Ch. 7 SYNTHESIS

Overall, we agreed that grading would be the most difficult and dautng task of our profession because there is no right or wrong way. I feel awkward judging my students, that is how I felt whenever I handed in my work. I knew I would be compared to others and it would be daunting to see grades on the board and always be on the bottom. That would definately lower self-esteem and we're supposed to motivate and encourage students to accomplish the set goals with flying colors. Through Alfie Kohn, we figure out not how, but why we should grade and the importance of the curve, incuding when and how it should be used. Many of us did not understand the curve. It does not allow everyone to get A's or even all passing grades. Sometimes a curve can acually harm a student's growth. I believe schools should eventually do away with this aggravating system. A final place to go for grading techniques and evaluating questions is the center for teachers. Overall,I think this chapter and these resources gave us a better idea on how to grade effectively and for the student.I no longer feel like a judge, but a teacher instead!

ch. 7 ABSTRACT

In this chapter Wormeli basically covers the topic of grading. When should teachers grade? What should teacers grade? How should teachers grade? Grades should be based on how much of the topic/unit you mastered and not on the efforts of some peer. Unfortunately, teachers use scales or percentages that compare you to another student. One way to track grading is through gradebook. This a place where teachers track test and quiz gades, particiation, and attendance. MBMS, where I am placed, uses power school, which like gradebook, students can check for misssing work and parents can watch the progess of theirchildren. They also have the availibilty to use e-mail to keep in contact with teachers or their peers. Wormeli discussed what each grade meant and deamed the 'D' as the coward's 'F' (page 97). Should schools even give F's? What about the grading curve--is it useful? In the real world, we must understand that no two teachers are alike. They have different standards and through out different challenges. Grades overall, should not just be written down, but commented on and evaluated. We should always be open to students questions and learn to grade the whole process and not just one piece of the puzzle. Here are some tips on grading succesfully for everyone of the students weather gifted, challenged or just an average teenager.

Ch. 14: Responsive Report Card Fomats

Wormeli explain the importance of making the report card or any official document clear in this chapter. We need parents and students to understand what we mean when we put certain grades on a report card. If we record two grades, we should give students the higher grade. But, if a lower level student achieved we need to show the achievements as well as preparing the next teacher for his/her struggles. We must be fair, but explain how we got there. In some schools they put the letter and than a number next to it (A3). The letter is the grade and the number is the achievement/growth 4 being highest and 1 being the lowest. If you have a straight D student who doesn’t try he or she would get a D1, but if you have a C student who work extremely hard to get a higher grade, you could record a B3 to show growth and the grade he or she deserved. Parents and students must be able to understand the grading process and this might include using a key. I think it would be hard to grade for everyone fairly. Hopefully this advice will help me.

Ch. 13: Gradebook Formats for theDifferentiated Classroom

Everything we do should promote students learning. If a student comes up to ask for a grade, we must be able to give it correctly and be able to explain why they have what they have in my class. To get to this organizational result, we can group assignments by standards/objectives/benchmarks, weight/category, date or topic-based. I find the topic-base grade-book confusing and hard to follow. Wormeli sees this as an appealing way to grade and keep track of work because it has a key. I don’t think any of this will be much of a problem because nowadays, teachers have online grade-books in which students and parents can check for themselves. It is not a bad idea to keep a paper grade-book in case anything happens, but nonetheless, they should be clear, organized and easy-access.

Ch. 12: Grading Scales

At the beginning of the year, you must decide on a grading scale and stick to it. The two most popular scales are the 4pt and the 100pt. On both scales an A means that the student has mastered the material. With a 4pt system, there is more leeway because there is a list of what you are looking for. The looking for items include recognizes what they need to do, understanding, doing it correctly, double checking and arriving at the correct response. Students gain credit for each piece that is correct, unlike the 100pt scale, where you only look for the answer. With the 100pt scale, you are either right or wrong. I think it is unfair to be either correct or incorrect, because in my high school we used to get ½ a credit for being ½ right. This got confusing because grades would round up and that ½ would become a whole. We also have to take into consideration to not base all grades on a rubric and learn to differentiate and reexamine grades before recording them. I think the most important question to consider in teaching is, “What is fair for my students?” We need to ask ourselves this with every assignment and every grading process to meet the needs of our students and their personal growth.

