Chapter 4: UbD/DI

       Planning for students success emphases different responsive teaching methods that are imperative to the progress of students academically and personally. The chapter dictates different approaches such as, attitudes of differentiated instruction, accepting responsibility for student learning, reflecting on progress of students and many other techniques. Being in touch with student growth and activeness in learning is easier said than done, but helpful strategies include observing students such as Mrs. Callison does in a scenario of building awareness. It is so beneficial for educators to stay up to date with their students to be able to relate to them personally, because it improves maintaining their focus of a particular subject matter.

       Scenarios through out the chapter made it easy for me to assert myself in the equation and determine what I would do as a teacher in their situations. For example the piece on classroom management I found to be insightful. As a teacher I will probably use the technique of coming up with rules for my class, with my class to make them feel like they have a say in behaviors expected of them. Creating an open dialogue with high schoolers I feel is important because they are old enough to think for themselves, and I would not want them to feel as if they could not express ideas or opinions in my classroom. Another technique I could envision myself using in the classroom is setting up individual conferences for my students, if they feel the need to discuss a piece of their work, their performance in the classroom, or anything. Similarly to Ms. Jacob, in her practice of helping students become effective partners in their own success, I think its crucial for students to understand their strengths and weaknesses, because the sooner they are exposed and accepted, the sooner they can improve and become not only a better student but a better member of society.

Chapter 3: UbD/DI

       Backward planning is an essential part of not overloading students with content, and creating an engaging lesson for your students. Teachers have a difficult time juggling the depth of content they’re teaching, meeting standards, and still engaging their students. Some standards are too strict or too open ended, leaving teachers to decide how to focus their units, and sometimes missing the mark on standards all together. With planning backward, teachers take a step back, and first focus on the big ideas of a particular unit, for example what standards their going to focus on. Then they apply assessments, to know if they have achieved their learning targets, or standards. The last stage is then planning actives and instruction. By backwards planning, it is easier to focus on the bigger picture, and not get swept away with specific content that may easily become irrelevant to the unit altogether. 

       Through this chapter, it was interesting to see how educators can change teaching style and still make sure they are meeting the standards. As a teacher, I think it will be an important part of my job to meet standards. However, I also would like to find creative ways to teach my content to kids who have Individualized Educational Programs, and who are English language learners, etc. It’s imperative that I meet the standards, and can still make my content engaging for students, so that hopefully they will develop a love for history because of my passion for the subject, and for them.

Chapter 4: Multiple Intelligences

       Teaching students about the MI theory could provide an informational and reflectional resource. The MI theory is generally simple to explain with the MI pie, and making sure students are isolated when first deciphering the theory. The chapter goes on to provide many helpful ways that instructors could further their students understanding of the MI theory with assignments, and in class activities. Another way for students to comprehend the theory is by attaching “end-states” to each of the eight intelligences. End-states are famous people or heroes that have one of the multiple intelligence highly developed.

       I may incorporate the MI Theory in my class, but most of the suggestions like MI stories, board games, or scavenger hunts may not be appropriate for a high school level classroom. However, having students apply the MI theory to themselves personally would be an interesting ice breaker on the first day of school, providing an insightful way to get students to better understand themselves, and their class mates. I enjoyed the idea of career day, because students can connect what they are learning inside of the classroom and apply it to everyday life in the real world. Also, biographies on influential people from a slice of the MI pie could be turned into a high school level assignment. If students wrote a simple paragraph, and then shared to the classroom about why the chose that person, and how the MI theory relates to that person, and also themselves, would make for an interesting assignment idea.

Chapter 3: Multiple Intelligences

       Finding different intelligences in students can be found a number of ways. Through observation, picking up on misbehaviors, and deciphering personal records, a teacher can get a sense of what kind of intelligences a student is likely to possess. By reading this chapter, I learned that through permission of the school, teachers can access students academic history. Looking for cues like what subjects students did succeed in, and which they did not, can give prior knowledge to their most developed multiple intelligences. Also, intelligences can be discovered through observations of students misbehaviors; for example, a child who will not sit still may be a kinesthetic learner. Misbehaviors will make themselves known no matter how interesting the subject matter is. If a teacher can shape students misbehaviors by incorporating that students multiple intelligences into a particular lesson, that would be an example of successful instruction, in my opinion. 

       I will use this knowledge of multiple intelligences in my classroom because being in tune with my students learning styles is essential for the achievement of my students. I could find myself asking my class what they like to do in their free time, because students answers can give insight to how they learn most affectively in a classroom. However, I may benefit from also following up with other teachers from different disciplines to see how that student is may be displaying preferred learning styles in their classroom. Parents of my students would also be an insightful resource to use, because they are a prime observer to their child’s multiple intelligences. 

