This week we have continued with our lesson study, and I was able to observe it taught this week in another kindergarten class. Like last time, we were unfamiliar with the students, the class set up, and any of their routines, and we were basically going in blindly when it came to differentiating.
This upcoming week we will be in our first home classroom, where two of my peers will be teaching to their own students, whom they know and are comfortable with. We were able to begin adding differentiation to the lesson and added other details such as whether certain activities would be best taught with the students at the carpet or in their seats. These small details are the ones that can sometimes make a difference in a portion of a lesson, or the overall lesson.
My coteaching partner and I have already begun discussing the differentiation we will include in our classroom, because we now know our students and can tell that they will need different instruction then the classroom we will be in this week. However, it is easy for us to accommodate for, because this is a science lesson, and everyone is basically on the same page. All students are on track for science, and the things we will need to differentiate for are behavior problems versus learning issues. However, I see the real difficulty come into play with other subjects like reading and math when it comes to differentiation. In Tomlinson and Imbeau chapter 7, they discuss some concerns teachers continue to have with differentiation and the common reasons that they do not use it. One that struck me was that the class size was too big. I feel that it is almost opposite in my classroom now. The class size is not too big, but the size of those struggling, is too small. There are four students that I am immediately concerned for when it comes to passing FAIR testing, and being capable to reach the levels expected of them to move on to the first grade.
My wondering for this week is, can differentiation help students who are the few being left behind?
My class is full of bright, motivated young students who are eager to learn, and are doing very well, almost all reading and doing math beyond their grade level. However, there are a select few at the bottom who are not reaching their potential and further more, are just struggling. They are included in group activities like reading and writing aloud, however how do we know that they are gaining anything from this instruction, and not just hearing their fellow students and copying their work? I know this is an opportunity for good modeling, but I am wondering if more one-on-one attention needs to exist at this age, or if these students will eventually just catch up.
Our teacher is good about differentiating homework for math assignments, my coteacher and I are implementing UFLI which is differentiated by level, and their literacy stations are differentiated as well. But during these times, since the teacher is not working directly with them, they tend to slack off, or goof around, and are not truly gaining anything from this experience. At home, they very may well be getting too much help on homework, and it is not truly reflecting their work.
I wonder if differentiation in a classroom like this should be so different and extreme to where it is the entire class working on one assignment, and three students with the teacher, almost at all times, to ensure that they are learning and progressing.
I think that overall I have learned that especially in this classroom, differentiation is important, but I continue to wonder how it will look in different classrooms.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Differentiation continues
As we continue to read Tomlinson & Imbeau's book on differentiation, I continue to wonder how it can apply itself in the kindergarten class that I am in. This week was our first installment of the lesson study, and our lesson on gravity was taught to a class of kindergartners. We did not have any differentiation planned for this lesson, and it showed when we taught it to Mrs. Campbell's class. However, even we had planned for differentiation, would it have worked since we did not know her students?
I wonder if planning blanketed differentiation will really help a class, or will it need to be individualized?
In my class, I know the kids well by now. I know who I need to give extra attention to, who will run the lesson if I let them, who not to sit next to each other, etc. However, we did not know Mrs. Campbell's class. I we won't know Mrs. Kirk's either. When we are planning for our differentiation, I wonder how we will go about making sure that her students can complete the lesson.
I know for a fact that Mrs. Kirk has a student who spends half of his days in a fully contained special education classroom, and is being labeled as having language barriers. Would we think to plan for someone like him if I did not already know him?
I think that some worksheets and programs that come with differentiation already in place, like the spelling worksheets my teacher sends home to different groups of students, cannot possibly plan for each individual child. As I read through our wall discussion about how important differentiation is to us as teachers and our students, I am beginning to realize how costly it will be on time, but also seeing that it was so beneficial to many of us as students, and how important it is to us all to include it in our future classrooms,
Our readings are helping me to become more aware of the need for differentiation and helping me to see that it is possible in my classroom.
So even after all of my readings and teaching, I am still not convinced that you can plan for differentiation with out knowing the students. You can plan for certain levels but individuals need more individual planning. However, I think this is a good thing and means that you need to actually know your students, and shows that teachers still have a place in schools, and it is an important one.
I wonder if planning blanketed differentiation will really help a class, or will it need to be individualized?
