Benchmark 3
July 2 Chapters 5 & 6
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?
Chapter 5
ReplyDelete1. In this chapter, the author suggests that students learn effectively when they are engaged in the learning process and when they come away from the learning process genuinely understanding the content. Based on your experience as a teacher (or as a learner), provide examples that confirm or call into question the importance of engagement to understanding.
I can think of lots of examples! As a science teacher we used to give a worksheet where students drew different types of clouds etc. Then we went to journals one year & the students went outside & sketched various clouds over the course of several days so they saw different cloud formations. Obviously, authentic learning takes place when you put them in a real world experience. I see the same thing in my Library Lessons. I can teach Destiny all day long, but when I guide a student through it to find a book THEY want to read it suddenly opens up to them & they understand the system so much better.
DeleteSo often I see teachers in the copy room every single day making copies of the worksheets they will use for that day. I would venture to say that most of the time these worksheets will not engage students and help them gain a true understanding of the content. Student engagement is absolutely key to helping kids truly make connections and solidify their understanding of the content. Making the early American exploration time period connect to students was difficult. It's easy to give a set of facts, but when I created a "dating game" activity and had the kids research how each country handled exploration, dealing with native populations, and had them decide which "date" (country) was the best option for the native population, the content became much more real and kids began to connect and understand more. It wasn't just facts now, they started to see the interactions between people groups, how one country actually did make smarter choices and another made selfish choices. They were so interested in learning about what happened because they were able to see inconsistencies in what they had learned previously and were able to make their own judgements about what they were learning. Facts became real and connected to their own lives, so real understanding could begin to occur.
Delete10th grade English. Mrs. Eardley. She was one of the first teachers I remember that put us into groups and had us try a new way of learning. We were in a pre-ap class and learning vocabulary words. Instead of doing a worksheet, she put us in groups and assigned a word to us. We had to think of a way as a group to visually represent the word and then present it to the class. I will never forget one of the words - hyperbole. It was on computer paper and the group that presented drew all capital letters that filled the page, they explained how the word means exaggeration and to this day I can still remember sitting in Mrs. Eardley's class listening to those presentations.
DeleteI agree 100% that no lasting learning will take place without both engagement and understanding. I can tell which teachers rely on the “drill and kill” method and rush through units of study with worksheets and rote memorization to get their students to pass end-of-unit tests. These are the classes that come to the library and totally embarrass their teacher when the students are not able to answer basic comprehension questions I may pose to them when introducing my library lesson on the topic they just covered in their class. The teachers seem incredulous that their students don’t know the answers, but it’s because the students were never “engaged” in the content and were not able to make the needed personal connections to the information to make the content meaningful.
DeleteEven though engagement is a current buzzword, I don't think it is a new concept for the expert teacher. Teachers who engage their students have classrooms that are filled with students sharing, debating, and creating. Those are the teachers who do not waste paper on busywork. Each assignment has a purpose and makes the content meaningful and memorable. These are the teachers who make teaching an art and are passionate about what they do each day. I couldn't sustain this in the classroom, but thankfully I have discovered my passion in the realm of the library and look forward to sparking that love in learning each and every day!
DeleteChapter 6
ReplyDelete2. Scan the material on pages 83–101 to find an example from a grade level close to the one you teach (or the grade-level you're most interested in). Reread this example, looking for evidence of what is being differentiated, how it's being differentiated, and why it's being differentiated. Use Figure 6.2 to guide your thinking and sharing.
Looking at the classification activity for living and non-living items for first graders, the teacher differentiated the process of classification through providing different representations of the object, whether it's the actual item collected or a picture associated with the word. This skill is supported by a good understanding of the concept of what it means for an object to be living or non-living, where do fossils and pieces of bark belong, are they living, non-living, or a totally new category, called once-living. Have the students go through different examples can reinforce the concept.
DeleteThe fact that Mrs. Lanes is very aware of her students' reading levels and how she's able to pair that with a science concept in order to maximize interest for some of them, is key to figuring out how to differentiate this activity. For some early writers, she might even include an activity of writing one or two sentences of what makes an object living or non-living.
