Session 9 - Differentiated Instruction & Communications
Learning Outcomes:
CLO 5252.1 Identify and implement the California History - Social Studies (CA HSS) State Framework, College, Career, Civic Live Framework (C3) Common Core Social Studies (CCSS) (TPE 1b, 8, 9, 12 & 13).
CLO 5252.2 Plan and write lessons and activities for all learners to maximize their ability to meet and/or exceed the CCSS (TPE 1b, 2, 4, 5, 6c, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12 & 13).
CLO 5252.3 Demonstrate an understanding of oral, written, and visual literacy and the ability to promote and instruct on oral, written, and visual literacy in the teaching of social studies and history (TPE 1b, 2, 4, 5, 7, 10).
CLO 5252.4 Demonstrate competence in creating unit plans and instructional programs in Common Core English/Language Arts and Social Studies content areas (TPE 1b, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6c, 7, 9, 10, 11).
CLO 5252.5 Create and implement lessons, assignments, assessments, and other learning tools that provide challenging educational experiences and opportunities for all learners (TPE 1b, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6c, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 & 13).
CLO 5252.6 Provide grade-level learning experiences that create the necessary groundwork for student learning success in subsequent courses (TPE 1b, 4, 5, 6c, 7, 8, 9, 10).
CLO 5252.7 Explore and to research effective, current research-based methods and curricula that promote optimal learning environments for students (TPE 1b, 2, 4, 5, 6c, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 & 13).
Essential Questions:
1. Differentiated Instruction and Assessment for All Learners
Essential Question:
Shouldn’t the standards and expectations be the same for EVERY student?
Agenda:
-Standards-Based Instruction
-Differentiating Instruction and Assessment
-Providing Accommodations
Information:
What's the difference between Differentiation and Modification and Accommodation?
The main idea is that not all of us are the same. We pride ourselves in being individuals and respect each others differences, and yet in the classroom, we tend to treat all students as a group. The practicality of this tendency is obvious and natural. Our society, school, and parents expect teachers to provide a predetermined set of material (usually too much) to our classes. When we have been given this responsibility, the most efficient way is to move them through the material as a group. In fact the entire classroom is set up to do just that. Everyone is given a place to work. Everyone has access to the same material. Everyone is given one period in which to do this. Everyone has one academic year to complete the task. Everyone is judged/evaluated by the same grading system.
For me, differentiation is mostly an appropriate way to approach the same material for students who struggle with the acquisition of materials from the traditional way. For example, a typical classroom presentation may be comprised of a set of slides that accompanies a lecture, and the students are expected to take notes. However, there may be students who are struggling with notetaking. An appropriate modification might be to provide these students with a set of notes ahead of the lecture. It could require these students to make further notations to help keep them engaged. Here are ways to differentiate. : Scholastic, Prodigy Edutopia, Concordia - Portland, and Education Week.
Of what does this chart remind you?
Modifications and Accommodations are adaptations. According to Eric Strom, who writes on behalf of Understood, a website dedicated to helping parents and student who struggle with learning, "Accommodations change how a student learns the material. A modification changes what a student is taught or expected to learn. Here are examples to help explain the differences between them." See this helpful chart.
2. Communicating and Collaborating with Other Professionals and Families
Essential Questions:
Why should teachers collaborate?
How much communications with students’ families is needed?
Agenda:
Information:
The glory and detriment to teaching is what happens after the doors close and class begins. It's glorious because even if you have a pacing guide and prescribed curriculum, all the students are under your direction. They are all yours! The detriment is that this can be very isolating and lonely. Some teachers go through their entire career trying to minimize contact with the outside. There is much danger to this. The assumption of these teachers is that they have all the answers and that there isn't much left for them to learn or gain. They're well educated and "what else is there to learn?", they ask themselves.
Other teachers can be your life-life. If not for content of what you are teaching, then for an understanding shoulder.
"All parents do is complain," is the assumption. And there is much complaining, particularly if you are new to the profession Here's a good article for new teachers and communicating with parents. I STRONGLY recommend that you put as much of your class online as possible. Why? Your webpages communicate 24/7. Many of the questions your students and parent have are on your webpages. What's the homework? How pages is the essay supposed to be? What chapter are we supposed to read? Et cetera.
My phone calls and notes from parents nearly disappeared when I put everything online. (See www.genconnection.com ) Not all parents are complainers, in fact, they are on your side and want a meeting to enlist your help in making your recalcitrant student do better in your classroom. Most of my requests for parental meetings are that way. I almost always insist that the student be present. After all, it is about them.
A simple proactive email is often all that is needed to assuage a difficult situation. I advise to use your email as much as possible. There is a "paper" trail. After a phone, if could be "I said/You said," but an email is unambiguous. (I never delete emails, except for spam- ever).
Assignments:
• Due – Video UDL & Reflection (see instructions for video)
• Read & Discuss
-Vaughn, Bos, Schumm, Ch. 12: Differentiating Instruction and Assessment for All Learners
-Vaughn, Bos, Schumm, Ch. 3: Communicating and Collaborating with Other Professionals and Families
Next Steps:
Your 3 videos and Reflections are coming due
SDAIE & Reflection in your Lesson Plan- next week!
Veteran Teacher Observation - Narrative Write up
Be amazing in your classroom!
