FIAE- Chapter 15

This chapter was really about tips and ideas on how to support your fellow colleagues and friends as they continue to move forward toward practices and methods for differentiated classrooms. Being able to talk to those that you work with, means all the world to your success in the classroom and your students’ success in the classroom. You learn something new everyday from a number of people and this provides the opportunity to further your ideas and thinking on how to better the classroom and your personal teaching. Exploring together is always more beneficial than exploring alone.
Some tips that I found within the chapter that would be especially helpful when dealing with fellow teachers/colleagues are:

• When disagreeing- assume that you are on the same side
• Try to seek first, then to understand
• If you are feeling stressed then most likely your colleagues are too
• Reflect on the bigger questions as well as those at hand
• If there are a majority of people who are embracing a new grading and assessment approach but a minority are not, focus on the majority
• Create an atmosphere where there is a little pressure to re-examine grading and assessing ideas
• Create opportunities to discuss ideas and story sharing/make use of communication using e-mail/mailboxes
• Model, model, model
• Find funding to accomplish those amazing ideas put forth by teachers/ pursuer additional training
• Have multiple copies of books and materials
• Use HUMOR
• Establish your own core values and make yourself aware of others’
• Staff health- physical, mental, and emotional

Beyond all of these ideas, this chapter really showing me how important it is to continuously keep learning. As a teacher you don’t stop being a student and become this morphed body, you are still a student but you are an example of educational ability. There is always an opportunity to learn from someone in your life and as I have learned, the students will teach you something new everyday. “It still takes a spark to get a fire going, and as colleagues, we can be both flint and kindling for one another.”

FIAE- Chapter 14

This chapter allowed me to think about the report cards I will be giving my students as well as how I can relay information about their challenges, successes, and overall progress. When students receive a report card, it is seen not just by their eyes but by the eyes of other colleagues (sometimes), other students (if they share), and parents. It is important, therefore, that schools take a good long look at how they are giving or presenting these grades to these eyes. Report cards should give much more feedback than a number or letter grade. They can give a wide variety of feelings to a student, as horrible as that may sound. These students, parents, and maybe even other colleagues must be able to understand the format. If students are judged on a particular piece of the classroom that is not on the report card, what are we really saying to them? You did really well on this, but it does not matter in the end? Students must be able to know that their grades are the result of not just one homework assignment or a test, but the combination of several aspects in the classroom resulting in their overall understanding and mastery.

How to have or even present a report card in a specific format bothers me. I wish that each teacher could create their own individual report card. Although they essentially do grade by their own system, they must still meet certain requirements and for me, too many requirements or pieces of a puzzle just make me frustrated. This frustration also falls into how to relate one class’s grades to others. Because each teacher is so different and will have different ways of assessing, one teacher’s way of doing it may be different. A 90 in my class may be a 93 in another. I know this is why having a set format for all report cards is important but it takes the individualized, special part of each teacher to student relationship away. The report card is the overall assessment of the student, but it is also a reflection of the teacher, this means that how I value my students’ grades will affect how they value their grades. I will definitely have to truly think about how to “grade” my students in relation to understanding for not just them but for me.

FIAE- Chapter 13

This chapter discussed different ideas on how to organize a grade book in a classroom containing differentiated instruction. There are different formats that can be considered and helpful, but being able to have and utilize one that can fit or suit your classroom is what must be found. Teaching is not about just relaying material to those people in front of you. Teaching is about being able to share a love or interest in one material/subject and being able to get them excited about that material/subject even if it is only 20 minutes a day. Teachers can try to view their grade book as different parts of a whole, split into sections of standards, objectives, and benchmarks. Another way for a teacher to view the grade book is by sections according to groups of assignments by their weight or category. Each way of viewing the grade book requires the teacher to do work in order to acquire a final grade. If a teacher lists assignments by their date then they can follow or track the students’ progress. Organization using color or a particular system not only will help the teacher but in the long run will help the students be able to rely on the teacher as dependable and organized.

