Week 3: Hallmark #1/Inventories

We’re taking a bit of a detour this week, and looking more closely at hallmark #1. Keeping this hallmark in mind, take a look at Fulfilling the Promise, pp. 100‐103; How might you use the information this would produce, in differentiating? What would you, personally, want to add to or remove from this inventory? Explain.
Hallmark #1 states that assessment and instruction are inseparably connected. I will continually need to assess student knowledge, understanding, and skill in both formal and informal ways. This way, I can make necessary adjustments to my instructional plan to fit the needs of my students. I would use the inventory tools from the book to find out information about my students, information that I couldn't get by the usual assessments of content knowledge. I want to really get to know my students, and this way, they could fill out a questionnaire and let me know how they feel about learning. I could also meet with the students one-on-one to give this more of a personal feel to it. I would administer one of these at the beginning of the school year, as well as one at the end. I think it would be fabulous to see students who have grown to love learning over the school year. The only thing that I would add to this would be an area for miscellaneous questions, such as what they like to do for fun, or what their favorite food is. That way, the students can enjoy filling it out more, and I can learn more about them on a personal level as well.
Also “read” (review/skim, etc.) the “File of Inventories/ Pre‐Assessments”posted on Blackboard in the “Inventories” folder, inside of the “Differentiation” folder. Be sure to scroll through the entire document, and notice the variety of types of inventories there are. If you are interested, the "Index to Inventories" document is just that -- an index that gives you information and advice about when or how to use different inventories. What are some relationships you see between this variety of inventory types, and what we are beginning to learn about differentiating content, or process, or product for readiness, or learning profile, or interest?
After reviewing the inventories on blackboard, I have gained a new meaning for what an assessment is. I always thought an assessment meant giving students a test or activity after a lesson and then grading them on it. However, an assessment now means to me that it's just a way for students to tell you what they know, whether it's about themselves, how they feel, or what they know about content material. I especially like that the inventories have pictures on them. I feel that when a student sees pictures on their "test", they will feel much more at ease. I especially like the one entitled "Thinking About My Reading" because it allows the students to almost assess themselves, while at the same time expressing to the teacher how he or she feels about reading. I am beginning to see that, through differentiation, I need to have an open mind as a teacher. I can't be so closed-minded to only think that assessments are tests given at the end of units. Assessments can be fun and personable, as shown by all these inventory samples. I love that there is even MATH inventories! This would allow students to assess how well they understand math, and I can see if they understand how they are understanding it, if that makes sense. Really, I am at a loss for words; I am so grateful that I have been shown these inventories. I will DEFINITELY use them in my classroom! (...saving them to the computer right NOW!)

Week 2: Reading Response

1) Carol Tomlinson mentions "definitions" or partial definitions of differentiation in chapter one. What makes sense to you, in attempting to define differentiation?
So far, to me, differentiation means to understand the students as individuals, becoming comfortable with the meaning and structure of my way of teaching, and being flexible to reach all of my students' goals to maximize their potential. The book gives several great examples of how to differentiate. If a student has "given up" on learning, the teacher should actively try to help the student rediscover their love to learn. Teachers should teach in a way to reach all genders, cultures, etc. If you have an ESL student in the class, the teacher should teach in a way that the ESL student can learn their new language, but still access and use their first language. If a student is having a hard time learning for whatever reason, the teacher should do whatever is in his/her power to make sure that student learns and has an active support system (NCLB). Lastly, if a student learns faster than the information is being taught, there should be material accessible for that student so they don't get bored.
2a) Carol Tomlinson mentioned a metaphor of baseball camp in last week's reading, and introduces the metaphor of taming the fox in chapter 1 of Fulfilling the Promise. Can you think of a metaphor that indicates your current understanding of differentiation?
When I was reading the quote from The Little Prince (which is a FABULOUS book, by the way), I thought of another metaphor. Taming the fox is like cleaning a bathroom. I get so busy and always find other things to do besides cleaning the bathroom, because so many other activities sound much more appealing than putting effort into that. However, once I clean the bathroom and tend to its needs, it is sparkling clean. Once I see how beautiful my bathroom is when it's clean, I tend to wipe the toothpaste out of the sink after brushing my teeth, or cleaning my makeup off the counter in the morning. When the bathroom is dirty, it turns me off and doesn't do much for me, OR my house guests. It needs me to clean it, but how does it ask? (Similar to students who don't know how to ask their teachers for personal help). Yet, once I clean it (once I help the student) I see what's beneath all that dirt, dust, and dried toothpaste (or what's behind any kind of shield the student had put up). The bathroom is clean and I want to use it more. Now that I see how clean the bathroom really can be, I want to keep it clean all the time (similar to how once I see the potential my student has, I want to help them succeed all the time). This might be a reach... am I making sense? Basically, if you neglect the bathroom (student), it will get dirtier and dirtier (the student will fall further and further behind, and feel less and less connected to you as their teacher). However, when the bathroom is cleaned (the student is paid attention to by the teacher as in individual), the bathroom is clean (the student will shine and feel special). I will want to keep the bathroom clean all the time because I now see how wonderful the bathroom looks once it's clean (I will want to keep that student feeling that sense of connection and success).

