Paul Gauguin

• Where do we come from?

• What are we?

• Where are we going?

Where do we come from?

• What is our background in teaching?

• Why do we think and act the way we do?

• What has influenced the way we teach?

• What can we learn from past practice?

What are we?

• What is the function of teaching?

• What is our ultimate job in the world?

• What does it mean to be a teacher?

• What does it mean to be here in the twenty-first century?

Where are we going?

• What predictions can we make about the world of the next fifty years?

• Why should we study our practice?

• How can we improve student learning?

• How do can we deal with the stresses of standardization and meet the needs of all students?

• How can I improve in the future?

Differentiated Instruction

Welcome aboardCorners of Understanding and Teaching

– Confucius told us that the teacher should reveal one corner to the students and that they should come back with the other three.

– I know plenty of teachers who are disappointed, indignant, and eventually destroyed by the fact that nobody has handed them all four corners…It is up to us to read and to collaborate with the children to find the other three corners. And because teaching must be a renewable contract, if we don’t keep seeking new understanding, we’ll find that the corners we thought we knew very well will keep slipping away. There are constant, subtle shifts in the schoolroom. One can never be sure of knowing the floor plan forever and ever

» Susan Ohanian On Stir-and Serve Recipes for Teaching, 1988

More from the Master:

• The Master said: “He who keeps on reviewing his old and acquiring new knowledge may become a teacher of others.” Book II:xi

That is why we are here, to improve on our prior knowledge and gain new ideas so as to become teachers of others.

We have heard most of this before

We understand:

10% of what we hear

15 % of what we see

20 % of what we both see and hear

40 % of what we discuss

80 % of what we experience

90 % of what we teach others

Step One:

• Metaphorical thinking:

• I am a __________ because I _________.

• Now illustrate the drawing! You may:– Use markers, pens, pencils, etc– Use color or black and white– Use the paper provided or your own– Use colored or white paper– Work independently or consult with your neighbors– Work from memory or imagination

– You have five minutes!

Step Two:

• Now that we might recognize that there are in fact differences we need to think about them.

• I have placed a paper entitled Your Beliefs About Teaching and Learning on your table. Please take a moment and fill it out.

Big Questions:

• What should students know and be able to do?

• How will I (and my students) know when they are successful?

• What learning experiences will facilitate my students’ success?

Question #1: What should my students be able to know and do?

• Teachers need to have a solid grasp on a common curriculum and must be very clear about intended learning.– This includes district/state frameworks– Essential/Important/Nice to know information– Key concepts– Key generalizations or principles– Essential questions– Essential skills– Framing the learning

Question #2: How will I, and my students, know when they are

successful?• Determine meaningful goals• Create summative assessment talks that are tied

to performance goals.• Share/explain exemplars and rubrics to indicate

standards of quality.• Pretest• Provide instruction to match determined needs• Check for understanding frequently. (Formative

assessment)• Allow for student self-assessment

Question #3: What learning experiences will facilitate my

students’ success?• Given: Teachers must complete an analysis of

the necessary instructional techniques to be sure their instructional strategies are the best ones for their students and the desired learning.

• An effective instructional strategy has three critical attributes:– 1. Instructional strategies are congruent with desired

learning– 2. Instructional strategies address a variety of levels

of thinking– 3. Instructional strategies are learning compatible

Attribute #1:Instructional strategies should be congruent with desired

learning• The single biggest error made in our

classroom daily is the mismatch between the learning objective and the instructional strategies selected by the teacher.

• It may be a GREAT activity, but is it the RIGHT one?

Attribute #2

• Instructional strategies address levels of thinking.

• Two models of thinking

• Bloom’s Taxonomy and Understanding by Design Six Facets of Understanding

Blooms Taxonomy

• Knowledge

• Comprehension (understanding)

• Application

• Analysis

• Synthesis

• Evaluation

Levels of Thinking

• Using Bloom’s Question and Task Wheel– 1. Read over the tasks/products on the outer

rim.– 2. List those tasks/products that would be

appropriate for students in your courses.– 3. Be sure to choose a well-balanced

selection that moves along the thinking skill continuum.

Attribute #3: Instructional Strategies are Learning Compatible

• Brain research helps us understand why certain strategies increase retention and contribute to enduring understanding.

• 1. Varied sources of input• 2. Meaningful and active learning• 3. Timely and appropriate feedback• 4. Safe, non-threatening environment• 5. Reflection time for student information

processing

Reflection

• Using the reflection you created based on the Tomlinson article you read and all the material we have discussed so far today:

• 1. Reflect on where you are in a standards-based environment and differentiated instruction as you know about it so far.

• 2. Reflect on what you could focus on to create a standards-based environment and bring DI into your classroom.

Homework

• Tomlinson Ch. 1-4• Use ONE of the three graphic organizers and

take notes on ONE of the chapters.• Choose ONE class you are currently working

with or ONE subject area you teach your students and develop a concept that would be appropriate for the curriculum. Working with this concept, develop some key generalizations, or principles, and some essential questions. Ask your kids to help you. Use worksheet provided to help you out.

EXIT CARDS

• On one of the index cards please write at least one burning question that you have about DI now that we have spent a few hours looking at it in a brief overview.

• Turn in the question to me as you leave and be sure to take the homework sheets on your way out.

• Have a great evening and see you next week!