Curriculum Chats

Engagement
Strategies

How do I get ALL of my students to listen, participate, and learn?

 Why arent my
students
participating,
understanding, and
fully engaged?
 Definition of Crazy

Trying the same thing over and over

again, and expecting different
results.
Have you been crazy in the
classroom?
We have to change our approach
when it isnt working.
My goal is to hopefully give you
some new ways of reaching
individual students.
 Why dont they get it?
You must begin with data Its time to remediate or
analysis: intervene, and I dont
know what the problem
Create a benchmark number.
is Here are some
Use a highlighter to focus on
potentials:
students below the benchmark.
Look at class trends on specific
Scheduling
standards to decide what needs
Behavior
to be a reteach for the entire
Class Environment
group (you need a benchmark
Teacher Perception
number for this.)
At Home Factors
Look for individual students who
LEARNING MODALITIES
performed under your benchmark INTEREST/ENGAGEMENT
number to form small flexible
groups.
Create a schedule for seeing Find the Work Around!
students on weak standards for
Try it a NEW way!
the following week based on what
you see.
Differentiation
 Differentiation
Differentiation is classroom practice that looks
eyeball to eyeball with the reality that kids
differ, and the most effective teachers do
whatever it takes to hook the whole range of
kids on learning.
Looking at the Variety of
Differentiation Facets
 I already differentiate..

Lets step outside the box.

1. Meet Learning Modalities

2. Active Teaching
3. Student Choices
Ancient More
Chinese Accurately..
Proverb
Tell me, Tell Some,
I forget. They Remember
Show me, Show Others,
I remember. They Remember
Involve me, Involve The Rest,
I understand. They Remember.
Using Learning Modalities
to Adjust for Individual
Learners
 Auditory Visual Kinesthetic
Listening prefers Seeing, Reading, Moving, Touching,
verbal instructions to Visualizing does Writing writes things
written ones well with reading down to clarify
comfortable using comprehension thoughts likes to
spoken reinforcement prefers maps to draw pictures
mentally as well as verbal directions enjoys working with
aloud handslab classes

What style are you?

 Auditory Strategies
Auditory Learner Should:

Use of listening tools for reading

and for class and lecture notes.
Learning by interviewing or by
participating in discussions.
Having test questions or
directions read aloud
More ways?
 Visual Strategies
Visual Learners Should:

Use graphics to reinforce learning--films,

slides, illustrations, diagrams & doodles.
Color-code to organize notes and
possessions.
Ask for written directions.
Use flow-charts and diagrams for note
taking.
Visualize spelling of words or facts to be
memorized.

More ways?
 Kinesthetic Strategies
Engage in experiential learning (making
models, doing lab work, and role-playing).
Take frequent breaks in study periods.
Trace letters and words to learn spelling and
remember facts.
Use computer to reinforce learning through
sense of touch.
Memorize or drill while walking or
exercising.
Express abilities through dance, drama, or
motion.

More Ways?
Using Active Teaching
to Increase Success
 Strategies
Review/Reteach
 Strategies
Review/Reteach

LOW Prep Technique to Increase Engagement

Teach in Bursts!
Use Mirrors to Add Physical
Movement
 Chunking Strategies

"One Minute Paper- Could use Padlet!

Post It Breaks- The Low Tech Way Could
use Post it Plus App to Organize
Daily Journal- Walking Around and
Reading!- WriteAboutIt App
Fish Bowl of Questions
Finger Signals
Invisible White Boards
Hand Puppets
Manipulatives
Part of a Graphic Organizer
Snowball fight
 Chunking Strategies
Role Playing- In class demonstrations
Partner Games
Online Games
Puzzle Style Study Guides
Contests
Create ANYTHING (PSA, Posters, Games)
Songs
Skip Count Stretch
Hop Scotch

These are all rather low tech lets share out

some of the high-tech tools that could help us
chunk (ie. Kahoot, Plickers, Vengage, Xtranormal)
 Online QUICK Tools
Kahoot- Quizzes
Plickers- Quizzes
Flipgrid- Quick Videos on a Board
Vengage- Make infographics
Xtranormal- short animated videos
Tellagami- short animated videos
Write About- Just what it sounds like
Formative- Assessment
Class Kick- Paperless Assignments
Edmodo- Facebook for School
Skitch Take pictures and Sketch
Increasing Student
Engagement and
Success Using
Student Choice
 Learning Menus
Interest and Learning Styles Meets
Differentiation
Learning menus outline a variety of
instructional options targeted toward
important learning goals.
Students are able to select the choices
which most appeal to them.
The teacher directs the menu process,
but the student is given control over
his/her choice of options, order of
completion, etc.
 Types of Choice Boards

THINK TAC TOE: Complete a row, column or

diagonal line of activities.

MENU: Main Dishes, Side Dishes, and

Desserts (for younger learners).

