Group items tagged

This power point presentation points out the challenges of differentiating instruction in the classroom. It provides several definitions of what is differentiated instruction. Provides information 4 classroom elements that can be differentiated. Points out the obstacles teacher may face when attempting to differentiate instruction. Discusses CRIME: Curriculum, Rules, Instructions, Materials, and Environment. The presentation also gives some really great strategies for differentiated instruction towards the end.

Numerous innovations in the education technology space are beginning to show potential in improving education and helping address skills gaps. Some of these advancements include Khan academy and Read 180 (self paced instruction for students). Professional development of digital resources is imperative to help close instructional gaps. EDTC 615 - instructional gap solutions

I love that this resource provides multiple examples of tools that we can use within our instruction. The categorization of each example also provides a clear explanation of how it can be incorporated. I think that one important point that was discussed within this page was how students can develop 21st Century Skills through implementing these tools. As 21st Century Skills are becoming a major focus in instruction, this shows how it can be addressed.

This was a great tool that shared tons of tools that teachers can use in our instruction. Some really great resources I have found to use were Khan Academy, Google Apps for Education, and One Note. This article has a lot of great visuals to help understand more about how we, as educators, can use technology to help close the skills gaps.

By: Jason Lange. The push for data-driven instruction has been widespread since the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act, which was signed into law in 2002. Yet the number of individual classrooms regularly practicing DDI remains startlingly low.

The article acknowledges that schools often collect more data than is needed in order to determine what student(s) need for instruction. The 6 methods schools can put into practice in order to lead effective data driven programs is helpful, particularly the first 3 methods - keep it simple; think small; and analyze your efforts.

(Week 7: Benjamin, Cheney, and Gretchen) The journal article is accessible by the link above through the UMUC library services. The journal article discusses the ways that a classroom teacher can use Reading Recovery strategies within the guided reading small group instruction. Reading Recovery is an one on one intervention that is short term. The intervention provides one on one tutoring for first grade students. The article explains the effective strategies that Reading Recovery teachers use that can be implemented in small group instruction. The strategies that the article focuses on are fluency through rereading familiar texts, modeling fluent expectations, providing a strong book introduction, knowing when to prompt the students, and observing and analyzing. Teachers can use this article to understand different strategies in order to improve guided reading instruction such as using running records to help guide instruction. "Likewise, careful analysis of running records (formal or informal) helps teachers to further understand how students respond to difficult text."(Lipp & Helfrich, 2016) Teachers need to use running records as a way to locate the deficits in a students reading and plan lessons that will bridge that gap. Lipp and Helfrich(2016) also states that "interrupting a student who is reading must not be a lengthy process that breaks the flow of the story." It is important to explicitly and intentionally interrupt a student while reading with quick prompts that will help the student guide themselves to self corrections. References: Lipp, J. R., & Helfrich, S. R. (2016). Key Reading Recovery Strategies to Support Classroom Guided Reading Instruction. Reading Teacher, 69(6), 639-646. doi:10.1002/trtr.1442

Without comprehension, reading is a frustrating, pointless exercise in word calling. It is no exaggeration to say that how well students develop the ability to comprehend what they read has a profound effect on their entire lives.1 A major goal of reading comprehension instruction, therefore, is to help students develop the knowledge, skills, and experiences they must have if they are to become competent and enthusiastic readers.

(Week 8: Adiatu, Julie, and Heather) This journal article was found on Diigo by Heather, and is accessible through the link given above. The article was written by the Texas Education Agency, and explored a 1970 classroom study on a reading comprehension strategy taught by teachers where students had to complete an assignment by applying a specific skill mentioned by their teacher. Assessments showed the strategy did not enable comprehension. Following the 1970 study, cognitive scientists found that comprehension is not a skill application. Rather, comprehension is about constructing meaning, which involves interaction, strategy, and adaption. The article is useful to teachers because it suggests activities that teachers can use in the classroom to improve how students construct meaning. For example, having students think aloud as they read. This journal article is useful to our group because the teachers' artifacts are based on the reading comprehension and vocabulary gaps of their students, and the authors stress that teachers should strictly monitor the oral reading skills of students that are having reading comprehension difficulties. Reference What research tells us about reading, comprehension, and comprehension instruction. (2009, January 2). Retrieved from http://www.readingrockets.org/article/what-research-tells-us-about-reading-comprehension-and-comprehension-instruction

This is a great read for our SMART goal. An assessment is a great way to figure out what the students know, what they want to know, and what interests them the most so we are able to improve and adjust our teaching.

