Assignment 4A: Interactive Game

I have tried a number of interactive games with my classes, and I do really enjoy KahootIt, but the one I am sharing today is a Jeopardy game.  I use the format as a review for quizzes quite frequently in my classes because the students seem to enjoy it so much.  This Jeopardy game is designed to review the Greek and Roman Gods/Goddesses, their realms, symbols and picture identification skills.  The students have had a lot of practice and I usually play the Jeopardy game with them the day before a quiz or a test.

I randomly divide the class into three large groups.  Each group writes down a batting order and submits it to the teacher.  The students are usually sitting in tight circles around a couple of desks so they can communicate quietly to one another.  I have three chairs in the front of the room and the PowerPoint showing on the overhead LCD projector.  Each team sends their designated representative up to the front chairs to begin the game.  One student chooses a category and I show the question to the whole class.  No one can speak until the three students in the front have had the opportunity to answer the posed question.  When the three in the front raise their hands, the teacher decides whose hand goes up first and calls on that students to answer aloud.  If one of the three students in the front gets the correct answer, then that team is awarded the points. Then the next three students come to the front and we repeat the process until all the questions are answered.

If the three students in the front are not able to answer the question correctly, each team may submit a written answer and I will rotate who has the first, second and third chance to steal so it if fair.  The team that ultimately answers the question correctly gets to choose the category for the next round and wins the points.

Once we have answered all of the questions, we add up the points and play a final Jeopardy round.  Each team keeps track of ALL of the points earned so there is extra accountability; I keep track too.  The team that wins usually gets some extra credit points or a sucker.  The students are very competitive and engaged during the entire lesson.  Reviewing has never been so much fun.

I can differentiate this lesson by printing out the slides and making sure that my students who need to be able to read the questions off a paper instead of reading it off a screen can.  I sometimes allow my special education students to take a small note card up to the front with them to help them remember some of the names they have a difficult time pronouncing.

I provide the students with a excel spreadsheet at the end that has all of the questions on it.  Each student sitting in his/her seat, will write down the answers to each of the questions, like a practice run of the quiz, so they have an extra study tool to review that afternoon.  The quiz, or test the following day will be the measure for how much the students learned.  I have also used a "ticket our the door" routine where the students will write what they found valuable or learned today in class.  That is another way to check for understanding with an interactive game lesson like this one.

Assignment 4B: Book Review

Horn, Michael B. & Heather Staker, (2015). Blended Using Disruptive Innovation to Improve Schools.  Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, CA.,287 pp.

Michael B. Horn is the co founder of the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation.  He is the executive director of the institute’s education program.  He and his team are striving to “transform monolithic, factory-model education systems into student-centered designs that educate successfully every student and enable each to realize his or her fullest potential” (Horn & Staker, 2015, p. xxv).  He has co-authored books, written many educational articles, is a frequent keynote speaker at educational conferences around the country and sits on a variety of educational boards.  Heather Staker is a senior research fellow at the institute.  She has written many educational articles, taught at Harvard and was named by Scholastic as one of the “Five People to Watch in Education in 2012” (Horn & Staker, 2015, p. xxvi).

Major players in the educational world like Vicki Phillips, the director of education for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to the governors of Florida, West Virginia, and North Carolina hail the book as transformative for schools.  They state that the book is a field guide to maximizing what online learning has to offer as it is blended with the best of stand up teaching. 

The book is divided up into four main sections.  The first section is focused on research that proves the need for blended learning in schools.  The second part of the book shows schools how to create a plan for their school to follow that is unique and custom.  The third part of the book focuses on the implementation of blended learning and how to choose the technology to support the chosen content.  The final section of the book discusses the right culture for change, and how to establish an environment to maximize the effectiveness of the changes. 

One of the most interesting ideas presented in this book is the positive effects of a “flipped classroom.”  A flipped classroom is the opposite of how traditional classrooms operate.  Instead of giving the lectures and presenting material in class, students “homework” is to watch lectures, review notes or PowerPoint presentations in order to access the basic information needed.  Instead of having to complete that laborious task in class, students can do this at home at their own pace.  They can go back if they need something reviewed and take notes at their own speed.  Now, class time is used for the extension of those ideas already presented.  Class time is now when the more challenging and engaging learning happens instead of that learning happening at home where they do not have access to their teachers or their classmates.  Horn and Staker note that “Classroom time becomes a time for active learning, which thousands of research studies on learning indicate is far more effective than passive learning” (Horn & Staker, 2015, p. 43).  I think this flipped classroom has the potential to allow teachers to engage their students in higher level thinking activities and assignments that are exciting and enriching.  Included in the book are two examples of what a flipped classroom looks like in action.  I love seeing what this looks like in an actual classroom with students as opposed to hearing testimonials from professionals.  With this book, you get to see the suggestions in action which is more effective, more interesting, and more persuasive to the reader. 

Another highlight of the book is the assertion that teachers don’t need to do EVERYTHING.  When Summit Public Schools made teacher lectures optional, most students still attended.  The staff didn’t see dramatically improved learning outcomes.  However, when the number of students attending the lectures got so small the teacher gave up the lecture and held an informal group discussion, magic happened.  That was the type of setting that yielded very positive results regarding more learning.  The students enjoyed the “discussions” far more than lecture, were more involved, and learned more faster.  Horn and Staker note that “Teachers were no longer lecturing, but were instead answering questions and facilitating discussion.  Not only that, but both students and teachers enjoyed this type of engagement and found it to be productive.  Shedding assumptions of what teaching has to look like as schools redesign learning environments is critical to unlock the potential of blended learning”  (Horn & Staker, 2015, p. 172).  What a relief, as a teacher, to be able to embrace the classroom as a place for all to learn, communicate, ask questions and grow. 

