Strategies
In order for this Unit to be successful I believe that the best way to teach through literature is to use the model of Differentiated Instruction, more commonly known in my district as DI. This model requires teachers to learn about the students' academic needs and prepare lessons and activities that are individualized. In my school district, there is a big push for the use of DI in all classrooms at every grade level. Due to this, I want to make sure that this Unit follows the demand for multileveled teaching. I am lucky enough to have a teaching partner with me in the classroom full time. This means that the two of us can break the classroom up into small groups and deliver instruction in a way that is meaningful and on level. Because I am going to connect literature with the science in this Unit, DI will be a perfect fit for each individual lesson.
There are many individual strategies that I will use to teach this Unit, that when put together will allow it to be successful. Since DI will be the main teaching model used in the classroom, all of the lessons will center on the ideals and principles surrounding DI. These include but are not limited to; teaching with students personality in mind, structuring the classroom so students have multiple options for taking in information, making sense of ideas, and expressing what they learn, meeting kids where they are, as opposed to where we wish them to be, and utilize responsive teaching rather than one size fits all teaching. Using differentiation does not suggest that a teacher can be all things to all individuals all the time. It does, however, mandate that a teacher create a reasonable range of approaches to learning much of the time, so that most students find learning a fit much of the time.
I would like to implement cooperative learning in my teaching along with direct instruction. What I mean by this, is that after direct instruction, I will have the students engaged in cooperative learning activities, which support what was just learned in the lesson. This way, the students are building social interaction skills, learning how to get their ideas across, and discovering how to be tolerant of other people's opinions. Cooperative learning follows direct instruction most times because the teacher in front of the whole class would teach a lesson, and then eventually the students will break up into small groups and learn from each other. After teaching a lesson on the Moon, I would then ask the kids to use the Internet and get more information and pictures about what was just being discussed in the lesson. I would then have the students work in small groups specializing on the Moon phases, then becoming an expert on it so that they can teach the rest of the class all about their findings. This definitely is great to implement in a classroom because it promotes use of technology in the classroom, group work, and cooperative learning.
For any lesson in this Unit, my goal of teaching would be to define the relevant concepts fully, in a way that all students will understand. I will illustrate the abstract idea using specific examples taken from the material I am using to teach a lesson. If I am teaching about a specific topic in which I can use a book to directly relate the material, I will implement it in the lesson. During, as well as after the lesson, I will ask probing questions to the students to promote their active involvement in the classroom. These questions can just be thinking questions, for example, "What did you think about this particular situation? or" Why did you think that this situation happened?" This questioning also helps me to see which students have an understanding of the material, and which do not.
In order for me to be effective in teaching using DI, I must demonstrate effectiveness with the full range of student abilities in the classroom, use a variety of grouping strategies with differentiation to support student learning, and know and understand my students as individuals in terms of their abilities, achievement, learning styles, and needs. These combinations are crucial to a successful learning environment.
Beginning with a good curriculum, the planned lessons will demonstrate what a student should know, understand, and be able to do. Ongoing assessment is quintessential for determining the readiness, interest, and learning profiles of the students. I constantly monitor the student's interests, learning profiles, and readiness to adjust the design of the lesson to provide challenges for learning. All the students engage in respectful work that holds high expectations for all students; all students are to achieve at optimal levels through engaging activities. Learning should take place in a classroom environment that is welcoming, respectful of differences, safe, emphasizing academic growth, success-oriented, fair, and collaborative.
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