Transcript A Peek Into a Differentiated Classroom

Sarah Kasprowicz
WATG President
[email protected]
5th and 6th Grade
Classroom Teacher
Merton Community
School District
[email protected]
A WATG Four Corners
Workshop
Saturday, November 14, 2009
 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
 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
 Based
on the research
of Sally Reis
 Elements of
Differentiation
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Higher level questioning
Choice
Flexible grouping
Tiered assignments
Mentors (guest readers)
SEM-R Bookmarks
 5-10
points
 The questions match any book.
SEM-R Bookmarks
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.
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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?
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.

 Two
Words
Release
Yourself
 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
 Pretest
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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.
 GT
Students are used to minimal struggle.
 The classroom teacher can require rigor and
depth to be part of each alternate project.
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Include rigor in rubric design
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Higher level subtopics are required
Higher level subtopics are weighted twice
Include multiple higher level subtopics based on
student readiness
 Based
on the research of Diane Heacox
 Sample topic: The Rainforest
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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?
 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
 GT
students will have fewer grades.
 GT students are excused from daily work
grades.
 GT students will have scores for:
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Pretests
Post-tests
Alternate projects
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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
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Rubrics
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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
 Time

Assess work logs for time management and use
this as evidence for or against future
participation.
 Self

management
Assessment
Students rate themselves on their rubric before
handing in final project.
 Portfolios

Students may use alternate projects as
portfolio pieces.
 Bonus
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+5 points in Webgrader for tiered assignments
 Friday
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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
 Moodle
Elements of differentiation
~Choice
~Compacting
~Parallel studies and orbital studies
~Intellectual peers
~Readiness levels
 Rti
for all students
 30 minutes per day
 5 classroom teachers
 1 teacher of At-Risk students
 1 staff member from our curriculum
department
 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.
12:00 – 12:30 every day
Mrs. K.
Mr. Reuter
Mrs.
Schiellack
Mrs.
Heeren
Storybook
Web Book
24 students
24 students
Math
Reading
Sketchbook
Intervention Fluency
Intervention
14 students
Mrs.
Jungbluth
28 Students
12 Students
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.
 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.
 French
class
 Origami
 Logic Puzzles
 Science experiments
 Robotics
 News writing
 Sculpting
 Chinese class
 Flight and airplanes
 Merton
Community School District
 Student Created Press Room Page
Dabrowski’s
Overexcitabilities and
Theory of Positive
Disintegration
 Psychomotor
 Sensual
 Intellectual
 Imaginational
 Emotional
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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
 Classroom
disposition
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teachers differentiate for
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.