UbDDI+B1+Chapter+4


 * Jake**
 * Abstract:** This chapter unpacks 9 different attitudes that the author feels are essential pieces in student success. The first attitude is labeled "Establishing Clarity About Curricular Standards". This attitude discusses that, as teachers, it is our responsibility to be masters of our content area, and to know which pieces are essential to students understanding. The second attitude discusses "Accepting Responsibility for Learner Success". This essentially points out that, as educators, we should consider ourselves partly responsible for our students failures. Our goal is that they succeed, and therefore, if they fail, something is missing; we are just as much a part of their learning as they are. Next, Tomlinson and McTighe talk about "Developing Communities of Success". This ultimately means that teachers must seek to facilitate an environment that encourages and supports learning, and that teachers can do that through respect and excitement. The authors then talk about how "Building Awareness of What Works for Each Student" is an important piece in student success. Teachers need to be researching who their students are as learners, and need to be writing down and recording their observations throughout student learning. The fifth essential attitude is "Developing Classroom Management Routines That Contribute to Success", ultimately pointing out that teachers need to adjust their classroom management routine in order to accommodate a differentiated classroom; if done properly, students will rarely be expected to accomplish the same task in a given period. This ties directly in with the authors' next point that teachers must "Help students Become Effective Partners in Their Own Success", because students will be working more independently it is vital that they understand that much of their learning is dependent upon their own interest. Teachers must teach their students how to learn, and then trust that their students are invested enough to pursue knowledge independently. Teachers must also be flexible, and capable of shifting a whole class lesson into a lesson for a group of students, or even to individual students. This attitude is labeled "Developing Flexible Classroom Teaching Routines". Along with this teachers must "Expand a Repertoire of Instructional Strategies", meaning that teaching will be more effective if a teacher has a plethora of[| instructional strategies]. The Final attitude that Tomlinson and McTighe talk about is "Reflecting on Individual Progress with an Eye Toward Curricular Goals and Personal Growth". It is important for students to see how they are growing and which of their goals are being met. With each of the Tomlinson and McTighe's discussions they provide detailed examples of how each attitude relates into the classroom.

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 * Synthesis**: The class expressed a lot of similar opinions in the varying discussions concerning a teachers role within the classroom. All of [|block one] seems to be in agreement that teachers are a crucial piece in student understanding, and that it is our responsibility, as future educators, to take ownership of our students success. There where many examples among the varying entries describing experiences when teachers did not utilize individual learning, and the how it affected them as students. It appears unarguable that we, as a class, feel a strong need to take a strong interest in each of our students on an individual level, getting to know their different [|learning styles], and how to best help them understand the curriculum. This was easily the most passionate vein in our writing, as the majority placed a great deal of emphasis on knowing students on a personal level, and taking a genuine interest in their learning. It seems to be unanimously agreed that this is a necessary component in become a good educator. Another popular theme was teaching students how to become partners in their own learning. The class consistently expressed how they felt it was important to get students invested in their own learning, establishing goals and teaching them how to learn instead of simply expecting them to. Therefore, students need to see the purpose in what they are being taught; they need to be equally invested into the material. A student's learning begins when they begin to pursue it and it stops when they stop pursuing, thus as a teacher, teaching a student who does not want to learn is a near impossible battle to fight.

Abby
This chapter did a nice job explaining the skills that go into being a successful teacher. I particularly thought the ideas of creating clarity in regards to the curriculum and helping the students become partners in their own success were important. I definitely want my students to understand why they are learning the concepts that they are learning as well as how these things will help them. I know that I have always tried harder and learned more when I thought that each particular assignment had a purpose. If I could not see a clear reason for the assignment I did not usually put as much effort into it. Also, when it comes to the part about helping the student make their own goals and take control of their own learning a quote by John Gardner. He states that, “Much education today is monumentally ineffective. All too often we are giving young people cut flowers when we should be teaching them to grow their own plants” I thought that this quote made a lot of sense. We teach students so much, but we often forget to teach them how to learn and how to continue to grow when they are no longer under our guidance. What will they do when they reach the “real world” and have no one guiding them on a daily basis, telling them what they should do and what they should learn? I want to incorporate this idea into my teaching and make sure that my students understand why I am teaching them the things I am teaching and how to learn and grow independently of me.