The whole purpose of differentiating is built on the tenet of reaching to all learners at the level where they are at in order to teach a certain concept or skill, to show why it's relevant and how it can be used for future concepts. It was important for Mrs.Lanes that her non-readers learn new words by recognizing an object that goes with it. Tying reading and word recognition to science and the scavenger hunt that the students did in their previous class would make the learning process more meaningful, reading more attainable and the science classification concept reinforced.
I guess I relate to the Biology since I tutored HS Bio for quite a while.
DeleteThe teacher is differentiating the vocabulary. The time it takes to master it & the content itself is being differentiated. She is differentiating using small groups, & changing the way she teaches students who have difficulty with complicated vocabulary for one reason or another. Once I taught ESL-Science back in those day it was called "special science" haha. Vocabulary was a killer. As in this example I utilized a lot of root word examples as in science root words are key to understanding. Also prefixes & suffixes. Students are really learning a lot of Latin & I always told them they were learning Latin which greatly impressed them ;D She is also using different approaches to the lesson - oral vs. written, group work vs. individual work.
She is not front-loading the vocabulary to the entire class because not all of them need it. So, in this way she is making learning for all students more efficient depending on their needs & challenging them at different levels as befits them.
I really like the differentiation mentioned on page 86 about physical education and volleyball skills. Honestly, P.E. can be a nightmare for those in middle school, especially if you're not athletic or coordinated. The coach is differentiating the mastery of skills for volleyball, something that I would be grateful for as a student. ;) He is differentiating by focusing on a smaller group and allowing the students who have mastered the skill to work on something else. The coach is doing this to help ensure self-confidence, progress, and participation in a sports or activity. I know that if this had happened when I was in 6th grade I might have learned more and not been scared of sports. I love that the author put a P.E. example in - often we as educators exempt them because it's P.E. - how can you differentiate, but now I see how!
DeleteI chose to relate to the first grade differentiation example about patterns. In this particular example, the teacher had students create their own Important Book using the same pattern from the read aloud, The Important Book by Margaret Wise. The teacher differentiated this activity according to student readiness. Those students who were not independent writers, met in a group with Mr. Morgan for guided assistance. Other students peer wrote their entries with use of a template and the more advanced writers completed their entries independently without a template. In choosing this activity, Mr. Morgan provided all the students in his class the opportunity to create a pattern and to work on their writing skills (all required skills for first grade). He did so, however, in a way that met the varied writing proficiencies of his students.
DeleteI liked the example of Mr. Mack and his 4th grade proofreading center. Mr. Mack has designed a way to differentiate both the process and the content of his proofreading center to match the interests and readiness levels of each of his students. He writes passages for students to edit that are at varying degrees of difficulty and he makes sure to include topics that he knows are of interest to his students. By doing so, he prevents his advanced students from getting bored with unnecessary repetition of skills they’ve already mastered and he makes sure his struggling students are not overwhelmed by activities beyond their level of readiness. The component of Mr. Mack’s center that I thought was most effective was his infusion of humor - having the passages appear to be written by classroom gnomes, book characters or favorite sports heroes. He also allows students to submit some of their own writing samples to the center for classmates to edit. As stated on page 85, the students look forward to proofreading in Mr. Mack’s class because they’re motivated by his humor, reading level matches and the chance to help a peer improve their own writing – you can’t beat that result!
DeleteI found Figure 6.2 to be very clarifying and something that I would like to refer back to when doing my own planning. Working at the middle school level and being a poor speller, the example dealing with a 6th grade ELA class focusing on spelling was particularly interesting. The teacher used a pre-test to determine where students should begin working on level appropriate spelling words to learn, gave meaningful lessons to learn the words, used peers to help administer mid-level tests and sporadically gave other assessments to determine progress. I wish I would have had a teacher like this instead of always “failing” at spelling tests week after week because I might of actually learned (at an age appropriate time) some general spelling rules. As an ELA teacher, my students who passed the spelling test on Monday did other learning during the spelling activities but as I look back this probably wasn’t the best use of their time – I just knew that they should have to practice words they already knew how to spell. In retrospect, they should have moved on in spelling instead of another area of their ELA learning.
