05/28/16

Meditation

May 19, 2016

I have been working on a H.A.C.E unit with my class where it focuses on developing a healthy body, healthy mind and healthy relationships. In building a healthy mind, I have introduced to my class mediation. Similar to “Mind Up” or “Mindfulness,” I have been teaching my students about how to keep a healthy mind.

Working on having mindful bodies and mindful ears, we have been meditating using 3 songs everyday after lunch. In my class, students come back from lunch recess very hyper active, angry, sad, etc. due to fights, disagreements, or losing in a game of soccer. Instead of engaging in these negative emotions, I have been trying to teach my students to first deal with their emotions in a healthier way; one being meditating.

Of course it was a struggle getting students to first close their eyes, practice their breathing, and sitting still for 10 whole minutes. But after the first 2 times, my students have been responding extremely well to the meditation. After a full week of meditating to 3 songs: “Relax Sleep Well,” “Zen Baby Meditation” and “Arirang Piano,” students are a lot more calm, relaxed and ready to learn at 1:10 PM.

I know that as a student it is important to be in a positive head space to work effectively. So through meditations, it has been extremely helpful in achieving this.

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05/28/16

Classroom Management

May 12, 2016

Throughout this practicum, it has been fun figuring out what works with my class to ensure good classroom management. There are times throughout the day where my class will get out of hand with the noise level or there will be certain students who will consistently be at each others’ throats at disrupt the whole class.

As a class we developed our classroom rules that were categorized into three parts:
1. Rules for the class
2. Rules for our peers
3. Rules for ourselves
By creating our own rules as a class, when students deviated from them, it was easy to just ask them to refer to the rules and check themselves. Students are responding well to their own rules as they were the ones who created them making them a lot more accountable.

Another management skill that has been working like a charm is just raising my right hand and using my left hand making the “shushing” gesture. My students pick up on my gesture so quickly and will bring the noise level down in my classroom in less than 30 seconds. I could see that while students are working in groups, or at stations, they are to be aware of the teacher in the room still.

Lastly, another classroom management skill that works for the behavioural students in my class is the “name on the board.” My SA was the first to introduce this to me and I am loving it. When a student in my class acts out, does not follow the rules, etc. I will write their name on the white board in front of the classroom. If their names stay on the board until recess, lunch or after school they have to stay in. However, once their names are on the board they have the chance to earn each letter off by staying on task and behaving. I will check the time about every 5 minutes and if those students are working well and following the classroom rules then I will proceed to erase a letter off.

I come to realize that having good classroom management is vital in keeping a well run class. Students are calmer and are ready to learn. Of course there are times where the class does not run smoothly and I am always open to try other approaches but so far the

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05/28/16

Practicum Reflection

May 4, 2016

During my extended practicum, I have had the opportunity to put theory into practice in my classroom. Everything I had learned in my courses as well as my research on my inquiry question (differentiated instruction) has been very invaluable. Before this practicum I was well aware of the diverse needs in my class. In addition, it was very important to me that I would respond to each of my students equitably.

I have used differentiated instruction in almost every one of my lessons, assignments, and projects. The biggest differentiating I have been using was time. Allowing students more time to complete work is crucial in my classroom. While there are many students who finish work either very quickly or at the time I expected, there were still many students who struggling to get half their work done in the expected time. Instead of moving on or taking the work in for marks right away, giving more time allowed these students to obviously finish their work but also gave them equal opportunity to understand the content.

The more differentiation I use in my lessons, I have noticed more engagement. Giving students choice in how they want to hand in assignments/projects (either through artwork, stories, orally etc.) gives them more freedom as well as accountability to complete their work to the best of their ability.

 

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03/17/16

Practicum Reflection

March 3, 2016

Yesterday was such a productive day on practicum. First thing in the morning, my students watched the remainder of the movie, “Holes.” My SA finished reading the book last week, so as promised, she showed the movie to help the students visualize the events, characters and settings from the novel. After watching the movie, my SA conducted a discussion with the class. She began asking them to compare and contrast the book to the movie. Instantly, students were able to identify the differences. Students noticed that there were certain scenes in the movie that were never mentioned in the novel. Also, they recognized how the movie elaborated and altered the appearance of characters, which were very different to how the author described the certain characters in the novel. To my surprise, my students were able to point out the small differences to the props and small details. I enjoyed this discussion because I was able to see how my students were critically thinking. While a majority of them preferred watching the movie than listening to the book, the whole class agreed that reading the book gives more detail and context to the background of characters and events.

