creating access to learning

Creating Access to Learning:

Creating Access to Learning EDUA 5600

Goal:

Goal How can we teach so that students with dramatically different academic, social-emotional, and sensory-physical abilities learn together well? Inclusion = valued participation in valued activities with valued people in valued places

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Differentiated Instruction Adaptation Modification Individualized Programming Provincial Curriculum

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Differentiated Instruction Adaptation Modification Individualized Programming Provincial Curriculum

Thinking About Differentiation:

Thinking About Differentiation Tallest person rolls first Choose card that corresponds to number rolled Answer the prompt, working for a complete, thoughtful and insightful answer Other group members add their own thoughts about the prompt

Thinking About Differentiation:

Thinking About Differentiation Working alone, choose any one of the prompts, and write a brief response.

Readiness:

Readiness We need to assess and construct tasks at different levels of difficulty

Middle Schoolers Answer the Question, “What does it Feel Like When Classes Move too Slowly?”:

Middle Schoolers Answer the Question, “What does it Feel Like When Classes Move too Slowly?”

Some Elementary Students Answer the Question, “What’s it Like When You Feel Lost in Class?”:

Some Elementary Students Answer the Question, “What’s it Like When You Feel Lost in Class?”

Interests/Passions:

Interests/Passions We need to align key skills and materials from the curriculum with topics that intrigue students or offer choices

Learning profile:

Learning profile We need to address learning styles and multiple intelligences

MI and Learning Styles:

MI and Learning Styles Multiple intelligence theory describes the ways in which people are smart and demonstrate ability and competence Learning styles have to do with how people are most comfortable learning and most receptive to learning

Practice:

Practice After reading two versions of Cinderella from different cultures, students compare and contrast them and draw pictures of both similar and different elements of the two stories Differentiate for readiness, interest, and learning profile

The Teacher's Challenge:

The Teacher's Challenge Developing-- “Respectful Activities” Interesting Engaging Challenging

Respectful Differentiation:

Respectful Differentiation Read the scenario Discuss with your partner Is this an example of respectful differentiation? Why or why not? How would you improve the task? Exchange and repeat 1-7 6-12

Prior Knowledge:

Prior Knowledge Some students have advanced knowledge of the topic to be studied Scenario 1 & 7

Scenario 1:

Scenario 1 It is not a good idea to differentiate for advanced students primarily by asking them to tutor other students. The most important issue in this scenario, however, is that advanced students should also have the opportunity to expand their own knowledge, understanding, and skills with simple machines by completing more advanced activities.

Scenario 7:

Scenario 7 On the surface, this may seem like a better use of student time than having them tutor their peers, and it certainly seems like an activity the students would enjoy. The problem is that it will seem like a small group of students gets a "fun" activity while the others are relegated to something that appears dull. Respectful differentiated activities are equally engaging.

Skill Mastery:

Skill Mastery One student has mastered the skill to be taught . Scenario 4 & 10

Scenario 4:

Scenario 4 The alternative activity seems respectful. It should provide the student with an opportunity to refine his understanding of an effective PowerPoint presentation. His presentation to the class will inform his peers as well, providing them with access to advanced material.

Scenario 10:

Scenario 10 Not every advanced student enjoys or is good at working on independent research. Furthermore, the differentiated activity appears to be unrelated to likely unit goals. Respectful differentiation leads students to the same - or very similar - outcomes

Readiness:

Readiness Students have different reading abilities. Scenario 6 & 12

Scenario 6:

Scenario 6 If students cannot understand the whole chapter because of their reading level, they probably can't understand half the chapter either! A better solution would be to adapt the reading selection to better match the varied reading levels in the class or to provide access to the material on tape.

Scenario 12:

Scenario 12 Teacher M has adjusted the level of reading for her advanced students so they not only have access to key information but also have the opportunity to refine their decoding of advanced text. Another respectful aspect of this scenario is the use of the same set of discussion questions for all students, facilitating common discussions even if the texts differ.

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Homework Scenario 2 Scenario 8

Scenario 2:

Scenario 2 Generally, it does not feel respectful to students when we differentiate by quantity rather than quality. Rather than assigning fewer or more problems, assign different problems.

Scenario 8:

Scenario 8 This is another example of differentiation by quantity rather than quality. A better solution would be to assign advanced readers more advanced books or books that are in a less familiar genre.

Choice:

Choice Options offered to the class are limited for one student . Scenario 3 & 7

Scenario 3:

Scenario 3 If most students get a choice of product, it would feel disrespectful to a single student to tell him he does not get a choice. Furthermore, a good reason to offer choice in culminating products is so that students have the best possible chance to show their knowledge, understanding, and skill in a topic. The described student would be not have this opportunity as he is assigned the medium that he finds most difficult.

Scenario 9:

Scenario 9 On the surface this might not appear to be respectful because one student does not get as many choices as the other students. But in this case, the student finds too many choices overwhelming. Therefore, it seems appropriate to provide fewer options for this student, especially since the teacher has taken care to provide options he knows the student will enjoy.

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Students with Special Needs Scenario 5 Scenario 11

Scenario 5:

Scenario 5 Providing a choice of artistic periods is respectful. What is not respectful in this scenario is the assumption that students learning English should be automatically assigned to the "simpler" version of this activity. The activity they are assigned should depend mainly on their readiness to accomplish the task itself (designing pop-up cards), not their ability to read the directions.

Scenario 11:

Scenario 11 We should not automatically assign a student to a particular level of a task based on a label. Perhaps these students have a greater background in music than she supposes. Some kind of pre-assessment is needed. The goal of the task appears to have something to do with comparison of styles. If a student only looks at one composer, he cannot accomplish this goal.

Do's and Don'ts:

Do's and Don'ts Join with a second pair and compile a list of do's and don'ts for designing respectful differentiation.

Evaluating Differentiated Activities:

Evaluating Differentiated Activities Does each version of the task appear to lead to the same outcomes? If not, what changes need to be made? Is each version equally engaging? If not, what changes could be made to ensure equal engagement? Does each version require students to stretch as much as possible? If not, what changes could be made to ensure that each task is equally challenging?

Next class:

Next class Addressing Academic Diversity Read: remainder of Module 3