Chapter Two: UbD/DI

         Students personal lives can affect their performance in the classroom. It may be something minor that happened before class, or a reoccurring issue happening at home. As educators, it is important to be able to detect when something is not right with our students, and to be able to offer them, or point them in the right direction of a feasible solution to their problem. Through this chapter, I learned that there are four categories of biology, degree of privilege, positioning for learning, and preferences that can effect students learning within the classroom. The chapter really opened my eyes to how much more complicated teaching can be than just simply preparing and executing a lesson plan. Teaching also requires paying attention to student’s personal lives, as well as their learning styles to create the most successful environment possible.

       As a teacher, I want to have an open door policy with my students. If they are experiencing a personal crisis, I believe it is important that they have a support system whether they agree too or not. To my students, I want to appear as approachable, and if my students do come to me with personal issues, to be able to refer them to where I think is necessary, or simply just to listen to them. 

       I also thought it was interesting how the chapter focused on responsive teaching. I noticed some interesting examples, such as students writing two bullet points on an index card at the end of a class summarizing what they took away from the lesson. I could envision myself definitely using that in my classroom to stay tune with my students, and up to date with their learning progress.

Chapter One: UbD/DI

       Understanding by Design and Differentiated Instruction are two models of teaching that focus on how students learn and what content they are learning. Through this chapter, I learned that when the two models are merged, they create an amazing curriculum for teachers and for students. Understanding by design focuses on the content students learn, which is important because education is determined by students knowledge and growth. Usually the UbD model is used by teachers because it lays out plans for a unit, and connects that unit with the standard learning targets. However, it was interesting that no matter how much time and effort is put into a unit of learning, and how everything is planned perfectly, students from different learning backgrounds may not be on the same page. Differentiated Instruction helps by coming up with different ways to adhere to students learning needs. 

       This all has an impact on me because as a student, I sometimes found myself frustrated in my classes because I did not understand what was happening. Reflecting, my frustration may have been based on how the teacher was presenting the lesson. If they had taken the time to teach the subject or unit differently, I would not have had that feeling of frustration, which ultimately affected my learning and attitude about school. However, looking from a teacher’s perspective, I would never want my students to feel that frustration, or give up because they feel incompetent. So, by implementing UbD and DI within my own classroom, it will drastically limit those potential feeling, and encourage success in my classroom.

Chapter Two: Multiple Intelligences

       Throughout this chapter, it became evident to me that educators understanding their own multiple intelligences is important for every successful classroom. It is possible to build up you lesser of the multiple intelligences, and still maintain your higher intelligences. Both levels however, are affected by activators and deactivators. An example of an activator is someone being positively encouraging when a multiple intelligence is exhibited. The same goes for a deactivator, the exception being that the behavior is associated with a negative emotion usually cause by someone else. Teachers can also use each other as resources to build up their undeveloped intelligences. 

       In my classroom, I think I will use other teachers as a tool to benefit my own classroom. Personally, when I took the multiple intelligences test, I scored low on logical-mathematical, and naturalist intelligences. However, I know many students of mine will have those two intelligences as one of their most developed intelligence, and to help them succeed in my classroom, it is important that I incorporate those two categories into social studies. So, using technology as a resource, and other teachers to come up with a plan for those students, is very important to me. I would be displeased if one of my students was not interested in social studies because of my personal shortcomings. However, there is still time, and it is good not only for myself, but for other educators to be able to admit their underdeveloped multiple intelligences so their students will be successful.

Chapter One: Multiple Intelligences

       Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences is a tool every educator can benefit from learning about and using in their classroom. Through the reading, I learned many things about Gardner’s theory, such as the eight intelligences and properties of these intelligences. Each person does possess each of the eight intelligences and Gardner believes that a person can develop all eight at moderate or high functioning abilities. However, people usually develop one or two of the intelligences at a high rate, and the rest at lower rates.
       I believe this theory is important for all teachers to be aware of in the classroom because this directly links to how students learn, and student behavior. Satisfying multiple intelligences in the classroom can be a challenging thing to meet; however, I should keep them in mind when planning lessons, or units. To suit many of the intelligences I might incorporate music, videos, physical movements, group discussion, different texts, etc., to satisfy the needs of my students. By supplementing various activities to appease the eight different intelligences, I believe I can capture my students attention, while also teaching them the subject matter at hand. 

       Learning about the multiple intelligences theory, I have a better understanding of student behavior as well. For example, if I had a student who was strongly a bodily-kinesthetic learner, and was pacing around the class, or wouldn’t sit still, I could adjust the lesson to better suit his needs. I might suggest having the class get up to take a stretch, or have student get up and write their answers on the board. There are many different ways to use multiple intelligences in the classroom, and with a basic understanding, I can more easily fulfill of my students.

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