tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2310640378082615811.post6673651964098402760..comments2011-08-26T14:36:08.845-05:00Comments on Differentiation in Practice: Session 2 - Question 1tiggeronmarshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17701242472897734668noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2310640378082615811.post-68058059032859570702011-07-27T15:46:15.565-05:002011-07-27T15:46:15.565-05:00I used kidblog.org this year with my 4th graders. ...I used kidblog.org this year with my 4th graders. We posted projects (power points, photostories, wordles etc. Things from the orginal tools and the recent 11 Tools that I thought they could handle) and the kids responded to the projects presented from my other two classes. It was SUPER easy to do. Had't thought about using it for pre-assessment though! I did post a teacher question that they all had to respond to as well as asking them to post. Second graders could easily handle it!Kaycie D.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2310640378082615811.post-22491980323029994112011-06-24T13:47:08.811-05:002011-06-24T13:47:08.811-05:00Brandy - I teach 2nd grade and it might be doable!...Brandy - I teach 2nd grade and it might be doable! Why don't we pilot it together? What school are you at? Then, our kids could collaborate with yours via small groups and the internet! I'm also thinking Google Docs.... Just a thought. <br />I wish I knew the Harvard Professor's name. That is going to drive me nuts until I can figure it out! <br /><br />Betsy - what grade did you teach when you used the blog?Theresahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01721861906313875574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2310640378082615811.post-75655773451966946762011-06-21T22:05:45.132-05:002011-06-21T22:05:45.132-05:00I like Theresa's response about using a blog a...I like Theresa's response about using a blog as a method of pre-assessment. I have done this before, and it was very effective and the kids really enjoyed it.Betsy Foyenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2310640378082615811.post-19676330318438036932011-06-21T22:04:42.291-05:002011-06-21T22:04:42.291-05:00In response to the Harvard comments from CarrieKoh...In response to the Harvard comments from CarrieKohl and Theresa posted on June 21... I think this is a marvelous idea. It is not complicated, and it would definitely give you good insight as to what the students know. Do you all think it would work for second grade? I guess my issue would be having to teach the kids how to do the technology component in addition to the content.Brandy Bnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2310640378082615811.post-43892933702500448002011-06-21T22:03:56.457-05:002011-06-21T22:03:56.457-05:00I agree with Ms. Lee. If pre-assessments are bein...I agree with Ms. Lee. If pre-assessments are being given but nothing is done with the results, there really is no purpose. We teachers need the time to plan appropriate pre-assessments and also need the time to plan and adjust based on what we learn from the results.Betsy Foyenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2310640378082615811.post-54223798443667903492011-06-21T22:01:46.227-05:002011-06-21T22:01:46.227-05:00Yes, I believe that pre-assessment is very importa...Yes, I believe that pre-assessment is very important to effective planning and instruction. On page 40-41 the unit developer says, "I knew that my job throughout this unit would involve matching students and activities appropriately- not only to ensure challenge and success, but also to ensure engagement..." There is no way she would have been able to match her students without starting the unit with pre-assessment. I like that she said these assessments were informal. That takes the pressure off the kids.Betsy Foyenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2310640378082615811.post-68968011007131940022011-06-21T22:01:45.605-05:002011-06-21T22:01:45.605-05:00Absolutely I feel that pre-assessments help! They...Absolutely I feel that pre-assessments help! They guide your teaching. They tell you where to start, what the kids know, where the "holes" are, etc... The issue is finding the time to create the pre Assessments and in my case not making them too involved.Brandy Bnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2310640378082615811.post-44437256354435963402011-06-21T21:49:09.750-05:002011-06-21T21:49:09.750-05:00In response to Theresa's comment about the Har...In response to Theresa's comment about the Harvard Professor. Let's collaborate on how to use technology to pre-assess more!CarrieKohlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2310640378082615811.post-3265669016464237862011-06-21T21:47:32.115-05:002011-06-21T21:47:32.115-05:00I agree with Kaycie D.'s comment- pay now or p...I agree with Kaycie D.'s comment- pay now or pay later. I wish that our science curriculum allowed for more