I think these articles have been some of the most helpful readings so far this semester. Due to my own personal experiences with using differentiated instruction in my student teaching for the preschool I know how valuable it is. I work with a wide range of abilities, ethnicities, social classes, and levels of understanding in my classroom.
I have 4 children that are on case-load (meaning that they have special needs), I have 6 children that are enrolled through Head Start (which is a federally funded organization for free preschool for families who are below poverty line), I have 4 children whose families speak another language at home, and I have children who operate at a cognitive level of a 2.5 year old ranging to an 7 or 8 year old's cognitive level. These are real-life examples of why it is important to consider differentiated instruction in your teaching and in your plans.
I have taken a few classes on working with diverse learners and so many of these articles are a bit of a review of content. The Murrey (2008) article, however, was an interesting article because it did not just talk about the different linguistic needs to consider when teaching ELL's but it also gave strategies for how you can accommodate these particular needs. For example, it talked about different principles, what they meant, and strategies for teaching ELL's this principle in an organized chart (p.148). Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English (SDAIE) had a lot of good strategies, such as using manipulatives, visual tools, graphic organizers, and supporting "Realia"--activities that relate to real life. The Weist (2008) article also used a lot of the same strategies for learners and also talked about using the constructivist approach which helps children build on experiences through dialogue with peers and teachers and reflecting on concepts (Weist, 2008). The teacher Mrs. Higgins in this article helped students have this experiences by strategically grouping the students based on language abilities. I also liked that she thought about pairing children within the groupwork so that no child feels isolated or not included. I think this teacher was using a lot of teaching strategies that can be used effectively in all classrooms, not just classrooms with ELL's.
The article that I found to be the most useful was the Robert article discussing teaching math to at-risk students. Being that the school I work in has a lot of at-risk students it was particularly beneficial to read about different strategies for "Mathematics for All" because these are ways to do a lot of open-ended problem solving and challenging students to do higher level thinking in mathematics regardless of their prior knowledge in math and/or risk factors. I love that she pushed her students and was pleasantly surprised. I think that often times we underestimate the capabilities of students who come from rough situations and this was a refreshing article to read. By helping her students feel value in the work they were doing, she is also increasing motivation as well as content understanding.
The Wilkins (2006) article about challenging gifted students is something I have not ever had to think about until my student teaching. In particular there are two girls in my class who are gifted and are not being challenged enough in the classroom. Often times they will lose motivation or not try on activities because it is too easy for them, so coming up with extensions for every lesson is something I have had to learn to do. I have had to ask myself, "How can I challenge these students to take this problem or lesson to the next level?" I have often had to think of them in my mind as Kindergarteners or 1st graders rather than 4 or 5 year olds. Since I have really learned to differentiate my instruction, I have seen their abilities increase significantly. They are more excited to come to school, they are less bored, and they are showing an eager interest in learning which is something I have not seen from them until I began doing this.
Sometimes these things are overlooked, but it is important to look at the class as whole first and think about what the range of abilities are in your classroom, the type of learners you have, and then think about how you can accommodate and challenge students based on these needs. Overall, these articles had one message that rang true in each--know your students and plan your activities and lesson so that no child is forgotten. This is something that is very hard to do as a teacher and takes a lot of extra work, but it is really important to remember in order to give students the best learning experiences possible.
As you mentioned in your post, I also believe that these articles have been some of the most important all semester. I got a lot out of them, especially the ones I was assigned to read. First, as I was reading the article "Problem Solving and At-Risk Students" by Robert, I found myself really making a connection to both myself and my field placement. At one point Robert quotes, "In seeking help from me, they asked whether they should add 22+64 or or multiply 22x64. In my eyes, they were not even trying to read and interpret the problem. From their perspective, mathematics had never made sense: why would this experience be any different?" (Robert, 2002). During my student interview earlier in the semester, I had the exact same feeling. I felt as if the students I was working with were not even trying to understand the problem and only trying to find the easy way out or get the answer out of me. It's really discouraging, but I ended up making a lesson about problem solving that would push the students to try to make sense of the problem and look at it in an abstract way. From my own personal experience, math has never made sense to me. I used to always come at math problems with the notion in my head that I wasn't going to be able to solve it, so why both trying? I was moved by the teacher in the Robert article and her motivation to get through to those students. I was not considered "at-risk" like the students in the article, although some of the students in my field placement may be. This article helped me realize that simply coming to the conclusion that there's nothing you can do- isn't a conclusion.The best way to help these particular students succeed is to build their confidence and help them approach problems in a different way that won't seem too overwhelming.
ReplyDeleteNext, the Wilkins article called "Gifted Mathematics Students" was very interesting. This article also helped me connect back to my field placement because there are many gifted students in the classroom too. I loved the idea of the Math Investigations Center (MIC) that was mentioned in the article. I liked that this center didn't make the students feel like they were given more work OR feel like they were being slowed down by the rest of the class (Wilkins, 2006). As also mentioned in the article, I like the idea that the MIC allows the students to be both independent and get guidance from the teacher (Wilkins, 2006). I have not noticed this type of behavior in my field placement, but the article also points out that gifted students may act out or misbehave because they are bored. I believe this is something that is important to know. It is also important to know that "gifted students" need just as much attention as students with disabilities or students that speak English as a second language.
Overall, from looking at my assigned articles and the post that Morgan wrote, I was able to come to terms with the fact that there are many types of learners made up in a classroom. I also learned that there are always different approaches and ways to help accommodate these different types of learners. Whether the student be "at risk", "gifted", or an "ELL", there are always different ways to help those students succeed.
Creating a Classroom That is Beneficial to a Diverse Range of Learners
DeleteLike Morgan I believe too that it is important to look at the class as a whole and try to get every child to succeed within the classroom environment and progress at their optimum level. Throughout the readings that I was assigned the message same message was apparent, that the teacher, to be effective the whole classroom must know their students and teach in a way that appeals to these students. One interesting idea that seems to be present in Morgan’s articles, and my own is that the techniques that benefit children who have special needs or the English Language Learners, or any student are the techniques that are discussed in these articles. In the Wiest article it is discussed that it is beneficial to take a constructivist approach to learning, meaning key topics are discovered by the learner and discussed with a community of children to develop a concrete understanding (Wiest 2008). This is beneficial to both English Language Learners, as well as children who are fluent in the English Language. Also pictures, hands on activities are cited as being beneficial for English Language Learners as well, in this article (Wiest 2008). In the Miller reading these same ideas were cited as being beneficial for children with disabilities (Miller 2006). The same practices can be used and are seen as highly effective for a diverse range of children, and also benefit children who do not posses these characteristics.
As Morgan discussed it is important to be purposeful in the things in which we say and do to appeal to all learners. Different considerations need to be made to benefit all of the learners in our classrooms; however there are some techniques that should be implemented into every class time so that all of the children benefit optimally. This includes using pictures or models to aid in instruction, be explicit, use a gradual release of facilitation with children, design your curriculum so that it is open-ended and higher order so that the children can learn conceptual ideas for themselves before memorizing facts and many other details. As Morgan stated, all of these considerations may be challenging as it might not initially feel natural for the teacher, however these considerations are essential for the benefit of all children within the classroom.