In my class, I know the kids well by now. I know who I need to give extra attention to, who will run the lesson if I let them, who not to sit next to each other, etc. However, we did not know Mrs. Campbell's class. I we won't know Mrs. Kirk's either. When we are planning for our differentiation, I wonder how we will go about making sure that her students can complete the lesson.
I know for a fact that Mrs. Kirk has a student who spends half of his days in a fully contained special education classroom, and is being labeled as having language barriers. Would we think to plan for someone like him if I did not already know him?
I think that some worksheets and programs that come with differentiation already in place, like the spelling worksheets my teacher sends home to different groups of students, cannot possibly plan for each individual child. As I read through our wall discussion about how important differentiation is to us as teachers and our students, I am beginning to realize how costly it will be on time, but also seeing that it was so beneficial to many of us as students, and how important it is to us all to include it in our future classrooms,
Our readings are helping me to become more aware of the need for differentiation and helping me to see that it is possible in my classroom.
So even after all of my readings and teaching, I am still not convinced that you can plan for differentiation with out knowing the students. You can plan for certain levels but individuals need more individual planning. However, I think this is a good thing and means that you need to actually know your students, and shows that teachers still have a place in schools, and it is an important one.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Differentiation
In Leading and Managing a Differentiated Classroom this week, it was all about introducing differentiation to your classroom, which includes both the students and the parents. I had a few concerns about this idea, and like always, I fail to see how some of these activities can be introduced and used in a kindergarten classroom, but I continued to read.
It was funny that this is the chapter we were assigned for the week, because this is the first week that I saw differentiation truly play out in my pre-internship placement. I was asked to fill their homework folders with a worksheet, however, certain kids were to receive certain worksheets. I put their assigned worksheet in their folders, and continued with the day. However, the teacher addressed that night's homework, and had me explain the different sheets, and what the directions were for each one, and she explicitly told the students that some were getting one type of worksheet because it was more challenging, and others were getting another kind. Overall, there were three different worksheets, all based on our reading groups we helped to create.
I wonder how beneficial it is to let the students know about the differentiation in the classroom, and the reasonings behind it, and how it effects their motivation.
As I read the chapter, it talked about how you can introduce differentiation to your class. Very blatantly, in the first few pages it described the need for telling your students, how to do it, and why. As I read, it gave more ways to talk to the students about it, and suggested that you can introduce it, in a way that helps students see that differentiation is really put in place to benefit them and their learning. There are several strategies they went through, and talked about how you must take the time to put in the ground work for a system like this.
Seeing as I have just entered this classroom in January, like many other systems already in place, I don't know how it was introduced, or how it has become so routine. Or possibly (thought doubtful) this is the first time the students have seen differentiated anything. I am not sure, however none of them reacted in a way that seemed bitter or upset at the type of worksheet they were receiving. I think that this showed me that either they didn't mind, or they knew that it would be beneficial to them.
I still don't know how well the strategies they mentioned would translate to kindergarten, because they are still understanding what school is. Maybe this means that you don't need to explain it as much to them? Or maybe this is the perfect opportunity to give them a good outlook on school from the get-go.
Either way, I think that I wonder less now about if I would introduce it, or even use it, but still wonder about how to apply it to different levels.
It was funny that this is the chapter we were assigned for the week, because this is the first week that I saw differentiation truly play out in my pre-internship placement. I was asked to fill their homework folders with a worksheet, however, certain kids were to receive certain worksheets. I put their assigned worksheet in their folders, and continued with the day. However, the teacher addressed that night's homework, and had me explain the different sheets, and what the directions were for each one, and she explicitly told the students that some were getting one type of worksheet because it was more challenging, and others were getting another kind. Overall, there were three different worksheets, all based on our reading groups we helped to create.
I wonder how beneficial it is to let the students know about the differentiation in the classroom, and the reasonings behind it, and how it effects their motivation.
As I read the chapter, it talked about how you can introduce differentiation to your class. Very blatantly, in the first few pages it described the need for telling your students, how to do it, and why. As I read, it gave more ways to talk to the students about it, and suggested that you can introduce it, in a way that helps students see that differentiation is really put in place to benefit them and their learning. There are several strategies they went through, and talked about how you must take the time to put in the ground work for a system like this.
Seeing as I have just entered this classroom in January, like many other systems already in place, I don't know how it was introduced, or how it has become so routine. Or possibly (thought doubtful) this is the first time the students have seen differentiated anything. I am not sure, however none of them reacted in a way that seemed bitter or upset at the type of worksheet they were receiving. I think that this showed me that either they didn't mind, or they knew that it would be beneficial to them.
