Teachers tend to be passionate people. It is not a profession that anyone enters into to become rich, it is their chosen profession because teachers feel called to the subject matter or to the children. So image a room full of passionate people who feel strongly about educational topics like differentiated instruction, assessment, and grading. Opinions will be given freely, because they are daily dealing with the situations being discussed. Not everyone in the room will agree because we do not all have the exact experiences, but we respect each other and listen to what the others are saying.
Differentiated instruction is defined by Wormeli as, “doing what is fair for students. It’s a collection of best practices strategically employed to maximize students learning at every turn, including giving them the tools to handle anything that is undifferentiated.” (pg. 3) When I read this definition, I liked it. I have a different background than most of my counterparts. I was diagnosed as a dyslexic in the first grade. I was blessed to have my mother and father’s complete support. I was the student who used differentiated instruction but I feel mine was done incredibly well. Scaffolding was in place for me and then removed when I progressed. Within my classroom, I try to know my students and learn their strengths and weaknesses. Then I am able to offer different options to help them. I try to find audio books for my students who need that support, I will offer different types of graphic organizers based upon what my students’ thinking process is, and I will allow students to sit at my desk if close proximity is helpful. It is important to me to reach my students but with that said, I have classes of 30+ kids. It is extremely difficult to get to know all of my students and to really have the time to give each of them what they need. I do the best I can but I know it is never enough. My counterparts are often opposed to differentiated instruction. I understand their arguments, we are not preparing students to handle the real world because it will not offer differentiated options. The word crutch is often used in this negative connotation. I believe it can be done well or it can turn into an excuse that the student uses to avoid work. I have a harder time wrapping my mind around assessments and grading than I do differentiated instruction. Maybe this is because I do not have a clear-cut definition of “mastery.” According to the Center for Media Literacy in New Mexico: “If we are literate in our subject, we can access (understand and find meaning in), analyze, evaluate, and create the subject or medium.” (Wormeli pg. 12) For myself, the word create is the key. I know that when I truly understand something I can create it in different environments. For a long time, I have used essay test as my standard tool of assessment. I have placed a great deal of emphasis on the end result. My disappointment occurs when I often feel that the students are just stating what they think I want to hear, not speaking their voice. I am not happy with the assessments and how important grades are in the classes. I wish we could just be learning to learn but the students would just sleep through class. This class will be my opportunity to really research and dig deep into the subject and find the answers to make my class better. Passionate people can make a difference and create amazing opportunities in the world. I am looking forward to the opportunity to hear the passionate people in my class discuss how to improve assessments, grading, and differentiated instruction. Work Cited Wormeli, Rick. Fair Isn't Always Equal Assessing & Grading in the Differentiated Classroom. Portland: Stenhouse, 2006. Print.
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AuthorMy name is Lisa and I teach English Language Arts at Forsyth, MO. Archives
May 2017
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