DeleteI chose to read the 9th grade lesson about revolution and change. Just in the reading of the description of the varied activities I was excited about the content they were learning. I would have loved to have been in a history class that encouraged discussion and discovery like this one did. The teacher even did a great job connecting the study of the Industrial Revolution to current events. Not only did she help student make connections, she allowed so much choice and diversity in modes of learning that it would be difficult for a student not to find a suitable match. I feel like the teacher supported and challenged the students in her class, respecting their differences and asking them to think for themselves instead of giving them the information entirely herself. This unit took lots of time to plan and implement, but this is the type of studying that students will remember and will be cementing in their learning moving forward.
Delete1. I believe that I, unknowingly, follow that rule to a certain extent, but now the idea of making sure that learning experiences should be solidly packed with concepts and principles when the standards reflect skill level learning (pg. 69) is well articulated to me and is very important in making learning applicable.
ReplyDelete2. Building the concepts of a new unit on skills learned from a previous unit is, I think, something that we all use and follow as teachers. Learning is tiered and we can't learn one concept in obsolescence from other concepts or skills. Take for example, teaching first graders how to read a ruler in Math and using it to measure things around the classroom, can help in reinforcing the concept that rectangles have opposite sides that are of equal measurements and squares of 4 equal sides. Students would be using their measurement skills to prove the concept of a rectangle and a square.
3. Reading the different examples in chapter 6, I feel that it's much easier to differentiate skill-based instruction than concept- or meaning-based instruction. It would be beneficial for me to look at more examples of differentiation that are concept based.
4. Utilizing both forms of instructions, skill- and concept-based and filling the blanks of one with the other would make the learning experience much more interesting and it would be something that I would look forward to implementing. Being respectful of all ability levels is something to keep in mind when planning differentiation with the idea that every activity should be accessible to students at the level that they're comfortable with.
Funny, I also felt that in some subconscious way I have joined learning levels with curriculum. I believe that is what you mean? I think we are all aware of different student levels & that we cannot just teach one way. However, the chart Fig. 5.2 is great! & is so clear with the examples. Wish I had it a long time ago.
Delete1. I think that in a way, I have been aware of the levels of learning. However, the Fig. 5-1 on Page 67 is great in the examples it lays out. I wish that all curriculum writers had a copy of this in front of them. I was on curriculum writing committees for years! & this would have been so helpful in bringing us together to our task. Often, we are mired in the "facts" & "concepts" & don't take the time to consider the other relevant portions especially "skills."
ReplyDelete2. I think as educators we have all fallen into that trap "I have to do clouds by such & such a date" it is a sad fact, but we get the feeling of having to cover stuff rather than engage students in meaningful exploration.
3. It would be interesting to use some of these concepts to rewrite some of our Library lessons. I would like to try to devise/revise a lesson based on the format of 5.2 flow chart or better to work with a group of Librarians to accomplish this end.
4. I hope to be more conscious of the product as I teach Library Lessons. It is hard to experience all the learning levels when I teach Lib. lessons because I'm not always given enough time from the teachers. It will take more of a joint effort so that I'm building upon the students prior knowledge. I've achieved that with a few teachers who I have been working with & doing similar lessons with them for a few years. Now the teacher feels confident enough to do a lot of the content (for example: showing them around Opposing Viewpoints) & then when I speak to students I can concentrate more on what the product is & why they are doing the research in this way with the database, why they are citing sources etc...
I agree with #4 - building on previous lessons is a must. There is not always time to teach the library lessons as I want, but I can adjust. Good point!
DeleteI agree with Brandee - building on previous lessons is important. Sometimes I feel like I start from square one every time.
DeleteWhen I read the comment about the teachers devising a plan to “fit in” their unit on clouds, I was immediately struck with guilt! I too have found myself in the same predicament. Such mundane lessons not only waste our time, but our students’ time as well. I love how this book is emphasizing the importance of engagement and understanding. We can’t possible expect them to understand the content if we do not engage them in a way that allows them to draw meaning from the topic.
Delete1. Chapter 5 was a complete review of everything I was learning and utilizing when I was working at a school that was based on project based conceptual learning. We actually walked through the steps in chapter 5 to identify the concepts, principles, skills, attitudes, and facts for each content area and team. I truly enjoyed reminding myself of all those things I remembered, but also, to remind myself of where I need to be. It is sometimes hard to put together differentiated lessons for more than just products, so reading the examples in chapter 6 (especially the Industrial Revolution) was a great idea stimulator. I need to be better about working with teachers to help them differentiate, but then also I need to be better about planning library lessons that utilize differentiation on many levels.
