dancing is like dreaming with your feet

I must admit I have tried blogging before (without a real purpose) and was never very good at keeping up with it.  Now that I have had to keep a blog I have realized that it doesn’t actually interest me.  The reason I did not enjoy blogging may have to do with this website and that fact that the passwords are obnoxious and I could NEVER remember mine and I never firgured out if there was a way to change it to something I could remember.  Also, if it wasn’t for cohabitating with an IT guru I would have never made it through and I had always though that I was rather technologically savvy….maybe I was wrong!

As for the topic I chose, differentiated instruction still interests me.  I wish it was used more when I was in high school because I remember being extremely bored while I waited for the rest of the class to finish or catch-up.  I wish, however that I had chose bilingual education or social networking in the classroom because they seem to have had much more interesting things to write about and bilingual education would have coincided nicely with my Applied Linguistics class. 

Am I glad that my Edublog stint is over?  Yes.

Did I benefit from the experience?  Definitely!

Here are links to 10 comment posts

Eli’s blog

Morgan says:
September 22nd, 2007 at 4:33 pm

As I was going through everyone’s blog to add them to my blogroll a few items in your post stood out to me. I, personally, think it is important for teachers of all subjects to be semi-competent writers. In my short high school-teaching stint the importance of Lexile was drilled into us at every faculty meeting. I always advocated for testing the faculty’s Lexile to determine what the comprehension levels of the teachers were. Also, we had what was called a “long-term writing project” for every class which was meant to prove to students that writing would be required in nearly all aspects of life; not just high school English class. This was definitely an excellent article!

Dan’s blog

Morgan Says:

This article as well as your response bring up a lot of things from my stint as a high school teacher at a boarding school. If you can remember the fights at a public school where students are only there from 7am – 4pm (approximately) and then imagine the fights that occur at a boarding school when everyone is ALWAYS together you might get an idea of what I am trying to get at. Students were constantly “bullying” each other on MySpace and Facebook before school, after school and even during school because there was a laptop requirement at our wireless campus. Interestingly enough, the “IT GUY” decided to solve the problem by blocking MySpace and Facebook. In my opinion his attempts were rather unsuccessful because only teachers could not access MySpace and Facebook from their log-ins but students could continue to bully. Personally, I believe everything should be done to eliminate outside distractions inside the classroom.

23 October 2007 @ 11:13 am

Sarah’s Blog

Ashley St Blog

Morgan // Oct 23rd 2007 at 9:03 am

After reading your post I had formulated some questions so I turned to the complete article for the answers. Unfortunately, I was unable to extract the answers from the article. The concept of the new school sounds rather exciting for the faculty and the students and Microsoft as well. I wonder, even though the school is meant to be a model for other districts to take ideas from, why the capacity is only 750 students. Surely students from the area who do not attend the school will want to go there too, but with a freshman class consisting of 170 students there is not a whole lot of room for growth. Also, it is stated in your post as well as the article that it is a low-income area. Is the school expecting the students to have access at home to the technology needed to complete their homework? Nonetheless, I am sure it would be an interesting school to walk through and experience.

Sheryls Blog

# 1 Morgan Says:
September 24th, 2007 at 5:01 pm

Your articles on technology should be interesting. It is amazing how much technology has changed in the classroom. I was always extremely annoyed when the teacher couldn’t work the VCR in class. I definitely thought there should be a “fundamentals of the VCR” class in college to eliminate wasted class time. One time I had a teacher that tried holding down the screen with the Overhead Projector cord and nearly electrocuted herself. On the otherhand, newfangled classroom technology may sound complex but it has the ability to be quite accomodating. One example of this is for students who have disgraphia. On an edublog (or something similar) these students have a much easier time completing assignments than writing them out on paper. To them picking up a writing utensil can be completely discouraging.

 Ashley Sh’s blog

Comment by Morgan

December 4, 2007 @ 8:40 am

In my Applied Linguistics class this semester I have learned that when it comes to second language learning there is no right or wrong answer. There are so many aspects within and outside of the classroom that affect second language learning that it is difficult to say what works and what doesn’t What works for one person may not work for another. This is an interesting article and I must agree that bilingual education is an effective option…but so so is immersion.

 Walter’s Blog

I, for one, had always appreciated student journalists…until this summer. Just like Christie, I wish I had taken part in my school’s paper when I was in high school, but I did have the opportunity to teach a semester of journalism last year and despite not really knowing what I was doing, I learned a lot! Last summer, however, they gave some girl the opportunity to write feature articles in my local paper bashing the Coast Guard Festival and it caused quite a stir in our quaint little town. I must admit, I secretly still appreciate student writing…but I appreciate common sense too!