flexibility.CarrieKohlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2310640378082615811.post-20887551665023052562011-06-21T21:43:21.235-05:002011-06-21T21:43:21.235-05:00Pre-assessment activities do help me in my teachin...Pre-assessment activities do help me in my teaching. In math, it lets me know if I need to review a concept or teach it step by step from the beginning. I pre-assessed double digit multiplication last year and it was extremely helpful to know the amount of teaching my students required on the concept. The disadvantage to pre-assessment is that it takes time when we have an already jam-packet curriculum. Finding quick and easy pre-assessment activities are key to keep on track with curriculum.CarrieKohlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2310640378082615811.post-33205204297697370582011-06-21T16:22:52.826-05:002011-06-21T16:22:52.826-05:00Like D. Pico said on June 14, I also liked the pre...Like D. Pico said on June 14, I also liked the pre-assessment ideas provided in the book. They were entertaining and motivating for the students to do. I agree with D. Pico's comment that "If students are apathetic taking the test, the results obtained will not be an accurate reflection of their understanding." The plant scavenger hunt (p. 46-47) would be great in my classroom for students to not only interact and learn from their peers, but also to show me what they know, what they don't know and what they need clarification on.Rebeccahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02225304285148471787noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2310640378082615811.post-86540130054607865592011-06-21T16:19:21.157-05:002011-06-21T16:19:21.157-05:00I believe that pre-assessment is extremely importa...I believe that pre-assessment is extremely important for my teaching. Children learn most when what they are being taught builds on what they already know. By using pre-assessment tools, I can not only spend less time on topics that my students already understand, but also teach at a level that is just beyond what they come to my class knowing. There is so much time lost covering things that my students already know. Pre-assessment also helps me gauge immediately who will be needing more help and how I can best assist them.Rebeccahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02225304285148471787noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2310640378082615811.post-33233752745755602282011-06-21T11:38:27.969-05:002011-06-21T11:38:27.969-05:00Attempt #4!
Of course, I believe that a great edu...Attempt #4!<br /><br />Of course, I believe that a great educator should inventory their students to see what prior knowledge that they have so that they can help guide the classroom instruction. At a training I did yesterday, a teacher shared with us about a Harvard Professor who uses his blogs to find out what his students know BEFORE coming to lecture. He then guides his discussion based on the posts that his students place on his blog. This would be a perfect way to help differentiate for my GT and ESL students. Using their posts, I can then pull small groups for further explorations!Theresahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01721861906313875574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2310640378082615811.post-7990840227415884502011-06-21T11:30:50.082-05:002011-06-21T11:30:50.082-05:00This is a test to see if I can post to this blog. ...This is a test to see if I can post to this blog. My past 3 times have failed!Theresahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01721861906313875574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2310640378082615811.post-9438230817806003192011-06-21T11:05:46.148-05:002011-06-21T11:05:46.148-05:00In response to D.Pico's comment, I also though...In response to D.Pico's comment, I also thought the plant web was a great pre-assessment. I also liked how it provided the students an opportunity to "share and test their ideas" before they presented it. It gives them a chance to become comfortable with a new topic so they can access their background knowledge and give you a better view of what they know.Shaunahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08894913939659150344noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2310640378082615811.post-54322970726457936452011-06-21T11:01:03.218-05:002011-06-21T11:01:03.218-05:00Pre-assessment makes teaching more efficient. It ...Pre-assessment makes teaching more efficient. It helps you not waste time on concepts the kids already know. It also gives you a heads up on the students that might need a little more background knowledge for the lesson. It will also provide some insight on how you can differentiate your lesson to met the individual needs of the students.Shaunahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08894913939659150344noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2310640378082615811.post-53858664051008821782011-06-21T10:19:04.203-05:002011-06-21T10:19:04.203-05:00In response to Mrs. Donathan and Kaycie D.'s: ...In response to Mrs. Donathan and Kaycie D.'s: I agree that we should differentiate for academics and also use it for behavioral issues. I believe by using it for behavior issues would eliminate some of the stress of trying to punish everyone the same exact way. Great ideas- thanks, ladies!