Week 9 Melissa and Claire: This article is accessible using the link above though Diigo Well crafted formative and performance assessments which include setting meaningful goals, and giving students ownership over the process can powerfully and positively affect teaching and learning. The key to good instruction is assessments. Assessments show what students know, what they want to know, it allows us to adjust our instruction to cater to each student. There are 5 keys to an effective assessment: Meaningful unit goals and questions, summative assessment through writing, performance assessment through presentation and portfolio, formative assessment and feedback along the way, and student ownership of assessment process. These methods of assessments are to be done with the students putting a focus on the student and their learning. Resource: The 5 Keys to Successful Comprehensive Assessment in Action By: Andrew Miller

While a bit long (10 pages, including the reference list), this article provides ideas and strategies to help students with learning differences (LD) be more successful in Spanish classrooms. It references recent brain research and also reminds readers that students with LD do not have diminished intellectual capacity. The first part of the article gives background on LD, latter sections give suggestions about things Spanish teachers can do to help their students with LD be more successful in their classes.

(Week 8: Margarita, Erika, Frances) Article originally posted in Diigo. An additional source is here: http://www.academypublication.com/ojs/index.php/tpls/article/view/tpls0502225234/64 This article describes "multi-sensory approaches" and the kind of instructional strategies, informed by brain-based research, that can help students with learning disabilities succeed in learning Spanish or another second language. The article focuses on how to create meaningful inclusion and skill building in Spanish courses through general accommodations, existing resources, and learning strategies. The article also references the relative lack of scholarly research on this topic and how that negatively impacts wider knowledge of ways to help students with learning disabilities learn a foreign language. This article was of interest to our group because the SMART goal is directly tied to improving the performance of special education students in Spanish class. In some schools, special education students are often pulled from language classes to get reading support, so implementing strategies that might keep the students in language class are of interest to the Spanish teachers. While several of the strategies discussed were already known, there were a couple that reinforced practices that have already been implemented as a result of our group's data action plan and at least one new idea that our practicing teacher would like to try. Reference Tolbert, J. B., Killu, K., & Lazarus, B. D. (2015). A framework for supporting students with learning disabilities in Spanish courses: connecting learning characteristics and instructional methods. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 5(2), 225-234. https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.0502.01

(I tried to edit my previous comment with some corrected info, but the changes wouldn't stick, so I am just reposting again) (Week 8: Margarita, Erika, Frances) The original link for this article was to a standalone PDF link. An additional source is here: http://www.academypublication.com/ojs/index.php/tpls/article/view/tpls0502225234/64 Students with learning disabilities commonly either avoided or have been discouraged from taking World Language classes. This article describes "multi-sensory approaches" and the kind of instructional strategies, informed by brain-based research, that can help students with learning disabilities succeed in learning Spanish or another second language. The article focuses on how to create meaningful inclusion and skill building in Spanish courses through general accommodations, existing resources, and learning strategies. The article also references the relative lack of scholarly research on this topic and how that negatively impacts wider knowledge of ways to help students with learning disabilities learn a foreign language. This article was of interest to our group because the SMART goal is directly tied to improving the performance of special education students in Spanish class. The goal of the world languages department is for every student to learn one of the languages taught, yet that is not always possible since special education students who are not meeting the reading goals are frequently pulled from language classes to get reading support. Implementing strategies and other instructional moves that might keep the students in language class, are of interest to the teachers. While several of the multisensory strategies discussed were already known, there were a couple that reinforced practices that have already been implemented as a result of our gr

This article is a case study on how better teacher preparation for instruction and assessment of writing can lead to improved writing instruction.

