October 22, 2009

The activities in the back of the text book were great! I think so many of them would be great resources in creatin a differentiated classroom. I decided to write about a couple of them that I would like to try out in my classroom.
The first tool I want to try out with my students is the evaluation checklist. It seemed to me to be a subtle reminder to our students to be effeceive interacters with their peers. This checklist allows the students to make sure they are working with others well and bringing out the best in themselves and others. I think this would actually be a good resource for teachers to use as well, not only our students.
The second tool I liked was developing clarity about learning goals. Students of all abilities and cultures can know they share the same learning goals as the rest of the students in their class. A written reminder of what is expected of students can be a great tool to keep students (and teachers!) on task.
I also liked the learning contracts in the book. Along with having the learning goals listed, personal contracts provide a great resource for keeping students on task. However, this idea gives a bit more incentive for the students. When they complete a task correctly, they can have their ticket or contract stamped or something to that effect. This will allow students to be able to be motivated without addicting extrinsic motivators (candy).
Finally, I enjoyed the multiple-entry journals. I like all types of journal writing so much, I just need to do it myself to get some of the benefits. The double entry journal benefits students so much by helping reading through guiding focus, concentration, and thoughts. Comprehension is also addressed. Each student can write in a journal to guide their thoughts, we don't always necessarily need to be able to read them (languages, pictures) as long as they are being written and used by the students.