Comment by Morgan — December 4, 2007 @ 12:00 pm

Tyler’s Blog

meliser Says:
December 4th, 2007 at 12:11 pm

I must admit I am not a HUGE fan of blackboard. It is a lot of work keeping up with all of the changes that are made on blackboard (sometimes hourly, it seems) but I am not saying that it’s a bad idea. The school I taught at utilized a program called Edline. It was similar to blackboard but a bit more user friendly. Since I taught at a boarding school and the students’ parents felt generally out of touch with what their kids were doing they could sign on to Edline and see how their child was doing, what they had for homework, their daily schedule, what their $40,000 was buying them…but let me tell you, it was A LOT of extra work for the teacher!!

Sarah’s Blog

Morgan on 12.04.07 at 9:17 am

I agree..the only time I could see someone using myspace or facebook for academic purposes is when their friends aren’t on MSN messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, AIM, their cell phone is dead or has been taken away from them…and they need to know if they had any homework because they weren’t paying attention in class. ..and this is an extreme case, clearly!

meliserYour comment is awaiting moderation.

Eric’s blog

When it comes down to it….rules are made for a reason. Rules are made to prevent things from happening and they are made to rectify what may have happened in the past. I am not sure if it is fortunate or unfortunate that we live in a time when teachers and students “hanging out” is not exactly acceptable. Some may think that if this is allowed there wouldn’t be anything to rebel against and then things would be ok. When I started teaching I was almost 23, and the administration at the time was COMPLETELY against teachers and students having ccontact outside of the classroom. We could meet after class but only until 3:30 and someone would walk around and monitor. Teachers were not allowed to go to the dorms, for any reason. The following year we had new administration and you could bring the students to your house for a slumber party if you wanted. You just had to “sign them out.” There was one teacher in particular that would take a bunch of students to dinner then to the mall then they would hang out in their pajamas and watch movies, etc. Even though something like that was permitted….how ridiculously unprofessional!

I somehow managed to come upon another article written by Shardha Sandapen in regards to differentiated instruction.  This one is entitled “Strategies for handling a mixed-ability classroom.”  In the article she presents 5 strategies that allow for easier more effective implementation of differentiated instruction in the classroom.

The first idea she presents basically states that you must be able to reason your desire to use differentiated instruction with others. Students and teachers are going to question the idea of differentiated instruction because neither of them want the student to be thought of as “different” within the classroom setting.  This is kind of like rules in the classroom.  It is much easier to start the year out with a lot of rules and become leniant over time, rather than start out leniant and introduce new rules later.

The second idea is that in order to successfully implement differentiated instruction you must go at a pace that is good for you (the teacher.)  I always say that being a teacher is like being a hippy.  You must be laidback and go-with-the-flow because not everything is going to go the way you plan it.  There are always distractions in the classroom and concepts you think your students will get right away may take much more time than anticipated.

The third point that Sandapen makes is something I have commented on already and that is time.  When you qare giving the class individual or group based activities make sure that there is enough time give, but not too much where they can easily stray off topic .  She mentions to consider the students’ indvidual attention spans when deciding on the amount of time they have to complete an assignment.

The fourth and fifth point both focus on how differentiated instruction is delivered in the classroom.  Make sure you treat the students equally or at least appear as though you are, in respect to the tasks they are given.  By giving group instructions first and then making your way around the room to deliver individual instructions there is less of a distraction for all of the students.

I think this is an excellent article.  For many, differentiated instruction is a very delicate subject and it is important to know how to go about using such a method in your classroom and still pay attention to three crucial aspects: parents, students and of course the teacher.

The article also states that these are five tips of ten so if this is something that interests you there are more tips out there!

Strategies for Managing a Mixed-Abilities Classroom

l’express OUTLOOK

October 30, 2007

The U.S. Department of Education today launched a new Web site to provide teachers, administrators and other educators with recommendations on effective teaching practices and examples of possible ways to implement those practices to help promote excellence in American education and improve student achievement.

If it hasn’t been obvious yet, one thing you will learn about teaching is that there is a lot of begging, borrowing and stealing in the profession.  You will always have to beg for library time, supplies, money and borrow and steal lesson plans, ideas, supplies from colleagues.  In this case; begging, borrowing and stealing are acceptable. 

