Differentiating in the K-3 Classroom

Let's talk differentiating! 

In a nutshell, differentiating is tailoring work to meet individual needs in the classroom.  You can differentiate content, product, process, and learning environment. Using continued assessment and flexible grouping allows continued success as students progress. 

Check out these examples of differentiating in the K-3 classroom and how we can better meet our 
M-Powerment Strategies!

Watch this video all about differentiation!  

Content: 
M-5 Differentiation and Personalization & M-4 Data Driven Instruction

• Using reading materials at various levels.
• Providing a listening option for reading materials.
• Leveling spelling or vocabulary lists. 
• Presenting materials with different learning styles in mind.
• Meeting in small groups to reteach or frontload information. 

Process:

M-9 Students Skilled for Success

• Providing tiered activities that allow students to work on material with different levels of support. 
• Developing centers with learning styles in mind for students to encounter at their own pace. 
• Using timers, agendas, or a check-in system so that students can complete work at a slower pace.
• Providing manipulatives for reading and math work. 

Product: 

M-10 Student Engagement & M-7 Checks for Understanding

• Encouraging student different ways to express their learning. 
• Providing rubrics that match different learners.  
• Allowing students to produce work in groups with predetermined guidelines of what the project will contain. 

Learning Environment: 

M-1 Collaborative culture of Caring

• Providing a quiet working environment and a place for students to collaborate and work in pairs or groups. 
• Using learning activities or tools to meet the diverse needs in your classroom.  
• Have clear and consistent guidelines for independent work/group work. 
• Keeping to a predictable routine to provide independence for all learners. 
• Create a learning community by helping students understand their unique learning styles and acceptance for other's styles and needs.  

Check out these simple differentiation ideas from Performing Education!

Good Stuff from The Primary Gal!

Let's not forget our gifted learners!  They need differentiation too!  Check out this blogpost for Miss Giraffe!

Surviving the Holidays

So...it's December!  The spirits are high in every elementary school.  While spirits are fun, we still have the curriculum to teach.  How do we embrace the chaos & still keep our students engaged?

Below you will find lots of ideas to bring some engagement to your lessons: 

One of my favorite service learning projects for this season is the Pajama Drive through Scholastic!

How about this FREE Winter STEM Marshmallow Shooter? 

We Are Teachers has a great idea of sending home some scented holiday playdough.  Maybe they will get some making words practice done over break!  You could even add in a list of holiday words for your students to practice!

Check out these Christmas Trees!!!!  These are perfect for a STEM challenge!

How about a compliment present!  A gift for students from students!  

Do you have an elf?  Check out these 24 Zero Elf on the Shelf ideas for your classroom from Me and B Make Tea! 

Or try some reader's theatre from Lisa Frase on TPT! 

Hope these ideas help you head right into the New Year with some holiday fun! 

 

Q2 Studio in Discovery Ed

This week on the blog, I wanted to share something extra special from Discovery Ed!  If you love the ease of creating a SMORE then you will be over the moon about the new DE Studio!

DE Studio is a creative and collaborative tool that will totally engage your students!  You can create boards for your students to work independently on or in small groups.  You can even assign digital content.  

Click the image below to head to Studio in your Discover Ed account!

Once you view the video, you will see that there are a variety of templates that you can use to help begin to build your board.  You can even assign Studio boards!

Adding new pages will allow your students to collaborate within a board and build their own pages.  

Students can use the chat panel to collaborate and you also can give feedback to students through this option. 

Visit a simple Christmas Around the World project I created in Studio!

Giving students the opportunity to research in DE through Studio encourages curiosity in a safe environment.  

Studio boards are now compatible with iPads!  Now even our youngest learners can be assigned teacher created boards to explore and learn from.   

How do I get started?

Head to Classlink and click Discovery Ed!  Then choose the lightbulb on the left and you will be all set to start creating!

Q2 Podcasts

Q2 is in full swing and I know you all are looking for innovative ways to engage our students!

What about PODCASTS? 
Remember the days of listening to the radio and visualizing the words coming from the speaker? Well, now your students can practice this using podcasts that are created just for them. 
Using podcasts in the classroom as whole group or as a listening center is a fantastic way to get kids thinking about innovative topics like space and volcanos.  

There are podcasts geared around all different types of topics and they are so engaging for students to stop and listen to.  Or even stop and jot during! 

*Use a podcast to flip your classroom and have your students front load with the podcast before your lesson begins-even as a homework assignment! 

Check out some student-friendly podcasts from Cult of Pedagogy!  I wish I had stumbled across the podcast on the bat cave closer to Halloween!  It would have been awesome to see their faces as they listened as the bats flew into the cave! 

 (Just going to put that one away for next year!)

Do you want more Podcasts?  Check out the list over at PickleBums!  So many fun podcasts to share with your students!

Lots of podcasts written by kids!  HELLO!  A perfect way to get kids writing!!!!  

I love the idea of Sketch Noting! 
(From The Secondary English Coffee Shop) 
Hand out a large sheet of paper and lots of colored writing utensils.  
Play a podcast in a large group setting and have students use words and pictures to record their thinking during the podcast. 

There are even podcasts for teachers!  Check some out from Angela Watson and the Cornerstone for Teachers!

Q1 Metacognition

Metacognition...

Thinking About your Thinking!  

Last school year, we spend lots of time practicing metacognition with our Reading Salad.  We taught our students that reading triggers thinking and thinking supports comprehension. 