I have seen many ways of organizing a grade book, but for me, being an extremely organized person. I would have to use dates and colors. I would prefer to organize my grade book by date of the assignment as well colors to identify homework, class work, projects, quizzes, and tests, etc. I would much rather have a material grade book not just a digital one, or one on the computer. I find that when I can see it in writing, I am more organized. Now that technology is taking over our world and the classroom, more and more of the grading is done either on the computer, on a website, or must be put there at the end of a grading period. Although this online or digital way of grading might be useful, for someone like me, it means double the work of putting grades in one place and then another. The only reason I like this way of grading is due to the resource of being able to use a site such as blackboard. Parents can view their child’s grades as well as comments I have made about their child. Efficiency has become the way we work in the classroom and while I agree it is important, I also believe that sometimes using an “old school” method might just be better. Being able to record every detail of a student’s progress is important to me. Tracking their work, challenges, improvements, and final mastery is rewarding not just for me but for them. This means that my grade book must incorporate many details in order for not just myself but my students to know and to see why and how they received the grade they did.

FIAE- Chapter 12

This chapter, in line with previous chapters, discusses yet again the idea of grading. This time however, it discusses the grading scales. The way in which a teacher grades, whether or not some want to admit it, vastly affects the students and the way in which they view not just the material at hand, but the class and the teacher as well. Giving a simple number or letter grade is not as easy as it once was, taking into account the large number of different learning styles, behaviors, attitudes, as well as personal and social lives. Most teachers prefer a system of grading based on the hundred point system, the four point system, or a specified amount. It is easier to use a smaller scale to grade students on, eliminating that extra room for discrepancies or debate. Using rubrics with each grading scale can also help clarify the expectations required. There is much more room for questions using a larger scale due to the many ways in which a student could have gone wrong or does not understand why he/she got that grade. Being able to be stern about why something was a particular grade and giving fair and reasonable explanation to each student is what should be happening.

This chapter made me realize just how much importance is put upon not just the student but the teacher to achieve a good grade. On a larger scale it is hard to be precise with each student as to what and why they have achieved or not achieved. Being able to explain how to fully master the material is important to their overall understanding. It is almost impossible to be able to have a classroom environment in which no grades exist. Although I do believe too much emphasis is put upon these grades, no matter what, rubrics without numbers or a scale without letters, the students will place themselves into those categories known to them for so long. Students judge each other and whether by social class, sports, or academics, there will always be a scale onto which they fall. Eliminating the dependence on grades is what needs to be dealt with, not getting rid of grades altogether. It is obvious to me now that I must be able to justify and explain to my students why they got or deserve the “grades” that they received. Understanding with my students is what needs to happen for their “grades” to be well earned/deserved.

FIAE- Chapter 11

This chapter, as also discussed in previous chapters, was about grading. It plays with the idea of the actual number grade and what it means to the students. It is hard to place an emotional value on a number grade, but students in every classroom are doing it. This chapter suggests that it might be more beneficial to your students if they are given a lower grade, such as a zero rather than a 60. The reasoning behind this is that your students may be tempted to just “get by” without doing the work, and rely on getting a 60 as passing. It is important that teachers develop a plan of how to properly assess their students in order to prevent those kids from just “getting by”. This problem leading into how to weigh grades is relentless and learning how to find a solution sooner rather than later can benefit the students as well as yourself. Another problem is teaching to those gifted students as well as those who need extra help. Here is when teaching to the appropriate grade level of each student comes into play. However with such a diverse classroom, the continuing problem is how to reach every student’s needs on so many levels.