The last highlight of my book seems like such a simple concept, but it is often very difficult to change the classroom climate.  It is very difficult for schools undergoing any kind of major change, especially any of the changes mentioned in this book.  Horn & Staker state that in order to change culture you have to first, “Identify and define the problems that need to be solved in the new organization and then solve them.  If the solutions are successful, then repeat until the processes and priorities become reflex within the organization’s culture” (Horn & Staker, 2015, p. 225).  It seems so simple, identify the problem, have a small group offer suggestions on how to fix the culture and if it works, great; and if not, keep generating ideas and trying different solutions until you find something that works.  I really like the idea shared in the book of beginning each meeting with everyone sharing something worth celebrating.  In my school, we are using restorative circles for discipline and to create a stronger on campus community for students and teachers.  I think opening meetings with a circle where everyone shares something can improve relationships, which is the heart of a school’s culture.  

21st Century Teacher/Learner

After spending time considering the ways in which I am a learner in the 21^st Century, I realized that I am someone who uses the digital world to learn in many ways, but I don’t see computers, electronics, and the Internet as the educational Holy Grail that my children see it as.    My son uses an online math program called Jiji at his school.  He loves it.  However, once he got to the challenge questions, my husband and I honestly couldn’t help him anymore.  There were problem solving spatial problems I could not figure out.  He was only in the first grade and I was shocked I couldn’t help him with his first grade math.  I spent an entire evening trying to figure out the correct answer to one question.  I sent him to my mother, a mathematical genius, who also couldn’t figure it out.  I was out of ideas and he said “no problem, I will just look up how to do it on YouTube.”  First of all I couldn’t believe he immediately thought of YouTube as the answer, and secondly I didn’t believe his Jiji math problems would be on there.  Well, I was wrong.   He watched the tutorials and was able to complete the challenge section of his math program independently.  That is when it first hit me that students today are definitely learning differently than I do.  My children use YouTube to teach them how to build Legos, make Rainbow Loom bracelets and draw animals.  I do not look to the internet first, I generally look to people to teach or help me learn something.  That being said, I am finishing my Master’s Degree online so I am becoming more of a 21^st Century learner.  I use the Internet to research information, to find pictures of what something looks like, or to gather ideas.  I do still prefer to learn and access information in a linear way, very opposite to what Mattan Grifffel was describing in his “Crash course in Digital Literacy” lecture.  He was describing learning something new in stages that allow the entire picture to become more clear as you learn more and more about your subject rather than learning one thing at a time and moving on to the next concept.  He suggests learning the big picture first and then focusing on concepts once you have a place to “hook” them.  I don’t think I learn like that; I am usually looking for a sequence or an order.  I also find Prezi Presentations interesting to look at but again, it seems they lack order.  In some ways I am definitely embracing the technology available to me as a learner in the 21^st Century, but in other ways I prefer a pen, paper, a linear approach and a book.

I believe I am also transitioning into a 21^st Century teacher in many ways.  I am learning different ways to use technology so that it can help my students learn more, faster, be more engaged with the material, and communicate what they know through a broader variety of products.    Students respond better to information that “looks” a certain way and technology has helped me put information together for my students in a more modern and appealing way.  I access short videos, clips, news reports, audio readings and many other digital media to engage them in the curriculum.  Student production capabilities are enhanced because of the various technology tools available to them.  I can offer a greater choice of learning products because there are so many interesting and creative ways for students to express themselves in the 21^st Century.  Also, I use technology to help my students reach a greater audience with their learning products because we can e-mail, publish, and easily share what they are creating.  Using technology to allow them to connect and share what they are learning helps build buy in on the part of the student and I am continually impressed by what they can create.  Technology has also improved my communication between parents, students and myself as the teacher.  I can communicate with parents and students through e-mail, the Goggle Classroom, my school website, Teleparent, ABI, and so many other avenues that have only become available in the last few years.  It is an exciting time to be a teacher; there is a lot to learn. 

I think that in order for me to become a more confident 21^st Century learner I will need to branch out and try new tools available to me when creating my learning products.  I noticed in my reflection process for my Master’s Degree I have opted to write a more traditional paper whenever given the choice.  Even though I can create a PowerPoint, I find it interesting I would still prefer to write a paper.  Prezi is new to me, but I am going to try to learn how to use it effectively as a way to convey information.  The “thing” I usually ask for when I need to learn something new is time.  I need the time and freedom to play with a new form of technology in order to become comfortable with it and there is just not enough of that to go around.  

However, I am excited about the tools available to me as a learner and a teacher and am committed to learning how to utilize some of these technologies this year.   Dr. Doug Belshaw discussed at length in his TED talk that “The place to develop these digital literacies is the overlap of the two circles.”  He was referring to the circle of individual interest and the circle of important issues.  I am looking for ways for students to learn how to create something like a meme to express an opinion, persuade others to agree with them, and publish what they have created in a public forum.  That overlap seems to be the sweet spot of educational utopia where the students are interested, learning, and creating something that is valuable.  I want to use digital literacy skills to allow my students to find their voices and learn how to make an impact with their words/ideas.  In order for me to ask them to do this, I need to learn how they might accomplish those goals first. 

References:

[Media Evoluion / The Conference]. (2014, August 19).  Mattan Griffel – Crash Course in Digital Literacy.  [Video File].  Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTZqv9tCDtY.

[TEDx Talks]. (2012, March 22).  The essential elements of digital literacies: Doug Belshaw at TEDxWarwick.  [Video File].  Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8yQPoTcZ78.