Relating to my inquiry, I witnessed differentiated instruction in my classroom. For quite a while now, my class has been working on their cursive writing. From practicing how to write letter-by-letter, they are now writing words and sentences depending on the student’s progress. However there are still a few students who have trouble printing, so their handwriting is not up to par to their peers. For differentiated instruction, my teacher has projected a YouTube video where it visually shows a step-by-step process of how to handwrite letters. She has also drawn dotted versions in books where students can draw over the lines. While the class is at different levels when it comes to handwriting as well as many other subjects, my SA has different approaches, different ways to instruct the diversity so that each student is learning the given subject/assignment at their own pace.

Another example of differentiated instruction was in P.E. During this period, I organized a plyometric relay for my class where students had to do 5 jumping jacks, 5 hulas on the hoops, and 5 burpees. In my class I have a student who has multiple sclerosis, so the burpees were going to be too difficult. Instead we told her to jump high on the spot 5 times. Differentiating this one move did not affect the other students, as they are all aware and accepting to accommodating to one another. Through this differentiation, the entire class was able to participate in a cardio filled activity.

I can see how differentiated instruction can make a major and minor difference to student engagement in lessons. If differentiation is not made I could see the decrease of engagement occurring subsequently. Teachers cannot teach the class as a whole that would be foolish. Instead, teachers must look at each student and increase engagement, learning, and motivation at their own pace.

03/14/16

Inquiry Synthesis

Where I Started:

Initially my inquiry reflection began as:

All learners come at different academic levels, so how as educators can we treat, support and respond to them all equally (considering different lesson plans, curricula, technology and personalized learning)?

I realized during my Thursday visits that every classroom was filled with diverse learners. Not one individual was the same to the next. It became clear to me that educators have the power to truly help all learners excel in classrooms. Through my initially research, I noticed how differentiated instruction was a constant buzzword that kept popping up relating to my inquiry question. I found one article that really shifted my mind and inquiry to focus more on differentiated instruction and here is one quote that inspired me:

“Educators have to look at where the bar is set and where the students are when they enter classrooms. Some students will work all year with tutelage and barely make the bar; some can leap over the bar gracefully; and some were already over the bar before they entered dass. If we use the standards as our guide, we can teach all students equitably. The risk is our focus will shift to the standards and away from the child. With the tools of differentiated instruction, we can keep the focus where it belongs and take each student as far as he or she can go” (Levy, 2008, p.164).

Where I Am Now:

Now, my inquiry question focuses more on differentiated instruction since it encompasses technology, unique lessons planning, and personalized learning. So far, my inquiry question looks a little like:

All learners come at different academic levels, so how as educators can we treat, support and respond to them all equitably through differentiated instruction.

I am constantly researching how to differentiate my lesson plans, activities etc. for my practicum so that I am able to be consistent with my inquiry throughout. I found a great article by Barbara Taylor that really hones in on how to model differentiate instruction in the content, process and product. This article helped me understand not only how to differentiate, but it also delivered concrete examples on how to actually do it.

Where Am I Headed:

I believe I am headed in the direction where I will be continually researching and looking for new ideas to differentiate my lessons plans, activities, etc. I found that reading other teachers’ blogs, watching YouTube and TEDtalk videos are really helping me refine my inquiry as well as gives me ideas on how to take on differentiated instruction.

I have high hopes that through my incorporation of the differentiated strategies available on the Coquitlam SD 43 Redesigned Curriculum Planning Framework, I will be able to “engage all students…that is appealing, developmentally appropriate, and motivational” (Taylor, 2015, p. 17).

References:

Levy, Holli M. (2008). Meeting the needs of all students through differentiated instruction: helping every child reach and exceed standards. Clearing House: A Journal of Education Strategies, 81(4). P. 161-164.

Taylor, Barbara Kline. (2015). Content, process, and product: modeling differentiated instruction. Kappa Delta Pi Record 51(1), p. 13-17.

Here is my synthesis on Prezi:

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Differentiation in Classroom

03/13/16

WHERE GOOD IDEAS COME FROM

There is a lot of debate on whether the integration of technology distracts learners in classrooms from actually learning. While this may be true, Steven Johnson explains in his YouTube video/scribe/infographic that today’s tools, environment, radical innovation is extraordinarily accessible to those who know how to cultivate it. Johnson’s video also goes back into history and explains where good ideas came from.

Johnson says so powerfully, “the great driver of scientific innovation and technological innovation has been historic increase in connectivity and our ability to reach out and exchange ideas with other people and to borrow other people’s hunches and combine them with our hunches and turn them into something new…this has been the primary engine of creativity over the last 600 or 700 years…”

“Technology has the power to connect us to ideas that are not technology focussed. We are all tinkering with things and that little tidbit one person shares can/might have a profound impact on their learning and their life.  Technology has the power to connect our ideas, improve our practice, and show people” around the world the hunches we have.” (https://hughtheteacher.wordpress.com/)

McDonald, Hugh. Transformation is not about technology but about being able to tell a story. Message posted to https://hughtheteacher.wordpress.com.