Lizz
I really enjoyed the section about accepting responsibility for learner success because the way I took it was that teachers sometimes find themselves thinking that they taught the lesson well. Also that all the students understood it when in reality some of the students actually didn’t. I once had a middle school teacher who which teach and teach but I didn’t learn a thing and when it came time for the tests I wouldn’t perform to her standard and one day she finally asked me why I was doing so poorly and I told her because I wasn’t learning anything. She was so amazed because she thought she was doing so well because when she asked if we had any questions none of us would answer her. After that conversation with me, she changed the way she did things for future classes. Another sections I enjoyed was called Developing Flexible Classroom Teaching Routines and I enjoyed this because after reading it I feel as though this would impact myself and my classroom the most. One quote from the book that I like is “the basic premise of differentiated classrooms is that different individuals learn differently” (51). This is something that to keep in mind when setting up units and lesson plans because I know my students will learn differently than the classroom next door. I will have to plan and have different options available for learning the material or when it comes to projects have different option to show off what was learned.

Brittany
This chapter gave great examples of how different teachers approached differentiated instruction. I think the main idea that was important in this chapter is that teachers need to accept responsibility for the students success, because the student may be 100% capable of completing an assignment, but whether or not the understand the content and the big ideas is the teachers responsibility. I also found the idea that teaching students not only the content you want them to know, but also new strategies for how to increase there own learning was an important part. I also found that I agreed with the importance of teaching not only to the whole class but also to individual small groups, as well as individual students. I have always thought that students learn differently, and I had always agreed they needed to be taught differently. The problem for me was finding a way to accommodate each student and not have it seem like some students are being ignored while the teacher is working with other students. This chapter gave examples that I will be able to attempt to implement into my future classroom. Such as the teacher who took notes on her students to be able to better understand her students and keep track of conversations and details on students. I think it is important to really know your students, and to actually use your knowledge about them to help continue their learning at a pace and level that works well for them.

Jasmine
Something I found important in this chapter was the importance of planning for each students’ individual success. A great way to get to know students’ learning habits would be to reassess them at the beginning of the year and continues to keep a notebook of observations of each student. This way the teacher knows how to best accommodate for each student. Also students should be encouraged to set personal goals at the beginning of the school year. I had a teacher who encouraged this and everyone in the class was much more motivated because we were working toward something. We were encouraged constantly to work towards our goal. Differentiated instruction and student success go together crucially. Teachers should “find alternative ways to teach individual students, send consistent messages to students if certain things didn’t work, and provide a support system that persistently articulates to students and model for them what quality work looks like.” (45) Continuing from observing what students do and how they act, it is also vital to build awareness of what works for each student. As a teacher you should get together individually with students to talk about what works for them, and how they are feeling in the class. Also, observing students individually, in small groups, and in big groups. This will make it possible to observe what type of environment they succeed best in. A lot of teachers may think this is too difficult because there is not enough time to walk around and look at every student, but it is possible. It is necessary. Each student is completely different and teachers need to observe that and accommodate accordingly. I think that if more of my teachers had done this, I would have felt more cared about as a learner, and would have been more successful in some classes. As long as teachers take the time to get to know students and how they learn, the classroom has all the potential in the world for success.

Ally
I think the most important part of this chapter that I learned was “accepting responsibility for learner success” (44) because every teacher needs to do hold him or herself accountable for the way they teach. I have had teachers that have the entire class fail a test and say it was the students’ fault because they taught it properly. I think teachers need to realize that if most of the class doesn’t understand the material they need to change their teaching habits. I thought the advice in this chapter would really help me as a teacher because it addresses multiple ways for students to succeed. It made me upset when the book said “research also suggest to us that few teachers in face translate that ideal into classroom practice” (39) which means few teachers, teach so that their students succeed. As a teacher this is going to help me because I am going to be able to help my students succeed. I want to teach so everyone can learn and I am going to take into account multiple intelligences and take responsibility for my classroom. I think the best way to assess if your students understand the material is through assessment but it shouldn’t be a test you can have them write a paragraph about the material. I think having a group discussion and having everyone participate is important because that will give him or her an opportunity to ask questions if they don’t understand. There are so many different ways that teachers can use to make sure their students are learning I don’t understand how some teachers think it is the student, it is really frustrating.

