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All differentiation begins with student assessment.Think of the variety as-sessments you have in play to deter-mine your students‟ readiness skills.
A highly differentiatedclassroom includes:
Student Learning Profiles
Curriculum Compacting—Preassess. If a student KNOWS thecurriculum, create opportunities todeepen their understanding orexpand their content knowledge.
Tiered Activities
Learning Contracts
Independent Study
Flexible Grouping Anchor ActivitiesProblem-Based LearningProject-Based Learning
Consider theselearning formulas:
Traditional ClassroomTargeted Instruction + Time = LearningConstant +Constant = Variable
Differentiated ClassroomTargeted Instruction + Time = Learning
Variable + Variable = Constant
Is learning the constant or the variable in your classroom? Differentiation can occurin a whole-class setting if you‟re proactive in planning and create opportunities forflexible grouping. Movement, music, tech-nology, cooperative learning, self-
assessment checklists and rubrics can differ-entiate. It‟s important to follow up lessons
with individualized accountability. Show-down is a simple way to quickly assess
which students “get it.” The question a dif-ferentiated teacher then asks is, “Now, whatcan I do for the ones that don‟t?”
Do You Differentiate?
Volume 4, Issue 2
TOSA Tribune
November 2009
Nixa Public Schools
Differentiated Instruc-
tion
1
Boost Achievement
with Brain-Friendly
Learning
2
Pre-Exposure and
Review Ideas
2
M.A.P. GLEs and Vo-
cabulary Updates
3
M.A.P. Data 3
M.A.P. Rigor 3
Help! My Entire Class
Has ADD!
4
Inside this issue:
Intermediate
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
~Benjamin Franklin
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TOSA Tribune IntermediatePage 2
Do you have attentional issues?
You may be talking too much.
*Guidelines for Direct Instruction
of NEW Content
*Jensen, E. (2005) Teaching with the Brain in
Mind. ASCD
After direct instruction, allow students
time to process. This is a good time to
use the Think/Write/Pair/Share Coop-
erative Learning Structure.
Drill and Thrill,
Don’t Drill and Kill
Repetition is crucial to learning, but it‟s
important to use several approaches.
*Jensen, E. (2005) Teaching with the Brain in
Mind. ASCD
Pre-Exposure, Priming and
Previewing Ideas
Vocabulary words (rivet, guess the
covered word, vocab in motion)Show a video clip in advance of a
topic
Display key concepts in a wall
poster in advance of teaching a con-
cept
Anticipation guides
Model a math problem students willlearn „later.‟ You will be amazed
what three minutes a day, ten daysin advance of teaching a concept,
will do for learning.
Revising andReviewing Ideas
Stump the Class:Teams write review questions and an-
swers on index cards. Collect the cards
and toss a ball randomly to ask a ques-
tion. The person who catches the ballmay answer the question, confer with
the team or toss the ball to someone
else. Once the question has been an-
swered correctly, the person who has
the ball tosses it to someone else and the
process continues. Then, students sum-
marize/pair/share.
Where success
is a tradition ...
Boost Achievement with Brain-Friendly Learning
Grade Level Appropriate
Amount of Di-
rect Instruction
K-2nd 5-8 minutes
3rd-5th 8-12 minutes
6th-8th 12-15 minutes
9th-12th 12-15 minutes
Adult Learners 15-18 minutes
*Activity When To Do
It
Pre-exposure Days, weeks,
months, years
ahead
Previewing Minutes, hours
ahead
Priming Seconds, min-
utes
Reviewing Minutes after
learning
Revision Hours, days,
weeks later
Relay Race /Four Corners:
List key M.A.P. concepts on chart pa-
per and post in the four corners of the
room. Divide the class into four
teams. Each team lines up single-file,
and the first person is given a marker
to fill in [depends on the chart]. Stu-dents do not need to complete the
chart in order ... allowing for differ-
entiation. They may want to huddle
to devise a plan and discuss some
answers before they begin. As soon as
the first person is finished, he/she
must quickly walk back and hand over
the marker to the next person in line.
