Divergent Thinking

The video posted below interestingly illustrates education in our modern society. In it, Sir Ken Robinson outlines how new technology clashes with the system of education created to mesh with the industrial revolution. This is a concept that is very integrated in gifted education curriculum, as opposed to convergent thinking. Divergent thinking, he argues, is the way to tap into our students' creativity. It's important to foster this throughout schooling, because it tends to decrease over time through traditional schooling. Think about it - we are constantly telling students that there is only one answer, and take away points when we deem their answer is incorrect. However, there are multiple ways to get to an answer, and we should encourage our students to think outside the box. 

A Visual Representation of our Action Research

This word cloud shows a visual representation of what our action research project is all about. A word cloud works by displaying the most commonly used words in larger fonts according to their prevalence. I think this is a great visual to show you all what we are working towards. As you can see, the words "student" and "students" are the words we use the most, which illustrates how our students are central to our action research in differentiation. Identifying what makes them successful is why we are working so hard to create and implement a plan.

Group Differentiation

These videos talk a bit about the importance of giving students independence and the opportunity to learn in groups. Although a lot of it targets elementary education, some of the management can be used for our classroom. The first one talks about keeping students on task in groups and holding students accountable. The second video talks about how to differentiate and what the students' responsibilities are and what the teacher's responsibility is. It gives a variety of teaching styles and how to differentiate, even while using direct instruction.

Because these videos are created by math instructors, they have given me (Dana) a few good ideas on how to teach without lecture and more interactively.

Take a look!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AF3T2aZM3ko

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVRYSC8YyYA

Clock Buddies

Today, in a professional development session at Loch Raven High School I found out about Clock Buddies. It's a grouping strategy devised specifically to vary partners based on different factors. Students are given a piece of paper showing a clock with lines extending from the numbers to record names. If Joey writes his name on Jackie's 9 o'clock, then Jackie will write her name on Joey's 9 o'clock. Here is a visual:

Each student has his or her own clock, with up to twelve partners, which allows teachers to create homogenous groups, heterogeneous groups, and even allow students to choose their own partner. The teacher should make sure to be consistent with every student's clock, so that when he/she wants to create homogenous groupings, for example, all he/she has to do is call out what groupings are to meet. This would sound like, "Complete the activity with your three o'clock partners." I think this is an interesting grouping strategy, and see many merits to this kind of organization. For example, set, consistent groupings are always available for activities. 

Image from: http://www.readingquest.org/strat/clock_buddies.html

Carol Tomlinson and DI

I believe the most important factor relating to DI is the idea that not every student is at the same level of readiness for the content material. In my AP Government class, which will be where I perform the methodology of my research, I have already witness that there are varying levels of ability and readiness for these students. Looking over their grades, observing their behaviors in the classroom, and hearing their attitudes about the classwork, has given me evidence that every student has differing abilities and strengths for the content and these varying factors in the classroom will influence how successful or not successful the differentiated grouping will be. One thing that educators must always be mindful of is that readiness does not relate directly to an IQ level.

Carol Tomlinson is one of the leading experts in differentiated instruction. She has contributed a great deal of knowledge and research on the subject of DI. The follow two links are videos of Carol Tomlinson discussing her opinions on DI...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcQ8shR37yg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMvCd5Xafag

When it comes time to begin grouping my students, the readiness level of each student will be a major factor in how I group these students. On the one hand I will break students up into groups, where each student displays about the same level of readiness for the content; this will be my homogenous grouping strategy. On the other hand I will break students up into groups where each student displays varying levels of readiness for the content; this will be my heterogeneous grouping strategy. Based on what Ms. Carol Tomlinson has described in her research, there should be different degrees of difficulty for students to achieve the same outcome. Will students learn better and find content more educationally difficult and stimulating in a heterogeneous group or a homogeneous group? The data for this question will be collected through observing group behaviors and keeping notes on peer relationships within the groups, as well as assessing each groups final product in the classroom. One of my theories is that if students are broken up into heterogeneous levels it will be more beneficial to each student because, just because each student is not a the same readiness level with the content, does not mean that each student does not have other strengths that they can bring to the group work. A student may not be at an expert readiness level for the topic of Federalism, but this same student may be incredibly organized and creative and may be the best person for designing the layout of the final project and can teach others in the group how to design such a creative project. 

The following link is a video of the 7 major steps in Differentiating Instruction as seen in Hollywood...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6rEy3Lqfio