Know WHAT We Teach
Know WHO We Teach
“Our best understanding of how
people learn is that they begin with past
knowledge, understanding, and
skill and extend those to new levels of
complexity or sophistication. Image from: creative commons (public domain)
Further, we learn best when the work we do is a little too hard for us.
Image from: Creative Commons
What that means is that we have a sense of what the task calls for and the gaps in our capacity to do what it asks of us.Image from: Creative Commons
When these gaps are not present (in other words, when we can
do a task effortlessly) we do not learn
because we do not stretch what we
already know.
Image from: www.flickr.com/photos/medilldc/5489375111/
Similarly, when the gaps are too
great, we cannot span them and
do not learn.
Image From: www.flickr.com/photos/cayusa/
Learning takes place when we have to stretch a manageable amount and do so.
photo by Lina Menazzi on Flickr
Readiness-based differentiation attempts to design student work at varied levels of challenge so that each student has to stretch a manageable amount and is supported in doing so.”
From: Differentiation in Practice: A Resource Gide for Differentiating Curriculum by Carol Ann Tomlinson and Carolyn Cunningham Eidson
Image from: www.flickr.com/photos/wfryer/1142207245/
Knowing STRATEGIES To Teach
Compacting
Condensing learning into a shorter time period.
Compacting
Four Steps to Successful Compacting1. Identify the learning objectives that all
students must learn.2. Offer a pretest opportunity if appropriate for
subject.3. Plan and offer curriculum extensions.
4. Eliminate all drill, practice, and review for students who show mastery.
Independent Study
• Students choose their topic and product from a list.
• Contract is signed by student, parent, and teacher.
• Students are responsible for completing a work log.
• All work is done during class time.
Flexible Grouping• A third grade math example
Obj: develop concept of areaMaterials: TM 192-197; Math Masters 36 (10 copies)Procedure: 1. Mental Math; Math Message 2. MAD Minute 3. review concept of area (SRB 136) 4. estimate area of classroom 5. group work
• Anchor activities (choice board)
1 2 3
Pumpkins—L w/me (do Reteach on TM 197)
WB 75 Fact practice
Corn—M WB 75 w/me (review WB 75) Fact practice
Squash—H packet WB 75 w/me (review packet)
Tiered Assignments
• An example• Don’t try to reinvent the wheel• Get together and pool your thoughts and
ideas• Talk to teachers above and below your grade
level• NOT EVERYTHING needs to be tiered!
Most Difficult First
• Choose the five most difficult problems.• Students may choose to work only those
problems.• If they are able to complete them without
missing more than one, they are done.• If they miss more than one, they need to
complete the entire assignment.
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Why find it and dust it off?
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Cubing
Cubing
Cubing
Cubing
Cubing
Think Dots• Steps:• Create six learning tasks for the numbers on the
die.• List the tasks in a 2x3 cell table which include dots
relating to the sides of a die. • Students roll the die and complete the learning
task from the corresponding dot • If the first roll is something the student doesn’t
want to do, s/he can roll a second time.Sources:Cubing/ThinkDOTSboe.ming.k12.wv.us/teachers/di/di_docs/strategies_cubing_think_dots/CubingThinkdotpp.ppt Defining US: Lewis & Clark Expeditionhttp://chnm.gmu.edu/fairfaxtah/b80.html
Think Dots
Things to consider
essential contentrespectful, challenging workgive the opportunity to self-select tasks
Remember…
For more information…
• [email protected] [email protected]
• Pennsylvania Association for Gifted Education (PAGE)—www.giftedpage.org
• www.hoagiesgifted.org• (just google) daretodifferentiate
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