Teachers also need to look at the behavior of each student not just with social and individualized actions but with work, timeliness, and overall reliability and understanding. If a student makes a habit of certain behaviors or attitudes, they need to be addressed on a one on one level. If it happens only occasionally and is the direct result from another force in their life, alternate ways of dealing must be considered. It is so important that the teacher begin and continue a close relationship with each student establishing communication to identify and catch these behaviors, learning styles/level, as well as habits early on. Late work as well as missing work is something I don’t think I would be able to tolerate. If it is late because of a valid medical or family issue that is being or has been discussed with me, that is one case. But for student to just “forget” or not do their work, I can not say that I have sympathy or would be willing to cut a little slack. This is why being able to know each student is the best way to ensure that you will reach them not just on a personal/emotional level but on a strong academic level as well. The point of this chapter, I believe, is consistency. Being able to set standards and guidelines for the classroom and for the students are what will help them learn how to behave, help them to learn, and prevent bad habits from continuing or even beginning.

FIAE- Chapter 10

This chapter, after reading the last three chapters, really makes me think about how “mean” or strict I will be as a teacher. It talks about the conditions under which a student would be able to redo an assignment if they do poorly on it the first time. I think that this is a hard situation to consider. This may be one topic or situation that will be decided on when I have come to know my classroom environment and my students better. I believe that if I am too lenient then my students can take advantage of a good thing, of something that was intended to only be there as a means of last resort. There is no way to fully prevent this circumstance from appearing in the classroom. There will always be students who want to redo something or earn a higher grade or even just want bonus points. But keeping the lines of communication open and really connecting with the students are the only ways to help yourself as well as your students succeed on any assignment or with any material.

The number one thing that comes into question when deciding whether or not to allow a student to redo an assignment, project, quiz, or test is the condition under which they did poorly in the first place. If a student has a hard time with taking a paper test and I noticed that they know all the material when talking to me, maybe an oral exam would be more beneficial. If they knew the material but a personal or another extraneous circumstance outside of the class prevented the student from concentrating then maybe a redo is the best scenario. However if a student, when speaking with me, simply does not know the material, did not study, and took no pride or effort in preparing for the quiz, test, assignment at hand- why would a redo benefit this student? I think it would be more beneficial for them to take the lower grade, suffer the consequences of being unprepared, and learn from their mistakes. The only trouble with this way of thinking is that some students may not care whether or not they receive low grades. This is when motivation and great teacher-student interaction comes into play.

FIAE- Chapter 9

This chapter was so interesting to me because it was from a different standpoint then we have continuously seen. It discussed ten different things that teachers should avoid when they are differentiating grading and assessment. The list includes such things as, grading on a curve, avoiding recording zeros, avoiding extra credit or bonus points, avoiding scaffolding, avoiding categorizing students or using terms that may hint towards this, avoid grading things that are not relevant to mastery of the material at hand, and avoiding grading homework. I think that having a list of things that should be avoided makes me consider all possibilities of a situation, such as grading. Many times teachers are so concerned with what they should be doing and what they should include, that they often times accidentally include some things that could have been left out.

I don’t agree with some of the items on the list simply because I may over think or analyze many different aspects of a situation or particular piece of material. However I feel that sometime it may be better to include more than less. What if a particular student is doing poorly and you know they are capable to achieving much better, why can’t they have extra credit- a second chance to help themselves? If students know that what they are “supposed” to do outside of the class is not going to be graded then why would they bother doing it? They could simply say I forgot about it, I lost it, and every other excuse. I feel that including so many different aspects when grading could help my students to be more prepared and more involved with the material at hand.. Each class may need to be graded differently considering that they will understand, learn, and interact differently on every level. I think the biggest point of this chapter was meant to make us think more extensively about being flexible and adaptable to every kind of classroom environment that we may encounter.

FIAE- Chapter 8

This chapter allowed me to think a lot about what kind of teacher my students will believe me to be as well as what kind of teacher I will grow to be. This chapter also discussed grading and included the idea that effort, attendance and behavior should be measured or considered in the grading. Since grading serves so many purposes such as to document students’ progress, provide feedback to all as well as help in future decisions made in the class it is hard to include so many different aspects when creating rubrics or guidelines for grading. Being able to understand a student, as we have seen before, is crucial in order to understand how they learn and what is affecting their learning outside of the classroom. Grading attendance is important and relates to participation. How can one be actively involved in the class if they are unprofessional and always late or even worse not there?

