Centers: Effective Structures for Differentiation Photo by Woodley Wonder Works This article is written by Katie Haydon, founder of Ignite Creative Learning Studio. Learn more about Ignite at IgniteCreativeLearning.com or the Ignite Facebook page. Do you use centers in your primary classroom? If yes, you love them and can’t imagine life without them. If no, you can’t imagine how you could possibly trust your 30 to 35 students to work independently, nor can you figure out where you’d get the time to set them up. Centers are an excellent tool for differentiation that will free you up to work with small groups of students, whether gifted, high-achievers, or those needing extra help. Centers, in my opinion, go beyond mundane and standard worksheet tasks. Though centers can be used at any time in the year, some teachers like to wait at least a week or two, and sometimes six weeks into the school year to implement them so that they can gain a greater understanding of their students and be confident that they are ready to follow protocol.
Using Digital Tools for Differentiation Direct Address to this Page: Anyone who has worked in education for any length of time knows just how important it is for teachers to create differentiated classrooms. If schools are truly working to ensure success for every student, learning experiences need to be customized and aligned to student interests, needs, and unique learning styles. The challenge, however, rests in making differentiation manageable. While few teachers doubt the importance of differentiating, many struggle to make customized learning spaces a reality. In this February 2012 Alaska Staff Development Network webinar, sixth grade classroom teacher, blogger and educational technology author Bill Ferriter will introduce participants to a range of digital tools that can be used to (1). provide structure for differentiated classrooms and (2). differentiate learning experiences by student interest. Today's Slides Today's Shared Reflection Document Differentiating YOUR Learning She writes: #nice Ms.
Twitter Hashtags In The Classroom cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by danielmoyle For the last couple of years that I have been on Twitter, I have seen the value of using a hashtag to connect and share ideas between educators all around the world. This shared learning has made my Twitter stream a lot easier to filter so I can find stuff that is more applicable to some of the work I am doing. I am never limited to that “stream”, but it is something that I go to often. For administrators, I have used #cpchat to share and find learning shared by and for school and division administrators. (Here is a great list of educator hashtags and an article on how to get the most out of them.) For conferences, the first thing that I do either before the conference or when I arrive in the building is look for the hashtag (hint; if you have a technology conference or say something about innovation in your title, and don’t have a hashtag for the event, there can be a disconnect). Think of something easy and as short as possible.
Top 10 Technology Blogs for Education Education, as with all aspects of culture, is greatly impacted by the forward progress of technology. Several technology blogs for education are maintained by well-known individuals in the field of secondary and postsecondary education. These technology blogs address technological developments as these innovations relate to education. Many of the top 10 technology blogs for education are maintained by those who specialize in integrating information technology with education. Most bloggers on the list are renown in the educational field and all offer great ideas and insights for teachers and others interested in using technology to enhance traditional educational methods. Check out our picks here: 1. The Innovative Educator is a blog created and maintained by author Lisa Neilsen. 2. Free Technology 4 Teachers is a blog that introduces teachers to free web-based applications, such as YouTube. 3. 4. 5. 6. Noted e-learning expert, Steve Wheeler, maintains the Learning with “e’s” blog. 8.
Six Thinking Hats® Six Hats® ... A Critical and Creative Thinking Process that improves listening, speaking, reading and writing and is fun for ALL! Penn Hills PAGE Presentation " A special thank you to Franny for introducing me to the thinking hats and opening me up to becoming a better teacher by teaching my students to think about thinking." Jena Brodhead, Easton Area School District Improve academic performance in reading and writing with SIX THINKING HATS®. think using six strategies problem solve make clear decisions design quality questions self assess collaborate more effectively The Research -- "Develop Critical and Creative Thinking Skills: Put on Six Thinking Hats®," PA Educational Leadership During the workshop the teachers will collaborate to learn the Six Hats® process and apply it to their content areas and standards. Six Thinking Hats® Cards: Key Words, Applications, Standards, and Examples How to Differentiate Instruction Using Six Hats® and 6 Product Choices- PowerPoint Web Resources:
Digital Differentiation Technology is a tool that can be used to help teachers facilitate learning experiences that address the diverse learning needs of all students and help them develop 21st Century Skills. At it's most basic level, digital tools can be used to help students find, understand and use information. When combined with student-driven learning experiences fueled by Essential Questions offering flexible learning paths, it can be the ticket to success. Note: The interactive graphics you see below have been updated. The goal is to design student-driven learning experiences that are fueled by standards-based Essential Questions and facilitated by digital tools to provide students with flexible learning paths. Essential Questions: Student-driven learning experiences should be driven by standards-based Essential Questions. Flexible Learning Paths:Use digital tools to provide students with flexible learning paths to meet their unique learning styles. Teacher Facilitated Learning Experiences:
math resources Thanks to Laura at Will Grade for Coffee for introducing me to Scholastic Teacher Express. I have never heard of scholastic teacher express until I read her blog this morning. Laura has some great ideas for the classroom and her blog posts are enjoyable to read. This week at Teacher Express they are having dollar deals. I chose this book for the engaging exercises I saw when looking through the preview of it. At the beginning of each of my classes, I have my students complete bell ringers to get their minds in the math mode. So I am super excited about this one! I bought 18 books all together! Have a Terrific Tuesday, Alana Ten Sites Supporting Digital Classroom Collaboration In Project Based Learning Welcome to the second in a series of PBL Mania Posts. For the next few weeks I am celebrating Project Based Learning by hosting a webinar at Edtech Leaders Online and giving a PBL session at the NICE Conference in Chicago. In this post I will introduce you to some outstanding collaboration tools found on the web that can be used in the PBL classroom. First Some Notes For PD This Week 1. 2. 10 Sites Supporting Digital Classroom Collaboration in PBL This PBL Mania post will explore some of those collaborative Web 2.0 tools that can enhance the PBL experience. Titan Pad – Great way for quick collaboration and sharing a document. Wall Wisher – Like collaborating with virtual post-it notes on a virtual wall. Corkboardme – A program a lot like wall wisher that can be used to support a group’s collaborative activities. Google Docs – Not much needs to be said. Microsoft Live – Yes, Microsoft also has its online collaboration tools. Quick Screen Share – It is sometimes helpful to share a screen.