MAT671 Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation

Reflecting on my public school education as well as my college experience, I feel very lucky.  I worked with mostly inspiring teachers/coaches who pushed me to be the best student/athlete I could be.  The impact of a truly wonderful teacher stays with you forever and even though my high school days seem like a lifetime ago, I will forever remember a class I took all four years of high school called Great Books taught my a Mr. Bill Cole.  I worked harder in that class than maybe all of my other classes put together.  I really spent some time thinking about why I worked so hard in that class when I had no problem blowing off every single math class I ever took.  Here are the reasons I worked so hard in that class:  1.  The set up of the class empowered me to make choices about what I was studying.  Each quarter every student got to choose two books, plays, poems, or historical events that correlated to the time period we were studying, to report on in a seminar setting.  Students signed up to attend the seminars and Mr. Cole posted questions about each reading/event to research and be prepared to discuss in depth.  I had no idea what existentialism was when I was 14 years old, but I became deeply motivated to understand it because I had to discuss it during my seminar.  2.  The accountability of the seminar was a huge motivator for me.  I was a freshman in a senior English class and I most definitely didn't want to embarrass myself.  Once I lived through my first seminar, I was totally addicted to the process of moving through the questions and hearing everyone's different perceptive of a single question.  That's when I learned there is no one correct answer to most questions.  3.  Mr. Cole's feedback was another important motivator for me.  He was very specific and pointed in his feedback to how you answered each question.  He took copious notes while we all spoke and really made each of us feel smart and gave our words value.  This was such a confidence builder for me and led me to use my voice more than I would have had I not been told my words were important and interesting on so many occasions by someone I respected.  The more I received positive feedback, the harder I tried and the more academic risks I took in my responses to the readings.  4.  I had so much respect for my teacher and his intelligence, and experiences that I felt I had to perform my best so I didn't disappoint him.  I felt valued by him and I wanted to live up to the perceived expectations he had for me as a student.  5.  Finally, I love reading, and history, and stories of pretty much any kind.  I was mesmerized by the history he taught us; it wasn't like the history in my textbook.  I loved his description of each and every book on our list and I agonized over which two to chose because they all sounded so good.  I was really interested in the content and that helped motivate me to tackle some really challenging pieces at a very young age.

On the other hand, I have had experiences that too took some of that confidence away and made me want to give up.  I had one teacher in particular who did everything out of order.  All of her words were out of order, her directions were so difficult for me to follow I just felt frustrated all of the time.  I never really understood what I was supposed to do, or how to get a good grade on an assignment.  I'm not sure she knew my name, or the names of my classmates.  She did refer to us as "beady eyed little slugs sitting on a long."  I was shocked.  I had never been spoken to like that by a teacher and I was very disillusioned.  She didn't think we were capable of doing very much and I know I dutifully lived up to that low expectation.  This was a chemistry class, and to be fair, science (sorry I know that's your subject) was never a class I automatically loved.  If I liked my teacher then I liked the class ok.   However, in my chemistry class, due to my high frustration and her seeming lack of interest in her class I basically shut down.  I did what I had to do at a very minimal level.  I didn't want to work very hard because I never had any clue if I was doing anything correctly.  Any attempts to ask questions were thwarted with her signature response; "If you are not going to listen to the directions, then find a friend, if you have one, to help explain it to you."  She said that to everyone if you asked a question.  After awhile of every grade being a c with no feedback, I just assumed she never looked at anything we turned in.

I knew that wasn't my usual classroom experience and I had many positive role models and success in school so that helped keep me focused in my other classes.  Science was always difficult for me, but like I said, once I was finished with chemistry, I never took another science class until college.  I took astronomy and an earth science class because I thought they would be the easiest ones and since I wasn't very good at science I needed to take the easy classes.  I am not sure I have ever restored my own personal belief in my ability to understand a lot about science.  For example, my children just informed me yesterday that the moon's light is a reflection of the sun.    I looked it up when we got home to be sure they were right.

There are so many wonderful and inventive ways to motivate students and I try as many as I can because you never know what is going to motivate someone.  I love trying to figure out each individual student's exact motivational combination.  Here are some of the different strategies I use to try to motivate my students.  I work very hard to make personal connections with my students every day.  I speak to every student each day and check in with them when I notice something is off, or they are really excited about something.  I want them to trust me because I know that most of them will work for teachers they feel care about them.  I think that for some, I may be the last English teacher they have and I want to be sure they leave my classroom feeling like nothing is out of reach for them should they chose it.  I spend time telling them why reading and writing are so important.  I make it clear that I push them with their writing because I want them to feel confident enough about their skills to go to college if they want to.  When we surveyed our students five years ago, 67 % said they didn't even consider college because it is too hard.  That broke my heart and our school has made significant improvements in getting students set up at Fullerton Junior College with counselors and some elective credits they can take on our high school campus as seniors.  It's fine if students don't choose college because they have other interests, but it's not fine if they don't go because they feel like they don't have the skills.  I also give very precise feedback.  I do not believe in false compliments.  I can find something positive to say about work the students submit, and it is important to tell them what they are doing better now than they were before.  I want my feedback to matter to them so I am very careful and specific with the comments I make.  I work to be someone my students can look up to and respect.  I give my students as much choice as I can.  I give them opportunities to voice their opinions.   I ask my students to set goals and reflect on their effort and progress toward achieving that goal.   I give clear directions with clear rubrics so students know what they need to do in order to meet the educational goals.  My hope is some combination of all of that works to help motivate my students to work hard and learn as much as they can.

I avoid being a hypocrite as a teacher.  That kind of behavior will destroy any relationship or credibility a teacher tries to establish with his/her class.  I avoid giving false or empty praise; your students will know.  I avoid trying to fit all students into one mold and have found that the more open I am to different possibilities for students to communicate what they know, the more they blow me away with what they are thinking.  I avoid ever raising my voice; yelling is destructive!  I avoid calling names or publicly shaming students.  Those behaviors  listed above do nothing to motivate; they only turn the classroom into a place no one wants to be.

Webb's DOK and Bloom's Taxonomy

After 18 years of teaching, I am very familiar with Bloom's taxonomy and higher level thinking skills.  I have the list of Bloom's verb headings burned into my head and work to hit the more sophisticated levels of thinking beyond basic recall.  I am of course a fan of using questioning skills to further student cognitive growth and reading comprehension.  The levels of questioning are how we teach skills like critical thinking that will serve students in their real lives.  What I was not so familiar with was the information regarding Webb's DOK.  I can see now how Bloom's different levels of thinking can be enhanced when connected to Webb's DOK information.  I thought the Cognitive Rigor Matrix was very helpful in showing how teachers can take a more simple task of "understanding" and move it to level three or four on Webb's DOK by asking the students to do more sophisticated tasks to prove they understand what they are reading.  I appreciate how each of Bloom's levels of thinking were enhanced by considering the skills required to hit that specific thinking level.  Karin Hess said that "Webb's Depth of Knowledge is about complexity not difficulty" which made an impact on how I was thinking about these two ways to increase reading comprehension skills through questioning.  It was helpful to consider that you can make something that is not necessarily difficult, complex.

