HM does have what they call differentiation strategies in the Universal Access stuff. It's crud. PLEASE understand there is no one "correct" way of differentiating. As a professional, you need to asses what your kids know, and what they need to know. You need to do what THEY need you to do to get them there.
I, personally, hate centers and find I spend too much time managing them. So I never did them. Another tip know your grades' state standards inside out and backwards. HM does NOT address all the standards. As you learn the curriculum, you will find what's done well enough and what's just yuck. Some of what you HAVE to teach will have to come from somewhere else, or your AYP will never go up. I spent the last few years of elementary in a situation where the powers that be didn't recognize anything but the text and the workbook as viable materials (gag). I found the textbook squashed both my and the kids creativity. SO, because I am stubborn and because to me a good teacher is an artist not a drill sergeant, I got creative. I also turned to the experts: Donald Graves' Investigating Series, *Strategies that Work* by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis, *Invitations*, *Transitions*, and *Conversations*, by Regie Routman. I read Janet Allen, Jim Burke, and so on. I just had a limited lens to think through. When I was in a situation where I HAD to use the textbook exclusively (barf) I took the text activities that came in the TE, the workbook (which I refused to use whole class), the word work, etc, and developed WRITING activities and presented them to the kids as menus. Out of seven activities, the needed to choose 4 to do. The writing that was an eeny teeny comment at the bottom of the page was rewritten and expanded to become the focus of the lesson. During the writing time, the kids had to do research through the offered extension activities I knew I had to use the textbook, so I tried to see how to take what the experts offered and apply it to a limited selection of text. It wasn't easy, but I finally figured it out. I used the textbook, but I tried to use it as a common text to teach strategies, questioning, and responding. The year I had to use the workbook, it became homework. I would still divide the 90 minutes into two 45 minute workshops. I would still do a whole group mini lesson based on a strategy, story, literacy term, etc. Send the kids off to work on buddy reading the story, taking notes or searching the text for whatever you want them to do. I would give them a list of response ideas while I would meet with small groups based on NEED, not level. I would gather the kids together at the end to share with me or one another to see how each one tackled the assignment. In writing, I would do the same thing except I would conference with kids individually about their responses and their strategies while they worked on the writing menus. It wasn't what I would have chosen. I fought it at every turn. But I felt like I was giving the kids the best with what I was given to work with. Please don't let this get to you. You will make it work for your kids. We can always help you. Keep writing and don;t get discouraged. -- Kim ------- Kimberlee Hannan Department Chair, ELA Sequoia Middle School Fresno, California 93702 The best teachers teach from the heart, not from the book. ~Author Unknown [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
