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All day in-services held for V.C., Jamestown teachers |
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Tuesday, 29 January 2008 |
At least 460 elementary and secondary educators from eight area school districts attended all day in-services on Monday, Jan. 21, in Valley City and Jamestown, according to Pat Beil, director of Valley City Area Teacher Center, and coordinator of South Central Education Cooperative.
Elementary staff at Valley City High School looked at “Differentiated Instruction” and secondary staff at Jamestown High School on “Teaching Reading in the Content Area.” Both in-services were sponsored by the South Central Education Cooperative Regional Education Association (SCEC REA).
Veteran presenter, Linda Tilton from Minneapolis, reminded elementary staff that every child is a star with personal strengths, interests and learning preferences. The differentiated classroom is an environment where each person can shine. It is a place where students become confident learners and connect with others. Tilton shared strategies that participants could use immediately to encourage positive relationships and build self-confidence. Everyone is part of a learning community and when we value one another, we value ourselves as well.
Tilton explored what differentiating instruction is all about, how teachers could apply it in their classrooms and how to use the concept effectively to improve student learning. Many teachers have been differentiating instruction as a part of good teaching long before the phrase was in common use. It’s not about 30 different lesson plans, a common misperception. However, there is more than one right answer in how instructors teach and in how their students show what they know. The differentiated classroom is a student-centered environment where creating positive relationships is a core value. The individual is truly seen and celebrated in a variety of ways.
Successful differentiated classrooms share three critical keys to success:
* Each individual is valued and respected.
* Each individual assumes personal responsibility for learning and managing tasks.
* Celebrating success motivates and energizes every learner.
Educators heard and learned some of Tilton’s favorite “Tools to Use in the Differentiated Classroom.” Tilton is the author of several materials including “The Teacher’s Toolbox for Differentiating Instruction- 700 Strategies, Tips, Tools and Techniques.” Every idea suggested in this book has come from real classrooms and has been teacher-tested. It served as a resource as teachers met in grade level groups in the afternoon in peer problem solving and idea sharing for specific students and classroom issues with consultation with Tilton.
The afternoon allowed time for participants to design and create tools that they could actually use in their classrooms. The purpose was to create a bank of practical examples of differentiated instruction.
Tilton has taught both general education and special education grades K-12 and at Hamline University. Her current role in staff development takes her into schools and classrooms throughout the United States and Canada. She is known for her practical, “take back and use” strategies in helping all students succeed and has often been called “The Teachers’ Teacher.”
Teaching Reading in the Content Areas based on a guidebook by the same name was presented to secondary staff by Vicki Urquhart, staff member from McREL (Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning) in Colorado.
She offered teachers proven, practical ideas and techniques to help students better comprehend content-area material. It emphasized an approach that asked students to monitor their own thinking, select appropriate strategies, and apply these strategies to increase their own awareness and understanding of content area materials.
The workshop provided answers to the following questions that teachers ask:
* What are the specific skills or knowledge that students need in order to read content material effectively?
* What learning environments promote effective reading and learning?
* What strategies can be used with students to help them become more effective readers and independent learners?
Large group presentations were followed by teachers in small group sharing and discussing strategies for teaching reading in the various content areas.
Staff from Valley City Public Schools, Jamestown Public Schools (including special education and career and tech education), Medina, Montpelier, Hope Page, Maple Valley, Griggs Co Central, Pingree Buchanan, Sheyenne Valley Special Education Unit and Sheyenne Valley Career and Tech Education participated in the inservice day. |
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 31 January 2008 )
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