In summary, the Cognitive Rigor Matrix can be useful to any teacher who is trying to break down the steps of getting students to master the higher order thinking skills.  Blooms Taxonomy clearly identifies the different thinking levels but when you combine that with Webb's DOK now a teacher has a path to move a student into deeper thinking and more challenging ways to show their thinking.  For example, the most difficult level of thinking on Blooms hierarchy is "Create".  I did not regularly consider how to break down the different depths of this one particular level of thinking.  I think that is why so many students struggle when they are confronted with a task that requires this type of thinking.  For example, in my English I class, I asked my students to draw the name of a Greek god/goddess out of a hat and answer questions about them as if they lived in the modern world.  I review a few known facts about the different choices and then expect the students to create conjectures based on what they know.  This has traditionally been a fun, creative project that allows students to create at a level two DOK.  In my comprehensive high school classes, students had no trouble, but when I moved to a continuation high school and tried the same assignment, some of my students were confused.  They wanted to know why they couldn't find an answer for a good modern day job for Zeus anywhere on the internet.  Using conjecture based on information was a very challenging task.  I had to scaffold that assignment more and get them comfortable with the idea that they would be making up the answers based on information they already knew.  Once the students can do this, we can then add layers to this assignment and move to level 3 by asking them to research more information about their god/goddess.  I can then move them into level four by introducing multiple sources of information, like a statue or a myth that highlights information about their god/goddess.  The rigor matrix helps teachers expand the thinking level they are working on by breaking down the different depths of that thinking into levels.  The progression provided by the matrix helps teachers create the necessary supports to guide students when they are pushing their own thinking abilities.  Individually, both Bloom's Taxonomy and Webb's Depth of Knowledge are important concepts to think about when teachers are creating assignments; combined, they are an even more powerful teaching tool.


It seems that my students are very accomplished in answering questions in level 1 and 2 of Webb's Depth of Knowledge, but getting them to stretch their cognitive skills to move into levels three and four is a continued focus of mine.  I am planning on trying to incorporate more complex tasks with the easier skills like "understanding."  I also think that I will be able to get more out of my students if I am more clear on the different degrees of complexity in what I am asking the students to do.   I have to do a lot of scaffolding for some of my students in order to lead them to making deeper connections with the text we are studying.  Sometimes I feel like I should be teaching math, or a subject I struggle with instead of one that came so easy for me because it can be a challenge to try to break down the thinking process when my own process is sort of automatic.  I don't remember when I became a critical reader; one who questions the writer and is aware of how the write is attempting to manipulate me.  However, these are the skills I am trying to teach and thinking about the complexity of a task, as opposed to the difficulty, I believe will better help me break down the steps needed in order to get to the higher order thinking skills.

I will need to work with my team to create levels of questioning that build to the more complex AND challenging.  Time is the most needed thing needed in order to modify existing lessons to reflect more in depth questioning.  I believe it would benefit my team if we spent some time researching different examples of level four type performance tasks for our students.  One challenge we face at continuation high school is that we get a new group of students every 45 days.  There is no way to predict who will be in my class again for a second, continuous quarter and how many students will be in my class who are brand new to our school.  So whatever we are studying, we have 45 days to teach the material and get the students to a culminating project that will allow them to synthesize what they have learned and present it in a different and unique way.  One solution to this problem, and something we have been talking about, is to collaborate with another department on a PBL to cut the time it takes to research and get through the material more quickly.  This hasn't happened yet, but I am  hopeful that the English department can get something collaborative in action at some point this year.

There are a number of benefits to teaching to Webb's Depth of Knowledge in regards to increase student learning.   For one thing, more challenging questioning is how we teach students to independently think critically over time.  I want to be sure we are graduating citizens who challenge established lines of thought; citizens who process independently and formulate their own opinions after gathering data from relevant sources.  There is so much at stake politically and in many other arenas in today's world where the ability to sift through what is real and what isn't is so challenging, I hope students leave my high school with the ability to own those skills.  Additionally, if the students are comprehending what they are reading more fully, and able to analyze and think about the information in their own unique way, they will do better on state tests, do better in college, and be more successful in their work place.

Assignment 1A: MAT 671

My name is Meagan Blied and I have been teaching for 18 years.  Over those 18 years I can say I have changed my teaching philosophy, style, and focus many times.  Today,  I would describe myself as a teacher who spends a lot of time building relationships with students.  I work to push my students to submit their very best work for that day, week, or quarter.  I am a teacher who believes in second and third chances; I may have been accused of being a softie a time or two.  Being an athletic coach and a parent are probably the two biggest influences on how I develop priorities and the climate in my classroom.  My students have traditionally had difficult experiences in high school and I need to make it clear to them immediately how my classroom is different and why they can be successful if that is the path they choose.  I focus on rewarding my students for what they do, as opposed to punishing them for what they do not do.

I work with 28 at-risk 16 to 18 year olds who have been removed from their home comprehensive high schools because they are behind in credits.  To refer to my population as diverse is an understatement.  I work very hard to be sure that all of my students are being challenged in meaningful ways that will help them continue to move forward academically despite their varied starting points.  I rely on a variety of writing organizers to help my students be successful with writing.  Writing is the most difficult skill my students have to practice and many of my students have never written an essay EVER!  This means that scaffolding and supports must be built in to all of my writing assignments regardless of how big or small.  I also teach annotating text as an important reading tool for the varied reading levels I face each day.  Most of the writing we do is argument writing which makes it easier for me to find articles on the same subject at different reading levels.  This helps me accommodate my diverse classroom.  I am currently working on developing assignments with a variety of end products so students have a choice in how they communicate what they have learned instead of always requiring a formal writing assignment.