Ch. 11: 6 Burning Grading Issues

Wormeli answers questions on how to record a failing grade, how to grade gifted/special needs students, whether or not we should weigh grades, automaticity vs. attaining concepts, and grading late work throughout this chapter. I think it is adequate punishment for a student to get a 0 because they gain nothing if we consistently give students 60s. It is fair to put an “I” in the grade book for incomplete and then giving a lower grade when handed in. If we take 10 pts off being late for one student, this practice NEEDS to happen for everyone. We cannot favor one student over the other no matter their excuse. Weighing grades can be beneficial, but I still don’t like the idea. Why give someone a higher grade if they do not deserve it? Grading becomes harder when we differentiate, but sometimes differentiation needs to happen. We need to take every one of our students into consideration when we record grades into our books. This might include talking to paraprofessionals, parents, a community team and the student themselves.

Ch. 10: Conditions for Redoing Work for Full Credit

Redo-work should always be allowed, but there must be stipulations. Wormeli suggested not having redo-work due the week before a grading period ends. This will keep us sane. He also urged us to stay away from bonus work and extra credit. I always hated that teachers would not allow this because I wanted to achieve higher grades, but I understand. Teachers want learning to be met at their digression so that we know standards are met properly. I would stay away from the parents signing redo assignments because it should be the student’s responsibility. Some of Wormeli’s stipulations will travel with me, but I will also end up making my own over time.

Ch. Ten Approaches to Avoid When Differentiating Assessment and Grading

Wormeli emphasizes that there are some things that we must take to heart in grading; we don’t have to include everything. I really like number 3 that referred to grading homework because it used to frustrate me when teachers would grade all the worksheets that we still did not really know what we were doing. Homework is meant to be practice. In doing homework the brain is trying to make connections that have not yet been mastered. I agree that we should give quizzes after homework, but allow time to answer questions. These ten things are all aspects that I will keep in mind while grading my students work because what is the sense of grading something that has nothing to do with the assignment.

Ch. 8:Why do we Grade and What About Effort, Attendance, and Behavior?

Wormeli made us believe that grading occurs to encourage students. It is important to look at all the factors such as effort, attendance, and behavior but we do not have to place them on the report card. I find it odd that in most schools attendance is required. I mean, shouldn’t we all acknowledge that things come up people get sick, family members die, etc.? Although I think attendance is unimportant, but the learning is what matters. If they learn than their grade should be higher, but I do agree with Wormeli that school is the child’s job. We do not get breaks in the real world. But how do we determine the break that we should give out? We also have to acknowledge that laziness does not exist, if a child is lacking than we must find out what is going on. We need to get to know our students. So, in marking off on effort we see the fluctuation and can figure out where they need help and how we can indeed help. Looking at all these factors make us better teachers, yet if it has nothing to do with the project than why include it in the final grade? Through this chapter, Wormeli gave us a lot to look at and decipher through when we actually become teachers. I will take his advice to heart

Ch. 7: The Relative ature o Grades nd Their Definitions

Teachers must make lists to stay on track with their class and students. Wormeli explains that not every assignment needs a grade. Students learn in different ways. The most effective is just through feedback. Wormeli emphasized on how to get the big picture across by figuring out how your students learn. Do NOT emphasize on letters, instead make sure the material is clearly understood. We should not keep our teaching aspects in cages like elephants and only assign grades. We should instead be encouraging and not reprimanding. It is important that certain tasks have a grade because grades inference mastery. We should adjust our curriculum to fit our students and so that they achieve to their highest. I remember when I used to get a C on a test and my teacher used to tell me not to worry because it was “average,” this saying made me think it was OK to do bad, so we should learn to implement redo’s to anything and everything. I also found it effective to place an ‘I’ into the letters to stand for incomplete instead of giving a zero because zeros truly hurt an average and an incomplete can be filled in throughout the grading period with the deserved grade.

Ch. 12: MI Theory and Cognitive Skills

We must think about the ways our students learn to assure achievement. A memory is an important thing and in these days so many children and teens don’t have to think because of media influences, video games and the internet. The US lacks in cognitive skills because of their inability to correctly problem solve. Armstrong emphasized how a memory should be based on intelligence specific mechanisms. All eight intelligences are afflicted so we must work with everything to encourage memorization. We also must consider Bloom’s taxonomy, which comes in six levels (knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation). All of these factors build a road map for our student’s growth throughout the year. To keep progress moving, I think I will bring the brainteasers and the word memorization into my classroom. My English teacher in high school took the time every Friday to go over a brainteaser and get out brains moving. I believe this helped our cognitive skills improve. With the use of MI, we can keep cognitive skills and problem solving flowing and allow our students to grow to their full potential. I believe a lot of what Armstrong said in this chapter will travel with me throughout my teaching career.