Grading participation is crucial for a student to become involved not just in the class but to become engrossed in the material. Many times students are too shy to answer questions, therefore participation being graded will help them step out of their comfort zone and work on public speaking. The effort put forth on any project, assignment or group work is hard to grade due to the fact that one may see his part as a crucial part to the whole while another may view it as insignificant. This is when communication between not just student and student but teacher and student can help when grading. Peer feedback can give the teach insights into why each person felt the way they did about another individual’s work. The behavior of a student is important and grading effort allows the student to step up to the plate and control themselves in a professional manner for the sake of others in the group and for the sake of the overall effectiveness of their work.

I think that although the purpose of grading is to measure student’s understanding of the material, there are so many things that impact their learning that those should be considered and accounted for. If a teacher can get every student involved and interested in the topic then the shy or behavioral students may be more apt to speak up or control themselves in order to help and work with others in the class. I do not think that it is enough to just give peer feedback on different aspects such as effort, participation, behavior or even attendance. Just because a student receives a different view point of something does not mean that they will change their ways or “bad habits”. If they are given consequences they might be more likely to see what their true potential is and might be able to help other students along the way, earning a better grade and better yet, a real understanding of the material.

FIAE- Chapter 7

This chapter was interesting in comparison to chapter eight just read in UbD/DI. This chapter was also about grading. Many times within a classroom a teacher resorts to the grading system used for so long- A, B, C and D. This chapter allowed me to see that although grading has become somewhat redundant and even annoying to the students and even to the teacher at times, it is important to have a grading system. Having a means by which to assess the students on their work and knowledge helps the teacher become better equip to teach and the students more apt to want to learn. My struggle stems from how to judge what constitutes the actual grades from A to F. Teachers must learn not just how to grade but what grading really means and what it does for the students and for the entirety of the course. If teachers can adapt their teaching and classroom for each student, the grading should be adapted to not just reach all students but to find a common ground. But finding this common ground is when problems arise such as, how can two people view one piece of material or knowledge the same way? One teacher may grade a project as an A and another teacher may see it as a C. The answer is that they probably won’t see it the same way but they need to work together to create an “understanding” of what is expected and what is appropriate.

An important thing that I noticed when reading this chapter was that you need help your students understand that they do not just “get” a grade then earn it. Hard work, understanding of the material and all the extra effort in between is what can achieve that high grade. However the students need to know that although teachers set them up for success, it is in their own hands whether or not they can reach that level of expectation they hold and the teacher holds for them. Being able to not just assign a grade to a piece of work allows the students to yet again grasp the true idea behind teaching in this light, understanding. This chapter emphasizes for me the idea that feedback to my students is crucial in order for them to understand the grade that was given to their work. Without understanding what and why they do the material at hand they may not want to learn and may even “check out” of the class all together.

FIAE- Chapter 4

This chapter discusses different types of ways to assess the development of the students and the material being covered. One tactic to keeping track of the progress is by having the students’ keep work in a portfolio. A portfolio is a great way to track work over time and allows the students to look back and see what has changed or what needs to be changed. Rubrics are another great way to keep track of the students’ progress, they are one of the most popular among teachers. A rubric helps to tell the student what the teacher expects to be done or covered for the assignment given. When designing a rubric as a teacher you have to remember how you plan to assess their work, whether you assess it as a whole or if you are going to break it down into parts. Self-assessment is another great way to assess the development of the students. This is great for the student and teacher to come up with realistic goals together. It allows the students and teacher to work together rather than one above the other. Self-assessments give the student and teacher insights, questions to be answered, and things to help improved or keep the student on the right track.