My personality test was interesting: I am usually a very strong ISFJ and today I was an ESFJ.  I might be more extroverted now than ever before in my life.  My personality is reflected in my classroom in that establishing a respectful climate is very important and I want the time my students spend in my classroom to be positive and uplifting.  I am very organized and spend a lot of my prep time creating directions for assignments, and objectives that are clearly sequenced for the students so they can articulate what they are learning each day and understand how what they work on today will help them tomorrow.  I build in reflection activities for my students which connects more to the introvert in me that doesn't appear on my most recent test results.  I have incorporated reflection activities more and more as a way to encourage my students to think about their learning success.  I use them at the end of a unit for feedback for myself, but also as a way to make sure my students are considering my feedback when they are writing new academic/behavioral goals for themselves.  Because I tend to be very sensitive to environment myself, I think my students feel safe to discuss their personal lives in a way that can help me know them better while also helping them academically.  I am a caretaker for sure and even though my class has a reputation for being difficult, the relationships that are built outweigh the fear of the rigor.  

The learning style test is a good one for teachers to remember.  I am most familiar with Gardner's learning styles, but the idea is to remember that not everyone is a linguistic learner.  Many of my students are visual learners and it is important for teachers to aspire to reach as many different learning styles as possible.  I tend to write a lot of directions and have to remember to use bullet points instead of paragraphs.  I have gotten a lot better over the years at making my handouts visually appealing to students.  I don't want them overwhelmed right off the bat.  Because I am so heavily sequential, verbal and sensing, I like to learn different ways to process information and both my students and colleagues can teach me that.  I often allow my students to write essays in whatever order makes the most sense to them.  Many student writers prefer to write body paragraphs first and introductions last.  While that doesn't work for my brain, I am always impressed when I see how different the process can be while still having a successful outcome.  I think my coaching taught me early on that there is more than one way to do something right.  Can you imagine what professional baseball players would say if they were all forced to swing the same way?  I am open to the creativity and different learning styles of my students and I offer supports that help the many different learning styles learn and communicate what they know.  I try to hit as many of those styles as possible in a quarter.

Most/Least

Hi Professor,

I liked the usefulness of this class the most.  I was able to take some lessons I was already using and modify them in a more differentiated way.  I appreciate having time set aside for that kind of modification so I have a handful of lessons that are ready to go better than they were before.


I felt like it would have been easier if all of the due dates were the same.  I was confused sometimes about when things were due because there were conflicting dates and I was already pretty worried I was going to miss something.  

Differentiating Content, Delivery and Assessment -

As I have mentioned before, writing instruction is where I am putting most of my time and energy in regards to curriculum development.  I teach at a continuation high school and many of my students, for one reason or another, have never written an essay, EVER.  I know that for many of my students I am the last English teacher they will ever have and that feels like a huge responsibility to carry around.  I want them to know how to write.  After a couple of years of trial and error, I finally figured out a successful sequence that supports my students in writing.   Over the last 4-5 years I have seen a steady increase in the number of students who submit a final draft process papers.  This year 23 out of 25 students in my 5th period class submitted a passing final essay.  The sequencing is continually getting longer as I add more supports based on new ideas or the ever changing readiness of my students.  

I will be addressing the 11-12 grade Common Core writing standard 1a, specifically, in the following teaching plan.  This standard includes writing a clear claim and logically sequencing your claim, counterclaims, refutes, reasons and evidence.  As a department we made the decision to teach argument writing exclusively since changing genres of writing was very difficult for our students.  We decided that if they were seeing the same type of organization and getting to practice an argument essay in all of their English classes, (and social science classes now too) then they really have a chance at mastering this skill.  Then I began working on how I was going to teach my class how to write an argument paragraph that will eventually turn into an argument paper.

3rd quarter my class studies the concept of juvenile justice.  The first assignment I give them is their essay packet with a prompt that states To what extent to do you agree with the current law that juveniles can be tried as adults and sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole.    The students understand they will have to put together a minimum of a 5 paragraph essay to respond to that topic.  They have all sat in classes where the teacher hands out the prompt and tells them to get going writing their essay.  I reassure them this in not the case here and from there I can begin my writing instruction.  They have a greater incentive to pay attention because they know they have to eventually write an essay.  

I generally start with a paragraph pre-test and ask them to write 8 sentences.  I want them to submit what they would consider a very organized paragraph, on either why it is good to have a law in place that will sentence violent juvenile killers as adults or they can write one paragraph about why it is not good to have a law that can result in juveniles getting life sentences with no chance of parole.  I just give them a paper with the prompt at the top and blank lines on which to write.  I do not build in any supports because I need to see what they can do on their own.  This is my pretest or pre-evaluation.  From the results of this paragraph writing, I can determine where I need to begin with my instruction.  

I initially deliver my basic essay instruction through the use of PowerPoint.  I like that it’s visual and it allows me to include YouTube videos and extra little interesting supplementary information.  On my PowerPoint I have definitions and examples of each piece of an argument paragraph.  The students take notes on the definitions of words like, claim, reason, evidence, analysis, counterargument,refute and concluding sentence.  I have a paragraph organizer that I typically use for any struggling writer that has boxes with the names of the pieces of the paragraph and empty space for the students to write in each of those pieces  of a paragraph.  On that paper are the titles of the pieces on the left hand side of the paper, the students write in the descriptions of the pieces.  I usually have a picture, cartoon, or video to go with each piece, and finally a sample that the students copy down into the larger boxes of empty space.  When this lesson is finished, each of my students has a clear description of the pieces of their paragraph, a suggested order, and a sample paragraph I wrote for them.  Now, it is also made perfectly clear that the organization is flexible and might make sense to kids to organize differently.  That is perfectly fine with me.  Some writers prefer to begin their paragraphs with the counter reason and I agree that that is an effective way to construct an argument so the students have some freedom, which allows my stronger writers a chance to break out of the mold and develop their own style, but the organizer supports students who are not sure how to get started or what comes next when writing.