Then he/she goes to the end of the
line. If a person is stumped, he/she
can just pass on the marker and go to
the back of the line. Repeat until chart
is finished. This is a fun way to ener-
gize an afternoon session as it gets
everyone up moving and thinking.
Upon completion of the „game‟, stu-
dents summarize/pair/share content
from the game.
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Volume 4, Issue 2
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
The blue CommunicationArts Curriculum Cards
printed and given to you inAugust have had a few minorevisions. These have been
updated and posted on ourtaff resource page. Check he revision date on yours
against the one on-line. Youmay need to print a new one.
If you haven‟t printed grade-
appropriate vocabulary from DESE‟s
website, you might want to consider it
before it‟s too late. Math is broken
down by grade-level, so students need
to be familiar with vocabulary from the
current year and all previous years.
Communication Arts is NOT broken
down, so you‟ll need to know your
GLEs to know which words are appro-
priate for your grade level.
Print Your
Vocabulary Here:
http://www.dese.mo.gov/divimprove/
curriculum/glossary/index.html
A national report recently released
(Oct. 29, 2009) by the National
Center for Education Statistics
confirms that Missouri‟s academic
performance standards in reading
and mathematics are among the
most rigorous in the nation. Spe-
cifically, Missouri standards rate
second-highest of all states in
three out of four areas measured.
Based on this study, Missouri‟sproficiency standards are:
Second in rigor only to Mas-sachusetts in grade 4 readingand grade 4 math.
Second only to South Caro-lina in grade 8 reading. Fourth in the nation in grade8 mathematics (behindSouth Carolina, Massachu-setts and Hawaii).
How Rigorous are Missouri’s Tests Compared to the Nation?
M.A.P. GLES and Vocabulary Updates
instruction in which you
see a need for improve-
ment?
Have you devised a writ-
ten, strategic plan to im-
prove in these areas?
How are you monitoring
that what you’re doing is
working?
First and foremost: Cele-
brate Your Successes!
Remember that next year’s
tests will be different than
last year’s test.
Look for trends. Is there a
particular focus area for
M.A.P. Data—It’s Here ... Now What?
“What will I do to establish and communicate learning
goals, track student progress and celebrate success?” ~Robert Marzano
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Help! My Entire Class Has ADD!you may want to surprise your class.
Consider quietly telling students with
ADD before you surprise the entire
class.)
Increase feedback
Acknowledge part-way process
We know that only doctors can di-
agnose ADD, but as educators, we
must accommodate and manage
classrooms.
Consider these accommodations:
Break tasks into smaller chunks
(Remember to give directions
ONE at a time.)
Create high predictability
Establish routines and stick to
them the best you can
Don‟t surprise—give ample
warning for change (Sometimes
Aim the student to a less di
tracting view
Make a to-do list
Make a schedule to do the t
do listSet up a signal system
Give sensory tools for usingenergy (squeeze balls)
Set fair limits and stick tothem
Celebrate when a performagoal is reached
205 North StreetNixa, MO 65714
November 1, 2009
Dear Colleagues,
Happy Fall! It‟s hard to believe that we are already one-quarter finished with
this school year. I know you‟re diligently teaching and assessing the written curricu
lum which should ensure success on the M.A.P. test. It‟s important to press on towar
the goal of increased achievement without stressing out students. You want to con-stantly prepare but limit the amount of time you actually say the actual words
“M.A.P. Test” in your classroom. When you do say it, make it exciting. Say things lik
“When you GET to take the test .... M.A.P. IS the SuperBowl of Academics ... etc.”
Your students often reflect your attitude. If you‟re teaching and assessing the written
curriculum, you‟re on the right track. Don‟t hesitate to contact our office if you need
anything.
Working Together,
Cheryl Dick
417.724.4060debbylawson@nixaschools.net
cheryldick@nixaschools.netdebbymoney@nixaschools.net barbarastclair@nixaschools.net
Attention-Deficit Disorder (ADD) is the most commonly diagnosed behavioral
disorder in students. The condition is characterized by impulsiveness and time
disorientation. ~Eric Jensen