"The best methods are also the most difficult ones (pg.32)." Piaget was right, if something was easy everyone would be doing it. If exercises was easy the childhood obesity rate wouldn't be an epidemic. DI is a challenge because it requires the teacher to do a significant amount of planning, assumes the classroom is void of serious behavior problems, and implies that students will stay on task without the direct supervision of a teacher. However, DI is the way to go. We know students do not learn the same ways, at the same pace, and many are totally uninterested in our concentrations and it will be tough, but DI helps up minimize the number of students who are not working to a level appropriate to them. As teachers, as lucerative as our jobs are, we still owe it to our students to try a method that promises hope despite the difficulty level.
One of the most frustrating things I have experienced as a teacher is when we go over a skill and the student just sits and waits for me to come and explain it to them individually without bothering to look at notes (if they have any) or in their book. Building independent learners is a classroom goal of mine and I seldom accomplish that goal, but yet differentiated instruction requires students to be independent of the teacher. Even with the knowledge I am gaining by doing this book I worry about how I am going to put theory to practice, espically in the classroom management department. Needless to say I have really tried to absorb this chapter which if full of good tips for managing a DI classroom. The suggestion of having "experts of the day" check work before it is turned in or to help other students would be very benefical in a classroom where students are doing different things. Some of the suggestions are basic, like the importance of making sure expectations are clear. A challenge for this basic strategy is to find a way to have students pay attention (rather than just look like they are) and listen to the expectations. Maybe a written contract that has them inital by each expectation. The tip of "begin bifferentiating at a pace that is comfortable for you (pg.33)," is also helpful because we do not have to wake up one morning to a DI class, we can take baby steps. Maybe we just take one of our good lessons add an activity for advanced and lower level learners and call it good; while slowly advancing the frequency and complexities of DI activites.
What is the tip you found most benefical? How do you see yourself implementing this tip into your classroom?
What is the biggest challenge you have or will have when you start using DI? Which stratgey could you use to help mitigate this problem?
The tips that I find best are giving students responsibility for their learning to give them more of a sense of motivation that they are in charge of their own learning. I also find the tip for having a plan for quick finishers due to the fact that there are always students who finish early and sit around board. To combat this I would give them more to add or to help others who are having trouble.
ReplyDeleteI think one of the biggest challenges would be to monitor the whole class efficiently as many groups are doing separate things and working in separate areas at separate speeds. I think the tip of assigning areas of the room can help with efficiency as well as the "expert of the day" idea in tip 8.
I happen to like 16 & 17 (38). I give students responsibility for their learning - ex. when we learned indefinite pronoun/antecedent agreement I made them create a chart. I taught them, singular, plural, and * (star) based on the three types. When they got one wrong or needed help, they were expected to use the chart! When they said, "I need help on this one." I said, "Get out your chart. Now is it , sing., pl., or star?" And so forth. It worked pretty well. I also like 17 b/c even in high school routine is important. I still use Harry Wong's idea of "Bellwork" (some call it bell ringer). I read his book my rookie year of teacher and wondered why none of my professors had taught him! Routine is important - teenagers also want to know what they are doing the first few mintues of class or on Mondays, etc.
ReplyDeleteWe read Wong at Wheeling Jesuit University and a lot of his ideas seems pretty basic, but I know if I had not read him it would have taken a long time to be where I was when I started. Very good read.
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