Art,+Language,+Tech

QUESTION #3: Please describe one strategy for differentiation or grouping that you learned about on the April 13th Universal Access Day. It can be a strategy you received from any of the presenters. You may want to go back through some of the paperwork you received from the special education presenters (we gave you a list with targeted strategies at the end of the day). We would like to hear about one strategy that you have tried or that makes sense in your classroom, even if you have not yet had time to apply it. Be as specific as you can as to why it would be useful for you and your students.

Answer directly below.

Richard Tinnelly- For my computer building unit I have provided my Focus Students and some others will a scaffolded note-taking guide that allows them to listen to my demonstration and power point without being so worried about copying and typing notes from the slides. I have also grouped my students heterogeneously to allow them to benefit from one another's prior knowledge with building computers.

Lydia Neuman: Photography I am currently redesigning a lesson in which Photo as Art, a year-long class, is to focus on framing their subjects from a abstract point of view. In assessing their readiness through work on past projects, I feel that I would be missing at least 10% of the students (probably more) in both interest and comprehension for what would be considered a higher level thinking assignment. I'm going to instead use the strategy of interest grouping, where students can choose from different assignments with a shared emphasis of an unusual point of view. The options would be Macro, where a recognizable subject is framed close up, Abstract, where the composition is a departure from recognizable imagery, or Formal, where the subject is recognizable but the emphasis is one of the elements of composition rather than the subject itself. I am creating a Powerpoint that the students will be able to access and review on our shared Photo server, giving visual examples and definitions of the three options. All projects will have the same requirements of time and number of finished prints. The critical part that I'm hoping to change is incorporating student interest and readiness for the concepts involved. ​Lydia~ Brilliant move to let kids choose their project - allows them some control over their work (isn't that huge for artists and teenagers alike?) and allows them to play to their individual strengths. Hopefully the end result will be more interest and enthusiasm in the art! Julia

Jon Hartl [Art]: In my most recent project, I used a tiered assignment as a differentiation strategy. My class started their animal scratchboards but because of the sharp instrument being used by the rest of the class, I first had my student with special needs use a white pencil on black construction paper. After that was finished I had him color with crayons over the top of drawing paper and then cover that layer with black crayon. Using a paperclip I then had him scratch of the layer of black crayon leaving behind the colorful crayons underneath. For the rest of the class, they used regular scratchboards with scratch knives for their animals. For my more advanced students, after they were finished with their scratch knives, I then had them use different colored india inks and paint their animal scratchboards. Jon~ Ahh! The beauty of hands-on projects. I love how this is a simple differentiation strategy that addresses both lower-skilled and higher skilled students. And it's quick & easy for the teacher to implement with little preparation. Julia

Christina Schramm (Spanish): I used a SDAIE strategy for reading. I have been trying to get my Spanish 3 students to read in Spanish more. I found my old //Harry Potter// book in Spanish//.// The students have felt overwhelmed by reading more than a paragraph. So, I split the 2 page reading into 8 sections. The students had to first highlight the most important phrase or sentence from each section. Then, they had to write notes in English on the side about what was happening in the story. I set a timer for 15 minutes and they did this silently. After the timer went off the students shared their responses with their groups and shared about one of the sections. Chunking the reading and alone/group time really helped. The students were much more positive about reading and actually finished reading it all.

Thank you for sharing this success! It sounds very well-directed and engaging.- Lisa Christina~ I think it was a good idea to select a piece of literature that kids are familiar with, and one so popular as Harry Potter. The vocab is probably intimidating, but with a few words they can get the gist of the meaning and feel successful. Julia ​