(Week 4: Frances and Claudio) This article is accessible through the link given above. This article focus on teachers ability to improve their instruction skills by eliminating their weakness to overlook students needs by pretending the problem is non existent. It focus on the inconsistencies of teachers' techniques for class deliverance and the missed learning opportunities for students. The readings present that students are not always given the opportunities to write or be assessed in the context of classroom instruction by teachers who feel uneasy on how they deliver the class subject. Other areas of the article points out that students get low exposure to variety forms of writing and become in prepared when there is a change in writing format.(Graham & Perin, 2007; Hillocks, 2008). Through the SMART goal, Group#4 can utilize some of the examples by providing opportunities to students by offering different writing assignments that are more realistic to meet writing abilities of the students. Students will be more in line with the SMART goal if they are allowed to provide the feedback to the teacher once the assignment is complete so they can see their own improvements. Also, teachers can improve in the teaching efforts and will be able to provide the appropriate assignments to those students who extra help which will move the teachers' uneasiness about their preparation to teach and assess writing at different learning levels. Read, Sylvia and Landon-Hays, Melanie M. (2013) "The Knowing/Doing Gap: Challenges of Effective Writing Instruction in High School," Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education: Vol. 2 : Iss. 2 , Article 3. Available at: http://scholarworks.wmich.edu/wte/vol2/iss2/3

Differentiated instruction is a great way to help close learning gaps, and this article is a great read for teachers who may be skeptical about the process.

This article is interesting as it addresses many of the concerns that teachers might have about differentiation in the classroom. One of the myths is that whole class instruction saves time, however if students are falling behind and failing, it is not a successful approach. Learning how to effectively apply differentiation techniques in the classroom is beneficial for students.

Our data group for EDTC 615 is focusing on developing better speaking skills in the Chinese as a Foreign Language classroom. This article describes a structured process for reviewing textbooks to ensure that they provide explicit strategy instruction for listening and speaking. Using this method my group could review the explicit instruction that is currently in use in our classroom and decide if any modifications need to be made to improve student learning.

The study compares students (grade 4) that received traditional instruction to those who received computer assisted instruction (CAI) with traditional instruction for basic math facts. The results show that daily CAI positively effects student math achievement. This study is interesting in that students received 10 minutes of CAI to achieve these results.

The study described in this article is very interesting because it relates to our group's Exploratory Question. We are trying to see if computer practice one or twice a week correlates to progress in students' mastering their addition and subtraction facts. As shown in the article, computer assisted instruction had a positive impact on the students' fluency of basic math facts.

The Education Trust looks into school assignments as well as what the state standards for the grade requires. They are finding that often the assignments we are giving do not match the standards and are therefore creating instructional gaps. My favorite quote: " Students can do no better than the assignment they are given... and the instruction they receive."

This is a very interesting study that shows us that the way we have been taught to learn English influences the way teachers teach English. The study analyzes the stories of four English teachers. I chose this article because I believe that at times, the way we give instructions in the class is informed by the way we received past instructions or would like to receive instructions in the present.

This article offers suggested ways for educational systems to mitigate the achievement gap among minority students. Th author suggest that schools should encourage teachers to engage in instructional practices that specifically accommodate their minority students. The author offers a methodological framework for this approach called Hierarchical Linear Modeling.His study investigated the instructional practices that reduce the achievement gap among the minority population. Findings revealed that even when taking student background into account, various instructional practices can made a significant difference in closing the achievement gap.

This article presents a Texas district's plan on closing the science instructional gap in ethnically diverse students in 2 low socioeconomic elementary schools. Teachers set up a multisensory interactive word walls to teach vocabulary, and designed inquiry science lessons that were aligned with standards and the Texas school district's curriculum framework and pacing guides for science instruction. Purposeful planning gave teachers a chance to become familiar with the progression of instructional goals, and provided time to create activities that fit within the framework and that addressed essential vocabulary. The inquiry science lessons incorporated 5-E: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaboate, and Evaluate, where Engagement is meant to activate prior knowledge, Exploration is hands on inquiry, Explanation involves teacher-guided questions, Elaboration gives students the chance to "solidify" understandin, and Evaluation involves formative and summative assessments. Vocabulary development was achieved with the use of word walls and visuals, sometimes provided by the student to develop familiarity and fluency. Studies showed significant improvement in student achievement. Students reported recognizing science concepts in everyday life, a good sign of true learning. It even benefited the teachers, who reported having "refined" and strengthened science knowledge and teaching strategies as a result of professional development. A balance of focused district standards and teacher-designed interactive lessons using effective research based strategies, seems to have a powerful effect on closing learning and instructional gaps.