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2310640378082615811.post-73320678968742446612011-06-21T10:15:25.812-05:002011-06-21T10:15:25.812-05:00Yes, I believe that pre-assessment is the best for...Yes, I believe that pre-assessment is the best for our students. It allows us to know where all the students are and enables us to design lessons that will be interesting and educational instead of boring especially for the gt students. I think by pre-assessing students it will also help teachers save time which is always short(it seems)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2310640378082615811.post-27371144821679266172011-06-21T01:04:16.203-05:002011-06-21T01:04:16.203-05:00In response to D. Pico: I agree with everything yo...In response to D. Pico: I agree with everything you wrote: pre-assessment is necessary but we also need to be selective in how we assess. Great point!Katiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05635941268388222361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2310640378082615811.post-29236539343690600482011-06-21T01:02:28.220-05:002011-06-21T01:02:28.220-05:00Yes, I absolutely believe in Pre-Assessment. We c...Yes, I absolutely believe in Pre-Assessment. We can find out what our students know and plan our instruction and make better use of our time.Katiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05635941268388222361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2310640378082615811.post-15573726213969484172011-06-20T21:59:01.138-05:002011-06-20T21:59:01.138-05:00Pre-assessment is essential so that the time we ha...Pre-assessment is essential so that the time we have can be used efficiently. If we can pre-assess, we can meet the children where they are and take them where we they need to be. If we start with too much information that they know, we waste time that we could use for extension. If we leave a gap between what they know and where we start teaching we will have to go back at some point and waste time re-teaching. Taking the time to pre-assess will eliminate wasting time…pay now or pay later.<br /><br />I agree with tiff and Mrs. Donathan. Mrs. Donathan said "Pre-assessment is essential in ascertaining the best educational experience for all students. If am doing what’s best for all kids, then I have to know how much (or little) they know about a subject before we begin." and tiff added at the end of her response "Teaching is not a "one size fits all" business." Not only should we use pre-assessment and differenciation techniques for academics...we should use them for behavior. LOVE IT!Kaycie D.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2310640378082615811.post-89111078742157198852011-06-20T21:27:47.619-05:002011-06-20T21:27:47.619-05:00Comment on Miss Lee’s post of June 19th: I love yo...Comment on Miss Lee’s post of June 19th: I love your reference to ‘simple’ and ‘complex’. I totally agree-pre-assessment is the simple answer. The more complex answer is what the teacher does with the information. What decisions does the teacher make? How is the instruction different after the pre-assessment-how is it the same? <br />Michael Fullan has a wonderful quote: “It’s as simple and complex as that.”Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2310640378082615811.post-27778186886513459912011-06-20T20:29:47.038-05:002011-06-20T20:29:47.038-05:00Miss. Lee, if we are both doing "We're in...Miss. Lee, if we are both doing "We're in this Together" maybe we can try Skypeing or some other interactive technology.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17333382268292453140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2310640378082615811.post-66261051374986589492011-06-20T20:28:14.014-05:002011-06-20T20:28:14.014-05:00Ms. E - I agree too - one of the many things I lik...Ms. E - I agree too - one of the many things I like about this book is that the pre-assesments aren't pencil and paper tests. Our poor kids are tested to death. Pre tests, post tests, benchmark tests, practice TAKS, real TAKS, and field test TAKS.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17333382268292453140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2310640378082615811.post-39595375617343839132011-06-20T19:19:37.470-05:002011-06-20T19:19:37.470-05:00I agree with DiPoco regarding the paper and pencil...I agree with DiPoco regarding the paper and pencil assessments. I still see many teachers giving a paper and pencil assessment and I still see if reflected in some of the curriculum guides, which is a shame. I have never felt that these type of assessments give a true picture of what a child knows.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com