Sarah KasprowiczWATG President

watgpresident@gmail.com

5th and 6th GradeClassroom Teacher

Merton Community School District

kasprowiczs@merton.k12.wi.us

A WATG Four Corners Workshop

Saturday, March 6, 2010

The stage has been set for differentiation.

Alternate activities are expected and encouraged.

All students may propose an alternate project.

We have “Friday Projects” with weekly work time in the library.

Student-led portfolio conferences are conducted at the end of each year.

Looping: 5th-6th grade

Portfolio crate with hanging folders Bookshelves to keep resources for

various independent projects 3 computers Bulletin boards and walls have papers

stapled to them to help keep track of alternate projects and due dates.

S. P.R.I.T.E. crate with student folders, blank forms and rubrics

Based on the research of Sally Reis

Elements of DifferentiationHigher level

questioningChoiceFlexible groupingTiered assignmentsMentors (guest

readers)

5-10 points The questions match any book.

SEM-R Bookmarks

Describe a very important event that happened in today’s reading.

Name an adult that you know that would like this book. Explain why they would like this book.

What is the best thing the author has done so far in this book? (plot, perspective, description, conflict, setting?) Explain why you think so.

Which character in your book is the easiest to trick? Why?

Write three predictions you have for the rest of the book.

Who, in your book, would you least like to sit next to in our new seating chart today? Why?

Who, in your book, would you want to be your Face Book friend? Why?

Who, in your book, do you trust the least? Why? You have to buy a pet for the main character. What

pet would you buy them and why? Explain one way you would change the setting if

you were the author. Name one thing you thought would happen in the

book that did not happen. Who is the least important character in the book?

Why? What is one event that was unnecessary in this

book? Why?

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Craig because he does odd things.

Penny from Heaven: Uncle Angelo because he is getting drunk all the time and keeps losing his job.

The Incredible Journey: The cat because he can take stuff away from the dogs. Also he always sneaks around.

Peak: I trust Josh the least because he was climbing a mountain and got a call that his son was born. Zopa kept bugging Josh saying that it’s not good for a father to neglect his son.

Two Words

Release Yourself

Filling in each space in your grade book

Assigning practice that some students don’t need

Managing every detail

Creating every project

Writing every rubric

PretestSchedule pretests with enough time for

students to preview material.Set a percentage needed to “test out” such

as 90% or higher.Require students to do learn concepts

missed on the pretest and demonstrate acquired knowledge.

Select alternate project in accordance with interest, theme or portfolio requirements.

GT Students are used to minimal struggle.

The classroom teacher can require rigor and depth to be part of each alternate project. Include rigor in rubric design

Higher level subtopics are required Higher level subtopics are weighted twice Include multiple higher level subtopics based on

student readiness

Based on the research of Diane Heacox Sample topic: The Rainforest

What is still unknown about the rainforest?Describe a current controversy connected

to the rainforestHow has the rainforest changed over the

last 200 years?What are current theories connected to the

rainforest?

What are common assumptions about the rainforest?

Analyze connections between research in the rainforest to other scientific fields.

Identify important cause and effect relationships connected to the rainforest.

Defend a prediction you have about the future of rainforest destruction.

SOCIAL STUDIES INQUIRY TOPICS SOCIAL STUDIES REQUIREMENTS

GT students will have fewer grades. GT students are excused from daily

work grades. GT students will have scores for:

PretestsPost-testsAlternate projects

Leave the excused boxes BLANK.

Use different colors of ink to code tiered assignments and projects.

Use Webgrader features to assign students to assignments and excuse students from daily work.

Keep a separate class list in your grade book to keep track of alternate project grades

Rubrics Rubistar Student generated Teacher generated Written as a partnership

between student and teacher

Generic rubrics (see examples)

Inform Parents of alternate grading policies in your classroom

Time managementAssess work logs for time management and

use this as evidence for or against future participation.

Self AssessmentStudents rate themselves on their rubric

before handing in final project. Portfolios

Students may use alternate projects as portfolio pieces.

Bonus+5 points in Webgrader for tiered

assignments

Friday Projects (Website Link) All students work on a project on a topic of their choice. Students have 45 minutes of work time in the library each Friday afternoon Solves the “What do I do when I’m done?” dilemma. The answer is, “Work on your Friday Project.” Students document their readiness level on a “Starting Point” sheet and proceed with learning from there Partners and small groups are acceptable, but each group member has their own questions and is responsible for creating their own rubric.

Sample Calendar

Moodle

Elements of differentiation~Choice~Compacting~Parallel studies and orbital studies~Intellectual peers~Readiness levels

Rti for all students 30 minutes per day 5 classroom teachers 1 teacher of At-Risk students 1 staff member from our curriculum

department

Screeners and data wall from the previous grade is used to provide data to place students in interventions

Students are given choices of enrichment mini course extensions and they rate them their first, second and third choice.

Every 3 weeks the intervention teachers will reassess the students to see who is able to exit the intervention class.

Topics of enrichment classes change throughout the year ~ every 3 weeks.

Mrs. K. Mr. Reuter

Mrs. Schiellack

Mrs. Heeren

Mrs. Jungbluth

Storybook

24 students

Web Book

24 students

Math Intervention

14 students

Reading Fluency Intervention

12 Students

Sketchbook

28 Students

12:00 – 12:30 every day

Mrs. O: Helps supervise Storybook and Sketchbook students working in the library.

Mrs. M.: Works one on one with one boy on math intervention (needs tier 3 attention). When that boy is absent she works with Mrs. Schiellack on math interventions.

Storybook: The students have the choice between writing a story inspired by an illustration in Chris Van Allsburg’s The Mysteries of Harris Burdick or participating in an online novel study of Bud, Not Buddy and Depression Era themes.

Web Book: The students learn how to use Web 2.0 tools to demonstrate learning.

Sketchbook: The students participate in sketching, drawing and other art activities.

French Strength and fitness Space Race Cartooning Journalism Brain Teasers and Logic Community Service Picture Book Production Wars and Conflict Sportsmanship

Spanish class Origami More Logic Puzzles Science experiments Robotics News writing Sculpting Chinese class Flight and airplanes

Merton Community School District Student Created Press Room Page

Dabrowski’s Overexcitabilities and Theory of Positive Disintegration

Psychomotor Sensual Intellectual Imaginational Emotional

Written by Michael Piechowski, Ph. D.

“Mellow out,” they say, to which I can only respond, “If only I could.” At birth I was crucified with this mind that has caused me considerable pain, and frustration with teachers, coaches, peers, my family, but most of all with myself.

~Carol, cover illustrator

Classroom teachers differentiate for dispositionHelp students with stress management.Time management: extended deadlines

and one on one help with task analysisAssistance with transitionsSuggest involvement in Tae Kwon Do Discussions with student about triggersCounseling about intensityDo not attempt to “fix” the intensity.Students and parents need to accept

intensity and develop strategies to accommodate for themselves.