ReplyDelete2. The example on page 69 where students didn’t know why they were writing paragraphs, they just were, is all too common in schools. Unfortunately, teachers frequently “decide what to teach first, teach it; decide what to teach next, teach it…” (77). The idea that everything needs to be integrated and go together just doesn’t happen in many classrooms. However, the example the author gave of eating 2 cups of flour, a cup of water, a tablespoon of yeast, etc. rather than eating the pizza as a whole would be great to explain to teachers. Understanding that to really meet the needs of our kids everything is integrated…it’s not just teaching skills/concepts in isolation. It requires us to do some front-loading and extra work in order to make the connections and provide the meaningful activities that they need to truly begin understanding the content on a deeper level and make connections for themselves.
3. I really want to take some of the lessons I know I will be teaching this year and researching ways to differentiate them beyond simply product. I know it is possible, but it would be great to find ways to take my lessons and make them much more engaging for the kids.
4. These chapters especially have helped me begin to look at my own teaching and lessons and be very self-reflective. I would like to begin transforming my lessons to include more differentiation so that it becomes natural again. Continuing to work on these skills will allow me to help teachers as they plan projects, research, and lessons that involve and incorporate library resources every day.
I also liked that pizza ingredient example! Kids really need to know the why, why are they learning these things! Not just to pass the STAAR test, these are life skills they need to have. Tell them the WHY!
Delete1. What was new? There were great reminders in both chapters about how important it is to help students make real world connections. I especially liked the example of the teachers on pg. 70-71 planning the cloud unit. They had taught the unit so much (and it was probably a big hit for the end of the year) but they couldn't even remember the names of the clouds! I know that I am guilty of planning units like that in my first few years, thankfully I worked with teachers and attended workshops who helped me see that it's about skills in ELA not novels and units.
ReplyDelete2. What do you know is true? I know that it's true that kids know what is going on in the classroom. On page 69, one student knew that it didn't matter what they wrote as long as it was paragraphs and then another student knew that another class was fun but they didn't learn much. Our students are often a lot smarter than we give them credit for in the classroom! They pick up on teacher tensions, unprepared lessons, confusion, emotions, all kinds of stuff, especially at the middle school level. It's like their life goal is to get their teachers off topic.
3. Did something interest me? I was interested by all the real life examples given in chapter 6. I am very impressed with the range of ages given. I have worked with teachers who think middle schoolers still need help and that 6th grade is a big adjustment. Yes, I agree that is true, but after reading these examples of what 1st graders can do, it confirms my thoughts that we baby our middle schoolers a bit too much and then all of a sudden expect them to be fully responsible one year. There has to be some transition time.
4. How will this change me? I can see that many of these activities are time intensive on preparation. I would like to help my teachers prepare by offering databases, technology, the library, my help, etc. so that they don't feel so overwhelmed. I know that there are teachers at my campus doing this everyday and I have worked with many of them, but I would love to see it happen more often. Middle schoolers thrive in this kind of environment - no matter what background they come from!
Brandee,
DeleteI agree that helping students make real world connections is critical to ensuring their learning is meaningful and lasting. I find it challenging though to help some of my Title I and ESL students find appropriate connections to make because their background experiences are very limited. Many of them have never traveled outside of Houston, and they rarely have had the opportunity to go to museums, or attend plays or concerts. Their vocabulary is limited and they have few role models at home to help them experience life to the fullest. I have learned not to take for granted that they share the same experiences I had as a student because when I question them more deeply, I find they have no clue as to what I’m talking about. I end up having to spend extra time “setting the scene” and helping them discover viable connections. But I know it is time well spent because as the author said on page 63, “Students don’t really learn if they don’t connect with or don’t understand the content they study.”
