Viewing: differentiation
Big ‘Ol List of CUE Resources
Hey all! For those who saw me present at CUE in Palm Springs, here is the list of many of the resources I mentioned in my presentation, “From Pencils to Paperless: Developing a Blended Environment for Teens.” You may have
Pen Tricks and Differentiation
OK, for those of you not in the pen spinning loop, I’m talking about a craze that’s preoccupying tween fingers all over the known universe, or at least in my district. Of pen spinning, or object manipulation, as a sport,
Part 2 of 3: The Future of Teacher Prep Programs
In yesterday’s post, Part I of 3: The Future of Teacher Prep Programs, I fantasized about what a credential program might look like years down the line. Here is Part II of my post that will address the following points:
Part I of 3: The Future of Teacher Prep Programs
My credential program was more of a necessary hoop than a valuable preparation program. My Ed Psych professor read his screenplay to us all semester long. My Methods of Math professor hadn’t been in a classroom for 30 years, and
I’ll Take that Education to Go: Individualization vs. Standardization
We live in a world of double-decaf-non-fat-lattes-with-room. We live in a world that is slowly beginning to customize everything from our coffee orders to our spa treatments. But it won’t just stop with luxury items. Some teachers complain about the
Studies Find There’s No Such Thing as Learning Styles – As Teachers, Should We Care?
According to Psychcentral.com, “Learning Styles are being re-evaluated” and negated. This theory, according to a recently published journal article claims that there is really no research out there to prove that students learn differently from one another. Shrug. Cue eye
Costa’s Levels of Questioning and Student-Designed Assessments
So this week I introduced Costa’s Levels of Questioning to my students. We have some teachers on my site talking about these triggers of metacognition so it compliments everyone’s efforts to enter this discussion in the classroom. Costa’s is, in
Facebook Quizzes and Lesson Planning
It used to be 4 colors that defined the differences between personalities: gold, blue, green, and orange. Then it advanced to 8 slices of a pie used to categorize the different intelligences: linguistic, logical, naturalistic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, visual/spatial, kinesthetic, musical. There are
Standards Conversation #1: Should Education Take a Tip from Starbucks?
Starbucks is the ultimate in differentiation. In fact, it’s built an empire on providing individualized, one-on-one product to any member of its clientele, no questions asked. Cute, young baristas (some with piercings, some without) hand out drinks with a smile,
Student-Designed Schools
This year, my 8th graders all produced a multi-genre project during 4th Quarter that focused on possible careers of their choice. But I went a step further with my 8th grade Honors class. They not only had to research a
Teaching Secrets: Finding a Job That You Love
Know a teacher who got a pink slip? Maybe my newest post at Teacher Magazine can help. Click here for the article. It’s Step 1 of my Top Secret New Teacher Handbook. Hope it creates some shortcuts, a machete even,
Top 10: How to Take Control of Your Teaching
How can you take control of your teaching, both literally and internally? Read my Top 10 list that advises a teacher on how to get what you need in this demanding job of ours, how to survive it, and how to love it.
Marketing Metacognition
So I just got the January MindWare catalogue and I realize that here we have a toy catalogue that is solely for metacognitive purchases. So this got me thinking: how can schools market metacognition? I realized, of course, that until
Metacognitive Poetry: Writing About Thinking While Writing Lesson
Here’s a great metacognitive lesson that integrates poetry. Or is it a poetry lesson that is metacognitive? (Shrug) I believe that good writing and great structure can be taught through mimicking great authors. Using this philosophy as my guide, my
Second-Career Teachers…Aren’t we All?
The Illinois News-Gazette recently reported an increase in second career teachers. But, really, aren’t we all second-career teachers? I mean, unless we bopped from high school to a BA to an education program and landed directly into the teaching field,
The Excitement Graph: Plot and Word Choice
Every year, I do this activity when teaching Narrative Plot. I’ve used it from 3rd grade to 12th grade. I learned a version of it first in 1993 at a UCLA Extension class on “Teaching Reading to Secondary Students” and
The snail wins the race…with RSP
Just a brief post of victory to share: At the beginning of Sept 2007, I gave a pre-assessment to my class in order to learn their levels and begin the process of differentiation. I looked through the results and my
Should a free education be unconditional?
So you know when you get your group of kids on the first day, there are those who immediately set off your alarms? Well, that definitely happened to me on my first day. I have a student who clearly needs
Oh, the Wells Fargo Wagon is a’comin…
So, in a move reminiscent of a 12-year old girl caught up in the riot mentality of rumors, I believed the whisper I heard about not getting my Whiteboard for 2 months. But I tell you now: it was false,
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Asking for Student Opinions Isn’t Risky, It’s Rewarding
By heather on January 24, 2009
I was reading this great article from Slate Magazine about the cheese that is Billy Joel. And I thought back to many a car trip singing his “Themes from an Italian Restaurant.” I also remembered just how many times I’d