Ch. 11: MI Theoryan Special Education

If we treat people on a level in which they should achieve then they will achieve. Special education varies on a wide spectrum from speech pathology to ADHD or mental disorders and emotional disturbances. Armstrong’s MI model provides us with a model of understanding. Teachers are meant to detect the strengths of all their students through MI evaluations. Armstrong gives us here a few ideas and modes to follow to allow everyone to succeed. I fear having special education students merged into my class because I feel I won’t be able to accommodate. How do I make a unit plan that each student will find useful? How can I focus on everyone’s needs at once? How can I be assured that I will be able to communicate clearly with the paraprofessional in my class? I always found it awkward when there were paraprofessionals in my classes in high school because it became distracting. I know the “no child left behind” but at times it felt like she was running a different class in front of us and the “real” teacher. I find it a helpful tool for everyone, not only special education students, to point out the strengths in my students and not the weaknesses. It is not helpful to fix a leaking roof when it’s raining. We have to understand that students push forward through encouragement and if everyone works together, success will emerge.

Ch. 8: MI Theory an Classroom Management

In this chapter, Armstrong emphasized the ways to keep a classroom in order and gain attention. I feel as if some of his suggestions were made for elementary aged students like shutting off the lights to get the class to be quiet or even putting your finger to your mouth. MI can be used to keep order, make transitions easier, form groups, and communicate classroom rules. We can bend some of Armstrong’s suggestions to work for the level we wish to teach as well. There is always room for flexibility in MI. It is important that throughout the year we work with all the different intelligences because teaching and learning is a very valuable tool to take in and learn how to manipulate. I liked the thought of focusing on one student for the day to get used to his/her learning styles. This theory also accommodates to those students with behavioral issues.

ch. 8: Grading and Reporting Achievement

Grading should be easy, right? Well, Tomlinson and McTighe explain that grading is a two part process. I always thought you get it, you grade it and your done, but you must report the grades by numbers or letters and then send them home to students and parents. The students must completely understand why they achieved a certain grade so mistakes don’t happen again. Feedback is almost the most important part of grading. It allows students to reflect on their grade. A simple letter or number tells nothing. We’re here to guide the students and not leave them stranded with no why out of a rut. Goals are to be set and to be met. I always appreciated knowing exactly where I had to go and how I had to get there, of course, it was up to me to go about the path and make the correct choices. I liked how they pointed out staying away from the norms because getting an A always seems like you are the best and an F feels like a failure and a heart-break. I know for some an F means a loss of privileges at home. I feel a J curve or a point system would be a much better grading mentality. This system allows students to figure it out on their own where they stand. They will none-the-less strive for perfection no matter what. I also completely agree with their saying that, “what a student learns should be more important than when he/she learns” because we all have different speeds of processing the materials. We must set variables for every assignment along with being clear on what we are looking for. As teachers it is important to grade for achievement, work habits and progress because they all factor into the motivation of the student and their final product. We want the student to be proud of what they do so explain with great intent as to what you want and remember, “success breeds success.”

Ch. 14: MI Theory & Existential Intelligences

Gardner had worked on the 9th intelligence, but it is hard to bring “EXISTENTIAL” to the classroom. We are in a trap when we must keep church and state separated. Armstrong defines this intelligence as, “the capacity to locate oneself with respect to the furthest reaches of the cosmos—the infinite and the infinitesimal—and the related capacity to locate the significance of life, the meaning of death, the ultimate fate of physical and psychological worlds, and such profound experiences as love of another person or total immersion in a work of art” (Gardener, 1999). In this intelligence we are suppose to detect who we are, what is evil and where we are going in life. Existential includes all the aspects it needs, yet is still an iffy subject by means of Bible and such. The Bible is usually frowned upon in schools and causes teaching in a spiritual manner difficult. Although we don’t know it more than half the time, we do use existential in our teaching by immersing ourselves completely in our teachings, giving new strategies, bringing up religious events (Holocaust) and mentioning the Greeks, who created math methods.

Ch. 13: Other Applications of MI Theory

In this chapter, Armstrong introduces us to the ways that we could apply the MI theory. Using computer technology allows us to obtain all the 8 intelligences. They can work together, work individually, use music, their hands, etc. He states, “Putting together computer projects requires a great deal of intelligence.” He also shows us that cultural diversity and career counseling helps students grasp the intelligences in a better light. They can compare themselves to famous people from different cultures and backgrounds as well as figure out what they want to do in their futures. I really think that bringing visitors to the school to chat about their jobs will assist the students in setting their goals in life. This is a fun way to get in touch with yourself and your community.

