of differentiation in the library. As Kari mentioned earlier, I feel I do a great job of differentiating assessments. I need to, however, begin looking at how I can provide differentiation in my lesson delivery. I feel I did a great job of differentiating to my set of 20 students when in the classroom setting. Now, with over 700 students coming in and out of the library each week, I find it difficult to plan differentiated lessons ahead of time. Perhaps, as others have said, this will become easier as I get to know the students better. Stations do a great job of providing for the academic needs of students at varying levels. I may need to shorten the guided portion of my lesson delivery and provide for more independent discovery during stations.
I hate that so much research says standardized testing is not the way to see that our students needs are being met, but they are the "standard." So many factors are at play in students' lives that affect their learning, we are doing them a disservice to expect them to be in the exact same place just because they are the same age.
DeleteI agree that it is hard to differentiate with so many students and I would love to do more centers/stations to see if it helps!
1. What was new? I am realizing how fortunate I have been to be in schools that have focused on relationships. I just finished my 15th year and since day 1 of teaching, I have heard staff development on how relationships matter more than anything else! One thing I really liked was on pg. 32 where they talked about our brains being muscles and changing. There's an amazing book I read called, The Brain that Changes Itself. It's all about that! Definitely recommended.
ReplyDelete2. What do you know is true? I know it is true that when we understand how something fits, we learn and retain more information. On pg. 32-33, it talks about how our brain hungers for meaning. I know as a learner, I like to know how something fits or relates to me. If I don't know hot it fits, then I will often "tune out." Same with our students! Our brains learn best in chunks and I know the best teachers I've had or work with make connections or say, We are learning this because... Also in chapter 4, I love how the focus is on the whole student, not just the lesson. :)
3. Did something interest me? I was interested by the bold statements the author made on the bottom of page 36. She said, "Ever child is entitled to the promise of a teacher's optimism, enthusiasm, time, and energy, a teacher who will do everything possible, every day, to help students realize their potential" (Tomlinson 36). I am interested in how we as librarians can support these teachers more. It is very difficult to do this on a daily basis. I know that we can encourage them, offer our assistance, but I feel like there is something more. I am curious how other schools reach out to help weary/tired teachers as the year goes on.
4. How will this change me? I will be on the lookout even more for relationships, not just with students, but with teachers! They need our support too! It is so easy for me to focus on the kids, but I have to remember I am there for relationships and encouragements with the teachers too. Karen Harrell has shared great ideas and I remember Guusje saying she would bake chocolate for them just because. One time I had ice cream sundaes for everyone 2 years ago because it was just a yucky time. It was amazing how many smiles I got. I want to find more things like this that are cost efficient and meaningful.
Brandee,
DeleteI agree with your comments in #4 above that building relationships with both students and teachers is important. As librarians, we are in a unique position to interact with every student and classroom teacher on a regular basis. I find that we can be a life saver for the new struggling teacher as well as the experienced ones that may be getting a little burned out by just showing those little "acts of kindness" to make their day.
What was new for you in these chapters?
ReplyDeleteA really powerful moment for me in chapter 3 was when the teacher was saying that once she labels a child as a “behavior problem” she forgoes thinking about the whole child and just thinks about the instructional tricks to teach the child, putting them in a sort of prison. She talked about the importance of seeing the child as more than that label. I think that as librarians since we see the children for a number of years might get caught up in those labels and need to remember the WHOLE child and nurture that child.
What did you read that you know is true and can relate to based upon what you have seen in your experience as an educator?
I think getting to know the students in your classroom is extremely important. I think classroom teachers need to use the first few weeks of school to understand their students’ needs and what learning environment works best for them as individuals. Sometimes a whole group lesson isn’t always the best approach and we need to try other methods to introduce information to students.
Did something interest you that you would like to research further to obtain more information?
I thought the sections on heterogeneous vs homogeneous classrooms was interesting and I wonder where the sweet spot is where all learners’ needs are met.
How will this change what you do daily or how can you implement what you learned from these chapters?
I will definitely be re-reading the section on Characteristics of a Healthy Classroom Environment and make sure that my library is always a healthy environment for students. Students need to feel important, that the library is a joyful place, that they have some independence, and that we set high standards for all.
Virginia,
DeleteI also thought the part about labeling a child as a behavior problem versus looking at the whole child was powerful. I think another trap we can fall into as librarians is listening to what other people say about a child. If other teachers are "warning" us about a child who is a behavior problem our judgement can become clouded against that child. I think this passage is helpful in remembering to look at the whole child in that situation as well.
