Mentee Minute
March 10th, 2014
What is Differentiation?
What is Differentiation/ Differentiated Instruction?
Simply stated, differentiated instruction allows each student to learn at the depth, complexity, and pace that is most beneficial to him/her. Differentiating curriculum and instruction is a rich and effective approach to use when providing for the needs of all students, including those with special education needs such as students with learning disabilities, gifted and talented students, and English language learners.
The philosophy of differentiation includes structuring classrooms so that there are provisions for:
Different ways to take in, work with, and learn information and different ways for students to show what they know;
Different amounts of time to complete the work;
Different approaches due to language acquisition and cultural differences;
Different levels of thinking, readiness, skills, and/or ability;
Different assignments for students in the same classroom; and
Different means to assess what has been learned.
Article Link for Info Above
Helpful Sites for Differentiation
Meeting Students Where They Are
http://www.glencoe.com/sec/teachingtoday/subject/di_meeting.phtml
http://www.differentiatedresources.com/
Edutopia
http://www.edutopia.org/stw-differentiated-instruction-budget-resources-downloads
Differentiated Instruction for Reading
http://www.readingrockets.org/reading-topics/differentiated-instruction
Learning Styles & Other Resources
http://www.cteresource.org/featured/differentiated_instruction.html
Websites that Support Differentiated Instruction
http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/pdf/curriculum/cali/di_websites_chart.pdf
Upcoming Events
March 1 - Summer Registration
March 1 - 31 ToTY Nominations
March 10 -11 WL National Exams
March 18 - Faculty Mtg. 6PM and 7:30PM
March 25 - Cultural Cafe 7PM, Social Media Revolution, Leslie Houck and Johnice McRae
March 27- ePortfolio PD 7:30 PM Edmodo: y3juf8
- March 31 - Master Teacher Application deadline
Have You Looked at Your Evaluation?
Understanding Your QAS Observation
This instrument is intended to identify the best practices of online instruction and to provide meaningful feedback to Georgia Virtual Learning teachers. The primary purpose of this tool is to continuously improve instruction and ultimately student achievement.
How to Access your Observation and Make Comments in Eduphoria (click below for video tutorial)
Observation Rubric Scale
"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." John Quincy Adams
A Word About Ratings
The first time I saw "Mastery" on my observation, I felt disappointed. You know the feeling... It is the same as the feeling I got in school when I received a "B" on a test on which I was sure I earned an "A". However, I was quickly reminded that "Mastery" is the standard, and that I should be very proud of this achievement. All GaVS teachers should be at this level. Like those A's, "Exceptional" is not given freely. In order to earn this rating, an instructor must Master the demands of being an online teacher, and then go above and beyond that. I just wanted to remind you to keep doing your best and be proud of yourself when you "Master" an area of evaluation!
"Light is the task where many share the toil." Homer
Evaluation Reflection Form - Let's share! Call on your mentor.
Authors
Kelly Gardner ~ GaVS 2012/2013 & 2013/2014 Teacher of the Year Finalist; GaVS English Department Mentor; GaVS English Instructor since 2007