1. In the "morning meeting" readings you were exposed to several teachers who do morning meeting in their classrooms. Please find one of them, list his or her name, and explain what they do or believe about morning meeting.
Melissa Correa-Connolly believes that Morning Meetings have, "immense power because it meets the emotional needs of children. It acknowledges everyone and makes them feel significant. It does away with the feeling that many children have of being a piece of furniture in the classroom."
2. In both part I of Differentiation in Practice and chapter 1 in Fulfilling the Promise, you find a short list of curricular elements that teachers can adjust and a short list of student traits or characteristics teachers can respond to. One of the books lists 4 of these, while the other lists only 3. What do you think changed in Tomlinson's thinking to add a 4th curricular element and a 4th trait to her original list?
The student traits are: Readiness, Interest, Learning Profile, and Tomlinson added Affect. In her book Tomlinson explains what each of these are, and explains that affect is how students "feel about themselves, their work, and the classroom as a whole." I think she may have added this trait because it makes the teacher realize that not every student sees every activity in the same ways.
The curricular elements are: Content, Process, Product, and Tomlinson added Learning Environment. Again in the book, Tomlinson writes about each of the elements writing about leaning environment that it, "has to do with both the operation and the tone of the classroom." She added this element because it is a key ingredient in the learning environment to sent the mood of the classroom.
The student traits are: Readiness, Interest, Learning Profile, and Tomlinson added Affect. In her book Tomlinson explains what each of these are, and explains that affect is how students "feel about themselves, their work, and the classroom as a whole." I think she may have added this trait because it makes the teacher realize that not every student sees every activity in the same ways.
The curricular elements are: Content, Process, Product, and Tomlinson added Learning Environment. Again in the book, Tomlinson writes about each of the elements writing about leaning environment that it, "has to do with both the operation and the tone of the classroom." She added this element because it is a key ingredient in the learning environment to sent the mood of the classroom.
3. In the introduction to The First Six Weeks of School you read about the importance of establishing a friendly, predictable, and orderly classroom as a "prerequisite for children's academic achievement." Is "friendly" as important as "predictable" and "orderly"? Why or why not? (Please refer to ideas you find in the introduction to The First Six Weeks of School.)
I do believe that friendly is as important as predictable and orderly. When students have a friendly environment, predictable schedule, and an orderly classroom they are in the perfect situation to learn. Without the friendliness, students can become preoccupied, becoming anxious, unruly, and out of control, and therefore, as Kriete explains, "the learning that occurs is seldom what we intend."
I do believe that friendly is as important as predictable and orderly. When students have a friendly environment, predictable schedule, and an orderly classroom they are in the perfect situation to learn. Without the friendliness, students can become preoccupied, becoming anxious, unruly, and out of control, and therefore, as Kriete explains, "the learning that occurs is seldom what we intend."
Nice job on this, Sydney! You mentioned the essence of all of what is important in ACTUALLY fulfilling the promise of a differentiated classroom! Great comments and summarizing. 4 points
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