Ch. 7: MI Theory and the Classroom Environment

What is a classroom? Does it have to be a room with four walls and seats in rows? Does it have to be a teacher standing in the front or students reading for a textbook? The answer is NO, a classroom is whatever you want to make it. A classroom should be a happy, warm, welcoming environment. According to Armstrong, if we include the 8 intelligences into our classroom environment the day will go by more smoothly. We have to think about the 8 intelligences as questions for the class. How is the day sequenced? Is the furniture arranged properly? Do we have windows t look out? How is the atmosphere? I really liked the quadrant idea, but I don’t know how feasible it would be in a high school classroom because it seems “too” childish. With quadrants, I don’t know if a lesson could go be thoroughly taught. After all, we only have 90 minutes to teach in a day. Over all, Armstrong should some great ways to spread intelligences in the classroom.

ch. 9: Bringing It All Together: Curriculum and Instruction Through the Lens of UbD and DI

In this chapter, Tomlinson and McTighe described how the backwards planning and differentiation works together. As teachers we must identify, determine, plan, regard, address, view, use, employ, and gather. We have the tools, but we must learn how to employ them to the needs of all our students. Big ideas are important. They lead to the big picture, but if we don’t apply them properly so we assure that all our students learn. Tomlinson provided a performance task rubric so we have an example to go by. A performance task is something to keep track of throughout the whole unit. We must always start with a pre-assessment to diagnose what we need to cover in the lesson. I always like how my teachers came up with fun, interactive games to test us on what we know and what we need to learn. They pre-assessed us without having us know that we were even being tested. This way all the anxiety was lifted. From the pre-assessment we discover how we need to carry out a plan and with differentiation we realize how to help each individual. Tomlinson warned us about the two primary purposes, (1) ensuring maximum growth and (2) providing adequate flexibility. In these purposes we must think about the indicators of environment, curriculum, teacher, and learners. If all these indicators work together success will happen and we, as teachers will try to strive for success.

Abstract of ch.5: Tiering Assessment

Isn't a tier a layer on cake? How can I tier my students assessments? Through this chapter, Wormeli explains that tiering is basically the process of adjusting their lessons for each individual in their class. As Diana put it, "It's changing the complexity." Mr. Suarez's tiered his class by having a green, blue and black test. The only thing I think I would have changed was making sure that the right student took the test that fit best for them. He took videos and clearly explained how each test differed from the next and why it was important to choose. He put it in words that the students could understand by comparing the colors to ski slopes. Mr. Suarez tiered for his class's well-being, just as Wormeli is teaching us to do through checklists, cubing, contracts RAFT's and menus. Tiering should not add too much work to your schedule and will leave you statisfied and happy with the growth of your students. You must keep in mind all your students and not just those who lag behind. "Tiering" is meant to challenge the higher level students and allow the lower lever students to succeed. Through this chapter I learned most that we need a plan, a method for our madness, per say, because teachers are obligated to seek out success and adjust for all. We are their to make sure everyone learns not just those in which learning comes easy. Tiering may mean tweaking your lesson plans to meet a students' readiness level, interest, and learning profile, but this tweaking will pay off in the end. Wormeli assured us that our students and ourselves will be statsified with the gained result from our hard work and dedication.

Synthesis of ch 5: Tiering Assessments

Over all, after reading the classes responses I found most of us were nervous and still unsure about whagt exactly "tiering" was and how we could use it in our classroom. I found a useful website that mentions contracts, RAFT, learning menus, checkpoints, tic tac toe charts and how to make a cube. Differentiating lessons are meant for tiering and adjusting. We are forced to make a balance in our class and want everyone to succeed. If students agree on contracts, make choices, and have a checklist, success will come natural. It is our job to accommodate. We cannot do this teaching solely on ourselves, so contracts assure the help of the students and sometimes the parents as well. We need to get everyone involved because if their is no balance the cake will fall over or in another words the learning will hault. Although all these tools are helpful, we still need to rely on ourselves and our students sometimes. We need to ask questions to know that they are learning instead of constantly spilling informatioin. Tiering may seem intimadating, but I'm sure it will come natural to all of us in given time.

Ch. 6: MI Theory and Teaching Strategies

Wouldn’t it be nice to accommodate all your students? Armstrong alliterated a way of doing so in chapter 6. He listed out lesson plans and examples on how to follow them. I feel being an English concentration I would lean to the linguistic ideas, but he showed us that all intelligences could connect to our concentration. We don’t have to focus on just words. All of our students learn differently, so we have to look at making the class fun for them in their individual brilliance. One day, we may focus on the bodily intelligence and the next a spatial lesson. Both are completely different and will get different reactions from students. These lessons will show the strengths and weaknesses our students are conflicted with.