I also think that we have an advantage as librarians that we get to see some of these "problem" children as others know them grow and mature over the years. We also get to see them in a different learning environment. An area where the students are given a bit more choice in what they read/learn about and how they use the time when they are at the library. I have even see teachers pleasantly surprised with how a student who struggles to keep his/her behavior in check in the classroom can have a very successful learning experience in the library because I promote an environment of shared learning and working together whether we are working on selecting reading material or working on a technology project.
Delete1. As the G/T coordinator for my campus, I constantly struggle with how to provide the appropriate environment to engage and advance our gifted learners. One of the research findings cited by the author on pg. 38 evaluated the pros and cons of homogeneous vs. heterogeneous classrooms for gifted children. Its finding were new to me and they raised even more questions in my mind. She reported that, “In addition, highly selective school settings for high-ability students may actually result in reduced self-concepts for these students, with repercussions for student aspirations and course-taking decisions many years into the future.” Yikes! Our district’s current elementary GT program features a one day a week pull-out program for gifted students to meet together in homogeneous groups to participate in a special higher level curriculum. I’d have to research the cited study further to better understand what proof the researchers found to validate the negative impact of homogeneous groupings, but I’d always thought that allowing gifted students to work together was stimulating and beneficial to their growth.
ReplyDelete2. What I know to be true (and what drives me crazy), is expressed in the quote on page 40 that says, “Schools prepare children for tests more than for life.” Our standardized testing system is diametrically opposed to everything that differentiation stands for and counteracts all the hard work teachers have invested thru out the year to meet the individual needs of each student. To think that, as the author says, “Toward the end of the school year, schools administer standardized tests on the premise that all students of a certain age should have reached an average level of performance on the prescribed content by the testing date”, and that we expect every student, regardless of their intelligence/learning style to sit for hours on end in silence to complete a written STAAR test is absolutely ridiculous! We’ve got to come up with a better way to assess student achievement than what we use now.
3. As I outlined in my response to question #1 above, I’d like to do more research on how best to meet the needs of our gifted student population to ensure both equity and excellence in their instruction. I believe our gifted kids have languished, unattended to because of the higher priority placed on raising the level of performance of our lower level kids. We tend to think the gifted students can take care of themselves and that our time and efforts are better spent on helping struggling students pass the test. But as the author points out on page 36, “Children who come to school advanced beyond expectations in one or more areas also require equity of opportunity to grow from their points of entry,...” I believe our gifted students deserve more than what we are currently providing them. I just am not sure how to deliver on this order.
4. I agree with what the author says about brain research and how the brain seeks meaningful patterns, retaining information better when it can be organized into categories or familiar concepts. I could relate to the examples she gave in Chpt. 4 about healthy classrooms and my goal from this point out is to help my students make needed connections from new to known so they will be able to learn more easily. Unfortunately, my school’s Title I population of students has limited opportunities to experience life to its fullest, which limits their arsenal of connections to make! Therefore, I feel it’s my responsibility, as the author says on pg. 55, “… showing them meaningful links to their own lives will make real readers of them, rather than takers of tests and memorizers of facts.” I need to make sure my instruction is relevant to my students and authentic enough so that it achieves the goal stated by the author on pg. 52, where what is taught and learned “Opens students’ ideas to their power and potential both inside the classroom and out in the world.” I love that quote!
Millie:
DeleteYour comment about the testing issues really hit home with me. As I looked at the results of our testing this year there were students making great strides from last year, but not meeting the criteria for an acceptable score on the standardized test. This is very frustrating for everyone involved. How do we help those students have "joyful learning" and make meaningful connections when their progress is not celebrated?
I also like your plan to make instruction authentic and empowering to your students. Please do not hesitate to share your progress next year.
1. The descriptions and characteristics were not new to me, but I did like the visual of the ‘artful teaching’ triangle. The research results regarding intelligence were concise and a great review of much of the information recently reviewed in our GT updates.
ReplyDelete2. Much of the conversation regarding insights into brain research was very similar to information I have received with regard to stroke rehabilitation and age related memory loss. We can repair damage to parts of the brain with retraining of our muscles and decrease cognitive decline with intellectual stimulation. So I can relate to the research that says that we learn based on the level of challenge.
3. We know much of the knowledge regarding teaching all children but the reality of what we practice is so much different. There are many reasons for this, but the struggle with the testing schedule is one of biggest in my opinion. Working to make the shift to this desired learning environment, one that will support the learning we want for our students, will require a close look at our testing procedures.