(Week 8: Amber, Angela, and Kenneth) The journal article is accessible through the link given above by accessing the UMUC Library. The journal article discusses the draw on the accumulated research to provide a framework for differentiating instruction. REACH is used a mnemonic device and is the type of framework that two teachers have developed which includes a comprehensive inventory and several practical strategies for using it. Teacher can use differentiating instruction to fundamentally find different ways to teach students with diverse and behavioral needs. REACH is an acronym for a charted course of action for developing the use of differentiated instruction. It means and highlights each as follows: "(a) reflect on will and skill, (b) evaluate the curriculum, (c) analyze the learners, (d) craft research based lessons, and (e) hone in on the data." (Rock, Gregg, Ellis, & Gable, 2008). It literally gives you "a step by step approach to introducing strategies and procedures for student with disabilities or general student the cognitive access to achieve their educational outcomes." (Rock et al, 2008). Both participating teachers have various needs and both need different strategies to differentiate their lessons. References Rock, M. L., Gregg, M., Ellis, E., & Gable, R. A. (2008). REACH: A Framework for Differentiating Classroom Instruction. Preventing School Failure: Alternative Education for Children and Youth, 52(2), 31-47. doi:10.3200/psfl.52.2.31-47 Retrieved from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=4&sid=0161de11-17f9-4ba4-86d0-eff88604e5e5%40sessionmgr4009

Two prominent methods for closing achievement gaps are discussed in this article: 1. increase district control over teaching and curriculum, and "minimum standard of instruction", 2. using teacher teams to develop curriculum and teaching methods. Because district control leads to set curriculum, methods, and assessments across schools, progress is easily measured. However, talented and creative teachers tend to feel less valued as educators, and more like tools of implementation. This could cause less effectiveness for having to fit lessons within such a strict construct. Teacher teams, or Professional Learning Networks, empower teachers for contributing to development of effective lessons. Educators tend to enjoy this approach, since it is more natural to teaching and learning, though it is difficult to measure what is being learned. Under district control, the focus can be on research based interventions, where measurement relies on teachers not straying from the mandated processes. Alternatively, it can focus on teacher learning, which would output teachers with similar goals, but who can draw from their own experience and knowledge. Mountain High School in Pleasantville, California, was divided into "learning communities" of around 80 students. Teachers were to serve as advisors, regularly contact families, collaborate with colleagues, and ELL and Special education students were divided amongst the communities. The teacher lack of experience with PDs showed, as they were more focused on student problems rather than ways to improve instruction. Teachers were also not used to contacting parents outside of problematic situations. It was also necessary to provide accommodations that help struggling students to strengthen the lacking skills that are preventing further growth. The proposed methods seemed sound, though implementation in the case study, was still problematic. The lack of success was potentially due to lack of understanding of what compris

(Week 9: Amber, Angela, And Kenneth) This article is accessible through the link given by accessing Diigo. This article discusses two methods for closing the achievement gap due to teacher collaboration. The article discusses how teachers can collectively have discussion that may identify and address the structural issues that are built into the school system. Teachers can use this article to begin to understand how their instructional practices can be hampered by systematic inequalities. The idea of all of this is for these "Collaborations to require and build trust, routines and skills for further collaboration efforts. This also means that the collaborators will need training in order to help them talk about issues of teaching and learning and critique each other's practice (Levine and Marcus, 2007). This would be useful for our practicing teacher because (1) They teach in different districts so there will be some disparities, (2) critiquing each other can be more helpful and a great learning experience. References Levine, T. H., & Marcus, A. S. (2007). Closing the achievement gap through teacher collaboration: facilitating multiple trajectories of teacher learning. Journal Of Advanced Academics, 19(1), 116-138. From http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ786607.pdf

"A word wall in the classroom is a powerful instructional tool to strengthen content vocabulary or concepts. A word wall can be an organized collection of words (and sometimes phrases) displayed on a wall or other space in the classroom."

Watching this video gave me a great idea for one of my group members Spencer who teaches ESOL students who struggle with verbal/conversational skills and written/language skills. Spencer's SMART Goal is 75% of the 24 students with a C or lower to have a B (80%) or higher in my class, by the end of the 1st quarter. With this strategy students can build vocabulary skills by word connections and possible interactions with one another to help strengthen each others vocabulary skills often times with the teacher being the facilitator of instruction not the lead in the instruction.

Watching this video gave me ideas on supporting my students. Word Walls are important supports for students in the classroom. They help students solidify their thinking process and content knowledge. Students in this video did the thinking required. This is also important as students tend to rely on teacher lead information. Our SMART goal is that 75% of students will increase their informational text reading comprehension by one grade level. The word wall in this video is a great strategy to make connections with my students.