Ch 5: MI Theory and Curriculum Development

Armstrong allows us to explore the intelligences at its growth. MI is hardly a new concept, but it is constantly growing and improving. MI is meant to be fun, creative and interactive. I wish my teachers would have incorporated MI into their lessons instead of just lecturing. In this chapter we were able to see how to create a lesson in seven steps on MI by asking questions, brainstorming and more. Setting up an MI lesson plan is not an easy task, it takes time and work. After awhile, most teachers feel it comes natural, I hope I will be able to incorporate MI learning to all my student’s needs and individual learning styles.

ch. 7: Teaching for Understanding in Academically Diverse Classrooms

How do we “uncover” content? Won’t that take too much time? Tomlinson showed us how we can make group-work relatable and reasonable. This comes from “Big Ideas” using the 6 facets and the WHERETO framework along with essential questions. Essential questions come work reasoning and open up doorways to understanding. I believe I will take the WHERTO framework and use it in my teaching as a set-up to lesson plans and units. Tomlinson and McGighe show that a good teacher is willing to work with his/her students and learn to be flexible to questions.

Ch. 6: Responsive Teaching With UbD in Academically Diverse Classrooms

Tomlinson and McTighe tried to drill the importance of flexibility, strategies and classroom management through this chapter. I learned that consistency is key; one must think through conventional practices to think in a respectful manner. Goals should not be a mystery they should be underlined as what to teach and what students should learn. With the backwards design this all comes clear to us. I hope to take the environment plans to my own classrooms. Seating helps keep focus and if students are in the same seat everyday it would get extremely boring. We need to configure how our students work best (individual or in groups). There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all plan, but we must try our hardest to differentiate and accommodate to all. Even though we let our students work independently, it is crucial that we ask questions and keep them on track.

Ch. 6 Creating Good Test Questions

When do I compose a test with multiple choice questions or an essay assessment? How do I know when I have asked enough questions or too many? Wormeli answered all these questions in this chapter, but still left me wondering when is the perfect time to assess and grade. I like how he wants us to mix it up and use some traditional and some non-traditional prompts. Most teachers in my high school, I could read like a book, he’s going to ask for an essay and she’s going to have a multiple choice test and she’s going to mix all the traditional ways. I want to be the teacher that they always know what is on the test, but in which the test set-up always changes. I really disagree with the double recording because it makes cheating much easier. I understand how the teacher should make different tests for each of their classes, but should I burden myself with more work if the students will just forget the information after they take the test? I believe most teachers don’t actually assess what they planned because they get too creative. Wormeli suggests several ways to stay on task that I may end up referring back to when I become a teacher myself.

Ch. 5 Tiering Assessments

Wormeli defines Tiering as the process of which teachers embark upon to adjust assignments and assessments for their student’s growth and intelligences. A tier is the different levels of something like each tier on a cake. They must line up and stay balance, but it is important to not adjust each lesson. Students need to learn the give and take (sometimes we guide them and other times we force them into being who we know that they can be). To assure understanding, we must remember to ask questions and not just spill information. I like the task of making a learning contract. This is an agreement that both the teacher and the student can refer back to as a guide throughout each lesson. Choices are key and keep students interested, I like the tic-tac-toe board approach. This is neat for the teacher and the student. We will not get bored because we would rarely be reading the same thing twice and the students get to do what they want so they should achieve a great grade. The example of RAFT(S) that Wormeli suggested is also something that I may take to my classroom. These are fun ways to choose what their project is going to be. Being shy, talking is something that I tend to avoid, but I appreciated the advice of getting a colleagues opinion and asking questions to decipher if you’re going about an assignment correctly and efficiently, especially if you are team teaching with someone.

Ch. 4 Three Important Types of Assessment

The three types of assessment that Wormeli introduces is (1) portfolios, (2) Rubrics, and (3) Student Self-assessments. Each types of assessing are great tools and techniques to bring fourth in the classroom because every child learns in a different way. I would most likely bring something like a portfolio into my classroom because I’m more hands-on and that could be an interactive task for an English class. They are meant to mirror growth, so we could view how writing progressed from the beginning of the year until current time. Rubrics are more popular because you only have to make one and then photocopy and every student will perform pretty much the same thing. There are two main rubrics used the holistic and the analytical. Wormeli let us know how crucial it is to mix up way of assessing, so our students learn different aspects of each task. I like the concept of not having a 5-tier rubric because of the mind automatically looking at (A, B, C, D, and F) grading. In my classroom, I will try to make a rubric with 3 or 4 tiers and always get my students opinions at the end of an assignment. This is where self-assessment comes into place, it initiates where help is needed and what goals the students want to accomplish throughout the year. Because, I’m sure I will have a differentiated classroom at some point, I must learn how to accommodate for all; Wormeli turned my light-bulb on and helped the thinking process be on its way.

