Differentiated Instruction: Making The Connections Facilitated By Sara Fridley & Kathleen West Region 3 Education Service Agency Workshop 4

Workshop Outcomes Complete paperwork for cohort stipends Adding to our toolbox of strategies for differentiating instruction Review & reflect upon some key topics

ESA Voucher Fill out top right corner with complete name & address info Sign & Date First payment – May 20 Second payment – June 20

SHIFT HAPPENS

Essential Question How do we enrich the experiences of our students, so that they will remember their experiences in our classrooms?

Can You Identify This? Small machines. A detail of a very small motor. the "blades" are half the width of one strand of hair. (ABCNews.com)

Can You Identify This? Migrating Bacteria. Bacterial colonies growing in a pattern in a petri dish. (ABCNews.com)

Use Large, Rich Words Encourage kids to ask, “What does that mean?” Hydrophobic: what are the roots of this word that help us know what it means? (ABCNews.com)

Triggering Better Memory Memory storage is stimulated by Novelty Emotion (fear, excitement) Personal Connections

Understanding Memory /11/memory/brain-interactivehttp://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ 2007/11/memory/brain-interactive

Hot Topics From Kathie Nunley HOT TOPIC # 1: Teachers are constantly warned against using sarcasm with students due to the ease with which it can be misinterpreted. New research on how the brain processes sarcasm shows just how complex it is. While the left hemisphere is primarily responsible for the literal interpretation of what you hear, the right hemisphere, along with areas of the frontal lobes interpret the social and emotional aspects of what you hear. A specific region in the right ventromedial area of the prefrontal cortex puts these two pieces together. Damage to any of these areas affects a person's ability to understand sarcasm. Shamay-Tsoory, S. & Tomer, R.(2005). Neuropsychology, Vol 19(3)

Hot Topics From Kathie Nunley HOT TOPIC #2: Feel like your memory just isn't what it used to be? Most of us know that memory is affected by age and one of the earliest signs of mental decline that we notice. But learning and memory can be improved at any age. According to experiments done on other animals, young brains can improve learning and memory by physical exercise alone. Middle-aged brains can improve by combining physical exercise with mental exercises. Older brains can improve through either physical or mental exercise alone. Harburger, L, et al. (2007). Behavioral Neuroscience, Vol 121(4).

Know Your Students Getting to know your students is the key to making DI work Variations Profile Poster Mystery Bag Bio Match Graphing How I’m Smart Interest Surveys (students & parents)

Key #3 – Adapt Product Students use key skills to create product Bloom’s Taxonomy Multiple Intelligence Theories Common focus Vary student activities Vary complexity

Some Fun Strategies for Product Puzzle a Day Electronic Activities Scavenger Hunts Virtual Field Trips Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts Web Quests eZines

Puzzles For Critical Thinking A Puzzle a Day – Practice That Pays Exercise critical thinking skills Easily adapt for different grade levels Use as Centers Bell Ringers Challenge Activities

Have a computer in your classroom? Great Online Resources (formerly Marco Polo)

eField Trips & Scavenger Hunts Virtual Tours Many require registration Includes “ask the expert” sessions

eField Trips & Scavenger Hunts Internet Scavenger Hunts world.com/a_lesson/archives/hunt.shtmlhttp:// world.com/a_lesson/archives/hunt.shtml Univ. Sioux Falls site with lots of topics web/ web/ ternet/Scavenger_Hunts/ ternet/Scavenger_Hunts/

Life in the fast lane... In an increasingly fast-paced world we don’t make time for creative activities.

WebQuests Integration of technology Focus on critical thinking skills Not just a “report” of facts Student centered

Web Quest Design Topic Orients students & captures their interest “start where you’re at” – pick a topic you are comfortable with Task Describes the end product Most critical piece – make it challenging & deep Process Explains strategies students will use to complete the task Include roles & steps to follow

More Web Quest Design Resources Web sites students will use to complete the task May want to provide search parameters for older students if specific sites aren’t provided Evaluation Measures results of process Use a rubric that clearly sets criteria Conclusion Sums up activity Encourages students to reflect on the process (Metacognition)

Critical Thinking Tasks Apply Solve Compare Analyze Infer Develop Relate Critique Evaluate Support Design Invent Distinguish Classify

WebQuest Resources Quest Garden Bernie Dodge & Tom March (the gurus!) A school district Web Quest resource Web Quest Task-onomy ThinkQuest: Student created web quest projects

More Web Quest Resources est.htmhttp:// est.htm est.htmhttp:// est.htm

Web 2.0 Tools Q – How many Wiki people does it take to change a light bulb? A – One, but anyone can change it back.

Wrapping It All Up

Principles to Guide Differentiated Classrooms Focus on essentials Attend to student differences Assess often and use it to make adjustments/modifications Mutual respect Be flexible Doesn’t happen 100% of the time!!!!

Simple Ways to Start Add an interdisciplinary element to a favorite unit Collaborate with other teachers Add movement/touch/visual aids to existing lessons & activities Apply Multiple Intelligence thinking to group/individual projects Offer students a variety of presentation options

Completing Your Requirements Complete online evaluation when it is ed to you. final version of lessons to Sara to post on ESA web page Have a great summer!