KUD'S

What I have learned with looking through these lesson plans is how important it is to be very specific in writing and implementation of the KUD's. By doing this it gives students a clear idea of where they are going with a particular lesson and what they need to accomplish. Then that way if a child is not understanding a part of the lesson they would know to get help. I really liked the science lesson and how many different approaches Eidson used in creating this lesson. There were many different activity that the students would participate in, but some being individual activities while most were done in various groups. These lessons are a great resource and example of what differentiated lesson can and should be like, as well as how specific the KUD's need to be for any lesson.

Pages 120-162

I am not really sure what I am suppose to be blogging about other than the fact that I really liked some of the lesson approaches found in these pages. I really like the graphic organizers because they really help the students to compare and contrast different subjects that are studied at the same time. For example, 2 or more characters in a book, planets and star etc. I also liked the interactive notes. This would allow for the students to really stop and think about what they are reading, and to make sure they are comprehending that in which they need to. Interactive notes would be a great way to tier the lesson to fit specific students and their needs, by having some students look for and answer questions that are straight out of the reading to questions that are abstract to help the advanced students think more deeply about the assignment. This would also lend to a great whole class discussion, staring with those students who had the more specific questions being discussed and moving toward the more abstract questions with the more advanced students. This would allow all for the student the opportunity to see how all the information is important. I also really liked the tiered example 2 with the aliens. This would be a great way to help students come up with different questions and answers about a given topic. Helping them to move from the more simple questions and answers to the more complex as they deepen their analytical think skills. There are a lot of great tools in the book that can be adapted to almost any lesson. Which would really help the students be clear about the objectives, giving them choices to make it more fun and interesting but tiered so that they are working withing their own ZPD.

TIERING

Tiering is teaching the essentials of any given lesson to students but by creating multiple tasks with varying difficulty according to the students readiness to ensure success for every student as well as keeping their educational experience with in each students ZPD.
Pages 130-135
These are great examples of tiered lessons. The basic assignment is there for all the students to participate in, but each task is slightly different accommodating the different levels of readiness. By the end of the assignment each of the students will have performed the task that was within their ZPD, solidifying their new found knowledge.
Pages 149-162
It is my belief that most lessons can be tiered. Some may take more creativity. Some of the lessons that may not be as tierable as others are math lessons,because there is such a natural progression of math skills. So as far as I can tell not all of these would be tierable. But with such lessons, students could still be groups according to readiness, or paired up with other students for a peer tutoring to ensure that students are successful with the assigned task.

Chapter 6

There are many ways in which to help ensure quality work in our students. One of the ways is to create rubrics that they students know exaclty what is expected of them. This will help them to perform to the level of quality that they desire in a given assignment. It is imporant to help the student to aim high and to realize that the level of effort they put into the assignment will determine the result. Group work is a great way to help student enrich their education as they share idea and solutions to the subject. Think alouds are a great way for students to talk through their strategies, this not only helps them to solve problems, but allows them opportunity to communicate with others and value what they have to contribute. Other suggestions are study buddies and peer critiques to help students achieve their goal for excellence. The goal as a teacher is to ensure that our students can be successful in all that is taught. These are some great ways to make sure that that goal can be accompished. Changing things up for students will also help to continually engage them, and well as giving them a variety of ways to succeed, and helping them find out what works best for them.

Chapter 5

Chapter 5 is about the 5 different characteristics that need to exist in the curriculum and instruction to help students meet their eduacational goals. Curriculum and instruction needs to be important to the students furture to build a solid foundation that the studnets can continue to build upon and work with. It is important for the students to balance knowledge and understanding as they make sense of the information that is presented to them. The curriculum must also be focused so that they students can meet the educational goals that have been set for them. In addition, students need to know why they are learning such things inorder to help them understand it's importance to their future. Engaging students is a vital part of the curriculum. It is when students are engaged in the work that they find it meaningful, memorable, celebrate in their accomplishments and provoke curiosity to futher their education. In the midst of all of this the assignments need to be within their ZPD in make sure that the knowledge is just out side of their reach to help them to stretch and grow. This will help students to work hard and focus on the task at hand. The 5th characteristic of curriculum and instrucion is scaffolding. This is where it is important that the students know what is expected of them, students are given the tools and support that they need inorder to accomplish the assigned tasks. This is also critical that students with special needs are accomidated to ensure their success as well. In the process of doing all of this it is important to help each student feel that they are given the positive encouaragement, help them feel that they have valuable contributions to make to empower and give them purpose in all that they are learning. This is something that I really look forward to doing. Since I always struggled in school, I want to be able to encourage students and help them to believe in themselves that they can succeed in what they pursue.

Chapter 4

One of the things that I really liked about this chapter is creating a classroom enviorment that is meaningful to the students. I loved how one of the scenario mentioned that the teacher wanted the students to be able to see themselves in the classroom. Making the classroom a place to explore, discover, and learn is essential to helping students reach their potential. Communication in a classroom is huge. Creating an environment where the students can ask questions, explore the options together and discuss the possible outcomes are very empowering. I also believe that it is important for the teacher to share their thoughts on a given topic to demonstrate to the students how they came to that conclusion and the thought process that was involved. I strongly believe that there is a needs to be alot of talking and discussing in a classroom so that students can understand their opinion about a topic, as well as others points of view, and that certainly can not happen in a quiet classroom. This also applies to the support system in that students learn to look to each other for help and in the process they learn together. Another aspect of creating support systems is giving the students the tools that they will need inorder to solve a problem that they incounter, such as word walls, math facts, or other tools relating to the current course of study that seems appropriate.

