Fullfilling the Promise - pg 120-162

I am surprised at and appreciative for all the helpful, practical information that is packed into this book! Just when I thought we were done with the book and it couldn't get better, we had this reading/ reviewing to do which drew my attention to all the wonderful tools she put in here. (And honestly, I probably wouldn't have taken the time to know to explore the back of the book, to find these wonderful resources and examine them had it not been an assignment..and I would have missed out!)

Graphic Organizers:

I like the comparison graphic organizer and the way it it set up. I am familiar with this type of graphic organizer and think they are fun and easy to use. I also really like the Interactive notes. As we've talked in our literacy class and learned more about comprehension and such, I can see that using this type of graphic organizer would be extremely beneficial to students, and it's not one I have ever seen before.



Clarifying Learning Goals:

Something I hadn't thought about before until coming across the Developing Clarity about Learning Goals tools, was the idea of posting things on my wall, that will not only be helpful or guide the students, but myself as a teacher too. But why not? It would be "our" classroom, so it makes sense to have information posted on the walls that are both helpful to the student AND the teacher.



Learning Menus:

I love the idea of learning menus. It seems like one great way of differentiating instruction and meeting the instructional needs of several student levels. IT also gives students choice, something we've learned is important to students and gives them some control over their own learning.



Think-Tic-Tac-Toe:

Similar to the learning menus, this activity gives students choice and control over their learning. However, it is also tiered, allowing for teachers to differentiate based on readiness level. I can see myself using this type of activity to help differentiate for my students. It is easy, straight-forward and all of the activities are engaging and of equal merit.



RAFT: Role, Audience, Format, Topic

I love this activity and was first introduced to it in our Social Studies Methods class. I feel like this type of activity makes studying a particular topic more fun, more applicable to the lives of students, and more engaging. I think it helps focus students' attention as well, helping with comprehension.



Tiering:

I love that she added the graphic of the equalizer to help guide us (the reader), as we plan our lessons and aim to differentiate our lessons. It breaks it down and along with the tiered example lessons, seems to make it seem manageable and not as hard as I imagined tiering a lesson would be.



Complex Instruction:

This seems like a wonderful way to help students learn, relate their learning to real life and be in charge of their learning. The benefits of doing such lessons and having students work with and learn together are so great it makes me wonder why we don't see more of this type of instruction.



Rubrics:

Until being in this program, I don't think I had ever been exposed to a rubric before, and I know I didn't consider giving rubrics to my students. However, in my own learning rubrics have been very helpful in helping guide me as I fulfill an assignment. Rubrics clearly outline the expectations of the teacher and there is no question for the student as to what needs to be done. Seeing how helpful they've been in my own learning, I now do plan to use rubrics in my future classroom.



Learning Contracts:

I loved the idea of learning contracts. Similar to rubrics they give students an idea of what is expected of them and allows students to work on their tasks at their own pace. The ticket idea given in the book seemed like a great, fun idea that would get students motivated (just by the shape and idea of the ticket).



Think Dots:
I think this is a clever idea and can see myself using this tool in my future classroom. I love the choice it give students (in a game like way), and the versatility it gives the teacher and students, and I love the focus on the specific topic of study.


Multiple-Entry Journals:

As a student myself, I do remember having journals, but they were writing journals in 1st-3rd grade and we could journal about anything. I never remember having a journal where I wrote about concepts, strategies or ideas that came from my exploration or study of a topic in class. In our science methods class, and other classes, I can see where journals are a wonderful way to help students be involved in their learning, process their learning, grow in their learning, and express things about their learning they might not otherwise. These journals can be a great resource for the teacher in helping guide instruction and differentiate instruction.

All of these tools are so great to have learned about and to have as a future teacher in my resources. As much as I'd like to think I will remember all these wonderful ideas, I know my memory isn't that great so I am glad to have this resource.