Differentiation Makes Education Special

     No two people are alike, right? Right!  Can you imagine America where every walking into any classroom in student looked the same, acted the same with perfectly appropriate behavior, and learned at exactly the same rate?  This is so far from what I would expect as both a teacher and a parent that it sounds like science fiction!
    My day begins at 7:20 am. My classroom is right by the back door of the school. As soon as the back door opens I am immediately greeted with questions and concerns, good news, and bad news! I hit the ground running every single day! Sometimes it amazes me of all that happens before 8:00 am!  Through it all my goal is to keep every one calm, do damage control, and get everyone taken care of and back on track ready to learn at 7:38 am!  Most days we make it on time! This is my normal and I love it!
   So, what is normal? In my world there isn't a normal.  There shouldn't be a normal. We are all different, unique individuals with beautiful gifts to share. The same goes for teaching. There isn't a "normal" way to teach and there shouldn't be. All teachers attend college, and attend more college, and go to  many conferences. We all earn diplomas, and certificates, and more certificates and most of the time more degrees. In all of these classes, and courses, and conferences we learn strategies and then newer strategies, but in the end do all of these degrees and strategies make us better? Okay, my answer is yes, but sometimes best is still the old way sometimes.  Why sometimes? Here is where I tell you...
     Sometimes the old way is better because no two students are the same. Sometimes a student learns best with a routine, using rote memorization, and lots of structure but other students can't handle structure and need hands on learning. This is where differentiation comes in.  Yes, I have finally made my point!
     Differentiation means adapting instruction to meet each student's individual needs. Let me tell you about my students. I have eleven perfectly wonderful students they are at six different reading levels and an equal amount of math levels. Every day is somewhat of a balancing act. I have to create an environment that is conducive to learning yet keeps each student focused, engaged, and interested. There are four key components of differentiating instruction. They are differentiation in:  content, process, products, and classroom environment.  In a way, I must calculate every aspect of every lesson throughout the day while taking into accounts student behaviors, strengths, and weaknesses.  Since my students schedule is a six day cascading model, I must look at each of the six days individually and balance out the day in terms of how each student will respond to each lesson given the classes that they've have at each given part of the day. For example, I know that at 7:38 am after we've settled all of the initial worries of the day, that I have a group of students that are rested, fed, and eager to learn, so the rigor of the subject can be optimal. However, if it's a day where there is English, reading, science, math, and social studies with no academic breaks in it for physical education or technology class then I need to plan more hands-on activities with movement to keep the students motivation and thinking level high. I also always provide a snack and a drink to keep energy levels up. How do I do this?
     First, I make the most of our physical space.  Each student has a tandem desk for two, for large group work.  We also have a kidney shaped table where we do group activities. Often we break into smaller groups, not always by academic needs. Sometimes the groups are set by student academic level but other times the groups are designed to have stronger students to lead students who have more difficulty in the given assignment. Often students bring the chairs to the smart board area to give them a break from their desks. We sometimes also go outside to break up the monotony of being in one place. Just yesterday we were outside testing out the anemometers that we made in science class. Sometimes we go for a walk with a clipboard in the school building for example to search for shapes in the school that are congruent! Yet still, we have learning centers where students rotate at different intervals signified by a bell. Another strategy that works on academically challenging days are brain breaks were we may stop for a moment to do a short exercise or solve a puzzle. This leads me to my "puzzle center" where I allow the students to go work on a jigsaw puzzle while they wait for their peers to finish their work. We will beginning our fourth puzzle tomorrow!