I usually have the students read the paragraph aloud a couple of times with their A/B partners so the structure can be reinforced on a deeper level.  The students will have the conceptual redundancy of reading the words from the PowerPoint, they will have written the sentences down, and they now will have a chance to read the sentences a few times.  I like one partner to read the claim, reason, evidence, analysis, refute and concluding sentence and the other partner to read the counterargument.   Getting the students to understand that the counter is the other side’s position and not theirs is one of the greatest challenges and I find that if the students can read the paragraph out loud it helps to hear one voice on the other side.  It also helps them understand that the counter and the refute need to be tied together, which is another serious challenge.  

This process normally takes two days and on the third day of instruction I put the students into groups of two which will eventually combine into groups of 4.  I usually have 24 ish students in my class so I typically use  6 groups of 4.  I have three sample paragraphs that I have laminated and cut up into strips.  I mix up the strips for one paragraph and put them in an envelope.  Each pair gets one envelope.  Eight pairs will get paragraph 1, 8 pairs will get paragraph 2, and 8 pairs will get paragraph 3.  With their partners I ask them to read the sentence strips and decide together the correct order of the sentences.  I can pair stronger students with developing students to make sure the conversation is beneficial for both.  Part of the assignment is to have a rationale for why each piece is placed where they placed it. Once the pair thinks they have a logical order, I put them into groups of 4 and when the group of 4 agrees I put them into groups of 8 who all have the same paragraph  and ask them to all agree on the best order.  The conversations this assignment yields are amazing. Students argue about transitions and are using the language we have been working on and ironically enough, are sharpening their persuasive skills all at the same time.   I like the strip assignment because it appeals to the kinesthetic learners and that is a challenge in an English class.  Students can activate a different part of their brain when trying to make sense of someone else’s writing.  It is almost like learning to grade writing.  I became a much better writer after I was tasked with grading essays.  This assignment works for my verbal learners, my interpersonal learners, it supports my language learners and special education students, and as previously mentioned, it supports my advanced students who are taking the time to explain to another student why a sentence needs to be place in a certain order.  When all 8 students agree I will finally take a look at what they have done and I can ask questions and call on students to answer why they put certain sentences where they did.  This is another informal assessment I can use to continue to develop supports for students who may need them.  

Now that I feel my students are ready to branch out on their own, I create three different writing prompt/organizers.  The more challenging prompt mirrors the essay prompt:  Write one paragraph arguing The extent to which  you agree with the judge’s decision in the Savannah Dietrich case?  My advanced students will get this more open prompt with blank lines underneath.  My emerging level students will get an organizer, like the one we worked with the first day, to help them organize their paragraph.  Their prompt will ask them to: Write one paragraph in which you fully agree or disagree with the judge’s decision in the Savannah Dietrich case.  Even though the wording of the prompt is different, I will be able to know how ready the students are in terms of organizing their thoughts and persuasiveness. Some of my special education students, depending on their accommodations and my assessment of their readiness, will get the same prompt as above and a paragraph frame.  I have had some students who begin developing their writing by simply filling in the blanks of a paragraph I have already set up for them.  I provide sentence starters and transitions to get them writing something.   A lot of what needs to be changed in these cases is attitudes about writing.  With the right supports all students can feel successful which will result in even greater learning.  

Once the students have their prompts, I hand out a differentiated reading passage on Savannah Dietrich, a rape victim.  Her attackers were juveniles who admitted what they did after video footage emerged of their actions.  The judge ordered Savannah to keep the names of her attackers private.  Many people were outraged by the judge’s order.  All three reading selections are about the same article, but they are at different reading levels.  One article is straight out of the newspaper.  One article has the definitions or pictures of difficult or important words in the article integrated into the passage.  The third article is one I usually edit and modify to fit the needs of the struggling readers in my class.  Now that everyone has the appropriate reading passage and writing support they are ready to go.

The assessment piece of the plan is the paragraph the students produce on their own.  I have an argument paragraph rubric and will spend more time later on asking the students to read, grade, and discuss sample paragraphs so they can better understand what the rubric is asking them to do.  The students may revise/edit these initial paragraphs 2 or 3 times if necessary to move forward one level on a 6 point rubric.  I need them to be very clear on what they need to do to earn a higher score the next time they write.  

3B Assignment PBL

Project-Based Learning and Problem-Based Learning is an amazing way to create energy in your classroom and light a fire in your students.  I tried a new assignment this fall when I came back to school to find the revised school calendar included Columbus Day as a holiday.   Our district hasn’t recognized this day as a student free day in over 15 years and I was shocked that we would return to honoring such a controversial day off.  So, luckily for me, the problem fell right into my lap.

My English III team and I teach Native American literature first quarter and I thought this topic fit perfectly with our quarter goals.  We presented the problem of celebrating Columbus Day to the students.  We accessed their background knowledge and initiated a discussion about Columbus and why we have the day off in the first place.  That led to a really involved discussion comparing Columbus with other figures we get the day off to celebrate.  We showed them an interview with a political activist who was discussing how many Native Americans in the United States feel about celebrating Christopher Columbus.  We asked the students to decide how they felt about the issue, and asked them to create a product designed to convince others in our community to agree with them.  The students took the assignment further than we could have imagined.

We grouped the class homogeneously with other students who were arguing on the same side.  We provided some research materials articles on both sides to all of the students, but they were responsible to research in their small groups and share what they found out with each other.   We also regrouped the class to have two students on either side of the issue so they could inform one another about the counter arguments that exist.  Including the other side’s opinion in their product was one of the requirements of the assignment.   Many of the students wrote an argument letter to our new Superintendent of schools sharing their position on Columbus Day.  Some students wrote to the Board Members.  Other students wrote to local legislators asking for legal change.  One student created a public service announcement he shared with the class arguing that Columbus Day should be renamed to “Indigenous Peoples Day.”  Originally, we asked the students to write an argument letter to the Superintendent, but they asked for more options and we agreed.  The assignment ended up being both Project-Based and Problem-Based.