You can read more about The Reading Salad by clicking the image below!

The Reading Salad is from the book Comprehension Connections.  We have several copies in the library if you are interested in reading more. 

 It is an AMAZING BOOK!

Here is a digital copy of The Reading Salad for you to use in your classroom. 

This school year, I would like to take METACOGNITION to a new level with

 THOUGHT BUBBLES!

Students will learn to record their thinking while reading with Thought Bubbles. 

Thought Bubbles are perfect for nonfiction text because it helps students to understand that they need to think while reading ALL kinds of text, not just fiction. 

Thought Bubbles and Think Alouds work hand in hand. Read more about Think Alouds by clicking the image above!

Use poster board to create some THOUGHT Bubbles for your students to use during Buddy Reading!

Click the image to read more about Metacognition over on the Reading Resource Blog!

Click the image below to check out how to use Thought Bubbles in your classroom!

I would LOVE to come in and CO-Teach this lesson with you. 

Check out these FUN THOUGHT Bubbles from Teacher Karma! 

Happy Planning!

Q1 PEAK a BOO Challenge

Welcome to our Q1 PEAK a BOO Challenge!  We are going to be exploring some PEAK strategies with this fun PEAK a BOO Challenge board!  

Beginning on Monday, October 15th through the 31st, MGSD K-8 teachers will be exploring different PEAK strategies and posting on collaborative Padlets to win AWESOME PRIZES!

Just look over the board below and click through the links filled with PEAK strategies.  Each color is a different type of strategy!  Try out as many as you want.   

Be sure to take some pictures while your students work to post to our K-3 Padlets! 

If you are using a PURPLE General Strategy be sure to post a link to a picture or video on the PURPLE
K-3 board for credit.  (And so on for other colors.) 

Everyone that participates gets a FREE JEANS Pass! 

We will be drawing 3 additional winners on 

October 31st! 

Q1 Higher Order Thinking

Welcome to this week's Instructional Blogpost!  With just coming off our Keys to Literacy Training and our discussion about higher order thinking & questioning, I thought it was the perfect time to get some resources into your hands to bring this magic into your classrooms!

REMEMBER...metacognition is thinking about your thinking.  Strong readers do this naturally!  Others need more modeling with Think Alouds!  

I love this TedTalk all about higher order thinking! 

 It is a MUST listen!

There are no right or wrong answers with thinking...

Cult of Pedagogy brings the idea of CURATION Tasks!  This is an amazing idea that lends itself to creating tasks for your students to "THINK" their way through. 

Each task is embedded with a short written piece.  It is a perfect way to get students to write about their thinking without them even knowing!  

Be sure to check out her recommended digital resources to help support your students higher order thinking!

Bring accountable talk into your classroom with these FREE A.T. task cards from Teaching in the Heart of Florida!

I love Socratic Seminar but it isn't always easy in the elementary world. BUT...there are ways to scaffold it so that your little learners can benefit from this powerful "thinking" framework! 

Check out this video all about SS and a freebie I found to support it in the elementary classroom from The Paisley Owl!

Happy planning and thinking! 

Q1 Learning Targets

This week on the BLOG we are going to be focusing on Learning Targets!  In other words, creating specific and measurable goals for your students! 
(AKA: I can statements.)

Check out this video overview of Learning Targets from The Lettered Classroom.   

I love that in the video she reminds us to spiral back and make sure that we revisit the learning target at the end of the lesson to check and see if the target was met or if anything is "MUDDY."   

Check out this PEAK Strategy Muddy Paws and how you can use it to check back in on learning!

Make reading the Learning Targets a JOB in your classroom!  Ask a student each day to come up front and read the learning target for the lesson you are about to begin.  Take 1 minute to discuss with your students what the learning target is focused on so they understand what they are learning & why they are learning it. 

Watch a video from iWalkthrough.com all about how to unpack a Learning Target with your students. 

I love these 2 visuals from 

The Balanced Literacy Diet!

 . 

Check out these FREEbies for posting Learning Targets in the classroom!

Remember...

See some Learning Targets in action in a real classroom! Watch the teacher unpack the target and revisit it throughout the lessons. Students even self-assess their learning on the target with an exit ticket.

Happy targeting! 

Q1 Classroom Management

Hi All!  Testing time is almost over and teaching time is at hand!  Now that you have good strong data on your students,  it is time to start grouping them for guided reading and math.  With that being said, you also have to make sure that your students are ready to become a bit more independent.  

That is when you must rely on your classroom management and the procedures you have put in place.  I am not going to lie, classroom management is one of my FAVORITE things!  I am kinda a junky on Pinterest for anything involving Classroom MGT!  

I have compiled some of my favorite tips and tricks for you to read through and make your own!
First,  let's start with this post from Cult of Pedagogy!  I LOVE this blog and it is filled with awesome resources for your classroom.  

4 simple keys to getting your management off on the right foot.  If I had to pick a favorite, I would totally go with Key 2-Teach Your Plan!  So often we know what we want them to do but our student's interpretation can be a bit different.  So, it is so important to model, model, model!

Also, check out these positive classroom management tricks from Proud to be Primary!

Don't pass this post by, lots of great freebies!

And...we all want to save our sanity right?  Teach 4 the Heart has some great ideas to add to your own management style.  

A secret student is a great idea for rewarding good behavior!  I love that the students don't know who you are watching.  

I hope you find something to add to your management toolkit.  Having a well-managed classroom makes life easier for everyone! Happy teachers & happy students!