As a student I enjoyed looking at my past work to see where I have come from. It helped me to see things that I have done consistently wrong and what I improved on. A rubric is always nice to have when doing a major project. I would find it sometimes hard to be given an assignment and have it be too broad. I like to know what I will get for each part of my assignment. I knew if a certain part was my weakness, I could work extra hard on it. Self-assessment can be good and be bad. They can be very helpful if used properly. I noticed when I would do self-assessments I was usually harder on myself than I should have been which was helpful because I would always get a grade higher than I gave myself. It was also very helpful because it brought my teacher and me together to discuss why I gave myself the grade I did. It is always important for the teacher and the student to work as a team.

FIAE- Chapter 6

This chapter discusses the differences between testing and the quality of the testing. Teachers must understand how each student will learn and that includes how they respond to different types of testing as well as how they will perform on those testings. There are different types of testing, multiple choice tests which can be difficult playing mind games with the student, true and false which can be easier for students to grasp but then creates a guessing game, and organized tests that can consist of traditional and non traditional questions. Offering different types of testing throughout the course of the year can help adapt the material to each learning style. Along with what type of testing to produce, the length of the questions, the length of the test, and how much time a student has to complete the test are all factors in how well a student will perform. It is all about creating tests that will not stump your students but help them to understand the material and reinforce what has been learned. The tests should be creative, using fun names or relating the information or the question to a current situation, event, or person in the news or within their class.

After testing has occurred it is important for the teacher to be able to give feedback to their students. It is not enough to simply let the students know what they have done wrong. Teachers must explain why it is wrong and how they can understand it so they will get it right the next time around. This chapter helped me to understand that you must be able to reach your students before, during and after any testing that occurs. In order for you to succeed, your students must succeed, and they need to be set up for success not failure on a test. Being able to create different tests and different ways of reviewing those tests will ensure that my students not only know the information but truly understand it.

FIAE- Chapter 5

This chapter discusses the idea of tiering not just how and when to implement it but it is also known as how teachers respond to their students’ needs when dealing with their assignments and assessment. Tiering is seen as adjusting the level of challenge to each student’s ability. This means that the student needs to be challenges without being overwhelmed. It is important for all teachers to be able to work with their students on every level in order to bring them up to the potential that the teacher believes the student to possess. Teachers should begin with the minimum expectations and students should not be targeted higher or lower of the benchmark. Teachers should also be able to categorize or list the material at hand, making it easier for the students to understand the different steps involved. On the other end of the spectrum we have “over-tiering” which is when teachers can implement this strategy too much, over using it. The best way to begin tiering is to start with what is expected of the student at his or her grade level. The teacher must work with what level or at what level in learning the student is ready for. Tiering should ideally be gone by the end of any unit because the students should have moved from one level to the next finally reaching that end result of the highest tier or goal.

Another way to help students is to set up a learning contract. This could mean that one student may learn and engage at a different pace than the rest of the class. This would mean that I would have to make myself available and understanding to those who need that extra time and help. All of this, including tiering, involves making myself ready for whatever my students may come to my classroom with, knowing, and able to do. If I can adjust my classroom learning to each student in an efficient way I can then make the most of the learning within the classroom. I hope that I can truly make myself available in and outside the classroom to so many different kinds of learners. If I can mold myself into adapting many new techniques and strategies for teaching and helping my students then I can become a successful teacher.

FIAE- Chapter 3

I see that this chapter opened my eyes to different ways of assessment in the differentiated classroom. Students come into the classroom biased on how they see each subject. As a teacher I have to be able to break down these biases to promote the real truth and learning behind each subject. Teachers must understand the students’ talents, weaknesses, and be able to convince the students that the material being covered is actually worth studying. In a differentiated classroom, assessment is key, it guides practice. It is important to remember when beginning anything new to first look at what the end result will be, or the outcome. How do you want the students to feel and what do you want them to walk away with having learned? Great assessments in the classroom focus on EEK which is essential and enduring knowledge. This means that students should be able to know and understand all the things they are able to do. It is important to determine what is essential in a unit as well as assess and reassess what we are doing, as teachers. It is also important to know that some will succeed more than others.