(Karen H.)These two chapters made me sit back and think just a little and reflect on our PGP curriculum..we are strong in our content and in our final products...but I see a weakness in our process. The process is where the students actually understand the content and can put it into practice. I guess the "new" idea I will look at is making sure that my lessons include a strong process and that the process is effective (see page 72). At Rummel Creek we are really looking at lessons going back to standards...so this will help me make sure that the process is effective learning for the student. Another aha for me in these chapters is making sure that student know the purpose of the lesson and see relevance for the learning. Sometimes we get into "showy" lessons, when it's really all about why a student should learn. What do I know is true - that students (even GT students) are on different levels....differentiation is important...but...think what is your "differentiating" actually doing for the student. Seeing all of the examples was really good as it gave me the chance to put my lessons into some of the examples and see where I'm missing the whole differentiating idea. I think we really think we are doing differentiating, when actually we are changing the the process/purpose of the lesson. I also see that the library is the perfect place for differentiation. We can be a real resource for teachers in many ways sharing the resources we have in our collections and access on-line. What interested me was looking at the lessons and actually seeing the pedagogy used by the teacher to provide differentiation. You often read professional titles that tell you things, but this book actually provides the samples of lessons that will help me evaluate my lessons. I loved the variety of topics and age groups. I realize from seeing some of the examples that perhaps students should be able to do much more than I expect. I need to let students make choices and show me how far they can go. How will this change me? I will reflect more on processes and work hard to know the teachers and students....knowing the students and teachers and where they are will enable me to share appropriate resources with teachers. The concluding paragraph in chapter 6 really states it all - "wanted to provide students the opportunity to learn coherently, at the appropriate level of challenge, and in an engaging way." That is what I'll strive to do. I've been working with a group of middle school girls over the summer, this book has been put into practice daily...they have come to me with different backgrounds and understanding of the topic. I've had to find engaging ways to get them involved with the information so that they can apply it. Differentiation works outside of the school environment as well. (Think of your personal children!) Big aha - make sure learning is engaging - that will help students retain the content!
ReplyDeleteTake away as a librarian - I am glad my staff is doing this same book study. I've been able to read their comments as well and see where I can plug in to their classrooms. Just as you differentiate for students, I can see where I need to differentiate for teachers in utilizing the resources available from the library.
These chapters had great reminders of planning for differentiation. I particularly like the question on p. 61: “What do you want each student to come away with as a result of this activity?” I always ask myself this as I’m planning lessons, but I related to the anecdote about the new teacher who didn’t ask herself this. I used to ask my student teachers this question when they were working on their lessons.
ReplyDeleteI also liked the section on p. 86: “During planning, a teacher should generate specific lists of what students should know (facts), understand (concepts and principles), and be able to do (skills) by the time the unit ends.” I think it’s a good idea to keep quotes like this with you when planning units to keep yourself focused on the task. I plan to keep this in my unit planning materials and bring it out when planning with teachers—to keep myself on track.
In the section on engagement on p. 63 I thought a lot about how much my students loved when we studied Persepolis. This was the book they remembered the rest of the year. They particularly engaged because it was a graphic novel, but I also think they engaged with the assignments. Engagement in Persepolis made it a more memorable unit for them.
I always like the sections in this book that are specific examples. One of the examples that stood out for me was on p. 87—High School Biology: Vocabulary Development. In this section the teacher differentiated the “timing of the material’s introduction” based on the students’ readiness. She had students of all levels in her class—including some ELLs as well as students who are ready to learn vocabulary independently. She front loaded the vocabulary scaffolds for some students but doesn’t hold back the students who need it.
1. The concept of differentiation itself is not new to me, but the manner in which these last two chapters have outlined lesson planning with differentiation in mind is a new concept. It is a concept that I plan to begin implementing this year. For example, it is recommended that teachers make lists of the facts, concepts and principles, and skills they would like their students to complete by the end of a unit. After doing so, the teacher then brainstorms a list of engaging activities with varied learning opportunities. This will help ensure that the standards are embedded into the lessons in a meaningful way.
ReplyDelete2. I can relate to the statement that both meaning and sense are required to sustain learning. As Tomlinson explains, “students don’t really learn if they don’t connect with or don’t understand the content.” (63). As a student, I can vouch for the validity of this statement. In order to make sense of a concept, I must first be engaged with the material. Furthermore, I found the examples of student understanding on page 63-64 helpful. These characteristics represent the student who has grasped a true understanding of concepts. These characteristics would be very helpful in assessing for student understanding of concepts.
