Blog 6: Differentiating Instruction for Struggling Readers

-
     The first chapter by Beers talked about the importance of relationships with students, especially those who are struggling. The authors emphasizzed that teachers need to have high expectations for students, especially those who have high expectations for students, and not "dumb down" the curriculum for them. Instead, teachers should be activating students prior knowledge and connecting it to new content. This prior knowledge should not just be facts, but elements of students' lives and experiences they realte to. I think this concept is super important since it helps to spark interest, and can also help students understand new concepts. Even if something is confusing, if students can connect parts of the concept to something they understand, they are able to begin understanding the concept.
     The authors also discussed "Thinking Maps," visual graphic organizers used for different purposes and language functions. I thought that these were great options to help stdents brainstorm, classify, and connect new ideas.
     The chapter by Hinchman discussed specific strategies for differentiating instruction. The authors discussed three methods: Multiple Intelligences (developing activities to activate different intelligences), Universal Design for Learning (UDL) (using technology and multiple options to create adaptive learning segments), and SIOP (using background knowledge and language objectives to support new content). I ahd heard of all these methods before, but still find SIOP a little confusing becuase of its many facets.
     The authors then describe the scenario of a teacher incorporating these methods. I found this very helpful, especially the teachers use of UDL. She communicated content in different ways (audio and visual) and even gave students a choice in how they would do their final project. I think choices can be a big motivator for students since when they can choose their own project, they may feel more passionate about it. Choices also let students communicate in their own format, fostering confidence.

Discussion Questions:
How can we let students choose but still guide content?
How could thinking maps be used in less language-heavy subjects like math?
How can teachers use multiple intelligences without being overwhelmed by variations?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Blog 2: Teaching ELA in a "Flat" World

-
     This chapter was a great way to summarize what teachers need to be teaching their students other than simply their content areas. Yes, it is important for students to be familiar with classical works of literature (for example). However, it is more important for students to be able to apply that knowledge and other skills to their future lives. I felt that Friedman's eight roles that the author mentioned could be summarized by the skill of critical thinking. Students need to be able to explain information, adapt solutions, etc., to be able to solve problems. Knowledge is important, but in today's world, it can be easily gained on the internet. Critical thinking and problem-solving skills cannot and are vital to all jobs and roles that students will have later in life.      One aspect that I can easily incorporate into my classroom is internet research. Too often, teachers require students to use only a few internet resources and rely mostly on physica...
Read more

Blog 12: Digital Literacy

-
     The first chapter by Beers discussed using technology meaningfully, so that it actually applies to real-life tasks students may need to complete. Often teachers might think that using technology can be accomplished by using a word processor. However, to truly use technology effectively in the classroom, teachers need to use technology that is relevant to students and allows them to have a voice. Examples from Beers include class blogs, podcasts, wiki sites, and book trailers.      The second chapter in Hinchman discussed the concept of multimodality, meaning using multiple texts, writing mediums, and other ways of communicating, to portray content. Alternative forms of langauge can include photos, videos, documentaries, etc. Multimodality also requires students to compare and connect these mediums by asking questions about how and what the mediums portray differently. Students can also make connections using personal stories, pop culture, and current ...
Read more

Blog 7: Literacy For ELLs

-
     The chapter by Hinchman discussed several different strategies to work with ELLs in the classroom. One of the important themes was the idea of focusing on language in all content areas. Students need to learn key content vocabulary and the academic language to be able to communicate in that content area. Another strategy was the idea of "juicy sentences." This is an activity asking students to do a case study of sorts of a grammatically and linguistically complex sentence. This helps ELLs see examples of concepts and rules of the language and study them in detail. Finally, the authors discussed the importance of annotation. I definitely agree with the point the authors made about content-specific language. I think that often teachers take this to mean vocabulary only. This is important, but often different subjects have different conversation structures, or even different sentence structures. As an example, I am much better at English-related subjects than science. I...
Read more