The Importance of Differentiated Instruction

To be the most effective teacher possible, educators need to become aware of the different learning styles in their classroom. Think about it… You may learn best by watching a demonstration, while someone else may learn best by reading about the same topic. There are seven main different learning styles and it is important to be able to identify how our students’ learn best. But how can we tell? The seven different learning styles follow:

Linguistic – Students’ enjoy reading and writing

Logical/Mathematical – Students’ who understand patterns and are able to solve problems more easily

Visually – Students’ have the ability to visualize three dimensional objects

Bodily kinesthetic – Students’ who use their body effectively to express themselves

Musical – Students’ can recognize tones, rhythms, and musical patterns

Interpersonal – Students’ who understand others and care about other people’s feelings

Intrapersonal – Students’ who are aware of their own strengths and weaknesses

So how do we incorporate these different learning styles into our curriculum? We need to use an approach to teaching that advocates active planning for and attention to student differences in classrooms, differentiated instruction. For example, in chapter 4 in the book, “Can We Skip Lunch and Keep Writing?” by Julie D. Ramsay, Julie explains how she used a method of differentiated instruction in her classroom. Ramsay had a group of 5th grade students that had a difficult time with oral language. Ramsay tried an alternative method by having her students’ create a narrative video. This motivated her students because it was something new, challenging, and fun. Ramsay suggested  “VoiceThread,” which is a free online tool that would work great for this type of activity. Click here for an introduction to VoiceThread.

Obviously, it would be nearly impossible to adapt to each students’ unique learning style in every lesson, but it is important that we try to “switch things up a bit.” Instead of lecturing and having students copy notes every day, consider the variety of your students’ and adjust accordingly. By becoming aware of the different learning styles, we can make learning fun!

The Burgeoning of Technology

Well, we can’t deny the growth of technology anymore and as future educators, we must embrace it. Growing up, I never realized the importance that technology played in my life. If you think about it though, can you remember not having a computer, a tv, or even a phone? Now, imagine what that question would be like to a 14-year-old. As teachers, we need to realize that if we want to deliver information to our students’ in the most effective way, we must do it in the most relatable way, technology.

In the last two years, I been exposed to so many tools that are available for teachers. Overwhelmed at first, I wanted to ignore another burden, or another thing to learn. After taking a few required courses however, I have become more comfortable and more confident with technology. I am now excited to use as many digital sources in my classroom as possible. I am aware of not the burden of technology, but the convenience of it.

Because of some of my classes, I have learned a whole new world of technology. Most of us have mastered Powerpoint by now. But I have also learned about Smartboards, SlideRocket, and Podcast. I have also become aware of the advantages of professional websites, such as this one. I learned how to create a professional database. I have learned how to use D2L, Dropbox, Moodle, and other campus websites. All of which have proved convenient, beneficial, and pretty easy to learn.

In the book, “Can We Skip Lunch and Keep Writing,” Julie Ramsay explains how useful technology has been in her fifth grade classroom.  This book provides several examples of digital tools that can be incorporated into the classroom. The book also elaborates on how to use these tools in the classroom and how each tool has their own unique benefits. In addition, it explains how to teach writing to students’ in a more exciting way. This is a great resource to show the effectiveness of technology in a classroom.I recommend this book to any educator who is ignorant to technology.

Click here to watch an interesting video about technology! 🙂

Poetry by Me and Others!

Here are five poems that I have written. I have also added some of my favorite poems. I would love your input, so feel free to leave me a comment!

Where I’m From Poem

Beth Moore

I am from computers and technology,

The sunshine and the snow.

I am from big cat diaries and the discovery channel.

I am from Asic sneakers,

 and the trails that I run on.

Cardio kickboxing and competetive cheerleading.

I am from the sand on the beach,

 and the waves on my toes.

I am from good friends and few family members.

I am from my grandparents who raised me as their own.

I am from make-up and cosmetics,

 as well as lotions and perfumes.

I am from caring more for others more than myself.

I am from being happy and energetic.

I am from respect and most importantly,

I come from love.

 

So Much Depends Upon

(Inspired by William Carlos Williams, The Red Wheelbarrow)

Beth Moore

So much depends upon

The sun light

Permeating through

My window,

That opens my eyes

To begin the day.

 

Heart Break

Beth Moore

Take me to a place where the sun always shines,

The truth doesn’t hurt,

And there is no pain.

Because I have felt how one man can make you feel,

And from that, there was no gain.

No man can love when filled with shame,

Who waits for a chance of someone to blame.

Actions to cruel for words,

That I can’t even begin to explain,

How could I love a man so vain?

 

Be My Valentine

Beth Moore

To be with you, seems unreal.

Yet, here you are, holding me still.

Your hands fill me with every emotion,

Soothing me from the worlds commotion.

You touch my cheek, my chin, my face,

I’ve forgotten all, while in your embrace.

Kiss me now and ill surrender,

Your lips on mine,

and I’m yours,

 forever.

 

Peace

Beth Moore

The sun is shining through the dark clouds.

The dripping on the window sill,                                          

 Is slowly coming to an end.

