Hi team members! Thanks for taking the time to get set up and try this out. So that I know you are all "in", please respond to this post by telling me you made it through creating an account, and then leave a question for our team - what is the most burning question you have about differentiation at this point? Feel free (PLEASE - that's the whole point!) to respond to each other's questions with "me, too!" or "here's how I solved that one..." - whatever!
I am still learning to navigate this blog, so bear with me and send any questions about using blogger my way - I will find an answer somehow. We do have some blog experts in our group - feel free to help us all become experts :)
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Thanks for setting this up Laura - what a great idea! I think my current goal for differentiation in my curriculum is to find opportunities that align with my learning target. Amy and I are working on it and hope to get lots accomplished on our next 2 inservice days.
ReplyDeleteHi Everyone:
ReplyDeleteI am developing a lesson for Jen's la class around technical writing. The focus will be for students to develop a business letter. I have collected material and ideas but am looking for more so that all tiers will have lots of options.
Let me know if you have any suggestions.
Speaking of letters.. did you see the WSJ (1/10/09) A student teacher developed writing lessons around connecting elementary students with seniors (pen pals) at a retirement home. neat idea! This might be an idea for a future lesson.. do you think some students at our level might be interested?
Diane B
Maybe we could tie the letters in with the BIG GIVE?
ReplyDeleteI am a blogging virgin so this should be interesting:) For Diane...As far as differentiating for the technical writing unit, I would have Jen identify (if she hasn't already) what are the bullets (measurable goals) that she would like the kids to have at the end. I personally don't know much about technical writing but an example for parts of speech would be to be able to identify a noun and use in a sentence; a verb and use in sentence etc. Once the bullets are identified it makes it super easy to differentiate for learning styles. Who needs what and to what depth. That's my two cents. Amy
ReplyDeleteI loved the idea of the pen pals - such a lost concept, and what a great connection! I would think we could generate interest - and the connection to Big Give would be awesome!
ReplyDeleteAmy, I am glad we are all here to share your first experience :)
Your idea of bullets, or whatever folks prefer to call the targets, is super important. I am finding some people feel like if the content is new to all students then there is no need to differentiate, but differentiation should still be taking place in the complexity of the tasks, or perhaps by interest in order to engage students...those aren't exclusive concepts. In other words, you can create different tasks according to interest but also have varying complexities within those groups... did I lose you guys already?
How do you find time to blog? I can hardly keep my head above water. Today I talked for 5 hours about Trees for Tomorrow and then I had to deposit money and fight to get the drink machine turned on so I can pay my bills for Trees.
ReplyDeleteMy goal is to design tiered activities for the book A STRANGER CAME ASHORE. So far, I have gotten as far as the thought.
Carol
Well, I have completed writing up an assignment that Laura, Stacy, & I talked about. It is trying to get students to find a newspaper or magazine article to read and respond to. There are three ways of showing that you read an article.
ReplyDeleteI am also looking at the test Kendra and Amy did for their final. I wrote targets that I showed to my students for what I want them to get from the financial unit. I'm using them to help decide what information I do or don't present to the class.
I was just thinking about pen pals this weekend. I think it would be cool to do. You could do it with soldiers as well. I think it would be really great to do it all year, not just a one-time deal.
ReplyDeleteMy goal right now is to revise my book reports. I'd like to come up with more student selected choices and to incorporate more technology. I will also tie them in to the Independent Reading, similar to 8th grade so that they'll be really ready for Stacy and Karla.