Transcript Introduction to Tiered Lessons

Introduction to Tiered Lessons
Project Aspire
Session 6 Broadcast
Sara Delano Moore, Ph.D.
Food for Thought
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At any given time in any given
classroom,
– One third of students already know the topic
at hand,
– One third of students are ready to learn the
topic at hand, and
– One third of students aren’t yet ready to
learn the topic at hand.
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How does a reasonable teacher handle
this?
– Tiered lessons are one effective strategy.
What are tiered lessons?
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Tiered lessons are a way of
creating systematic variations on a
single lesson plan that are
responsive to student learning
needs and practical for the teacher
to manage.
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There are several ways in which
lessons can be tiered.
How can lessons be tiered?
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Dimension of Learning
– Content
• What students are learning
– Process
• How students are learning
– Product
• How students show mastery
How can lessons be tiered?
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Characteristics of the Learner
– Readiness
• How skilled is the student in this area?
– Interest
• What topics are engaging to the student?
– Learning Style
• How does the student learn best?
On what basis are lessons
tiered?
Content
Process
Product
Interest
X
Learning Style
X
Readiness
X
Tiering Product by Interest
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Easy way to start – doesn’t change daily
instruction
Teachers develop alternative products
they think will be of interest to students
for the end of the unit.
These can be in addition to or instead of
a unit test on the content.
– Think about a unit test for assessing skills
and a product for assessing concepts
Making this work
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It is most helpful to develop a standard
set of products you will allow in your
classroom, with rubrics for each.
Product Guides (Jim Curry and John
Samara) are a good resource here.
– http://www.curriculumproject.com/
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Rubrics are essential to the success of
this strategy – students have to know
what quality work looks like!
Sample Product Set
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Physical model (3D)
Visual representation (2D)
Oral presentation (live or taped)
Written report
These products respond to a
variety of student interests and
learning styles
These products accommodate a
wide range of content.
Sample Products in Algebra
II

Unit Focus – Conic Sections
– Physical Model – auto headlight
– Visual Representation – poster of planetary
orbits
– Oral Presentation – hyperbolic curve of
sonic boom intersecting the earth
– Written Report – parabolic trajectory of a
projectile
• Web reference:
http://ccins.camosun.bc.ca/~jbritton/jbconics.
htm
Sample Products in Biology
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Unit Focus - Types of Joints in the Body
– Physical Model – 3D model of one or more
joint types
– Visual Representation – chart comparing
range of motion of hinge joints with ball and
socket joints
– Oral Presentation – on importance of
immovable joints in skull for birth & infant
brain development
– Written Report – wear and tear issues for
different joint types in various sports
Sample Products in
Chemistry
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Unit Focus – Chemical Bonds
– Physical Model – single and double covalent
bonds in organic compounds
– Visual Representation – compare and
contrast various representations of bonds
– Oral Presentation – difference between ionic
and covalent bonds
– Written Report – how the polar bonds in
water influence water’s use as a solute
What about the rubrics?
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Rubrics here have two parts – content
and product
The content rubric is the same no matter
which product is selected – students are
still demonstrating the same knowledge.
The product rubric stays the same from
unit to unit – a good written report, for
example, is always nicely structured and
mechanically accurate.
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Product Rubrics – Physical
Model
Key Features and Attributes
– Title – prominent, summarizes main idea,
legible, accurate and descriptive, concise
– Object(s) – matched to key concepts,
proportional, stable/secured to base,
visually attractive/engaging, matches
purpose of assignment, multiple
perspectives for viewing
– Labels – clearly visible, easily interpreted,
size or color shows hierarchy of ideas
– Explanatory Text – concise, explains major
concepts, well-organized, accurate
– Credits – accurate, complete, unobtrusive
Product Rubrics – Visual
Representation
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Key Features and Attributes
– Title – appealing, concise, summarizes
major point, prominent
– Graphics/Illustrations – accentuate key
ideas, accurate, evidence of organizational
structure, matches purpose
(realistic/imaginative)
– Text – accurate, compact, legible, logical,
summarizes key concepts
Product Rubrics – Visual
Representation
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Key Features and Attributes
– Labels – clearly visible, concise, easily
interpreted, shows hierarchy of ideas with
color or size
– Background/negative space – unobtrusive,
establishes a border, offsets graphics and
text
– Credits – complete, accurate, unobtrusive
Product Rubrics – Oral
Presentation
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Key Features and Attributes
– Structure of Report – includes introduction,
body and conclusion, logical organization of
information
– Audience Involvement – initiated early in
presentation; invited through humor,
questions, movement, other strategies
Product Rubrics – Oral
Presentation
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Key Features and Attributes
– Body Language – conveys enthusiasm and
emotion, follows proper etiquette, confident,
uses natural/purposeful gestures
– Materials – well-organized, useful to
audience, enhance presentation; wellmatched to audience and setting
– Voice – clear pronunciation; confident;
proper volume, pitch, tone, projection, pace
Product Rubrics – Written
Report
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Key Features and Attributes
– Cover – includes clear, prominent,
informative title and appropriate
demographic information
– Text organization – includes introduction,
body, and conclusion; follows appropriate
format; well-structured; accurate content
– References – accurate, meet requirements
of project, presented in appropriate style
– Mechanics – proper grammar usage,
legible, correct punctuation and spelling,
appropriate syntax
Product Rubrics - Content
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This is where you define sufficient and
accurate content.
Return to your standards – what are
students showing you they know?
This is the second part of your rubric
and will change with each assignment.
This is how you ensure that any product
choice still shows mastery of the
content.
Implementation
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Work with your vertical team to develop
a set of common products and rubrics.
Identify a unit where 2 – 4 of these
common products might be appropriate.
Develop a content rubric for the unit
topic.
After reviewing all the product options &
rubrics, allow students to choose which
one they will use to share their learning.
Things to Remember
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This can be in addition to a unit test
everyone takes or instead of a test.
Spending time with the product rubrics
is key to not being overwhelmed with
questions about the various products.
Emphasize that with a common content
rubric, everyone is demonstrating the
same learning, just using various
strategies.