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Blog: Reading Reflections

Week 2

How to Differentiated Instruction in a Mixed-Ability Classroom

Date: 1/20/2016

Author: Lezza Merrill

  • What Differentiated Instruction is NOT: Discuss what stood out to you as what differentiated instruction is NOT. Why do you think teachers use these inappropriate ways?

 

          -- NOT individualized Intstruction of the 1970's

          -- NOT chaotic

          -- NOT homogeneous grouping

          -- NOT tailoring the same suit of clothes

 

"Teachers who differentiate instruction quickly point out that, if anything, they exert more control in their classroom, not less."

 

"A hallmark of an effective differentiated classroom, by contrast, is the use of flexible grouping, which accomodates students who are strong in some areas and weaker in others." 

 

-- In this article, what stood out the most was that teachers understand that no two children learn on the same level of understanding, but they try to over exert themselves in the process of trying to fully differentiate the class. This idea of individualized instruction, creates chaos, not only in the teachers planning, but also in the classroom management. If 25 kids are all doing different types of assignements, there is a likely chance of mass misunderstanding, and no group support. The article states " The teacher who uses flexible grouping also understands that some students may begin a new task slowly, and then launch ahead at remarkable speed, while others will learn, but mroe slowly." These flexible groups allow the students to work together to figure things out. One student can be remarkable at Reading, but slow in Math, and another student could be remarkable in Math, but slow in Reading, and pairing them in a group would be beneficial to both students. 

 

-- Teachers try to over compensate for the different learning styles, they try to make lesson plans that fit EVERY need of EVERY child. Making plans like that lead to chaos both for the teacher and for the student. Students learn both from the teacher AND from their peers. 

 

 

 

  • Discuss each of the six sections of what differentiated instruction IS. How might you use these ways in your own classroom?

          1.  Proactive: "teacher assumes that different learners have differing needs." 

 

          2. Qualitative over Quantitative: Differentiating instruction is not about giving a student more or less work to meet their needs. Differentiating instruction is about using scaffolding and resources that will help the students build on the knowledge they already have, whether it be perfect knowledge, or no knowledge. The quality of the work is going to more important than the amount of work they are given. 

 

          3. Multiple Approaches: Content, what the students learn. Process, how students make sense of the ideas and information they receive.  Product, the demonstration by students, of what they have learned. 

 

          4. Student Centered: Engaging, Relevant, Interesting.  Not all students will find that every subject covers all three aspects of learning. Teachers acknowledge that all later learning is built on previous learning, but not all students learn on the same level. 

 

          5. A Blend of Whole Class-Group Instruction: Having the differentiation on how you teach the class, can have a positive effect on a childs learning. Some teachers just whole group teach all day, while others small group all day. It is important that students see the variation throughout the day. Whole group-partner-small group- whole group- partner- whole group, with many variations, it gives the brain a break, while still pushing forward.

 

          6. Organic: No one teacher, ever stops being a student. In a teachers classroom, they need to always be aware about how the students learn. Assessments and observations help the teacher accomodate their lessons, so that they are always adapting to their students needs.

 

          -- In any classroom these are essential because no two children learn the same, but accomodating to your students needs will always be the best played move. One should use scaffolding and outside resourses to help the students understand the subject matter at hand. This will also allow the teacher to always monitor students learning whether in small group or whole group learning. I think this in the classroom is the first step to sucess.

Week 3

Strategies for Differentiating Instruction

Date: 1/27/2016

Author: Lezza Merrill

 

Content: "Teachers provide a variety of options for students to take in and receive the content."

  • What to learn and How to gain the knowledge

  • SAME content, different WAYS to teach it

    • Adjustments

      • levels of depth

      • complexity

      • readability of the materials

  • Assessments to use: 

    • Audio Books / lessons 

    • Graphic Organizers 

    • Note-taking Organizers 

    • Varied levels of texts 

    • Various supplementary materials 

    • Adjusting proximity of ideas to student experience(s)

    • Reading Partners / Reading Buddies 

    • Choral Reading 

    • Think-Pair-Share 

    • Small groups to reteach or extend

                                

Process: "Teachers provide multiple options for making sense of the ideas, themes, and content."

  • Plan for students, by using scaffolding

  • Acticvities

    • ​Choices of text, tasks, and partner(s) 

    • Interest Centers/Zones/Workstations 

    • Tiered lessons and activities 

    • Learning contracts: personal agendas 

    • Hands-on activities/manipulatives

    • Varied time to complete tasks

 

Product: "Teachers should provide multiple options for students to express what they know."

  • CHOICE! CHOICE! CHOICE in student activities

    • Choice based on readiness, interest, and learning profiles 

    • Clear expectations 

    • Timelines  

    • Agreements 

    • Product Guides  

    • Rubrics and criterion charts

      • Examples of product options may include the following:  Create a model, poster, game, advertisement, map, survey, puzzle, cartoon, brochure, dance, habitat, or illustration. 

    • Write a diary entry, speech, recipe, poem, letter, news report, essay, or song. 

    • Collect pictures, create a timeline or calendar, make a recording or video invite a speaker, teach a lesson, or give a demonstration.