__Julia Hastings-Velez (Level 1 World Languages)__

I used scaffolding strategies to work on verb conjugation which is a tedious part of language, even for the most interested students. __Day 1:__ Introduction of the reflexive verbs vocab - pronunciation, function, examples. __Day 2:__ Short "dictado" (spelling test) to measure 3 skills/knowledge: phonics (spelling); meaning (in English); and function (What kinds of verbs are these? How are they different from other verbs?). Based on those results, I did a quick review/re-teach of the lesson (data-driven instruction), focusing on the students & information that needed special attention (aka...differentiating my instruction...). Then we went to the computers where students reviewed the meaning and spelling on a vocab exercise. They repeated the practice until they scored a 90% or higher (universal access). The second computer activity was to use these same reflexive verbs in context; the students had to select the proper reflexive verb & fill in a blank with the correct form. The computer generated results for me, so I had immediate feed-back on the skills I was measuring. This activty is especially useful for vocab or grammar drills. Students like the computers and they can work at their own pace, repeating what they miss...in private... and results are immediate for the student & teacher (for any interventions). Once finished each can go on to games (gradual release), which also re-inforce the same skills.



QUESTION (S) #2: GIVE AN EXAMPLE OF A TIME WHEN YOU FELT THAT YOU EFFECTIVELY DIFFERENTIATED A LESSON TO PROVIDE UNIVERSAL ACCESS. HOW DID YOU DETERMINE WHO NEEDED GREATER ACCESS? DID YOU GROUP? WERE YOU ABLE TO TELL THE EFFECT ON STUDENT LEARNING? or WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU LEARNED AT THE JANUARY 15TH INSERVICE THAT YOU PLAN TO INCORPORATE INTO YOUR LESSON PLANS OR CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES? DID YOU ACTUALLY TRY THE LESSON PLAN YOU MAPPED OUT? WERE YOU ABLE TO DISCERN INCREASED LEARNING FOR STUDENTS WHO NEEDED THIS ALTERNATE ACCESS TO THE CURRICULUM? (answer or post photos directly below) __Jon Hartl __ For this Famous Face Project students were able to use any 5x7image or larger image of a Famous Face. Most students used ebony pencils but the students who I assessed to be good observers and needed to be challenged, they used Rapidograph pens using a stippling technique. For the students who were using ebony pencils and finished early I had them incorporate color into their projects. Before we started to draw our Portraits I showed them a YOUTUBE video of Chuck Close and how his artists use the grid. We then would draw a grid of a Famous Face together and I would walk around and make comments in my notebook to see who understood and who did not. I also gave them an image where they worked in teams of two to enlarge the image and grid it up. I could see who understood how to use the ruler and who enlarged the image while keeping proportion. I then used flexible grouping to assist the group that needed more instruction on how to grid while letting the rest move along in the project.

- I like how someone chose to incorporate part of the grid into their project! Great that you give them choice:). Lisa

__Rich Tinnelly - Tech Tools 2__ I effectively differentiated my 3d box project by assessing and allowing students who needed to be challenged a little more. I encouraged them to not only make the pictures in the box appear and disappear but to make the box itself move in some way. I also allowed a few of my students to show their work on the overhead projector and share with the class exactly what they did and how they did it.

Richard- Choice is a very powerful tool for students! Glad to hear it worked so well for your more advanced learners! I am sure they felt respected.

__Julia Hastings-Velez Spanish 1__

Instead of doing the Quien Soy? (Who Am I?) project (students share info about who they are) I want to borrow Lisa's idea which will turn this into a group //and// individual project rather than a solo one. On his/her paper entitled Quien Soy? the author will select a stereotype and name. The fellow group members will be responsible for filling in other information: I am .... yrs old; I am ... (adj); I like to...; I play... (All will be done in Spanish). The design is to allow students to review all vocab, expressions, conjugations from the semester and create a person -- which I hope will allow for more creativity than when writitng strictly about oneself : }

I hope this will be a helpful review - but fun - because they are working with classmates and have the freedom to use more vocab because they are inventing a person. The finale will be a presentation... Whole group if there is time, possibly in small groups.

