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…

• Debra_Sowers@swsd.k12.pa.us Melissa_Wilson@swsd.k12.pa.us

• Pennsylvania Association for Gifted Education (PAGE)—www.giftedpage.org

• www.hoagiesgifted.org• (just google) daretodifferentiate