Chapter 3

Where Do I Begin................................................................. The overall idea of this chapter is to help teachers know how to help their students feel that they have a place within the classroom they are valued and as a teacher you will not give up on them. I love how it discusses that if the teacher and the students are not learning that there is no real satisfaction in the work, and that the classroom is just as much a learning environment for the teacher as it is the student. I loved the example of the first year teacher and how every morning she gives her students 3 things. A chipper greeting, an opportunity to act out how the students is feeling and any trouble they may be having, and a word that they have heard but may not know or a word of encourage meant that would be meaningfull to the student. With a large classroom this would take a lot of time to get everyone in to the classroom, but realizing the kind of power this gives to the teacher to know where her students are coming from that day and what other emotional distractors the student is facing is vital information in knowing how to help the child succeed for that day. Not only is it informative for the teacher but the student as well. Knowing that their teacher cares about them, has taken interest in them and want to help them succeed is very empower to any student. I also think is would be a great way to help create the community feeling within the classroom and that the students are in a safe enviroment where they are wanted, needed and cared for. The three things the teacher gives the students would also make a great morning meeting and allowing the student to help one another. I never really thought I would gain so much empowerment from a textbook, and though the task to becoming a great teacher is still daunting, it truly opens the door to endless opportunities.

Student Profile and Interest Survey

These surveys have a great approach of informing a teacher about her students interest and learning styles that she may or may not know other wise. The information that one would get from these surveys would be to know what role her students take with their education, are they chiefs or are they indians? According to most of the answers it would direct me to what kinds of lesson and activites to plan that would engage most of my students as well as assess them in way that would inform me of what they have learned about each course of study.
One thing I would add to the interest survey would be to give some brief explanationso of different kinds of learners, giving the students some idea of what kinds of learner there are. Other than that I think these are great tools to help any teacher form a curriculum that would be most benefical to the students.

Inventories/Pre-Assessments

There are several of the inventories and assessments that I would use in my student teaching such as the attitudes and interest inventory, Thinking about my reading, thinking about my writing and student checklists, as well as some of the mathmatical assessments. I really believe that if students are able to share their feelings about what they are learning and what interest them most and how they prefer to learn such, the classroom becomes much more of a participatory classroom instead of the teacher always dictating what should be done and how it should be done. I also believe that using some of the other inventories that are more teacher based and what the teacher is observing would be a great benefit as well. So using a combination of the two types of inventories would be a great way to help the students get more involved in their learning process but with the guidance from the teacher to help push their zpd to new levels.

Chapter 2

I really enjoyed chapter 2 and the elements that are discussed to ensure that students are getting what they need while in school. I truly believe that emotions trump learning. Therefore it is extremely important that students are given what they need to help them excel in the classroom. I love the 5 elements that the textbook discusses; Affirmation, contribution, power, purpose, and challenge. I can't think of a better way to impower my students then to help them believe in themselves, helping them find their purpose through their ZPD, helping them to realize that they have something worthwhile to share and contribute as they find their power that will enable them to be successful through school as well as through out their life. In such a classroom all become learners together students and teacher alike, as the teacher creates a safe enviroment that will allow maximum learning to take place.

Chapter 1

Chapter One was basically a review of part I in our other textbooks. I really like the metaphor about the fox and the little prince. Each of those students are like the fox, in that they need to be tamed and shown the possibilities that await them. I love how the text points out, that school doesn't just enable the students to become what they might want to be, but it involves them int he observing and contributing processes as well. It is important for the teacher to really be aware of where each of her students are at,teaching within their ZPD thus helping the students to reach their desired potential for that year, giving them a solid foundation in which they will be able to continually build upon throughout their educational experience/life. Creating a differentiated curiculum is very time consuming and requires a lot of persistance and hard work. Creating interest in new topics that will benefi the students, making sure each student is within his or her ZPD, and assessing them in different ways that will allow them to show just how much they have learned. But in turn the teacher also is learning much about her differnt students. Thus making any classroom environment a learning experience for all. both teacher and students taking risks, listening, teaching, giving and recieve. Enrich their experience together as their build their foundation.

Morning Meetings

I am sure we have only just began talking about the importance of morning meeting and I am already hooked. I loved how in the article the students discuss how they love morning meeting because they are known in the classroom and they know the other students. I love how one another student says that in order to be someone's friend you need to know their name. "You learn to get along with each other and you get to you know each others lives." What an amazing way to help build a sense of community within you classroom as students build friendships that are deeper than skin deep. This time gives students a great time to relax and prepare them for the upcoming school day. I love how it provides a safe environment for the students to learn, take risks, make mistakes, help each other succeed and become a family, which unfortunately maybe more than what some students get at home. I loved how one teacher said of morning meeting that it is the one time of the day when all of her students are 100% successful. What an amazing thing to enrich the education of our students.

Part I

In all honesty, this reading really started me thinking about all the overwhelming responsibilities of a teacher. Teachers much meet the demands of all their students and help them continue in their education no matter where they are starting from. One of the sections that I found helpful is How does a teacher plan for differentiation instruction. I really liked how the book discusses the different student characteristics of readiness, interest, and learning profile. It is extremely important that teacher teach within the ZPD to ensure the success of their students. Creating an interest level is also very important if the students are to become hooked and engaged in the learning process, as well as to make the interconnection of all knowledge. Learning profile is the last characteristic that is mentioned. There are many things that shape a learners profile such as; gender, culture, learning style, intelligence preference or a combination of these. This is why it is essential that the teacher creates different lessons and activities that will accomodate all the many differnt learning styles. Giving each student a chance and opportunity to succeed.