3. Standards are not meant to be taught in isolation. I wish this was a known fact that all educators were aware of. Unfortunately, many teachers today see the standards as the overarching objectives for their lesson plan. They do little to weave standards together to form more engaging lessons that promote student understanding. I feel Figure 5.2 could be modified somewhat and used as a lesson plan template for teachers to guide them in the differentiation mindset. This might be something I choose to look more into this year as I reevaluate my own lesson planning.
4. As mentioned in response to question one, I plan to begin implementing differentiation into my lesson planning. I found the chart on pages 67-68 helpful in differentiating between facts, concepts, principles, attitudes, and skills. I plan to use this chart as I begin lesson planning this year. It will be helpful as I generate my list of facts, concepts and principles, and skills I would like my students to complete by the end of each unit.
Natalie:
DeleteI like your comment! The impact of Figure 5.2 on teachers could be substantial. Using it for a lesson plan format or extended planning guideline could change the direction of current lesson structure. The focus could then shift from standard-centered to more complete levels of learning and a more desirable outcome. It will take a lot of work and we, as librarians, will need to be available for support and ideas.
1. What was new for you in these chapters?
ReplyDeleteI loved the examples of how teachers were actually differentiating their classrooms in chapter 6, it really cemented the concept for me. Chapter 5 really got me thinking about the district’s curriculum guides. Are pacing guides too much? Are we trying to cram too much information in to the students’ heads that they won’t know the concepts deep enough?
2. 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?
We shouldn’t keep the end goal a secret from the student. It’s ok to tell them what you want them to learn! It’s great when teacher’s write out the objectives on the board so student’s know what they are working towards. They don’t all have to take the same path to get there, but it’s great to know where you want to end up.
3. Did something interest you that you would like to research further to obtain more information?
It would be interesting to see how different types of curriculum and pacing guides are used in different schools. How much is too much guidance? Are really detailed pacing guides telling teachers what to teach or how to teach it? Would that be too constrictive?
4. How will this change what you do daily or how can you implement what you learned from these chapters?
The differentiating what/how/ and why will get me thinking about these questions in my own lessons in the library.
Virginia,
DeleteI also wonder if pacing guides are the right way for all students. But I think of them as objectives, just on a larger scale. It gives thee teacher and the students a learning goal and a timing goal.
Ginny,
DeleteI agree with your suggestion that teachers should post objectives on the board so students are aware of the desired learning goals. Keeping the end in mind is definitely beneficial for students to periodically self-assess their progress. It also keeps the teacher honest (hopefully preventing the “hazy” lessons outlined on page 61!).
1. What’s new:
ReplyDeleteMuch of the information in these two chapters has been discussed on our campus. The examples and diagrams were new and very helpful. I especially liked the “pizza” analogy, the phrase “networks of understanding” and the concept of the levels of learning. The description of the differences between content, process and product was precise and compact along with the detailed description of the curriculum elements.
2. What I know is true and can relate:
Although we have been working with the faculty and staff on more meaningful teaching, there have been some bumps along the way. Most of these have to do with providing a more concrete picture of what was needed for their classroom. The discussion on “hazy lessons” and the diagram showing the levels of learning in the content areas (Figure 5.2) really spell out what we have been trying to explain to teachers. The contrast described in the curriculum-assessment-instruction section between the desired and the actual was painful to read, but very true.
3. Something that interests me:
I really liked the description of the key to planning and the interrelationship between the facts, concepts and principles, and skills. This is a great place to begin with lesson planning for the year.
4. How can you implement this interest:
The goal of the two chapters was summed up nicely with the following: “The alignment of clear curricular goals, ongoing assessment, and instruction drives meaningful differentiation.” (p. 78) I plan on using this, along with the What, Why and How diagram (Figure 6.2), to guide lesson planning and teacher collaboration.
