MAT 743/Teaching Diverse Learners

Assignment on Becoming a Reflective Practitioner/Fall 2016

Name:MaryOsborn

Date:12/5/16

FinalCumulativeReflectionPartA

1. Rereadyourlasttwoweeklyreflections.Provideageneralupdateonthesituations
youwroteabout.Describeanynewissuesorsuccessesthathaveariseninthepastweek.
Inthelastweek,whenIdidanactivitythatincludedmodelingImadesurethatallofmy
studentswereawareofhowtomodelforthefirstfewstepsthenencouragedthemtocontinueon
theirownwithoutmyhelp.WiththefirstreflectionandthesecondreflectionIfoundthatthe
secondgoroundofanactivityalwaysendedupbetterthanwhenIfirsttriedit.WhatIhad
plannedwouldgoonewayendedupnotgoingexactlyasplanned.
IknowthiswillcontinuetobeanareaofgrowthasImoveforwardinmyteachingcareerandI
hopethatovertimetheseskillswillgeteasierandaftermanytimesofdoingit.Yettheonething
Iworryaboutisthatwithdifferentclassesandstudentsthesameactivityandsuccessofthe
activitycanvary.

2. Whatspecificfeedbackorcoachingdoyourequestfromyourrespondent?(Optional)
Whendesigninganactivityorlessonplan,howcanIplanbetterforthepotentialnegative
outcomesofit?

3. Feedback

FinalCumulativeReflectionPartB

4. Inwhatwaysareyoudevelopingasateacherofdiverselearners?Whatprogressdo
yousee?
OnethingthatImakesurethatIdoeveryclassperiodasclassisgettingstartedandthroughout
theclassperiodisIcheckinwithstudentsandaskthemhowtheyaredoing,howtheyare
feeling,andredirectthemifnecessary.Ihavehadmanystudentstakemoreinitiativeinturning
inworkandmakingsuretheyarekeepingupwiththedailypoliciesandprocedures.Ihadone
student,John,whodidntturninmuchworkduringthefirstquarterandaftercheckinginon
himdaily,remindinghimtoturnthingsin,andcheckinginwithhimifhedoesnotturn
somethingin,hehasgonefrombarelyturninginassignmentstohavingalmostnomissing
assignmentsthisquarter.

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MAT 743/Teaching Diverse Learners
Assignment on Becoming a Reflective Practitioner/Fall 2016

Inadditiontothis,everyactivityIplaniscenteredaroundsimplicityandmultipleintelligences.I
encourageallstudentstoparticipateinwhateverwaytheyfindhelpfulwhetherthatsdrawingan
answerinsteadofwritingorexplainingsomethingintheirownwords.Ialsodifferentiateby
explainingcontentindifferentwayswhetherthatsmodeling,drawing,coloring,writing,
problemsolving,etc.

5. Howhaveyourthoughtsandfeelingsaboutteachingdiverselearnerschangedsincethe
beginningofthesemester?
Ithinkoverthecourseofthissemestertheveilhasbeenliftedinregardstoworkingwithmy
studentsandtheirdiverselearningstyles.Iwentinthinkingthatmostallstudentswouldbeable
totakenotesandlabeldiagramstolearn.YetovertimeIhaverealizedthatittakesamillion
differentwaystolearn.

Gettingtoknowmystudentsandtheirneedshasallowedmetodevelopmyteachingstyleand
workonconnectingthemwiththecontentonadailybasis.Sometimesitisreallydifficultto
explainabstractorhardconceptsinbiologytomystudentsbutIdothebestIcantomakeit
simple,straightforward,andeasytounderstand.

6. Howhaveyourteachingstrategiesofdiverselearnerschangedsincethebeginningof
thesemester?
Learningdifferentdifferentiationtechniqueshasallowedmetoadaptmyteachingstyletofitall
studentsandtheirlearningstyles.InsteadofdoingthingsinjustonewayInowmakeitsothat
eachstudentcanengagewiththecontentinawaythatconnectswiththemandencouragethem
toconnectevenwhentheymaynotwantto.ItemsInowincludeinmyteachingareasfollows:
foldables,graphicorganizers,modeling,labs,andselectivegrouping.

7. Onwhatevidencehaveyoubasedtheseconclusionsordecisions?
TheonlyevidenceIcurrentlyhaveistheformativeassessmentswedoeachweekwhichinclude
vocabularyquizzes,worksheets,labactivities,andparticipation.Studentsthatshowupeveryday
andworkhardaretheeasyonesyetthestudentsthatstrugglewithmotivation,comprehension,
andunderstandingaretheonesinwhichIcheckinwith,encouragewithrewards,simplifythe
materialfor,anddifferentiateworkfor.

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