This assignment allowed for students to create a project that appealed to them as opposed to simply writing the letter to the superintendent.   The project options allowed for differentiation of the assignment.   I appreciated the power point lectures that were turned in, as well as the presentations designed for the Board to hear.  One student asked the principal if he could give his presentation to other students in a variety of other elective classes.   I was surprised how proud the students were of their work and how willing they were to share what they created.  We sent out a few letters to the Superintendent, to the Board, and one student was recognized by a local newspaper for the op-ed piece she submitted.   One student wanted to create a presentation for elementary school children because she felt her teachers didn’t “teach her the history correctly.”    My team and I never thought the lesson would yield so many different outcomes or the passion that some of our students expressed.   

Not only did the project options allow for differentiation, the varied grouping options supported differentiation as well.  The groups were large enough that there was feeling of safety for some of my struggling students and the groups of four that debated were deliberately chosen to match varied levels of students.  When we were finished with the research phase of the assignment, every student had something persuasive to say about Columbus Day.   

The research process appealed to different types of learners as well due to the varied nature of the research itself.  Students opted to read articles, watch interviews, watch documentaries or listen to audio recordings of radio shows.  The students had a research handout to help them take notes and cite their resources properly in order to insure accountability.  There were various checks during the research phase of the assignment.   By the time the students were put into their groups of four to debate, they were using argument generators to keep track of points the other side was making.  The support handouts helped make sure students were on task during their research and during their group work. 

My plan is to work on adding more PBL assignments  in a more deliberate way for the future.

Least/Low

My least favorite thing about the first two weeks of class is APA.  I am not familiar with formatting and citing this way and I felt like I needed to communicate what I know in different ways, and essay writing is a strength, but messed around with the formatting for almost longer than the writing part of the assignment.  I know its important to cite your resources, but its my least favorite thing to do.

Meagan Blied

Most/High

I love to play the game high / low with my children at the end of the day.  I ask about the best thing that happened to them and the worst thing that happened to them.  I learn a lot about what is going on with them this way :)

My favorite thing about the last two weeks was the time your assignments gave me to critically reflect on what I am currently doing in my classroom and time to add to or improve those assignments.  I feel like the reflection and improvement piece is hard to make happen because teachers are so busy with the work that is immediate.  Because of that, we often don't get to go back and fix, change improve a unit or lesson when we finish. I love that this class is giving me the time to tweek and make needed adjustment to my classroom lessons.  I don't feel like my time is being wasted and I really appreciate that.

Meagan Blied

Assignment 2B: Beginning Differentiation

Every week for six weeks I introduce five new academic vocabulary words that connect to the material we are studying for the quarter.  I first present the new words through a PowerPoint presentation in which I provide the words, parts-of-speech, and definitions of the words.  I want all of the students using the same definitions and definitions that actually define the word so I provide all of that.  On the PowerPoint slide I include a visual to help explain or illustrate what the words mean in context and I use the word in a sentence for the class.  The students have a handout with all six word lists stapled together with places for them to write down the information on the slide, including the sample sentence.   The visual and the model sentences help support my special education students and my language learners in understanding what the words means and how to use them properly.  If they do not have any prior knowledge with the word, the visual and the sample sentence can begin to provide them with a background on which to build a new understanding of the word.  I try to use visuals and sentences that have very common meanings that students can connect to personally.

I realized early on that some of my students needed to have a copy of the power point notes directly in front of them because looking up at the power point and back to their paper caused them to lose their place.  I noticed that a small number of my students were not taking down all of the notes and I figured out that this was the cause.  Once the students had the notes right there in front of them, they were able to stay on track and keep up with the class.  This is something I offer all of my special education students at the beginning of the quarter and some of them take advantage of this accommodation, while others don't need it and don't ask for the handout.

Once everyone in the class has all of the information from the slides on their paper, we discuss what the words mean in A/B partners.  With their table partners, the students talk about whatever personal connection they have with the word.  My students are specifically placed next to a student who I feel can help them or who needs the support of a stronger student during partner work.  Allowing the students to discuss the meanings of the words (and we discuss one at a time) they begin to have more interactions with the words and start to become more familiar with the words and how to use them correctly in context.  For added support, I will write a sentence frame on the board for students to use to get the conversation started.  I feel it is important for them to say the word and the partner discussions helps them relate personally to the word.  The personal connection to the word can help the students remember what the word means long term.  Once the pairs have discussed, I will ask for volunteers to share what was discussed in the pairs so the entire class can benefit from the experiences of their peers.

The next step is to generate a synonym and antonym list for the weekly words.  At this point, it is very easy for the class to come up with these words and I ask my students who are initially fluent in another language to share or write down on their papers synonyms and antonyms from their first language to help them relate to the words.  The entire class benefits from hearing the words spoken in other languages and this process also helps my language learners acquire new words in English.

Once the class and I have repeated that process and reviewed all five words for the week, the students begin the learning activity that goes with the presentation.  I have two options available and multiple modifications for the assignments as well.   One option designed for my more advanced students is a mini-story.   Students have the option to write a short story that has a minimum of two characters, a setting, and a conflict.  They have to use all five of the words in their story in a cohesive manner. Some students provide a resolution each week, and others leave me with a cliff hanger and I have to wait until the 6th assignment to find out how the conflict ultimately gets resolved.  Many of my students have an app on their phones that allow them to speak into the phone and it will write out the story like a paragraph.  I find many of my special education students prefer to "type" their work this way and and this technology helps them in completing the higher level homework option if that is what they chose to do.  A very similar app to this one is a translator app that will do the same thing, but change what is spoken, or typed, from whatever language into English.  From that point, there is always some minor editing required; but that support aids the language learners in the class in completing this learning activity.