Both options can be differentiated

according to interest, learning profile, or
readiness.
 Think Tac Toe

Think-Tac-Toe Typically, the Think-

plays off the Tac-Toe grid has nine
familiar childhood cells in it like a Tic-Tac-
game. It is a Toe game. The number
simple way to of rows and cells can,
give students of course, be adjusted.
alternative ways
of exploring and
expressing key
ideas and using
key skills.
 Think Tac Toe

As with related strategies, it

is important that no matter
which choices students make,
they must grapple with the
key ideas and use the keys
skills central to the topic or
area of study.
In other words, whichever
choices the student makes,
he/she should be addressing
the same KUDs (know-
understand-do) as the others
 Think Tac Toe

Knowledge Comprehension Application

Analysis Synthesis Evaluation

Comprehension or Application or Knowledge or

Evaluation
Evaluation Analysis
 Think Tac Toe- Ancient
Civilazations- Grade 6
As an ancient mapmaker, you
are commissioned to create a
map of your land including all
natural land forms, a compass
rose and a scale. Also find
examples of each land form in a
modern civilization.
You are an ancient scribe. Write
and illustrate a thorough
description of a famous
character from each time period
being studied. Profile yourself
also.
Written language is an essential
part of everyday life. Your task
is to create an alphabet. Include
a translation into modern
English, a written description of
the language development a &
a 3D artifact of the new
language.
Imagine that you are an ancient
citizen who awakens to discover
that all water has evaporated.
Explain in detail how this would
alter your way of life. Also, do
this for the town where you live.
Assume the identity of a famous
person from the given time
period. Create a journal entry
reflecting the ideas, values, and
components of daily life for that
person & you.
Recreate in 3D form a famous
work of architecture from your
time period. Compare and
contrast this piece to one piece
of modern day architecture.
Find one example of this
architectures presence in
modern day society.
Assume you are persuading
others to visit your ancient
civilization. Design a
descriptive, accurate travel
brochure. Include both natural
and man-made elements that
would attract tourists.
You are a famous sculptor.
Create a 3D representation of a
well-known leader, god,
goddess, or common citizen.
Include a museum exhibit card.
Find a way to explain and show
the importance of music and the
arts to your culture. Also show
at least 2 examples with roots in
our time.
Write a bio-poem about yourself
and another about a main
character in the book so your
readers see how you and the
character are alike and different.
Be sure to include the m most
important traits in each poem.
Research a town/place you feel is
equivalent to the one in which the
novel is set. Use maps, sketches,
population and other demographic
data to help you make
comparisons and contrasts.
Find out about famous people in
history or current events whose
experiences and lives reflect the
essential themes of this novel.
Show us what youve learned.
A character in the book is being
written up in the paper 20 years
after the novel ends. Write the
piece. Where has life taken
him/her? Why? Now, do the same
for yourself 20 years from now.
Make sure both pieces are
interesting feature articles.
Make a model or a map of a key
place in your life, and an important
one in the novel. Find a way to
help viewers understand both what
the places are like and why they
are important in your life and the
characters.
Create a multi-media presentation
that fully explores a key theme
from the novel. Use at least 3
media (for example, painting,
music, poetry, photography, drama,
sculpture, calligraphy, etc.) in your
exploration.
Youre a profiler. Write and
illustrate a full and useful profile of
an interesting character from the
book with emphasis on personality
traits and mode of operating.
While youre at it, profile yourself,
too.
The time and place in which people
find themselves and when events
happen shape those people and
events in important ways. Find a
way to convincingly prove that idea
using this book.
Find several songs you think reflect
an important message from the
book. Prepare an audio collage.
Write an exhibit card that helps
your listener understand how you
think these songs express the
books meaning.
 Solar System- Show and Tell
Each student must pick one square from each horizontal row and use the two together)

Use the computer Paint a picture that Construct a model Create a book or
Create One

to make a drawing shows how the that shows how the puppet show that
that shows how the rotation and rotation and shows how the
rotation and revolution of the revolution of the rotation and
revolution of the Earth works to Earth works to revolution of the
Earth works to create day and create day and Earth works.
create day and night and seasons. night and seasons.
night and seasons.
Pick a Way to Explain

Make labels for the Write sentences* Write a story that Write a poem that
sun, Earth, day, that identity and explains the Earths explains the Earths
night, orbit to attach explain each part of rotation, revolution, rotation, revolution,
to or use with your your drawing or day and night, and day and night and
creation. Be ready model and how seasons. seasons.
to explain orally. each part works.

This differentiated review/synthesis task is based on Va. SOLS for science:

1.6 The student will investigate & understand the basic relationships between the Earth and sun, Including *the sun is the
source of heat & light *night & day are caused by the rotation of the Earth. 1.7 The student will investigate and
understand the relationship of seasonal change (light and temperature) to the activities & life processes of plants and
animals.
Based on Unit by Bette Wood, Charlottesville, Virginia City Schools.
Recommended Tech Tool

Blend Space (Free)

Google Docs
SeeSaw
Padlet
Symbaloo
Class Kick
Pear Deck
 Make Like the Solar System

Planet out!

Try one with a partner. Try to find

someone who teachers a similar
subject/grade band.

Great Resource:
http://daretodifferentiate.wikispaces.co
m/Choice+Boards
Dinner Menu Format
Dinner Menu Format
 Think About It:

Reflection and Exit Ticket