   Content, is the next significant area to consider when differentiating for the students. Content is what skills or information the student needs to gain and how the student will get access to the information. Also, process which is how the student engages with the content in order to make sense of it. We are living in exciting times in education with the influx of all the new technology. Sadly, I'm old enough to remember getting my first computer in my classroom and fearing it with all my heart! The maintenance man made a wooden armoire to keep it in to lock it up at night! Today we can deliver content by: textbook, worksheet, whiteboard, voice, CD player, computer, smart-board, Elmo, chromebook, i-pad...etc!  The options are almost endless! I use them all! Again, like the physical space in the room I take into consideration the students daily schedule, time, of day, and personal learning styles such as: visual, auditory, or kinesthetic, when planning for content. No longer is there a one size fits all, cookie cutter education! I develop three separate spelling lists each week with work designed specifically for each student. I have a student with visual needs so the font I type in for this student is larger. I have a student who is still learning sight words so his program is completely different than everyone else's. The beautiful part is that when I pass out the spelling work on Monday, it is all delivered in the same method so that no one really realizes or even cares that their work is different than their neighbors. I also create three separate lists on Spelling City so that all students can practice their spelling words at home on their computers. In math class we have group lessons with calculators to work on higher level math but on certain days I assign individualized work with handwritten notes specific to each child's needs. It is in these lessons that we build foundational skills that are needed to support the higher-level math. Does all of this take time? Yes, of course, but all kids deserve to have an education that is suited to their individual needs.
   Finally, the last place to differentiate is in products.  The product is the culminating project or assessment that allows the student to rehearse, apply, and share what he/she has learned in a given unit. Sometimes the best approach is to allow students the option of how they'd like to share what they have learned for example:with a skit, a puppet show, a portfolio, or art project such as a diorama, or cereal box report. Another strategy is for the teacher to use a rubric to appropriately rate each students work with the ability to take into consideration their varied skill levels.Sometimes the end product can be delivered individually or in a group of two or more. Still sometimes the best way to assess what the student has retained is with a plain old-fashioned test. Well, not really, today students with IEPs or 504 plans are allowed individualized accommodations and modifications to level the playing field between them and their non-disabled peers. Some examples are tests read, a scribe, large print, or a quiet, separate location, plus more. In the end the best product is produced by differentiating for each student's individuality.
     In my opinion, it's an exciting time to be in education from the perspective of both a teacher and a student. There are as many ways to educate a child as there are children. Just remember every child is unique and every education is special!

Educator Link:
   The Ultimate Survival Guide for the Technophobic Teacher
http://fishtreeblog.tumblr.com/post/100073248930/the-ultimate-survival-guide-for-the-technophobic


Parent Link:
Are you Babying Your Special Needs baby (Child)?
http://www.tacanow.org/family-resources/are-you-babying-your-special-needs-baby-child/? 






Mitt Aubin's Book Review:
Tonight's book review is appropriate for the season: How Leaves Change by: Sylvia A. Johnson. This is a very detailed picturesque book that offers a wonderful, complete science lesson on how leaves change! It has won the New York Academy of Sciences Children's Science Book Award. 

Science in Action-Project Based Learning

      You may be reading this statement a lot in the Education is Special blog, but for this teacher, it's true...My students are amazing!  I'm often saying that the only difference between special education and general education is the way that the students learn. On every level this is true. This leads me to project based learning. Many people view this as a new educational term and teaching method.  In many ways it is, but in many ways it is not.  In the past, I referred to it as a discovery based learning. It is in a sense kinesthetic  based learning which is learning by doing, but in many ways it is not! It is more than that.
     So, what is project based learning commonly known as PBL?  PBL is a teaching strategy where students gain knowledge, skills, and insight to a complex question, problem, or challenge.  They do this by working together for an extended period of time to investigate and then analyze the data they've collected to come up with a conclusion. In many ways PBL ties into the scientific method but can go beyond that into all academic areas including but not limited to:  English, math, and social studies. PBL was born out of Common Core and in my opinion is one of the better things that has been encouraged through Common Core.  In PBL, students are presented with a driving question.   The driving question, is an open ended question that students find intriguing and grabs their attention which gives them the drive and determination to seek out the answer. 
   In our case, our driving question was "Who were the ancient Whitehallers?"  Prior to an archaeological dig, I taunted my students for several days with significant content and vocabulary that they needed to know to make their archaeological dig a success. We read and talked about the importance of archaeological digs. We watched an archaeological dig that was properly conducted on Youtube. My goal was to peak enthusiasm while stressing the importance of conducting their "dig" in a professional manner.   The students learned how to make a grid to plot out their model digs and how to map their finds. They learned how to bag and label their artifacts to analyze later. I stressed the importance of not haphazardly digging the "earth" in their model plots.  I stressed the importance of carefully unearthing the artifacts and gently brushing off the excess dirt with a soft brush.  We discussed in depth the importance of recording our "finds" on our map.

