- Investigate options for meeting the needs of all learners including high-achieving students throughout all academic domains.
In order to accomplish these goals we have held two faculty meetings to share practices that teachers are using to meet the needs of ALL learners (with a focus on our high achieving students). I thought parents might appreciate a glance at what is happening at EES in this regard. Here is a snapshot of what was generated from these two meetings:
· Oral counting in grade 1- estimate popcorn, who has
the most, strategy for counting them, explaining their strategies; questioning
to extend their learning
· Grade 1- Vary the way to express your
understanding-pictures, numbers, letters and words
· Gr. 4 and 5- book groups-parent led, higher level
texts, student choice, discussion with higher level questions; teachers met
with volunteers to coach them.
· Grade 3 book groups with Mrs. Hardy. Schedule during lunch was difficult, but WIN
time worked out.
· Grade 3- A Fence for Gretchie and Ashby. Use a real life problem to solve, included
planning, designing, and proposals.
· Grade 3- looked at student’s interests to engage the
student, specifically gymnastics, muscles and bones etc.
· Grade 2- Open response-partners worked together and
wrote together mostly student driven; students need scaffolding to solve
problems-think/talk/present.
· Grade 5- EDM projects with the higher kids; now doing
it during math workshop or WIN time.
· Grade 2 Brainteasers-third grade math problems; set
the expectation high; students rise to the occasion; worked cooperatively and
collaboratively; moved through the fourth and fifth grade; students were
targeted-students who are always done quickly.
· Grade K--work stations-change the specifics by using
different envelopes perhaps higher number, harder words; same activity but the
contents are changed; Use color coding or write their names on the
envelope. Students did not even realize
that they were doing something different.
· Grade 5- Math notebooks-change complexity of problems
within the teacher’s station; use the pretest to form groups so that small
group instruction can be differentiated.
· Technology- A conversation with students about
strategies; post the strategy and label their precept; changes how others
perceive other students
· Grade 1-use tangrams for visual learners, easy to
differentiate by making the task more complex; riddles to solve to develop
their inferring ability and then to create their own
· Use the data you have to think about what students
need.
· Hour of Code Dec.
8-14
· Grade 4- coding during WIN time.
· Technology- all
students have access to coding; continue in Jeff’s class and students can
become a teacher to others; highly motivational
· Grde 3- coding experiences – students are sharing what
they are learning with others
· Grade 1- notebook for students who would blurt, write
it down and share it with the teachers; these students get the answer quickly
and provide others the wait time needed.
· Grade 1 given a problem and choice of numbers to work
out; the words of the problem stay the same.
Building a wordbook of math vocabulary in order to discuss how they
solved the problem or write an explanation.
· Grade
5--pretest/posttest in Math; teacher has challenged students to write a song to
teach others how to do
fractions-SIMPLIFY IT to the Taylor Swift song.
· Grade 2--students are writing books during WIN that
are within the genre of study; very motivational; student choice.
· Grade 4-Harris pictures with story starter, they can
write a story as long as they keep with the picture.
· Grade 4- electronic math facts device-different levels
for addition, subtraction, multiplication facts-highly motivational-timed ($15
at Toys –R-Us purchased by PTO)….THANK YOU PTO!!
· Grade 4--keeps track of students’ needs in math,
matches the needs of students to skills in IXL.
· Library- iPads to record and listen to themselves
read; reflect
· PE.- shows the end game so that they know the steps to
get to the goal; scaffolds the steps for students to reach the goal; allows
students to move at their own pace;
· Art-students naturally go higher on their own;
provides choice within the project; matches the complexity of the project with
the students’ abilities; challenges the students
· Grade 5--book groups during WIN time w/ a parent
volunteer; generates excitement and encourages students to continue their
reading; teachers and parents selected a book to read and students chose the
book to read.
· Grade 5--whole class enrichment creating a book
trailer; students selected the book to read; read with a partner; students were
to write a persuasive piece; students match the genre with the music and
photographs; long term goal is to create book trailers on their own for picture
books for younger kids.
· Kindergarten-sentence starters in K; students have
more choice in their writing no longer have to use the starter.
· Kindergarten-stations in reading; ABC station for
letter id; Word Work for students who need to learn how to build and read words
· Grade 3-Reciprocal Teaching w/a group that needs the
strategy; the higher kids love the strategy because it provides structure; the
group is more focused.
· Special education-addresses the needs of their
students by singing, speaking with accents, wearing costumes, providing memory
tips, chanting, getting up and down on the floor, dancing, knowing their
personalities, and constantly looking for materials to hook the students to
keep them achieving.
· Music-find places to highlight the students in a solo
position; for performance based activities, he uses students who are proficient
to help/teach others; allows students to create a composition on their own
using what they learned when they have finished a project; reaches students who
may not excel in other areas.
This is just a sample of the ideas that were discussed during these two meetings. The work the teachers are doing in this regard is very impressive….
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