Dan
Having a good attitude and the right skills are obviously a crucial part in becoming a successful teacher, but I never understood how deep those traits ran. I always thought you needed your positive attitude towards just your students and colleagues, but I never considered it towards creating your curriculum. The different aspects of these attitudes do not seem like unfamiliar and alien philosophies, but rather common sense knowledge every teacher should exact. I feel that a lot of teachers lose sight of these attitudes (which makes sense since it is being discussed in this chapter). All of these attitudes are very important, but the three that really stand out to me were accepting responsibility for learner success, communities of respect, and helping students become aware of their own success, mainly because I have had bad experiences with each of them. In one class, all of these apply negatively. My chemistry teacher never “taught” me anything, but I would always get 90’s or 100’s on his tests. I really wanted to learn the concepts, not just recite them. That attitude was never expressed by him, and he did not respect us in any way or form. He never valued our opinions, always belittled us, and never listened to us. He never let us experience any strengths in his class, but exposed our weakness always. When I have my own classroom, I will create a respect atmosphere, make sure my students are taught and not just “taught,” and fulfill my duty to make them aware of their growing intellect. = =

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Jenn
In the fourth chapter of this book it works to build on the foundation formed from the previous chapter to help you understand how these models are needed to create an ideal environment for all learners. I really like how this chapter’s content is focused on how to be an effective teacher. I think everything written was, not only well thought out, but proven many times over. In saying that, most teachers would agree that the students are the most important part of the curriculum, and that is exactly what this chapter focuses on. Recognizing right away the importance a teacher can play in preparing a student for the world outside the classroom should directly tie into teaching methods, and the chapter makes that clear. Among the nine skills a teacher needs to fit the requirements of these combined models, there were a few specific ones I found more important than others. I think that if a teacher takes on the responsibility of their student’s success, that student will instantly be better off. That kind of attention is always needed in order to motivate students to learn in the first place. I wish I had more of this in my classrooms. Asking students to, not only take part in routines, but also be in charge of them, is another thing I would have loved to have throughout school. Without the trust from the teacher to help run your own education, lessons can become boring, suffocating, and unhelpful. This is key for students to learn how to work together responsibly and to reflect on what personally works for them, both of which are extremely important. Finally, being an advanced student, I always felt like teachers fell short of pushing me to new limits. I think understanding an individual’s goals, and then helping them make some sort of progress is ideal to help motivate and engage all students.

Chapter four explains to teachers how to make the curriculum clear to students and how to get them to understand the content in the curriculum. Teachers should teach so that students understand the content, not just get good grades. The authors says, “...the more powerful the curriculum, the greater the possibilities for the classroom, the teacher, and the students.” Even if the curriculum is fool-proof in every way, it will mean nothing if the teacher can not teach it effectively to the students. There are nine attitudes and skills that teachers can attain in order to diversely teach their curriculum. Teachers can establish clarity about their curriculum, accept responsibility for learner success, develop respect, build awareness for each student, become effective partners with students, expand their instructional repertoire, and they can reflect on individual progress.

Having clear goals in the curriculum makes it easier for students to understand and grasp them. Basing the curriculum on important events and concepts is more likely to keep students engaged as opposed to the events that are irrelevant. Students also respond well when they realized that teachers take responsibility for their learning. If a teacher gets to know his student, map the students progress, and find alternate was to teach show the student that the teacher is dedicated to making forward progress in the student's learning. Communication with students also improves the student's understanding of the content. One on one time with a struggling student is a great way to get them back on track.

Jake
This chapter really unpacked this idea of differentiation. Though I still have many questions in regards to it, the definition that I have established after this reading is that differentiation deals with students at all levels individually moving them forward at their pace and not the pace of their classmates. The book illustrated one example where the passing out papers to the class as a collective would no longer be an issue because, or so I interpreted it, there would no longer be any blanket assignments. Each student would have a differentiated learning plan. Perhaps I’m taking my understanding to the extreme; however that was the understanding that I got from the text. I like the flexibility that it will come with it, but such a philosophy seems like it would be one intense change. The whole classroom environment will change completely. However, there were also veins in the reading that made it seem as though the class would still be taught as a collective, which has me quite confused. On one end of the spectrum you have teachers separating the advanced from the behind, and on the other there are teachers assuming that their students are following their train of thought as they lecture. I cannot help but question both of them; to separate kids based on skill level seems like a bit of statement. In today’s culture, if you are not in the advanced group you’re a loser, and, though the text did mention that a teacher should establish an accepting and judgment free environment, that is never going to happen. Kids have been picking on one another while their parents where building the Coliseum. Obviously a teacher needs to elicit an open, judgment free perspective, but I do not see a teacher being able to control the mentality of the class as a whole, at least no to that extreme.