Sample map

         Over several days I repeatedly heard, "Mrs. Aubin when can we do the dig?" I knew my students were ready when they could use in- depth inquiry and reiterate significant content on archaeology, sounding like experts!  I was also looking for students who didn't want to simply play in the dirt, but instead wanted to solve the driving question, "Who were the ancient Whitehallers?".  Finally it was time to dig! Excitement was in the air!  I split the students into two groups with two separate plots.  We carefully set up our grids and labeled them. Each student was assigned two coordinates within the plot that they were responsible for. Excitement ensued each time a student unearthed a significant artifact. This in turn fueled their fire to find out the essential question. Let me tell you watching this process was priceless!  My students were building 21st century competencies!  They were problem solving, using critical thinking, innovation, and they were appropriately collaborating.  I was guiding them in voice and choice as they worked together and productively used their time. They took turns sharing the sifters and helped each other to bag and label their artifacts. Best of all,  every student was engaged in the process! The only negative moment in this entire lesson was the sigh each day when the bell rang indicating that science period was over!  
     Finally, we were at the point in our archaeological investigation where we had to answer our essential driving question:  "Who were the ancient Whitehallers?"  This was the fun part for me, watching my students trying to make sense out of the myriad collection of eclectic artifacts. Some of the artifacts included: a Michael Jackson keychain,  a U.S.A. stamp costing $.13, pennies from the 1970's, photographs with burnt edges, watermelon seeds, McDonald's advertisements, gumball trinkets, Storytown U.S.A. pamphlets (Storytown is now named " Six Flags-The Great Escape", in Lake George, N.Y.), Whitehall Railroader memorabilia...etc.  The students took their artifacts with them to our computer lab to research them.  They had outlandish conversations about who the ancient Whitehallers could have been!  The highlight of their investigative archaeological dig was when they figured it out!  They were so excited! They jumped around and gleefully stated, it was the 1970's students!! Okay, not exactly ancient times but to these 6th and 7th graders it was ancient times! Sadly for me, it was my childhood and high school years!  They not only loved learning more about former Whitehall students but about me as well! They laughed and enjoyed learning more about their ancient teacher in the 1970's!

      This conversation about the 1970's led us into the next important component of PBL: critique and revision.  We discussed what we could have done differently to make our archaeological dig more successful, efficient, and valid. The students only conclusion was that they would like to do a real dig outside! For months afterwards, the archaeological dig came up as a topic of conversation. This helped me to assess this project as a winner! It showed me that PBL does work at all levels. So today my dear readers you too are part of the PBL experience which is to share their work with a public audience beyond their classmates and teacher!  Thank you for participating. I hope that you enjoyed our learning experience.


*The italicised  words are these that are relevant to Project Based Learning (PBL). Also, Our school is called Whitehall Central School which is where "ancient Whitehallers" came from! We are the Whitehall Railroaders.  

Railroaders Logo

Links for Educators:

NSTA resources for #EarthScienceWeek (most books have free chapters!) #NSTAPress
http://www.nsta.org/store/search.aspx?

Bake a Cake in the #classroom for Make-A Wish Foundation UK- Free lesson pack 
http://www.primarytreasurechest.com/blog/10-bake-a-wish.html
http://www.make-a-wish.org.uk/bake 

Links for Parents:

Exercise Before School May Reduce #ADHD Symptoms in Some Kids

http://michiganradio.org/post/exercise-school-may-reduce-adhd-symptons-some-kids?

The Title Says it All: Music Enrichment Programs Improve the Neural Encoding of Speech in At-Risk Children

http://www.pnas.org/content/111/40/14559.abstract.html?

Participate in a Free Literacy Study with your Infant Under 28 Months, in Your Own Home.@BSTLorg 
http://babystepstoliteracy.com/dissertation_study_-_infant_reading_study

Do You Feel Like Your Child's Behavior is Your Fault?
http://www.empoweringparents.com/Do-You-Feel-Like-Your-Childs-Behavior-is-Your-Fault.php?

Mitt Aubin's Book Review:

     Bill Nye the Science Guy's: Great Big Dinosaur Dig really inspires kids into wanting to learn more about dinosaurs.  After all, what kids don't like learning about dinosaurs? Since dinosaurs lived on earth so long ago, reading about them almost seems like science fiction; yet they were real. Dinosaur digs have proven that dinosaurs really did once roam our earth.   It may have been sixty-five million years ago but they have never been forgotten.  Celebrity scientist, Bill Nye, tells kids everything they ever wanted to know about dinosaurs.  Bill Nye teaches kids about dinosaur fossils, how dinosaurs behaved, what they ate,  and how they eventually developed into birds!  More than thirty different species of dinosaurs are discussed. Included are easy to follow experiments in each chapter. What a great way to practice the steps in the scientific method and simultaneously use project based learning (PBL).This book comes highly recommended for home or at school.