LE 3: Differentiation & Motivation
Reading Specialist Summer 2014
What we'd like to learn more about
- the impact of rewards on intrinsic motivation
- students' abilities to reflect on their own strengths and weaknesses
- the impact of internal and external factors on motivation
- how to create learning experiences that are relevant, interesting, and engaging? How can you get students involved in keeping their learning relevant for themselves?
- I want to look into classroom arrangements in more detail
- While fear of ridicule, disappointment and failure are motivational, how do we help students break away from that those driving emotions?
- the earlier a child is motivated in their educational career, the more likely they will be at being academically successful
- how other teachers differentiate their programs: instruction, activities, assessments in their classrooms.
- teachers can differentiate a task based on four factors (content, process, product and learning environment)
- Does differentiation actually lead to greater motivation in our students? As students gain some control over the choice of activities, materials used, topics discussed, assessment activities, will they become more motivated in the classroom?
A few Ideas you shared. . .
Ways in Which We Already Differentiate
Instructional Approaches
I use the CAFÉ and Daily 5 model for reading instruction. After watching this webcast I find that this program lends itself well to daily differentiation of reading instruction. While most of the class is engaged in activities of their choice: reading to self, reading to a friend, word work, writing, listening to reading, the teacher is free to work with a small group of students on a particular skill or strategy that assessment has indicated they are in need of instruction in. These activities are still enriching activities where all students are practicing higher-level skills in reading and writing. During a different “round” the teacher is also free to have student-teacher conferences where the teacher can listen to a student read and discuss the reading with the student based on the following criteria: comprehension, accuracy, fluency and vocabulary. The student becomes familiar with this process and as time goes on begins to engage in accountable talk with the teacher with what is working well for them and what possible next steps could be. I find that this program does work very well to address the needs of both the most at-risk students as well as the high performing ones because students are taught how to choose a ‘good-fit’ book and this skill is continuously reviewed with them so that they are choosing books at with which they are successful but still have enough of a challenge that they can practice their reading strategies. (Lauren)
Flexible use of Strategies
Flexible routines: during my language block, I use literacy centers to target a variety of needs of my students (centers offer students choices of activities to complete). (Clare)
Accommodations (Heather)
Assessment
Reading Interest Inventories – at the beginning of the year and with each new term I conduct reading interest surveys and learning style with my students. As they progress over the year, their reading abilities and interests always change. I use this data to help drive my instruction, differentiate their reading responses, get an idea of how they are feeling about their reading, and most importantly allow them to express their understanding of their strengths and weaknesses. This also helps me to zero in and use texts that will motivate and catch their interest during shared, guided, read aloud, and independent reading times. (Sherry)
Regular observation and assessment to provide needed instruction (Jill)
I also (hopefully) teach to my students individual needs and assess these needs on an on-going level through not only formal assessments such as running records, PM Benchmarks and DRA assessments, but also through reading conferences. (Lillian)
Choice (Belinda)
Students have choice of reading material at a reading level appropriate to them. Students have choice of how they want to respond to a text during independent reading.
Technology (Sara)
Inquiry-Based Learning (Kristina)
Differentiation in Kindergarten (Taye)
areas that influence motivation
Classroom culture
- student and teacher directed
- don't quantify; teach learning for the love of it
- individual goal setting allows students to define their own criteria for success
- provide choice
- discuss reading through open-ended tasks
- intrinsic vs. extrinsic rewards
School Culture
- all school members must believe in the value of student motivation
- structured environment that supports autonomy
- incentives or rewards may send a message that reading by itself isn't fun
- promotes critical and creative thinking
- tests and grades are not the emphasis
Family
- parents model reading behaviour
- talking about reading with children
- support values and beliefs of school
- read together for enjoyment
- open communication between home and school
- parents are proud, supportive, and encouraging
Community
- schools need to acknowledge the important role that communities play in motivation
- community supports school values and goals
- stock books and resources that reflect the diversity of the community
- invite community in when celebrating success
- use community resources to show students their value