Now, the government has created a website that facilitates this.

The website is broken down into three areas; learning how something works, seeing how it works and doing what works.

This website was created in order to make the No Child Left Behind Act attempt to make every student on grade level by 2014.

Without forming an opinion on NCLB, I think this website is a great idea.  Unfortunately, teaching can be trial and error and only having 13 years to mold students isn’t a lot of time.  This website can help us gain techniques in our classroom without having to find what works ourselves.

More information can be found at doingwhatworks@ed.gov

‘Doing What Works’ Web Site Launched to Help Educators

U.S. Department of Education Press Release

November 2, 2007

While perusing the articles that were attracted by my Google Reader, I came across an article entitled $14 Million to Help States Better Assess Students with Disabilities Under No Child Left Behind, IDEA.  Apparently states were encouraged to band together and apply for grants that would help fund the development of new assessments for children with disabilities.

Technically this article does not directly relate to the topic of this blog, however, it leaves a few questions with answers I would like to speculate.

First of all, why did the states have to band together in order to apply for the grant?  Is the money getting split up evenly between the states within each group?

How is the modification of the academic achievement standards and the creation of new standardized tests going to effect the current guidelines of differentiated instruction?

When tracking is common practice at a school will they be giving different standardized tests within the classroom?

On the other hand I am encouraged by a few aspects of this text.  It states in the article that the new standards and tests will only be administered to a very small group of students which makes me think they are attempting to avoid a mass clustering of every student with a learning disability.

**Something happened last night when I posted this article.  The last portion is missing.  I will edit it when I get home today. (10/23/07)

FINALLY, a fabulous article explaining the role of the teacher in a differentiated classroom.

The article, Mauritius: The role of the teacher in a differentiated classroom gives a brief and accurate description of the difference in roles between a teacher in a traditional classroom and a differentiated classroom.

The writer, Shardha Sandapen creates the following concise list:

“Teachers who differentiate instruction focus on their role as coach or mentor, and give students as much responsibility for learning as they can handle. These teachers grow in their ability to (1) assess student readiness through a variety of means, (2) “read” and interpret student clues about learning needs and preferences, (3) create a variety of ways students can gather information and ideas, (4) develop varied ways students can explore and “own” ideas, and (5) present varied channels through which students can express and expand understanding.”

The above list emulates the beliefs of Linda Christensen.  In her book, Reading, Writing and Rising Up, it doesn’t mention too much about researched learning differences in her classroom but as readers we know that there are learning differences due to the situation of the students in their lives, respectively.

 In my opinion, I believe every teacher should enter the classroom with the goal of being a differentiated teacher.  From what I have read and experienced by focusing on the main ideas and concepts and promoting critical thinking, a student gains a much better understanding than when the student believes the teacher is “just trying to get through.”

 At the end of the article Sandapen makes a statement that I would like to leave you with.

 ”…focusing on key concepts and generalisations can ensure that all learners gain powerful understandings that serve as building blocks for meaning and access to other knowledge.”

Mauritius: The role of the teacher in a differentiated classroom

Shardha Sandapen

October 16, 2007

On Friday, October 5th, I attended the MCTE Conference in Lansing.  I arrived just in time to get my extremely awkward name badge and sat down in order to hear what the keynote speaker had to say.  I would like to continue with the grudge I held (I am over it now) with the name badges. For some reason, those of us who registered early had to have an additional name badge to hold the one with our actual name on.  The slackers who waited until the day of the conference to get their name badge only had to wear one name badge and their name was spelled correctly because they were able to write them.  Back to the confrence, the keynote speaker, Kathleen Blake Yancey was very informative and had a lot of interesting things to say.  From where I was sitting in the room it was a bit difficult to see either of the slide shows and I felt like she should have done more with our first task of “defining literacy.”  I do believe that her message was effective in setting us up for the rest of the day.

The first session I attended was Dr. Jill VanAntwerp’s advice for new teachers.  I guess I was hoping for something a little more “mind-blowing” maybe.  Having already been a teacher for three years, I only have two more before I am past the “5-year mark.”  Unfortunately, everything that she said, I was aware of and it felt as though she was “stating the obvious” but this time it was in alliteration.  She seems like a very nice lady who doesn’t want to see anyone fail, and I appreciate her effort in giving advice on how to be a successful teacher.

