Kelsi Boyles SPED 500 Strategy Assignment 1. Describe the strategy.

RAFT is a writing strategy, which encourages writing across the curriculum. This strategy encourages students to assume a Role and consider their Audience, while examining a Topic from their role and writing in a particular Format. Something to keep in mind with the RAFT strategy is that just about every assignment is written from a viewpoint other than that of a student and usually written for an audience other than that of the teacher. There are different ways that a teacher can present this strategy. One way to execute this with students is by giving them a choice between two or three roles they can take on along with the format of their assignment. This is a great way to modify the assignment, as it gains students interest, since they can choose their role and their format of the final product. A teacher though could choose the role and final product, giving a bit more structure to the assignment. Either way presented, this strategy allows students to demonstrate their mastery of content knowledge and develops critical thinking skills, along with allowing room for creative thinking and writing. 2. How it is differentiated and why it is used in classrooms. There are so many different ways to modify this strategy in order for it to work for all students. It can be differentiated for different learning styles (written, visual, oral, kinesthetic), readiness levels and/or students interests. Here is a look at the different ways to modify to specific learning styles by changing the format of the assignment. A few formats that fit those who learn by writing include a diary entry, bulleted list, obituary, invitation, product guide, recipe, movie critic, a Frequently Asked Questions and answers list, and/or character monologues. A few formats that fit with those

students who learn visually include creating a cartoon/comic strip, crossword puzzle, map, graphic organizer, or a Power Point. Those students who learn orally could create a song, conversation, commercial, interview, or participate in a readers theater. Yet another learning style is that of kinesthetic. A few examples for the kinesthetic learning style include creating a model, coming up with a cheer, a sales pitch with demo elements, taste tests, or creating how to videos. There are also many different possible role and audience ideas to modify the assignment towards a students readiness level and/or their interests. Some include taking on the role or writing towards the audience of historical figures, characters from a story, vocabulary words, instruments or tools, minerals or chemical elements, shapes or colors, cartoon characters, types of fabric, scientists or politicians, technical term, etc. This strategy is used in the classroom because it is so versatile. It could be used as an introductory hook into a unit of study or as a review of material towards the end of the unit, as it allows the teacher to gain insight on the students comprehension of the content. 3. Different ways it can be used in a classroom. There are a couple different ways to present this strategy. Not only could a teacher use this as a format for students to write in, a teacher could also give an example of a RAFT sketch and ask the students to identify the Role, Audience, Format, and Topic found in the sketch. This would develop students critical thinking skills and allow students to correctly understand the format prior to writing in the format on their own. This format can be used in the English, Math, Science, Social Studies, or any other discipline.

One thing to keep in mind with this strategy is that when writing out the instructions for the assignment, using words such as plead, convince, or clarify, instead of write sets the tone of the response for the students. 4. Advantages and disadvantages of this strategy. Advantages This strategy forces the students to process information, rather than just write out answers to questions. Another advantage is that it plays well to many different learning styles and will gain more interest from the students, especially when they are given a choice of their role, audience, format and/or topic. Disadvantages If taking on a role of something/someone other than oneself, authentic writing is replaced with RAFT/creative writing. Itd be difficult for both writing strategies to be used at the same time.
5. Examples of the strategy. English Ask students to write a Thank you Note (format) as a comma (role) to the sentence (audience) stating they are glad to be of service (topic). English Ask students to write as a prepositional phrase (role) to the author (audience), in a persuasive speech (format) on how I can help you express yourself (topic). Math Ask students to write as an acute triangle (role) to an obtuse triangle (audience), in a Dear John letter (format) about their differences (topic). Math Ask students to write as parts of a graph (role) to the TV audience (audience), in the form of a script, (format) on which of us is most important? (topic). Science Ask students to write about the experience of a water drop (role) to new water drops (audience) as a travel guide (format) on the journey through the water cycle (topic). Science Ask students to write as if they were lungs (role) sternly talking to the brain (audience) as a persuasive speech (format) on why to quit smoking (topic).

 Science Ask students to write as a seed (role) to itself (audience) in a diary (format) about the changes as it germinates (topic). Science Ask students to write as safety goggles (role) to a family (audience) in a letter (format) explaining safety in the lab (topic). Social Studies Ask students to write as a guard at an internment camp (role) in his/her personal diary entry of at least eight sentences, (format) to oneself (audience) using the topic of what daily life in the internment camps is like (topic). Social Studies Ask students to write as President Franklin D. Roosevelt (role) speaking to his wife, Eleanor Roosevelt (audience) through a conversation (format) on why he issued Executive Order 9066 (topic).

6. Five website resources. 1. Differentiated Instruction Strategy R.A.F.T, Video on Slide Share, (October 2009). Retrieved June 10, 2012 from <http://www.slideshare.net/ulamb/differentiated-instructionstrategy-raft> This power point has been uploaded to Slide Share for easy viewing. It provides ideas for using the RAFT strategy to differentiate and discusses benefit of this strategy. 2. West Virginia Department of Education, RAFT, (not dated). Retrieved on June 10, 2012 from <http://wvde.state.wv.us/strategybank/RAFT.html> A great resource explaining what the RAFT strategy is with links to insightful Social Studies, Math, Language Arts and Science examples. 3. Saskatoon Public Schools, Instructional Strategies Online, What is RAFT?, (20042009). Retrieved on June 11, 2012 from <http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/DE/PD/instr/strats/raft/> Easy step-by-step directions on how to implement the RAFT strategy in the classroom. Also explains what it is and what purpose of the strategy is. Multiple teacher resources are included on

the website such as, RAFT Ideas Sheets, providing lessons to make learning fun and exciting, RAFT assignments and assignment rubrics. 4. Dare to Differentiate, Wikispace, (2012). Tangient LLC. Retrieved on June 11, 2012 from <http://daretodifferentiate.wikispaces.com/> A great resource as it lists a variety of differentiated instruction strategies with various links to a plethora of resources on each page. Other links include background knowledge of differentiated instruction and how to best plan and manage the strategies within the classroom. 5. RAFT Strategy Samples, Packet from Differentiated Instruction Workshop, Schuylkill Intermediate Unit 29, (December 2007). Retrieved on June 11, 20212 from <http://www.iu29. org/resources/Documents/RAFT.pdf> Another neat resource with a lot of information about what the strategy is, how it can be used during instruction many samples of the strategy crossing numerous disciplines.