Ch. 10: MI Theory and Assessment

Armstrong urges us as teachers to not use all tests as assessments. There are eight ways that can be fun to evaluate the learning process. I was impressed on the ways of documenting observations such as making video and audio files, work samples and anecdotal records. I personally like the use of a student journal and will try to compile it into my lessons because with them you get the opinions of your students and are able to able the feedback to a lesson in class. With MI, we can break up how we teach something in eight different ways and always provide choices. This technique makes learning fun and allows the students to think on their own. I believe portfolios are a great way to keep your students on track and focused. I love the idea of a celebration portfolio because it seems like a fun and engaging way of assessing the students. Armstrong emphasizes how the MI theory provides an assessment framework within which students can have their rich and complex lives acknowledged and celebrated as well as nurtured fully.

Ch. 3 Principles of Successful Assessment in the Differentiated Classroom

I absolutely agree with the statement, “Students come in biased on how to see the world of …for five to eighteen years via school and living their lives,” by Wormeli on page 20, it is our job to expand their knowledge and change their point of views. We may have students that hate blacks and then hear about Rosa Parks or think Jews are lame and then hear of Eli Wiesel and Anne Frank. We open their minds and teach in other ways than just a vacuum. It is not our job to suck knowledge in their brains. We must be sure that they actually know what we teach. Assessing is viewed in two different ways (1) essential and enduring knowledge (EEK) and (2) know, understand and able to do (KUD). Know is what the students retain. Understand is the concepts, relationships, and connections a student can take as a result of the unit; this targets the student’s interests and real-life situations. Do is the specific skills we intend our students to be able to demonstrate. We must keep these aspects in mind when we perform pre-assessment, formative assessment and summative assessment. Assessment is never something that comes just at the end, as many of my high school teachers did their task in seeing how well knowledge was retained. Instead, assessment has a beginning, middle and an end and it must target everyone in the class. I feel that I may get frustrated when it comes to assessing because it is never straight forward and it may take a long time to get each student to reach the same level of skill and knowledge. We must use assessments as a pivotal instructional tool by having rubrics, choices and a couple standard-based tests. Students need to learn how to do for themselves instead of just taking our knowledge and storing it in their memory banks. As the proverb says, “If you give a man a fish, he can eat for a day, but, if you teach a man to fish, he can eat for a lifetime,” we must teach our students to fish and they can be knowledgeable forever.

Ch. 2 Mastery

I always thought that a teacher tested a students’ mastery on a subject or lesson by giving tests, quizzes, etcetera, but through this chapter, we learn that mastery is more than just knowing the information. The six facets (explanation, interpretation, application, perspective, empathy, and self-knowledge) all are factors in “mastering” a topic. The art of mastery does not come by simply repeating or memorizing the information. The students should be able to take the information and analyze, evaluate and create own material at the end. They should know the topic so well that they could teach to others. To assure that they reach a “mastery” standpoint, we must flood their brains with the knowledge by tracking their process and assigning multiple assignments. This means that we may need to tweak the curriculum for certain learning styles so that we are ensured that they get the best out of what we are teaching. With differentiated learners we must keep in mind of the pace and communication because if we stay in isolation we have a bigger hurdle to jump. Learning is an ongoing process and shouldn’t be dull and droning, it should accommodate to all. I know that this may be hard and take a long time to make my lesson plans “perfect” but I want my students to get the best out of what I’m teaching. I don’t want to teach about the planets and have them take from the whole lesson that “Styrofoam is hard to paint.” They should remember what they learned and not the assignment used for knowledge. Learning about Styrofoam was just the “busy work” of the lesson not the “mastery.” Teachers must know the true definition of “mastery” before they impede on the journey of teaching it to their students.

Ch. 1 The Differentiated Instruction Mind-Set: Rationale and Definition

Wormeli defined differentiation as doing what is fair for the students. It is whatever works to advance students and seems to be a highly effective way to teach. I want to take some of his advice and use it wisely in my classroom. My mother works in a special education room with a fourteen year old who has a mind-set of a five-year-old, when other students are learning geometry, she is happy enough when he can decipher a square from a circle. She differentiates, but he still learns. It is important that learning is still taking place and that teachers avoid pure “busy work” because it’s easier. We should not rely on what is easy. Through Wormeli, I learned that it is not what we teach our students that matters, instead, it is what they learn. We must offer them the tools to learn efficiently and in a way that is comfortable for them. Teaching in an accommodating atmosphere emphasizes focus. We must use our power in a useful manner, instead of just teaching, differentiate!