The trees, the grass, the air,

All filled with life.

The birds are beginning to sing,

Their beautiful song of summer.

I walk outside,

Only to embrace the calmness after the storm.

I feel the cool breeze of dawn flow through my hair,

I tie my laces and take my first step,

The sound of my breath,

The freedom from my thoughts,

The sight of pure nature,

And finally,

I am at peace.

Can Poetry be for Everyone?

As a child, I always loved poetry. My dad introduced me to Shel Silverstein, and I loved it. One of my favorite poems follows:

A hippo sandwich is easy to make.

All you do is simply take

One slice of bread,

One slice of cake,

Some mayonnaise,

One onion ring,

One hippopotamus,

One piece of string,

A dash of pepper–

That ought to do it.

And now comes the problem…

Biting into it!

Silverstein’s poems are great for children. When I began to learn about other poems however, I hated it. Still to this day I find it hard to enjoy a poem that isn’t silly or doesn’t rhyme. I believe that most children feel the same way. I think it is because as students’, we are forced to read poetry that we do not understand, nor do we like. I remember reading poems that were several pages long and I had to explain what that poem meant. I found this part of poetry dreadful.

So how do we avoid this as future teachers?

To begin, we need to introduce all types of poetry to our students. Instead of only presenting poems that are silly and rhyme, we should introduce more meaningful poems at a younger age. As students’ get older, we need to still incorporate “fun” poems in the curriculum. Believe it or not, there is a type of poetry for everyone. We need to make students’ more aware of all of their options. Secondly, we should be more careful when we ask students’ to write poems. Instead of forcing students’ to write a particular type of poem, we should allow them some freedom. In the book, “Love That Dog,” Jack is a student who doesn’t understand poetry or why he has to write it. But because the teacher encouraged him to continue writing and allowed him a sense of freedom, he started to enjoy it. Also, we need to be considerate to students’ embarrassed about writing poetry. Young boys especially feel that poetry is for girls. So to end embarrassment, we shouldn’t force students’ to read their poems out loud. In “Love That Dog,” the teacher motivated students’ by displaying their finished work anonymously. This allowed students’ to read each others work without feeling embarrassed. By the end of the book, Jack became so confident that he signed his name. Jack’s teacher found poems that were relatable and inspiring to Jack. Because of Jack’s teacher, he finally could open up about his beloved dog through writing. After reading “Love That Dog,” I wonder how Jack’s attitude towards poetry would have been, had the teacher approached poetry in a different way…

I don’t understand the poem

about the red wheelbarrow and the white chickens

and why so much depends upon them.

If that is a poem

about the red wheelbarrow and the white chickens

then any words can be a poem.

You’ve just got to

make

short

lines.

                                                                                                          – Love That Dog

Writing in a Digital World

The growth of technology has changed our world without question. But has technology made writing easier or more complex? It has been my experience that with the new word processing programs, writing has become less of a challenge. In stead of spending hours proof reading and looking up the correct spellings of words, I can do it all with a press of a button. With all of my grammatical answers and researching information available on the web, I can spend less time correcting myself and  more time focusing on writing. I am not sure if this has made me a better or worse writer. When I type a paper, I always use spell check. I also depend on Microsoft to fix any grammatical errors I might have made. Without technology, my papers would be half as good, but would take twice as long. So is this a good or bad thing? Well I think it’s both.

My dependence on Microsoft is probably not for the best. But, it has made writing more enjoyable and it has allowed me to broaden my writing experiences. Sure, I may use spell check, but I also learn from the mistakes that I have made. And sure, I may be able to research any topic with half of the effort it would have taken thirty years ago, but I can also learn about so much more in half the time. With technology, we can gather research from several different sources as opposed to using one book. I am also exposed to so man different types of writing at one time. Yes, technology has made our lives easier, and possibly has made people more lazy or less patient, but, it has also enabled us to learn with a much broader spectrum.

As far as technology and education goes, it is vital for teachers to be on top of things. A large gap is developing between the old and the young. Older teachers may have a difficult time learning how to use technology where as younger teachers probably grew up on a computer. As an educator, we need to not only know the material that we are going to teach, but also, we need to know how to teach it most effectively. Since students today have grown up in a digital world, we need to be able to present the materials digitally. Chalk boards and even note taking by pencils are becoming out dated. It is important that we can use technology to administer the information in the best way. Not only is technology more interesting to students’, it’s becoming the only thing they know. Teachers need to embrace technology by using all of the tools it can offer. We can use technology for anything from assigning homework online, to maintaining a professional website to keep students’ and parents updated, to using digital story telling.

I think the biggest issue with digital writing is that you have to be extremely careful about the information that you allow on the web. For teachers especially, it is so important to consider everything that you post on the internet. It is also our job to monitor the information that our students are accessing while in school. Even with the safety searches available today,  it is so easy for a child to purposefully or accidentally find something inappropriate. In addition, it is so easy to find faulty information. Technology is a blessing in that it allows anyone to find any type of information, but it is also a huge responsibility.

 

If you are interested in reading more about the pros and cons of technology, click here to read a great article called, “The Landscape of Digital Writing.”