1. The concept of “unpacking” the standards to identify the varying levels of learning that are embedded within them was a new concept for me. I liked the author’s analogy about making pizza on page 70. It helped me understand her point that standards are an important part of curriculum, but they should not be seen as “the” curriculum. She explained that standards are ingredients in the curriculum the same way that flour, yeast, water, tomato sauce and cheese are ingredients in pizza. But you can no more expect someone to enjoy eating a cup of flour, a tablespoon of yeast, a can of tomato sauce, etc. in isolation than you can expect a student to achieve a meaningful learning experience by being taught disjointed standards in isolation. 2. Thinking back to my days as a classroom teacher, I can relate to the challenge and frustration of trying to cover all the required curriculum each nine weeks. As the author described in chapter 5, “when the standards are presented in the form of fragmented and sterile lists, genuine learning is hobbled, not enriched.” I know I was guilty of not always thinking through the desired learning objective for each of my assigned tasks (the example of building a covered wagon for a unit on Westward Expansion hit a little too close for comfort!). I found the information outlined in Figure 5.1 to be a great tool for planning what the desired outcomes for each covered unit should be. Based on the specific list of facts, concepts, principles, attitudes and skills desired, the teacher could then create differentiated activities for achieving these goals in an engaging and meaningful way. 3. In accordance with the Confucius quote about receiving one corner of understanding but being required to discover the other three corners on our own, I understand the importance of matching instruction with students’ personal interests, but I’d like to learn more about how to accurately and expediently identify each individual student’s areas of interest. It takes time to get to know each student personally, and time is a rare commodity in a classroom environment. I’d like to research various methods for gathering this valuable information. 4. As I stated in #1 above, the concept of unpacking standards was a new concept to me. I plan to take a closer look at the standards I’ll be covering next year to see if I can’t do a better job of breaking down the desired levels of learning to create specific lists of what students should know, understand and be able to do by the end of the lesson or unit. No more building covered wagons for me!
ReplyDeleteMillie, I liked the pizza analogy too! It is often so hard for me to know which of the standards are the main concept and which are the extensions and "nice to know" information. Language Arts TEKS are often so ambiguous that it is hard to know what skill they are wanting the students to master. I feel Science and Social Studies are sometimes organized in the opposite way, however. Many times we get so bogged down in the nitty-gritty of those subjects that it is hard to find the big concepts that students need as cemented learning. I think our district is attempting to help us sort out the state standards and set up curriculum standards to help our teachers with these exact thoughts in mind.
Delete1. The new information from me seems fairly simple but was an “aha” moment for me. In the Conclusion of chapter 5, Good Curriculum as a Basis for Differentiation, Tomlinson wrote that “… differentiation is an instructional model focused on How teachers teach and how students learn in a classroom – not on what teachers teach or what students learn” (p. 78). I wish she would of lead with this because though simple, I think it is profound. Years ago when I was a reading teacher when people asked me what I taught I was very purposeful in stating that I taught students how to become better readers. I had stopped saying I was a “reading teacher” because in my brain that put the emphasis on the wrong thing. Tomlinson helped me to clarify what I was trying to make sense of in my brain years ago.
ReplyDelete2. The part of the reading that resonated with me as true from my experiences as an educator was Tomlinson’s description of the two third grade teachers teaching a unit on clouds. One group of teachers figured out they were teaching their “cloud” unit. Deciding on a couple of “projects” and what not but couldn’t remember all the types of clouds that needed to be taught even though they had done the unit before – how meaningful is the unit if the instructor can’t remember the basic facts? I have seen this over and over. Teachers spend too much time with “cute” lessons that aren’t meaningful to students or even themselves. Fuzzy teaching = fuzzy learning.
3. I would like to do further research and thinking about the addressing the library standards in a meaningful way much like the author did in figure 5.1 on page 67 & 68. I would like to pick a couple of topics of study that I cover during my library lessons each year and identify the different levels of learning to solidify them in my mind.
4. I think that as the new school year starts I want to be more mindful on creating experiences in the library that have the elements of engagement and understanding. If I can couple this with some sweeping concepts which are important for students when using the library such as accessing information then I think that the library program will improve at SWMS.
Karen H. I so agree that we should look at the library standards and come of up lessons that provide for differentiation. I went back and look at some of the lessons and they do have enrichment, but we may want to focus on true differentiation. I also want to do the elements of engagement. Too often it's a "get them when I can" situation, so the lessons are not as engaging as I'd like. Good things to think about.
DeleteI agree with you wanting to see the chart on page 67 filled out with library content! This might be clarifying exercise for us to do at one of our meetings with one skill/concept that sweeps over most of the levels of schools.
