1 / 31

A Peek Into a Differentiated Classroom

A Peek Into a Differentiated Classroom. Sarah Kasprowicz WATG President watgpresident@gmail.com. 5 th and 6 th Grade Classroom Teacher. Merton Community School District. kasprowiczs@merton.k12.wi.us. A WATG Four Corners Workshop Saturday, March 6, 2010. Classroom Dynamics.

selma
Download Presentation

A Peek Into a Differentiated Classroom

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. A Peek Into a Differentiated Classroom Sarah Kasprowicz WATG President watgpresident@gmail.com 5th and 6th Grade Classroom Teacher Merton Community School District kasprowiczs@merton.k12.wi.us A WATG Four Corners Workshop Saturday, March 6, 2010

  2. Classroom Dynamics • The stage has been set for differentiation. • Alternate activities are expected and encouraged. • All students may propose an alternate project. • We have “Friday Projects” with weekly work time in the library. • Student-led portfolio conferences are conducted at the end of each year. • Looping: 5th-6th grade

  3. Classroom Organization • Portfolio crate with hanging folders • Bookshelves to keep resources for various independent projects • 3 computers • Bulletin boards and walls have papers stapled to them to help keep track of alternate projects and due dates. • S. P.R.I.T.E. crate with student folders, blank forms and rubrics

  4. Supported Independent Reading(S. P. R. I. T. E.) • Based on the research of Sally Reis • Elements of Differentiation • Higher level questioning • Choice • Flexible grouping • Tiered assignments • Mentors (guest readers)

  5. Sprite links • 5-10 points • The questions match any book. SEM-R Bookmarks

  6. Sample questions • Describe a very important event that happened in today’s reading. • Name an adult that you know that would like this book. Explain why they would like this book. • What is the best thing the author has done so far in this book? (plot, perspective, description, conflict, setting?) Explain why you think so. • Which character in your book is the easiest to trick? Why? • Write three predictions you have for the rest of the book.

  7. Sample questions • Who, in your book, would you least like to sit next to in our new seating chart today? Why? • Who, in your book, would you want to be your Face Book friend? Why? • Who, in your book, do you trust the least? Why? • You have to buy a pet for the main character. What pet would you buy them and why? • Explain one way you would change the setting if you were the author. • Name one thing you thought would happen in the book that did not happen. • Who is the least important character in the book? Why? • What is one event that was unnecessary in this book? Why?

  8. Which character do you trust the least? • Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Craig because he does odd things. • Penny from Heaven: Uncle Angelo because he is getting drunk all the time and keeps losing his job. • The Incredible Journey: The cat because he can take stuff away from the dogs. Also he always sneaks around. • Peak: I trust Josh the least because he was climbing a mountain and got a call that his son was born. Zopa kept bugging Josh saying that it’s not good for a father to neglect his son.

  9. Grading • Two Words

  10. Release Yourself

  11. Release Yourself From: • Filling in each space in your grade book • Assigning practice that some students don’t need • Managing every detail • Creating every project • Writing every rubric

  12. Appropriate Grading • Pretest • Schedule pretests with enough time for students to preview material. • Set a percentage needed to “test out” such as 90% or higher. • Require students to do learn concepts missed on the pretest and demonstrate acquired knowledge. • Select alternate project in accordance with interest, theme or portfolio requirements.

  13. Insert Rigor and Depth • GT Students are used to minimal struggle. • The classroom teacher can require rigor and depth to be part of each alternate project. • Include rigor in rubric design • Higher level subtopics are required • Higher level subtopics are weighted twice • Include multiple higher level subtopics based on student readiness

  14. Higher Level Subtopics • Based on the research of Diane Heacox • Sample topic: The Rainforest • What is still unknown about the rainforest? • Describe a current controversy connected to the rainforest • How has the rainforest changed over the last 200 years? • What are current theories connected to the rainforest?