Week 1: Ten Questions

1. What is your favorite book for kids… something you would like to use in your future classroom? Why do you like it?
My favorite book for kids is different than my all-time favorite children's book. However, since the question is asking about a book that I would use in the classroom, I will answer it as it asks. My favorite book for kids that I would use in my classroom is The Rainbow Fish. I like this book the most to use in a classroom because it teaches one of the most important lessons a child can learn: selflessness. There are so many activities that can be connected with the reading of this book, and this book can be used to teach any grade level. You are never to old to learn about selfless acts!
2. Name your three favorite T.V. shows, even if you don’t have time to watch them! What can you (or what are you willing to) tell me about your T.V. viewing habits? I’ll tell you mine if you’ll tell me yours!
Okay! My FAVORITE show right now is Lost. Oh, my gosh! You need to rent starting at Season 1 and go all the way through. I promise you, you will be hooked! It is so written so well and suspenseful that you won't have any fingernails left after only a few episodes. I don't watch Lost on TV; I only rent them and watch them back to back. The reason for this is because it is so intense that I couldn't wait a whole week between episodes! I need to watch them one after the other because I am so impatient.
My second favorite show is Desperate Housewives. This show, I do watch on TV. It is on every Sunday night, but reruns are shown on the Lifetime channel all the time during weekdays. Now, you may here that it is scandalous and risque; however, that was only Season 1. The show was not attracting the audience they were hoping for in the beginning, so they changed the show to make it less like Sex in the City and more like real-life. It is about 4 (actually more like 5) women who all live in Suburbia, an ideal town on the ideal street. They all deal with real-life challenges such as natural disasters, cancer, cheating husbands, drug addiction, unplanned pregnancies, and murders.
My third favorite TV show is Friends. This is a classic! I have the box set of all ten seasons, and so I watch them whenever I am sad or bored. If I see it on TV, I definitely watch it because they rarely show reruns anymore. My favorite characters are Ross and Rachel; I love a good love story to follow!
I really don't watch a lot of TV, mainly because my husband loves sports and is always watching ESPN or a sports game. We do have instant Netflix through XBOX 360, so we can watch videos whenever we want straight to our TV. I'm not too much of a movies person; I like a good series to follow!
3. Do you collect anything? Tell about your collections.
Do I collect anything? I really don't think so! When I was younger, I used to have a little pink box that I put Hershey's Kiss wrappers in. I used to roll the wrappers up into a ball, making sure the silver foil was on the inside of the ball and the colored side was on the outside. Since they have Kisses for every holiday, I had a box filled with hundreds of colored tiny tin balls. That was the closest I ever got to collecting anything.
4. Do you keep any kind of a journal (or blog?) besides this one? Tell me about it, and what you like to write about.
I have never been good at keeping a diary or journal. Since my husband and I are both from Connecticut, our families are back there and it's nice to keep them updated on what's going on in our lives, so I keep a blog about me and my husband. Here's the link to our blog if you ever want to check it out!
5. If you had to be the sponsor of an after-school group, select your 1st, 2nd & 3rd choices:
__ contemporary moral issues
__peer relationships
__national security
1 world peace
__career opportunities & choices
__art or music appreciation
2 gender issues
3 ethnicity issues
__death & dying
__sports
__book club
__writers group
__ecology
__tutoring
6. Have you ever taken art lessons or attended art classes outside of school? Tell about your artistic talent and/or interests.
When I was young, probably up until 6th grade, I took art lessons at the town recreation department. I painted pottery, created 3D billboards, and sketched live objects/people using pastels, charcoal and other drawing utensils. I am very good at sketching objects when I am looking at them, such as a hand or eye. However, I terminated my art lessons to pursue sports, and my talent truncated itself at that. I would love to learn how to paint, though!
7. Have you ever taken music lessons or belonged to musical groups outside of school? Tell about your musical talent and/or interests.
I never took lessons, but I grew up playing the piano. My mother is an excellent pianist, and as a child, I would listen to her play the piano from the top of the stairs. I wanted to learn how to play, but never cared for lessons. So, I taught myself to play. Now, my mother and I attend Jim Brickman concerts when he is in the area, and we can both play music by him. He is the only pianist that I like today, and really the only kind of music that I can play on the piano. I can't play church hymns for my life! Since my piano is home in Connecticut, my talent has disappeared a bit, which makes me sad. Hopefully, one day I will have a piano of my own and I can build my talent up again.
8. Have you ever taken dance lessons or belonged to dance groups? Tell about your dance talent and/or interests.
I have never taken dance lessons. Growing up, all my friends took jazz and tap, but I never wanted to. I hated the tacky costumes!
9. Have you ever taken drama classes or performed in a theater production? Tell about your theater talents and/or interests.
Nope! I have never been interested in acting. The only reason I would ever want to act is if I could meet some very very good looking male actors such as Jesse Metcalfe or Johnny Depp!
10. What have I not asked you, that you would like me to know about you?
I am a vegetarian. Actually, more like a pescatarian (I eat fish) because I will eat shrimp for my Gramma. She called me up the day she found out I went veg and yelled, "Now, what kind of Italian doesn't eat meat?! Katie, please, just tell me you'll eat shrimp." Then, she does what she does best... "I don't ask for much. Please, just do this one thing for me?" How could I say no! Shrimp have no nerve endings, so they don't feel pain when they are killed. However, there is pending research about this, so I will eat shrimp only on Christmas Eve and other times she offers it to me! I am big on animal rights; I believe that animals were put on the earth to fulfill the measure of their creation (religious reasons), and I don't think at all that the measure of their creation is to be pumped full of steroids and hormones, sliced open and skinned while still conscious, and put on your plate for your enjoyment. It's been almost 2 years and I don't miss meat at all. Eating out is difficult, but many places are vegetarian friendly. There are tough things out there to be careful for though. Jello and pudding has gelatin in it, which is crushed up horse hooves and animal bones. Gravy has natural beef/chicken/pork flavoring. McDonald's french fries are fried in beef lard (ya, THAT'S why they taste like that!). Being a vegetarian is a lifestyle that I have chosen because I want to make a difference in the world for animals. An average American eats about 500 cows worth of meat a year. So, I am definitely doing my part to save the lives of animals!