RiverheadBooks & Steve Johnson. (September 17, 2010). WHERE GOOD IDEAS COME FROM. Retrieved from March 13, 2016 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NugRZGDbPFU

03/13/16

Differentiated Instruction is Meeting the Needs of All

This 2:40 minute YouTube video created by Henry Schmitges is a video scribe that explains what differentiated instruction is through images and scribe. Schmitges defines what differentiated instruction is then goes through the process of how to reach its optimal potential. Through each process it is connected to the next using arrows, which in the end shows how differentiated instruction is a cyclical process that requires continuous assessments (from the teachers) followed by supportive learning environments.

This video shows how teachers first needs to pave the way of differentiated instruction, then students will respond accordingly so long as teachers are implementing it effectively and equitably.

Henry Schmitges. (January 27, 2014). Differentiated Instruction. Retrieved from March 1, 2016 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCt751vEqEY.

03/13/16

Place-based Education

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“Place-based education immerses students in local heritage, culture, ecology, landscapes, opportunities and experiences as a foundation for the study of language arts, mathematics, social studies, science and other subjects.”

This PDF was first introduced in my science class by my professor. As I was reading this document, I noticed how place-based education could be a way teachers could differentiate instruction to students who learn using their visual, kinaesthetic, tactile strengths. In addition, when tapping into the interests of your students, you may find some of your students are deeply interested in their environment, nature, or using their bodies.

This document expresses that students who had “more exposure to strong place-based education outperformed their peers on all measure analyzed.” Furthermore, “educators at sites using place-based education models consistently report that their students have become increasingly engaged and enthusiastic about learning.”

Place-based Education Evaluation Collaborative. 2010. The Benefits of Place-based Education: A Report from the Place-based Education Evaluation Collaborative (Second Edition). Retrieved March 1, 2016 from http://tinyurl.com/PEECBrochure.

03/13/16

What is Differentiated Instruction?

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This website provides a clear and concise definition of differentiated instruction. In addition, this website goes through the history, and provides ways to differentiate instruction through content, process, and product. It also weighs in on the pros and cons of differentiated instruction as well.

One part I enjoyed reading was how to differentiate instruction through learning environments. “The conditions for optimal learning include both physical and psychological elements. A flexible classroom layout is key, incorporating various types of furniture and arrangements to support both individual and group work. Psychologically speaking, teachers should use classroom management techniques that support a safe and supportive learning environment.”

Some examples of differentiating the environment include:

  • Break some students into reading groups to discuss the assignment
  • Allow students to read individually if preferred
  • When students are given more options on how they can learn material, they take on more responsibility for their own learning
  • Differentiated instruction requires more work during lesson planning, and many teachers struggle to find the extra time in their schedule
  • Students appear to be more engaged in learning, and there are reportedly fewer discipline problems in classrooms where teachers provide differentiated lessons

Weselby, Cathy. October 1, 2014 (Updated January 6, 2016). http://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/teaching-strategies/examples-of-differentiated-instruction/. Retrieved March 6, 2016.

03/13/16

Maximizing Student Success with Differentiated Learning

Morgan’s article describes a case involving a child who had difficulty learning and shows how differentiated instruction was used to help this student learn. Morgan insists that instructional strategies (traditional modes of teaching) tend to make students comprehend little and lose focus in classrooms, however on the flip side, advocates that differentiated instruction can alleviate or eliminate the disengagement that comes from instructional ways of teaching.

Referring to Carl Ann Tomlinson, Morgan explains how personalized instruction is “particularly useful for pupils who do not fit the mold” (p. 36). There are three strategies to implement personalized instruction which is: emphasizing student interest, using the right starting point and allowing students to work at their own pace” (p. 36).

This article also touches on differentiated instruction the the 21st century. Students of the 21st century will likely benefit from instruction that greatly involves the effective implementation of technology. “Since today’s students tend to be more engaged while using technology and may find traditional approaches less motivating, teaching effectively with digital resources should help teachers instruct in a manner that matches the learning styles of their students” (p. 37). “Additionally, digital resources can easily be used to provide support for struggling learners and offer a way for them to learn through various formats that match auditory, kinesthetic, and visual learning styles. Brain research supports the notion that digital natives are more stimulated through digital resources than material in print format” (p. 37).

Morgan, Hani. (2014). Maximizing student success with differentiated learning. The Clearing House: A Journal of Education Strategies, Issues, and Ideas 87(1), p. 34-38.
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