  15. More Subtopic Ideas • What are common assumptions about the rainforest? • Analyze connections between research in the rainforest to other scientific fields. • Identify important cause and effect relationships connected to the rainforest. • Defend a prediction you have about the future of rainforest destruction. • SOCIAL STUDIES INQUIRY TOPICS • SOCIAL STUDIES REQUIREMENTS

  16. Grade Book Issues • GT students will have fewer grades. • GT students are excused from daily work grades. • GT students will have scores for: • Pretests • Post-tests • Alternate projects

  17. Grade Book Tips • Leave the excused boxes BLANK. • Use different colors of ink to code tiered assignments and projects. • Use Webgrader features to assign students to assignments and excuse students from daily work. • Keep a separate class list in your grade book to keep track of alternate project grades

  18. Assessing Alternate Projects • Rubrics • Rubistar • Student generated • Teacher generated • Written as a partnership between student and teacher • Generic rubrics (see examples) • Inform Parents of alternate grading policies in your classroom

  19. Assessing Alternate Projects • Time management • Assess work logs for time management and use this as evidence for or against future participation. • Self Assessment • Students rate themselves on their rubric before handing in final project. • Portfolios • Students may use alternate projects as portfolio pieces. • Bonus • +5 points in Webgrader for tiered assignments

  20. Sample rubrics and forms • Friday Projects(Website Link) • All students work on a project on a topic of their choice. • Students have 45 minutes of work time in the library each Friday afternoon • Solves the “What do I do when I’m done?” dilemma. The answer is, “Work on your Friday Project.” • Students document their readiness level on a “Starting Point” sheet and proceed with learning from there • Partners and small groups are acceptable, but each group member has their own questions and is responsible for creating their own rubric. • Sample Calendar

  21. Create an online class • Moodle Elements of differentiation ~Choice ~Compacting ~Parallel studies and orbital studies ~Intellectual peers ~Readiness levels

  22. extensions • Rti for all students • 30 minutes per day • 5 classroom teachers • 1 teacher of At-Risk students • 1 staff member from our curriculum department

  23. How do extensions work? • Screeners and data wall from the previous grade is used to provide data to place students in interventions • Students are given choices of enrichment mini course extensions and they rate them their first, second and third choice. • Every 3 weeks the intervention teachers will reassess the students to see who is able to exit the intervention class. • Topics of enrichment classes change throughout the year ~ every 3 weeks.

  24. schedule 12:00 – 12:30 every day Mrs. O: Helps supervise Storybook and Sketchbook students working in the library. Mrs. M.: Works one on one with one boy on math intervention (needs tier 3 attention). When that boy is absent she works with Mrs. Schiellack on math interventions.

  25. Enrichment Mini courses • Storybook: The students have the choice between writing a story inspired by an illustration in Chris Van Allsburg’s The Mysteries of Harris Burdick or participating in an online novel study of Bud, Not Buddy and Depression Era themes. • Web Book: The students learn how to use Web 2.0 tools to demonstrate learning. • Sketchbook: The students participate in sketching, drawing and other art activities.

  26. Mini courses so far this year • French • Strength and fitness • Space Race • Cartooning • Journalism • Brain Teasers and Logic • Community Service • Picture Book Production • Wars and Conflict • Sportsmanship

  27. Future enrichment ideas • Spanish class • Origami • More Logic Puzzles • Science experiments • Robotics • News writing • Sculpting • Chinese class • Flight and airplanes

  28. Press room • Merton Community School District • Student Created Press Room Page

  29. Intensity Dabrowski’s Overexcitabilities and Theory of Positive Disintegration • Psychomotor • Sensual • Intellectual • Imaginational • Emotional

  30. “Mellow Out” • Written by Michael Piechowski, Ph. D. • “Mellow out,” they say, to which I can only respond, “If only I could.” At birth I was crucified with this mind that has caused me considerable pain, and frustration with teachers, coaches, peers, my family, but most of all with myself. ~Carol, cover illustrator

  31. Accommodations for Intensity • Classroom teachers differentiate for disposition • Help students with stress management. • Time management: extended deadlines and one on one help with task analysis • Assistance with transitions • Suggest involvement in Tae Kwon Do • Discussions with student about triggers • Counseling about intensity • Do not attempt to “fix” the intensity. • Students and parents need to accept intensity and develop strategies to accommodate for themselves.

More Related