__Christina Schramm__

I effectively differentiated the review for final exams by having the students create review videos. My hope was that the students could learn from each other. I used grouping strategies for the students who were not as creative and/or good with the language. Each group received a topic that would be on the final. I created guidelines that allowed for choice. The students needed to write and act out a skit or song/rap in a video. For the more traditional/ visual learners, each group had to also make a 10 question hand-out for each student in the class. The students were able to use technology (upload to youtube) and have a lot of fun. I projected the videos on the screen and we watched them in class. The students really liked seeing themselves "on the big screen". So far I have been very impressed. We are finishing them up today. The guidelines are below. Here's a good example of one of the videos if you would like to check it out: []

Proyecto final: due January 21 1. In groups of 4, you will teach the class your topic through a video- either a skit or a rap/song. (Keep the videotaping in mind when choosing your groups.) 2. Create a hand-out (1/2 sheet of paper) with 10 practice questions (like a quiz) and lyrics if you do a song/rap. You will need enough for 35 students and one for me. Make sure you know the answers so that you can go over them with the class.

You can NOT present live or attach the video camera to the television. I strongly recommend testing the video during tutorial or when time permits during class. Do not procrastinate because if it does not function for any reason you will receive a ZERO.
 * The video must be 2-3 minutes. You must upload it to “youtube” or copy it to a DVD.

Julia and Christina- I am so impressed with your creativity and dedication to your profession. I look forward to discussing how/if you were able to tell what effect this had on your struggling students.

Lydia Neuman: Final Project: Photo Essay On the day of the final we critiqued our projects, which were on a topic of the students' choice with 3-5 photos telling a story or documenting an event. Discussion in the past has been very limited, with the same 5-6 students volunteering feedback to the person presenting. I used Rick Morris's suggestion of making every student accountable for participation by using cards to keep track of their response. I was impressed with both the quality of the discussion (no more "I like it") and the engagement of the students. It was the first crit in most classes that the students gave more thoughtful responses and were attentative and involved.

Question #1 __How are you attempting to engage all your students?__

__Christina Schramm:__ In Spanish 1-3 I play the following game that allows every student to participate and get out of their seats. “Caja” (Box) Each student gets either an object or an index card with an infinitive on it. The students need to get out of their seats and find/stand next to their partner who has the verb that goes with the object. I usually play this with reflexive verbs or direct object pronouns. I call it “Caja” because all of the objects are in a box and then I pass them out. It’s like a surprise treasure for them. Once the students have found their partners, they must make a sentence conjugating the verb and saying the object vocab word. (For example: Me cepillo el pelo con un cepillo todos los días. = I brush my hair with a hairbrush every day.) In circle order, each pair says their sentence at the same time to the class.

Christina- I like how you constantly force the students into partnerships that allow "authentic" communication. Not only are your ideas creative, but your pairing of students increases interest and conversation.How do you monitor them to determine if they are on task? :) Lisa Paisley

//Keeping the students on task has been the most challenging aspect of group work. I switch seats about every chapter. I try to balance the groups so that some students are strong and some are weak in the language. Hopefully the strong students rub off on the weaker students. I like your idea of positive reinforcement. I have been walking around saying "-5" if they are off task. I am going to try saying, "If you are on task then you will receive your 5 participation points for the day." I might literally carry a clipboard with a list of the students' names so that there is something more visible than their online grades. I have heard of teachers having the students grade each other's participation- especially for projects. I don't know if that is a good idea for quick review activities. I do not want to put the students in an awkward situation, especially when they are trying to make friends and find their place in high school. Fortunately, when the activity is engaging there is rarely a problem with being on task. If only I could make everything engaging...//

Lydia Neuman: Photo 1, Photography as Art Last Thursday and Friday we reserved part of the period for critiques of our “Mosaic” project. This involved layering at least two prints of the same negative by fragmenting the images and putting them back together in a unique way. I gave the students 2 visual examples of how they might approach the assignment, and 3 more diagrams on the whiteboard, but encouraged them to come up with their own solutions. I was very pleased with the creative outcome. The students that took advantage of the built in freedom really pushed the envelope, not always with “picture-perfect” results, but definitely with unique ideas. I know that all the students were not similarly engaged, as was clear in the critique. They could not all explain their intention in choosing their particular negative and the thought process involved in manipulating it the way they did.