A teacher must also determine the students’ readiness or use diagnostic pre-assessments to understand how to plan the units of study. There are three types of assessments: pre, formative, and summative. Pre-assessments are used to indicate the students readiness, formative assessments are using for routine checkpoints to see where the students are in their learning, and summative assessments are used at the end of the learning to see how much the students have understood and learned. From these results we can then take action in the classroom to improve the learning and teaching. Providing opportunities for the students is key as well as making yourself available. Authenticity is important as well the two aspects of authenticity that refer to assessment. The first type is how the students will apply their knowledge to the outside world and the second is the assessment being authentic to how the students are learning. One question that arises is if an assessment is not authentic then what good is it doing to you or to your students who are learning this material?
Using different ways to understand and assess your students can be extremely beneficial to them and to the teacher. It is important to be substantive and not fluff. This means to teach and learn with importance not just to fill time or get the job done. A teacher must also understand there are factors affecting students outside of class, their different learning experiences, and their own individual style. All factors must be assess in order to fully understand your students.

FIAE- Chapter 2

This chapter helped me to understand mastery, not only what it is but why it is important. Mastery is more than just knowing the information, it is manipulating and applying that information to other situations and understanding it. There are two ways to accomplish or collect evidence of mastery: multiple assessments and tracking the students’ progress of a few works over a period of time. As a teacher, you must be clear about the objectives before you can use differentiated instruction and adequately assess the students’ understanding of these objectives. The teacher must be open to the students’ unique way of learning and understanding. In order for the student to master any piece of material the teacher must utilize all tools they posses, including being open to new ideas from the student, in order to fully help. To look at ones’ own teaching approach each year is far from too much. An annual focus on mastery for every topic in the classroom can help to decipher between mastery and almost mastery mixed with hard work. As a teacher, you are always looking to what facts or points to emphasize as well as what to prune and what to keep. Looking to other colleagues and their ideas can really help to structure and keep focused. Sharing ideas and opinions is the best way to improve you teaching as well as the overall outcome of your classroom.

From a student perspective, I can see that it is important to really know and understand what I am doing. From a teacher perspective, it is crucial to help guide and coach not push and force, a student towards mastery. I believe that no matter the material a student should be open to new ideas and styles of learning just as the teacher must enter a new classroom open to new ideas and styles of teaching. The best teaching and learning process occurs when both parties can relate to each other and help the overall outcome of the class become a positive one. Understanding newfound knowledge can lead to a better future utilizing these new tools of learning.

FIAE- Chapter 1

This chapter made me analyze and understand the idea of differentiated instruction as well as its’ definition and rationale. All teachers, even though they may not call it differentiated instruction, do just that, differentiated instruction. In order to truly master this type of instruction we need to understand how student’s think. This can be difficult since what we know how the brain learns and how it works is still being tested. One of our goals as teachers should be how to get the classroom to reflect what as been distilled from the research. Teachers need to step up and use the tools that have “stood the test of time.” When teachers do not spend as much time on identifying tasks for certain students, they can make sure they have taught in the best way possible for the students’ brains to learn and understand.
Differentiated instruction is doing what is considered fair for students. It’s a collection of the best teaching strategies which then gives teachers the best tools possible to handle anything. Because of such differentiated approaches each student can develop and individual style and strengths. Teachers can give students tools to handle their own learning, making them their own advocates for their education. It is true then that, “what is fair isn’t always equal” and the overall goal is to be fair and appropriate not “one-size-fits-all equal”. It is not we teach that is important but what the students have learned that matters. This approach to teaching is a variety of the best ways or practices to maximize students’ learning with all material and giving them the tools to handle anything they may encounter.
Not only does differentiated instruction help all students’ to learn but it helps the teacher to develop different and unique learning styles keeping the classroom entertaining and comfortable. Creating a safe, relaxing, and fun learning environment is important to a student’s learning. Differentiated instruction allows for many new ideas and activities in the classroom as well as helps the teacher to control the class in a less controlling way. This chapter has helped me to understand why differentiated instruction is so crucial to good teaching. It is not the material you teacher but how you teach it that matters.