...
- Examples of the weird times in which we live
- Negative price of oil!!?!
- Infographics that the WHO needs to put out...what does this tell us about the civic health of our information systems?
- Amazing story of a science project that helped contribute to the policy of social distancing (NYT article; scroll down to "The Social Network") – you never know when a K-12 teaching activity can inform major action! (I also take this as further evidence of the need to have a science-and-social studies team up)
- Microteaching
- Time permitting: Talking about accommodation / differentiation
- Conceptual work – adaptation & accommodation of diverse learners:
- Getting started: Meet Tyler (I'll have to share this video from my screen)
- What teacher knowledge / skill is required here? A lifetime of learning to be done here, but we will focus on building you a "survival kit" of strategies
- Teacher behaviors: Lots of possibilities, but I'll focus on sheltered instruction
- Experience it
- Go to https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/wp-content/uploads/pdf_activities/independent/IA_Understanding_Sheltered_Instruction.pdf
- One partner watch video #1 while the other one watches video #2.
- After you watch: Write down what you think the teacher's lesson was about, then compare. The viewer of video #2 should have a MUCH clearer idea of what happened – why?
- Watch video #3. Again, this should be easier for you. Why?
- Think through the implications for your instruction – what did these experiences teach you?
- Background info
- Note how this used to be something that only ESL teachers did: http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-9210/english.htm
- ...but now it's part of inclusive practices in mainstream classrooms, too: http://ritell.org/Resources/Documents/General%20Education%20Resources/Sheltered_Instruction_for_Mainstream%5B1%5D.pdf
- Now you think it through in terms of your own instruction – re-visit one or both of your microteaching lessons – how would / should you change it to include the techniques of sheltered instruction?
- (And if you liked what you saw in the videos from Vanderbilt, see their whole module on working with English Language Learners: http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/ell/
- Modifying materials
- Modifying documents: Read http://teachinghistory.org/teaching-materials/teaching-guides/23560 – be sure to follow the links to the sample documents
- Modifying assessments: Go to http://www.lakewoodcityschools.org/userfiles/2191/Classes/8975/Hurleys-ESL-Modifications.pdf and read the "Assessment Modifications" on pp. 2-3.
- Finally, go to http://www.pdesas.org/module/Assessment/questions/search/ and retrieve some PDE-recommended assessment items. (I recommend "History", "5th grade"– to see less textually-driven questions, also add "constructed response".) Try your hand at adapting these items (both text-only and visually-driven) for ELLs.
- Differentiation of student assignments – many possibilities here, but we're going with RAFT (Role-Audience-Format-Topic)
- What is a RAFT??
- http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/ieptLibrary/documents/en/is/rafts_strategy.pdf
- https://www.tangischools.org/cms/lib3/LA01001731/Centricity/Domain/339/What%20is%20RAFT.pdf
- https://www.durand.k12.wi.us/UserFiles/Servers/Server_251181/File/For%20Staff/Differentiation/Raft%20Strategy%20Examples%20and%20Format%20List.pdf
- https://www.lcps.org/cms/lib/VA01000195/Centricity/Domain/5581/Raft%20Examples.pdf
- Discuss: What merit does this approach have? In ways can a RAFT be inclusive?
- Prepare one or more ideas to present to the class.
- What is a RAFT??
- Graphic organizers – in general, you want to be multi-sensory; within that advice, I recommend being as visual & spatial as possible – graphic organizers let you do both!
- Lots of sources provide information about graphic organizers; here is one – note the new twist on a KWL! Social studies graphic organizers & Mini-lessons (Sarah Longhi, 2006, Scholastic Inc – posted by Robeson County Public Schools, NC)
- (Feel free to include material from other classes, if you can)
- Re-visit one or both of your microteaching lessons – how would / should you change it to include the techniques of sheltered instruction?
- Teacher behaviors: Lots of possibilities, but I'll focus on sheltered instruction
- Closure: How does this influence your thinking about your unit? How does it connect to the purposes of social studies?
After class
- Review accommodation / differentiation materials that we didn't get to
- Finish final assignments!