 

Use in lesson plan: Teachers can use these as different ways to differntiate their instruction. By having mulitple ways for students to work, and allowing them the choice of what they would like to work on, will allow for easier classroom management, as well as better results from the students.

Week 3

"ESL/Bilingual Guide for Mainstream Teachers"

Date: 1/29/2016

Author: Lezza Merrill

 

 

 Main differences in the levels of ELL students:

 

​Stage One: Pre-Production:

  • ​New 

  • Emergent

  • Silent

  • Responds in nonverbal communication, and physical gestures

  • Comprehends Key words

  • Hands one activities and use of manipulative 

 

Stage Two: Early Production

  • Emergent/Beginner

  • One to Two Words

  • Social 

  • Isolated words, short responses

  • Hands one activities and use of manipulative 

  • Ask questions like "Who? What? How many?"

 

Stage Three: Low Intermediate 

  • Short and Simple

  • Sentences 

  • Social

  • Short Phrases, limited vocabulary 

  • Build upon prior knowledge

  • ABLE TO: tell, describe, restate, compare, question, map, and dramatize)

 

Stage Four: High Intermediate Fluency

  • Bridging

  • Academic

  • Communicate thoughts and , start conversations

  • Brainstorm and list

  • ABLE TO: imagine, create, appraise, contrast, predict, express, report, estimate, evaluate, explain

 

Stage Five: Advanced Fluency

  • Exitable

  • Fluent

  • Academic 

  • Advance cognitive skills

  • Two way conversations, and enriched vocabulary

  • ABLE TO: relate, infer, hypothesize, outline, revise, suppose, verify, rewrite, assess, justify, critique, summarize, illustrate, judge, demonstrate

 

4 "Essential Tips" 

 

​1.Make use of all senses:

​Any students, including ELL students, learn better if they can connect some of their senses to different topics. Using different senses allow for a variety of ways to learn for all students. Students will also have more of a choice in their projects by allowing the use of multiple senses. They will learn which works best for them, and this will allow for different choices for them to approach in different subjects. 

 

2.Provide frequent opportunities for ELL students to speak:

​Most Ell students, primarily speak in their L1. This is both good and bad. While learning their L2 language, they are able to interact with English speaking students, who are now integrated into the culture of the ELL students. This helps the ELL Learn English and the English student, learn some of the ELL language. 

 

3. Cooperative groups are effective! “Buddies":

By allowing your student to be fully included they are going to make friends. These friends, most likely, are going to become “Buddies” with your ELL and that means, that if they are struggling, that buddy will help them. By putting ELL students in cooperative not only will they be able to work with a high student, they will work with an intermediate student and most likely a low student. They will be able to learn from each of the students, and students are always willing to help out, this will help the ELL build their language and social skills.

 

4.Bring the student’s home language and culture into the classroom:

By incorporating the culture of the ELL student, you are engaging them in the classroom. The more that they see that you are interested in who they are, and where they came from, the easier it will be for them to fit in and adapt themselves to the classroom setting. By using their home language and culture, the other students, will also have an easier time getting to know this student, and understanding question that are appropriate to ask and how to properly learn about the ELL student and their culture.

 

 

3 suggestions for supporting newcomer ELL student

​1. Establish a regular routine for newcomers.

2. Recruit volunteers to work with newcomers.

3. Be aware of the effects of culture shock. 

 

​Importance: why?

1. By having a routine in the classroom, the ELL students will be able to adapt easier to he classroom settings.

 

2. By asking students to volunteer to help the ELL student, the willing students, will be able to make a bond faster than just assigning someone to work with the student.

 

3. Before a new ELL student enters your classroom, you should brief yourself on their culture. We know that the majority of ELL students are Hispanic, but you have ELL students from other countries, and they may have completely different gestures, and beliefs than we do, and it is always important that you know these ahead of time, so as to not offend the ELL student and their culture.

 

4 /13 things for teachers to consider when teaching newcomer ELL students to read.  

1. Use authentic literature 

2. Establish an English Language Learner Center

3. Make up individualized Starter Packs for your newcomers.

4. Read to newcomers every day.

 

Incorporating in the classroom:

1. Using the authentic literature helps the students develop their high frequency vocabulary and allows them to make connections to other students who may be on the same reading levels. 

 

2. Establishing an English Language Learner Center, gives the students several opportunities to have a choice in how they learn English. For example: they have the options of using multi-sensory learning. They have options similar to: 

             A picture dictionary

             Activity pages 

             Taped  music both in their L1 and L2

             An “object” box containing small manipulative objects for beginning vocabulary or phonics learning

 

3. Make up Individualized Starter Packs for your newcomers are going to be the easiest way to see where your new ELL student stands. By making packets of item you think need to be worked on, you can see where they struggle, where they excel and what is in between. Then from this data, you can help the student where they need it most, and give them more challenging work to do where they already excel.

 

4. Reading to newcomers every day is a huge way to integrate them into the English language. There are so many ways students can participate in read alouds, or when you read to the specific student. They can echo read, which means that they repeat what you just read to them. This a good way to model words and sounds for the ELL students. Also, there is choral reading. This too will allow them to listen to the way you say words If they are not sure, but this also helps model fluency for the student.

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