Ch. 5 Considering Evidence of Learning in Diverse Classrooms

In assessing, Tomlinson and McTighe want us to reflect on whether or not the students actually learn what you want them to from the lesson and how you chose to teach it. I appreciate the thought of making a “photo album” so that you can observe the progress of your students through more than just the written word. It is a known fact that we rely too much on the quick and dirty standardized test and not get the chance to see what our students like or want. It is crucial to be flexible and give choices, so students can be the best they can. I always liked the fact that I had the choice of an oral presentation or an essay and group or individual work in high school because we all grow and learn at different rates and in different ways. Tomlinson emphasized that we should always keep our goals in mind while assessing, what did we want our students to learn? I will keep in mind the three essential goals as I pursue my career further, (1) declarative knowledge, (2) procedural knowledge and (3) dispositions in order to accommodate all my students’ educational needs. The GRASPS frame is another thing we must keep in mind to keep growth strong for all. We are supposed to teach the “big idea” at a level so that everyone can understand. Therefore, we must pre-assess, assess and give feedback. Assessment never just comes at the end of a lesson, it is everything that encompasses the lesson and the growth we are targeting. Always keep in mind that our aim is to collect appropriate evidence of learning based on our goals and that no two kids will ever learn at the same pace or the same style. Noted by the authors, “Effective assessment not only measures students but assists them in becoming evaluators of own learning,” so, we must teach the skill of self-assessing while we ourselves assess the “big ideas” and main goals. Overall, assessing should be fun and an ongoing process from the onset of the lesson until the very end. We need to ensure that all students ended with the same overall knowledge of the subject or we have not done our job properly.

Ch. 4: Teaching Students About MI Theory

Armstrong emphasized that “Children go to school as question marks and leave as periods,” and it is our job to answer all their questions. An MI theory should be a unit in which we first introduce what MI is and show the MI “pizza” than ask questions and relate it to people they know. I really liked the idea of having a “career day” because it would get the community involved in the learning process. With me, pursuing an English concentration, I would probably have my children write biographies on famous people that shared the same MI as them. This way they get to know someone who likes what they like. Maybe, on presentation day, the students dress up as their people and then interact with the class as a whole. The class could ask questions, etc. and for my class period, the students could truly “be” their people. Armstrong showed how interactive teaching MI can be, after all, teaching is supposed to be fun, right?

Ch. 3: Describing Intelligences in Students

Franklin’s quote at the beginning really emphasizes an MI; one would not hide who they really are, just like it is pointless to put a sundial in the shade. We need to find out who our students are and let them shine. I’m going to take the idea of keeping a journal with me so I can truly know who my students are. Some of Armstrong’s points I felt were an invasion of space, like looking at school records and taking pictures of students. Some students, like me, are introverts. We like to keep to ourselves, maybe once you get to know the student it would be alright to invade space and ask questions, take pictures, etc., but at first let everyone reach a sense of comfort. As a teacher I might assign a journal as an informal way to get to know my students and during parent-teacher conferences, maybe ask questions about their child’s MI. I don’t want to be too straightforward and pushy as Armstrong seemed in some of his examples, after all, we are supposed to be looked up to and thought about as role models. I wouldn’t want my role model sneaking through my personal records.

Ch. 4: What Really Matters in Planning For Student Success?

Tomlinson and McTighe brought forth great examples in what I would like to bring to my classroom to ensure success. First, we need a compelling curriculum that is clear on what is essential and reflects understanding and awareness. We must think about all of our students, why write a two-page paper, if some of our students are not fluent in English? We must learn to be flexible, goal-oriented and responsive. I really enjoyed the last section where Tomlinson said, “There’s no such thing as a perfect lesson, a perfect day or a perfect teacher.” I know that I will face road-blocks where children don’t want to learn or can’t learn, but I will have to work with my knowledge to get the best work out of everybody in my classroom.

Ch. 3 What Really Matters in Learning? (Content)

What do you do when there is too much content? Tomlinson and McTighe suggest that we, as teachers, must make choices and set standardized goals. In these goals we must bring forth essential questions, and show the “big idea.” I really appreciate their description of planning backwards. This helps to accommodate everybody’s learning needs. But, in doing a backwards plan, one must not always be activity-oriented or stretch to cover too much information in one setting. We must keep in mind that, “a river needs banks to flow” just as children need boundaries to grow. We must set forth our goals and expectations and then let them move forward from there. Having faith in your students encourages their individual thinking. Be accommodating, be assertive, be fun, but remember to always have a plan.