Lydia- I think that the choice you offered probably really empowers your students to be self-directed in their own learning. You automatically increase engagement by what really is a respectful offering of choice. What have you noticed about the times when you give them a choice vs. the times when you don't? Which results do you prefer both in terms of product and process?
 * ) Lisa

Creativity is really important to me, and so building in choices and allowing students to present their own ways in completing an assignment are always preferable in my class. I can see the student's excitement when they have a personal hand in their project's outcome, and I get equally excited to see the variety that results. That being said, there are those projects that are skill builders that may be more methodical or tedious. The trick is to give the students the understanding that the skills they are learning will allow for greater understanding and control of the creative process in the long run.

Julia Hastings-Velez Spanish and German

On the board I write what is going on in class. I use cards to list the categories and markers to up-date the information daily. The cards are in the target language as are some of the daily information. I have multiple goals: Make sure kids know what we are learning that day, introduce new vocabulary, and give them opportunity to speak in the target language.

I survey the kids, using the cards (they have to pay attention to see if I will call on them) and ask questions in the target language: //"What is the word of the month?" "What day is today?" "What is the date?" "What are we doing today?" "Is there homework?"// I vary the order and ask the same question to different kids, allowing the strugglers to hear the response before being asked to speak. Through the course of the week, every student is called on at least a couple of times, and must speak. At the beginning of the year this exercise is a bit laborious, but within a month it is a 2-minute commitment that starts the class off quickly. I can also use this exercise as a segway into other questions, using other vocabulary: //"How old are you?" "How old is she?" "What is his name?"// etc.

The **Word of the Month** exposes students to words they would not otherwise know until more advanced classes ("Thankfulness" was November's word); the **Day/Date** allows me to cover vocab that isn't introduced in the book until much later in the year; the **Objective** keeps all of us focusing on the day's lesson and the **Attention** category allows me to give reminders for up-coming quizzes/tests; visits to the library; bring something to class... The **Homework** listing makes it tough for kids to claim they didn't hear the assignment, and I leave it up with a **Yesterday** arrow so everyone knows what is due.



Julia- I think the word of the month is a good idea for any language class at any level- I know my 6th graders would benefit from my introduction of an interesting SAT type academic word on a regular basis. Probably would create some sort of memory game in relation to it. I will never forget Mr. Archer teaching us how to remember the definition of reticent.... "I will not a give a you one red cent!!!" :) Lisa

Thanks. My Word of the Month is a translation of the THHS Word of the Month, so I hope it will stick with them. The real beauty of this board is it places a lot of the responsibility on the students for class info. At the end of the day, I can up-date my webpage (HW assignments) with a glance. ~Julia

Jon Hartl Fundamentals of Art

When learning the elements and principles of design, each student has notecards on their desk, each with a different Element and Principle on them [ex. Atmospheric Perspective which is seen below]. After showing a picture they hold up the notecard that best matches with the image shown. All of them really get into it without me having to make a game out of it, but eventually it is made into a game with points. John- I am glad to see you making this work at the high school level! I think others would benefit from knowing how you handle the card situation when you see a student holding up the wrong card... do you correct them? do they figure it out? do they have to then hold up the correct card? And, I would also love if you could comment on how your students respond to competition with points? Are they grade points or team points? Thanks, Lisa

game Lisa- Well if a student was holding up a different card I might ask them to articulate what they do see, but if we were already playing the game then that team simply would not get any points. Often times, they can justify why they were holding up a different card and then we can discuss what it is I was trying to show them. After sometime when they get used to the game, I usually make it a group competition and they accumulate team points. Someone is usually keeping points and this gets the students to really start getting into because they do not want to let their team down.

When it comes to computers and creativity the first thing students want to do is show off there work to others. One of the best ways I find to showcase students work is by creating a contest of sorts. For example students in my focus class are creating a “Where’s Waldo” type picture. They are to hide five objects in a power point presentation. Students are then broken up into teams and the team who has the hardest projects (while following the rules) wins. This really promotes creativity, encourages students to take extra time on their work, and allows them to share their work with others. I will post some pictures as soon as I can.

Rich Tinnelly

THANK YOU ALL! I APPRECIATE YOUR SHARING OF STRATEGIES; THIS WAS NOT A QUIZ:) HAPPY HOLIDAYS, LISA