4. Two characteristics given for a differentiated classroom intrigued me. One was that the teacher “strives for joyful learning” and the other was that she “sets high expectations – and provides lots of ladders.” I hope to focus on joyful learning this fall with all the students, but especially with my gifted students. Even though we talk a lot, I would like to have more student-led conversation with honest interaction so that I can better provide the “ladders” where needed.
I apologize that I am a little behind. Since it is summer, I am "off the grid" almost all the time. Luckily, there is a public library fairly near me so I hope to catch up with the postings/readings before the end of the course!
ReplyDeleteIn chapters 3 and 4 the author focused on taking a hard look at what schools do currently and whether that supports differentiated instruction and the importance of creating a classroom environment that supports differentiated instruction.
The part of these chapters that were new to me was the strength of her argument about looking at how school systems group learners by age and then “prescribe” a curriculum by which will bring all of the learners ready for the next grade level. I mean I have read and thought many times that the current way that students move through the grade levels completing different tasks (some the same) year after year should perhaps be evaluated but what is the alternative? The author didn’t really suggest any way to truly overhaul the current system of education. Every school district employs many individuals to write, hone, and develop curriculum for a particular subject at a particular grade level almost every year as a requirement for teachers to follow. Yet here Ms. Tomlinson would suggest we should rethink how the system works. I hope this does happen, but I don’t think it will happen in my teaching career except in the ways it is already happening throughout the US in small pockets of different schools both private and public.
There was a lot of chapter 3 and 4 that I know is true. I know that part of the education system needs fixing – we can’t do what we have been doing (especially in Title I schools). On page 40, I was most impressed by the author actually writing about a practice which I have observed repeatedly but doesn’t change and that is the problem of assigning of the lowest achieving students to the newest or most burnt out teachers – as if these students are somehow expendable. I also know it is true that the first thing a teacher must do is to create the classroom environment that non-judgmentally welcomes all learners.
The area that I would like to research further is about the brain growing. I began looking into this last year reading part of Mindset: the New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck.
As far as changing what I do in the library daily, I guess I am planning on looking at the learning environment more. I know that the library is open, inviting and the students like going there however I think it could be improved in the areas of making sure the whole child is represented in the library instead of just the kids who like technology or books. Seeking input from students is also something that I want to explore more of to bring the SWMS library up to the next level.
In thinking about question number 3 of the “dig deeper” questions, SWMS isn’t the most diverse school I have worked at as far as ethnic and socioeconomic quantifiers. It is very diverse in terms of students’ skills and abilities. There is a lot of homogeneous grouping that goes on in the core subjects and quite often this seems to keep the “remedial students remedial” as Tomlinson referenced on page 37. It seems like the students who have families who are active in their educational life whether that is contact with the teacher, attending after school events such as music performances or daily conversations have an advantage over the students who don’t have this involvement no matter what the students’ skill or ability level.
1. I found these assumptions about school to be interesting:
ReplyDeletechildren of a given age are enough like each other that they should traverse the same curriculum in the same fashion
children should finish classroom tasks as near to the same moment as possible
the school year should be the same length for all learners
These points made me really think about the institution of public education in our country and what exactly we are telling students by putting them in these type classrooms. It also really makes a good point for differentiation since we as educators know that these assumptions are definitely NOT true. Each student is an individual that learns and works differently from all the other students in the classroom.
2. One thing that I see at Meadow Wood all the time is the fact that there is such a “great chasm between children who have benefitted from enriching childhoods and those who have little to no enriching experiences” at home. It is challenging as a teacher to help those students bridge the gap and try to facilitate some of those meaningful experiences at school while challenging and extending the learning of those who come to us with a lifetime of experiences! Teachers have to find value in all the experiences that children bring to school, find the ones that they share to create common ground, and then find ways to enrich all the students too.
3. “Growth Mindset” is a buzzword that I am hearing a lot of chatter about in educational realms. I like this image that I saw on Twitter:
We really have to train our students (and teachers) to change how they think about learning. I want to find out how to break down the barriers and find ways to challenge students to try new things and become resilient learners.
4. When I finished reading these chapters my thoughts came together as this thought about what I hope students feel about the library: “A daily invitation to enter into a classroom (the library) where they will be filled with a sense of anticipation for they do not know what they will discover that day, but they can’t wait to find out!” I want the library to be the big classroom that students enter, never knowing just what Mrs. Lewis has up her sleeve and waiting for them! What will they find, get to try, tinker with, experience, or make when they are here? Hopefully something that challenges them to step outside their comfort zone and into a new realm of learning.