ReplyDelete“Engagement happens when a lesson captures students’ imaginations, snares curiosity, ignites their opinions, or taps into their souls.” “Engagement is the magnet that attracts learners’ meandering attention and holds it so that enduring learning can occur.” (p.63) I loved the visual that the author paints with the use of the word magnet in this quote. Students are definitely attracted to teachers, subjects, and lessons that they find highly engaging. An example I think of that happens on a daily basis in the library is when students come to find independent reading material (the epitome of individualized learning). Those students who are fascinated with sharks or WWII light up with excitement and can’t turn the pages of a new book about their favorite topic fast enough. It is those students whose interests are harder to pinpoint that become a difficult sell and it is very hard to get them hooked on a book they find compelling.
ReplyDelete“It is a valuable exercise for teachers… to review standards and label each of the components with its level of learning - and then “unpack” the standards, with multiple implicit levels of learning embedded.”(p.69) I feel like there are certain subjects and grade levels that do this kind of curriculum development well. However there are many units, grade levels, and classrooms that take the outline provided as the district curriculum not as merely a guide, but as a script for what and how to teach. The TEKS themselves are written in various ways as well. Some standards are written with great detail and others are so ambiguous it is unclear what the main learning goal really should be. It takes a lot of time to break down the standards and build a lesson that can meet the needs of all the students in your classroom. I like the idea the author shared of finding the overarching themes across your curriculum and then using those themes as a lens through which to view the remainder of the curriculum during the year. This is at least one way to help a teacher organize her subject matter into a format that will make connections for her students in various ways.
I liked the leading questions the author asked a novice teacher: “What common insight or understanding should all kids get because they successfully completed their assigned task?” (p.61) Many times I have thought of differentiating simply as offering different activities for students to complete about a certain topic. I forgot to stop and make sure that each activity left the student with the same understanding of the material. So as I move forward I hope to remember that it isn’t enough to come up with varied tasks for students to choose from. You must have a common learning goal in mind. We are working as a campus to evaluate how we assess and grade students. Much of our discussion has been around what to do with students who are working below grade level, so finding out how true differentiation fitsinto this discussion will be interesting to me.
“Much of the art of teaching resides in the capacity to integrate required content outcomes into coherent learning experiences that capture young imaginations, build reliable organizational frameworks in young brains, and ensure that learners learn deeply what matters most in the disciplines they study.” (p.78) This to me was the take-away quote of this section. It states exactly what I want to do as I teach students how to express themselves, lose themselves in a book, or branch out and try something new. The lessons and projects I remember most are definitely those to which I had a deep connection with, whether is be Australian animals or Helen Keller. If I felt something for the topic I was researching I knew I could do a good job and would remember it far into the future. As I make plans for the library this year, I hope to find ways to connect to the hearts and imaginations of my students many times throughout the year!
Love the idea from page 78! Now to get it into practice with the students! Engagement is the secret!
DeleteI have enjoyed reading everyone's comments! It sounds like this book has touched each reader. Our department meetings will be differentiated! Thank you for your time... keep reading and keep changing your lesson(s) one engaging moment at a time.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that I want to see the chart from a Library perspective. This book is wonderful! It’s so good, I wish they would re-write it with a Library “spin”! Good idea, Joan… working on this type of chart in a Librarian’s Meeting would be very valuable!
ReplyDeletePLEASE forgive the tardiness of this post. I hope I'm able to still get credit - reading these chapters got away from me and I didn't want to post until I had read the entire assignment. MANY apologies!
ReplyDelete1. New for me: I loved the analogy regarding "hazy" lessons on p. 61... this was so interesting to think about, and after 18 years, I'm really considering how many years it was before I began to really ramp up my lesson design, delivery, and content.
2. What I read that is true: The information on 66-70 about meaningfully considering the standards is SO important. I truly believe that if we get caught up in only "checking the boxes" of the standards, then we are doing a disservice to our students.
3. I'd like to examine Figure 5.1 on p. 67 from a Library perspective! I can't wait to break this down and really think about how my library lesson design fits into this chart.
4. How will this change what I do daily: I'll be so much more cognizant of how I am differentiating for various students when they visit the Library. I believe that I often do this, in particular with my older students, but I really believe that I can spend more time working toward differentiating with my younger learners.