I still don't know how well the strategies they mentioned would translate to kindergarten, because they are still understanding what school is. Maybe this means that you don't need to explain it as much to them? Or maybe this is the perfect opportunity to give them a good outlook on school from the get-go.
Either way, I think that I wonder less now about if I would introduce it, or even use it, but still wonder about how to apply it to different levels.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Will It Work In Kindergarten?
This is my first time experiencing working in a kindergarten class. I'll admit that kindergarten was not my first choice of placement. Never has been. However, I was excited to see a younger grade, how their classroom works, because I am not naive enough to believe that I will always have my ideal choice of grade to teach. So, I am currently working in kindergarten and I am continually asking myself and my teachers the same question, every week, in every class: "will that work in kindergarten?"
In our social studies class, we are constantly adjusting our assignments for kindergarten, because our peers are all in the higher grades. In our seminar, we are trying to tweak certain things for our lessons and lesson study to make them appropriate for kindergarten. And I am continuing to wonder the same thing for my readings:
Will my kindergarten class benefit from the GRR model?
I have been reading Fisher and Frey's Better Learning and specifically the chapter on independent learning tasks, and wondering how I would see this in the classroom I am in. The students are not usually trusted with independent or silent reading for different reasons. They are not mature enough to stay on task and some of them cannot read, so reading on their own for too long is not beneficial to them. Also, they only do independent writing to a certain extent, because some of the students are still learning to sound out their letters, let alone write full words. So I wonder how the GRR model fits into kindergarten.
I can see it's place, but with many adjustments. Or, as Tomlinson and Imbeau suggest in Leading and Managing a Differentiated Classroom, a differentiated classroom. So, is it possible to differentiate within the GRR model? How can we differentiate within the independent work portion of the GRR model? Do only some students participate in this section? Do we use it anyway even if they aren't ready?
I personally do not see any release of responsibility in the classroom, except for certain students, who are achieving at high levels and are mature. So, is this the way you differentiate and use the GRR model?
I think that within a classroom, you must find what works for your classroom. If the GRR model is not something you choose to use, or find that fits your students, I don't believe you should use it. Even further, maybe there are certain subjects where the GRR model is appropriate, and some where it is not. I can think of specific students when I am making this statement, and completely understand why our teacher would not use the GRR model for handwriting and reading, but maybe for science or social studies.
Overall, I understand the benefits of these different models and the examples they give make complete sense, and are something I look forward to using when I work in the higher grades. For now, in kindergarten, I feel like some of them are a little idealistic, or extremely situational.
In our social studies class, we are constantly adjusting our assignments for kindergarten, because our peers are all in the higher grades. In our seminar, we are trying to tweak certain things for our lessons and lesson study to make them appropriate for kindergarten. And I am continuing to wonder the same thing for my readings:
Will my kindergarten class benefit from the GRR model?
I have been reading Fisher and Frey's Better Learning and specifically the chapter on independent learning tasks, and wondering how I would see this in the classroom I am in. The students are not usually trusted with independent or silent reading for different reasons. They are not mature enough to stay on task and some of them cannot read, so reading on their own for too long is not beneficial to them. Also, they only do independent writing to a certain extent, because some of the students are still learning to sound out their letters, let alone write full words. So I wonder how the GRR model fits into kindergarten.
I can see it's place, but with many adjustments. Or, as Tomlinson and Imbeau suggest in Leading and Managing a Differentiated Classroom, a differentiated classroom. So, is it possible to differentiate within the GRR model? How can we differentiate within the independent work portion of the GRR model? Do only some students participate in this section? Do we use it anyway even if they aren't ready?
I personally do not see any release of responsibility in the classroom, except for certain students, who are achieving at high levels and are mature. So, is this the way you differentiate and use the GRR model?
I think that within a classroom, you must find what works for your classroom. If the GRR model is not something you choose to use, or find that fits your students, I don't believe you should use it. Even further, maybe there are certain subjects where the GRR model is appropriate, and some where it is not. I can think of specific students when I am making this statement, and completely understand why our teacher would not use the GRR model for handwriting and reading, but maybe for science or social studies.
Overall, I understand the benefits of these different models and the examples they give make complete sense, and are something I look forward to using when I work in the higher grades. For now, in kindergarten, I feel like some of them are a little idealistic, or extremely situational.
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