Ch 2: MI Theory and Personal Development

Armstrong emphasized in this chapter that it does not matter the type of school you teach in, but the type of students you teach. Each individual is unique and formatting an MI profile is easy, like our first day of classes where we were interactive and discovered whether we were a “puppy,” a “clipboard,” a “beach ball,” or a “microscope.” It is crucial that the teacher knows who they are teaching for, what they like and what they dislike. Knowing your students allows you to adapt your lesson plans to their needs. An MI comes from genetic factors (who your parents are or what they are), experiences (what you’ve done and what you’ve seen: what made you who you are), and cultural (where you were born, how you were raised, economic status, race, etc). When a teacher knows who you are, they then know how to teach you adequately. MI’s are also formed by crystallizing and paralyzing experiences as labeled by David Feldman. A crystallizing experience includes those “turning points” in the development of a person’s talents and abilities. For example, making a sports team would crystallize your bodily-kinesthetic MI. A paralyzing experience, on the other hand, is an experience that “shuts down” intelligence. For example, failing a math test may make you think you have no logical/mathematical intelligence. As a teacher, I want to improve all my students by finding out what “shuts them down” and working past the struggle to show that they possess the ability to accomplish anything. Before I do that, I will have to know their strengths and weaknesses, which a MI test will come in handy (maybe the first day of class) as a fun “getting-to-know-you activity.”

Ch. 1: The Foundations of MI Theory

In 1904 Alfred Binet had the task of deciding who the “at risk” schools were in the sense of remedial attention and possible failure, so he created an intelligence test. Almost 80 years later, Gardener challenged Binet’s beliefs with 7 (now 8) basic intelligences. Through the intelligence test, I discovered that I am highly verbal, but also reserved (intrapersonal). These both made sense to me because I am going to be an English teacher and enjoy have time to think to myself before blurting out an answer. Armstrong made it clear that we will have students of all MI’s and we must learn how to meet their needs. Although we do obtain all eight, we have strong points and low points and if we have a more logical thinker, we will be forced to put the lesson into numbers and reasoning for them to understand. I want to take the key points of MI and store them in my memory bank when I become a teacher, so I can flip back and remember what I should do so that all my students will grasp the concept I am trying to demonstrate. Gardener is still adapting intelligences and is working with ideas such as: spiritual intelligence, creativity intelligence, culinary intelligences and more.

Ch. 2: What Really Matters in Teaching? (Students)

Tomlinson and McTighe’s focal point of this chapter was on the student’s needs and growth process. “Teaching is an art” that we must analyze and figure out (1) what we want students’ to know, (2) what we want students’ to understand and (3) what we want students’ to be able to do. In any situation, students may only be waiting for the bell to ring and have absolutely no interests. We must make each lesson exiting and entertaining. As Tomlinson said, “Learning is a journey that should be shared” (page 13), so we want the experience to impact the child’s life and not just leave them twiddling their thumbs until class is dismissed. No matter how interesting we make a lesson, we will always face barriers though. A barrier can be something happening at home, between friends, a relationship issue, etc. and we are not always inclined to these barriers. This is where getting to know your student’s is important. As I become a teacher, I want to be there for my students. It is important to know our students multiple intelligences to adapt our curriculum to how each individual learns best, like Noah who learned best when he was on the move (page 15). I want to be the teacher that knows her students and switching the plan each day to make being in my class fun and exciting. For example, one day we could have small groups and the next day an interactive lesson and so forth. I also think that it is a neat idea to keep a dialogue journal with each student so that they can “talk” to you even if they are too shy to confront you during or after class. This technique would bring you closer to your students, but you would have to careful about their spilling of personal problems. I would tell my students to not write anything that they wouldn’t be comfortable sharing with others in case I had to report abuse, etc. This chapter basically initiated different strategies and such to run a productive and class and be a respected teacher.

Ch. 1: An Essential Partnership

Throughout this chapter Tomlinson and McTighe emphasize the fact of diversity. We must adapt our curriculum to match the abilities of all our students. First, we have four questions that we need to focus on while creating a curriculum for each class and then carry it out by adapting it and using it. These questions include (1) who are we teaching, (2) where we are teaching, (3) what we are teaching and (4) how are we teaching it. In coming to these questions at a higher level we must know the goals of understanding by design (UbD) and Differentiated Instruction (DI). DI and UbD work together to create a better way of learning. Their goals include ensuring focus and emphasizes on how we teach by asking “how,” “why,” and “what.” Tomlinson and McTighe emphasize that learning is for everyone, so our curriculum should meet the standards of all our students (disabled, highly advanced, lack of income, lack of English proficiency, etc.). I will keep some of their Axiom’s and scenario’s in mind when I am in my own classroom. As a teacher, I do not want to bore my students, but I do know that everyone learns at a different pace. This chapter illustrated some strategies to keep focus and know that all students understand and are having fun as well as learning.