Katie
Differentiated Instruction is all about knowing the students individually and giving them work that will help them improve in the subjects that they find to be the most difficult. No teacher should give the same type of work but less of it to a slower type of learner and the same type of work but more of it to a faster learner. For the slower learner, they are just receiving the same type of work that they may not understand, just less of it. As for the faster learner, they are receiving the same work they already understand, just more of it. In both situations, both students are not getting the type of teaching they should be because neither of them are actually learning and progressing in the class. I think it is important to realize that differentiated instruction is about how to change the lessons that are planned according to how the students are learning the material. I realized that it is also important to give students the motivation to learn by possibly giving them connections to the work they are completing and to the outside world. It is interesting to know that many teachers do not believe that they are the problem when their student is not learning the material. If I was the teacher in that position, I would automatically blame myself if my students felt they were not gaining anything from my class because I know that I am responsible for them to learn the material I give them.

Caleb
Yoda, a muppet among muppets, and a Jedi Grandmaster is a grand example at how to plan a lesson. First off, Yoda, even though Luke growled at him a few times, created a rather warm environment in that swamp. In a foggy, damp place known for a lack of discomfort Yoda tries to be inviting to a rather impatient Luke. He acts crazy and laughs hoping that this young man can enjoy life. Sadly Luke doesn’t play along. But, then Yoda does something else; he pushes Luke, who is a whiny farmer’s boy from the outback. Students of all intelligences need to get pushed. They also need support as well. Once again Yoda shows this but Luke, being the rebellious man that he is, finds his confidence annoying. The Jedi Grandmaster also clarifies what he wants to teach, the force and he tells Luke that. It’s incredibly clear that this is Yoda’s goal. This security of the curriculum that Yoda has encourages the small green man to be more flexible with his teachings. Each scene depicting Yoda in “//__The Empire Strikes Back__//” depicts Yoda as a teacher willing to adapt his style to a teenage kid. This is why, Yoda has been an inspiration in my life and this is why I want to use what he modeled in my own classroom. Seeing the way he taught on screen makes my heart glow because George Lucas thought about how that scene would go, there was an process to how George wanted Yoda to act. Yoda was a teacher and George told Frank OZ (the voice of Yoda) to do just that. Making a fictional character breathe life into a this teaching style of ours seems natural. These guidelines that Yoda exemplifies appears to be one of the great ways to teach a student.

Alex
Chapter 4: This chapter I feel has been the most important chapter so far that we have read, it clearly lists many qualifications that I teacher **needs** to have. This was one of the chapters I was anticipating and the qualifications listed and described strike home to what I want to achieve as a teacher. The section that hits home the most for me is the community of respect and the responsibility for student success. The community of respect section is just dynamite! This section talks about every student gets equal treatment and all get the same effort form the teacher to learn and participate. This is so important to classroom if everyone is on the same level then there is equality among students, and if everyone gets a fighting chance then there shall be unity in learning through the classroom. Not only will we respect each other in the classroom but everyone will have input to the classroom. Support the feedback that students want to give to your classroom, and listen to what they say; students are the backbone of education they know hats up. The other section that was really powerful to me was the responsibility for learner success. I as a teacher am the one responsible for the failure so kids don’t fail in my class I fail for not giving them the appropriate ways of learning. I will give positive feedback and real compliment students, and also treat their mistakes not as mistakes but as learning experiences. I will know my students and they will know me, and a relationship will be built were everyone will be comfortable and respectful to each other because we are there as a class to learn together.

Roger
In the fourth chapter of UbD/DI, the authors go over the important things with planning for student success. These things go from a good engaging curriculum to being responsible and aware for each student. These characteristics in “good teachers,” make sense, as a condescending teacher with a boring curriculum is not going to get to any student. Having students on roughly the same level is very helpful, as it helps the student realize that what they say and do matters. Being aware of what students need for success is very crucial, since that awareness lets the teacher know what they can do for that student. A teacher who simply blows off the individual student needs will be doomed to failure. The same goes for responsibility with students. Teachers need to take responsibility for what students have or have not learned, instead of casting blame. This ensures that the teacher will get the student what they need when they need it. A very large part of student’s personal success is themselves. If the student has no faith or hope for themself, they have already given up and will not try. It is vital for students to have confidence in what they do, and be able to accept being wrong. Instead of berating a student for failure, a good teacher would give a critique that explained what was wrong and right with the assignment, so the student would know what to do with it. Simply handing down an assessment with an “F” on it solves nothing, and will make the student doubt themselves even more.