The second session I attended was the session on digital story-telling.  I was slightly disappointed at this session as well.  I guess I was expecting an amazing 3-d slide show or powerpoint presentation, but it was just a regular slide show with a student telling a story.  Despite the numerous technology issues the presenters experienced during their presentation I do think it is an interesting idea.  The main idea behind digital story-telling is having a student write a story and as they read the story pictures that enhance the story are shown.  Unfortunately, teaching digital storytelling takes 2-4 weeks so you could probably only use it once a year.  It did occur to me, however, that digital story-telling could facilitate a successful business.  Just imagine: A wedding slide show using digital story telling.  I am still considering it.

 I believe the MCTE conference is an excellent thing to attend.  If I wouldn’t have had to work I would have stayed for more.  Maybe next year!

The Bennington Banner, produced in Bennington Vermont, recently published an article written by Wesley Knapp about how NCLB has affected DI, due mainly to the standardized testing requirement.

 Wesley Knapp is the Superintendent for a school district in Southern Vermont and in the article he states:

 ”The future is bright for students in the SVSU because our schools recognize that while we have to meet the requirements of NCLB, we are not about to avoid the needs of students by pushing the same material at all students at the same rate.”

The main point that he argues within the article is that it is obvious that are different learning styles and levels within every classroom.  By using differentiated instruction the teacher ensure that the main concept is learned by every student.  However, accellerated learners are not held back and those who may need remediation are allowed that too.

Ultimately, Wesley Knapp wants the answer to the following concern:

“What law ever dictated that everyone had to learn the same amount in the same period of time?”

I am curious about this to an extent.  It may be that there are people who want to do away with the “level” system.  By eliminting the labels of “grade,” it may be more socially acceptable to repeat a class.  Currently there is a stigma set when students get “held back.” *gasp*

Finally, in order to ensure that Knapp’s teachers are highly qualified to continue using the DI method they participate in various professionaly development classes that aid them in the process.

“DI doesn’t mean drill instruction”

Wesley Knapp

Could the newest advancement in differentiated instruction be the the answer educators everywhere have been looking for?  Probably not, but it’s a start!

In the article “New Web-based Learning Program Launched; Rapid Resources(R) Makes Differentiated Instruction a Simple Task for Accelerated Learning or Remediation” the newly launched program is said to make Individualized Learning Plans (ILP) simplified for both educators and the students who use them.

The program focuses on four main areas of academics; mathematics, language arts, reading and science.  Depending on the needs of the individual student Rapid Resource can create instruction to remediate or accelerate the information.

 At first it sounds like an absolutely fabulous idea.  Having been a teacher I know how long it takes to create an effective lesson plan for every day of the week per subject being taught.  On top of that, as a teacher of students with learning differences, creating a lesson catered to the individual needs of each and every student. 

Despite having to answer a few questions on each students ability this article makes it seem as though the web-based program does the rest.

 I must say I am more than slightly skeptical.  One aspect, not confirmed in the article is whether or not the students carry out the lessons and tutorials online.  If the LD is ADD or ADHD related, the students may have difficulty completing the task without constant redirection.  This may also eliminate the interaction students require to succeed.

I must also admit that I have my doubts about many web-based instructional programs.  Experiences I have had in the past is the direct cause of this.  One such program is the “FastForWord” program which claims to raise student reading by multiple grade levels.  The program does improve the ability to read, however, it does not improve reading comprehension and in many cases lowers it.

Well, I suppose I either need concrete proof or severe convincing to trust in the abilities of Rapid Rescource.

Hello all!  I have decided to use this blog in order to explore the many facets of differentiated instruction.

I spent the past two years teaching at an international boarding school for childrem with learning disabilities.  Despite taking a few professional development classes dedicated to help my colleagues and I understand differentiated instruction; I still have a plethora of questions regarding its execution and effectiveness.

 Having taught in a classroom with less than 14 students at any given time I am most curious to know its effects in a larger classroom.

 I currently subscribe to the following feeds on GoogleReader:

CNN

Creating Ideal Lives (a blog on differentiated instruction)

NY Times

MSNBC

U.S. Department of Education

GoogleNews – differentiated instruction

 I chose MSNBC, CNN and NY Times because they are reliable news sources and cover a variety of topics.  I read through a few blogs and “Creating Ideal Lives” seemed to be the one that will be the most helpful in this endeavor.  I did a search on Google.com for articles about differentiated instruction and set up a direct feed to my GoogleReader account.  Both the search query and the feed to the Department of Education are obvious choices to compliment my blog.

 Of course, I am open to any feed suggestions!

Morgan