The second option for a learning activity is a four square.  This is a classic activity to aid in vocabulary development.  I have a handout already created for students with four boxes for five words and all they have to do is fill in the four boxes for each word.   In one box students write down the word, definition, and part-of-speech, which I provide for them.  In the second box, they write the synonyms and antonyms we discussed in a word web with the word synonym in the center of one web and the word antonym in the center of the second web.  In the third box, the students write a sentence demonstrating that they understand what the word means and how to use it in context.  One way to make this assignment more challenging is to ask the students to relate ALL of their sentences to the material we are studying.   For my students who struggle with writing original sentences, they have my sample sentence to help them.  They write a sentence following my model, but with their own words inserted.  Using the model sentence helps students who lack confidence with writing feel more assured that their sentence is written correctly.  Another way to accommodate a student who is having a difficult time writing his/her own sentence is to ask them to write a sentence or two about what the word means to them; rather than asking them to use the word correctly in a sentence.  I want them to demonstrate that they understand the word, and the word doesn't need to be in the sentence for a student to communicate that they understand what it means.  The fourth box of the activity is for a visual.  Just like I showed them a cartoon, or a visual to make the meaning of the word more clear, they students needs to do this as well.  As stated above, I can challenge students by asking that their sentence and their visual connect.  Some of my students draw very well and can communicate what the word means through a hand drawn picture.   Other students prefer to use google images in order to show what the word means.  Some of my students draw their images using graphic design software because they are very interested in computers.

In today's classroom, students enter at all different levels of readiness and with many different learning needs.  The supports in this vocabulary assignment don't really require me to have three different lessons running at any given time, but they allow for the students to get the support they need to complete the assignment at a very high level.  That is what differentiation really is, helping all students achieve and learn at the very highest level possible.  This assignment models all the pieces the students are asked to do beforehand.  This assignment supports students in building background knowledge around five words a week before asking them to do anything with it individually.  This assignment offers options to be creative through a written mini-story and utilizes technology to support language learners or students who do not type very well to access the mini-story option.  This assignment offers students different ways to write their sentences based on their personal needs as learners, and a variety of different ways to create their visuals.

Foggiest Point

Good Afternoon,

I think the hardest thing for me and the thing I am still trying to get used to is the blackboard and where all the information actually is.   It felt like I spent forever trying to locate directions and links and power points.  I felt like information was everywhere and I didn't have a system to organize everything.  My anxiety over when things were do and what exactly I was supposed to do created most of the fog for me last week.  To be honest, I am still not sure I am doing anything the way that I am supposed to :)  I am forging ahead in an effort not to drive myself crazy and hope that the time I have spent working on the assignments is enough.

Surprise

Good Afternoon,

The biggest surprise for me week one was really a confidence check.  I didn't expect to feel so nervous and insecure about the work I was submitting.  I usually think of myself as a confident and experienced teacher.  I was supposed to realize how worried I was about how I was doing and if I was turning in work that is at the expected level.  

Meagan Blied

Differentiated Teaching and Learning Activities

Hi Everyone, 

My name is Meagan Blied and I am looking to further my education and continue refining the craft of teaching through online classes at National. I earned my teaching credential through National University in 1998.  It has been almost that long since I took an official class as a student, so bear with me as I am still getting my footing here.  I have been a high school English teacher for almost 18 (16 more days to go) years and taught at a comprehensive high school and now am teaching in a continuation high school.  I love my job and am excited about working with other teachers outside of my site and district.

I am going to share a few different teaching activities I use with my students to differentiate the material; in what I hope is an interesting and unique way.  One of the most useful types of differentiation I have incorporated into my classroom is focused on the skill of writing. Writing is the most difficult and challenging skill for my students.  I find they require a whole variety of supports. My school is teaching the argument essay repeatedly until our students can demonstrate mastery.  So, we have a variety of prompts available to our students to help make the curriculum more accessible. Some of our students get a very open-ended prompt like "To what degree do you agree/disagree with schools disciplining students for bullying or fighting off campus or outside of school hours."  Those students who are near mastery might not require much technical guidance at all and will take the reading materials we have studied and run with it.  Other students may require a more specifically worded prompt like, "Write an argument essay either agreeing, or disagreeing with schools involving themselves in student activity that happen outside of school hours and off campus."  The students using the second prompt may get paragraph frames to help support them through the writing process.
It is not unusual for me to write a sort of fill-in-the-blank first body paragraph for some students so they can get a feel for the structure of a paragraph.  From there, I would expect that student to use a very specific writing organizer that prompted the writers as to the order of information within the paragraph.  It would ask them to write a counter and provide a sentence starter, and would also provide a sentence starter for the refute.  Some writers will drop the organizer by the third body paragraph, others will use the organizer as long as they feel they need to.  Some writers cling to the organizer beyond what they really need and then I can encourage them to go ahead and write on their own.  Within the assignment of an essay, there are many different types of differentiation and supports available to my students based on their needs.  What I find is that with the added supports my students are not frustrated beyond what they can do and they are more willing to work hard to get their essays completed.  Their usual coping method is to not attend school or to simply avoid the assignment altogether if they feel it is too difficult.  In my most extreme experience, I had a student verbally relay what she knew about the subject in-lieu of writing it out.  Her writing skills were so low and we did not have a class that was appropriate for her readiness, so based on that particular student's needs, an oral report was sufficient for her to communicate her position on the issue.

As far as learning activities go, I think being a parent has really made me aware of how differently kids process directions and information.  A long time ago I gave up thinking there is only one correct answer or only one correct way to communicate understanding.  It has been a joy to be relieved of trying to force all students into one tiny educational box.  It is so interesting to hear, if given a choice, how students can communicate what they know.  Most assignments have options for writing out answers, drawing out answers, or using single word ideas to demonstrate an understanding of a concept.  Just giving students the option does wonders for engagement.  Not only do they feel empowered by the options, but I believe their engagement increases.  They look forward to seeing and hearing how others have processed the material and are paying closer attention to what their classmates are sharing.  They begin to feel more self worth because their peers are interested in what they are saying and I watch them begin to take real risks in the classrooms.  As the teacher, I provide my students with appropriate options; like choose any poem they are interested in to analyze and share with the class.  Their presentation options are varied as well.  Some students like to present live, others record their presentation without a live audience and sit outside while it runs.  these different differentiated learning activities help make the classroom a more engaging environment for everyone.  

This is just a little glimpse into my classroom.  Have a great day!