FIAE Chapters 7-10

Chapters 7, 8, 9, and 10 of Fair Isn’t Always Equal talked about the ways that we need to change our grading tactics in order to match up with differentiated instruction. The key point was that all grades in their various forms need to be measurements of mastery, and the ways that teachers grade currently are not often accurate representations of this. Grades also need to provide teachers with specific, informative feedback about how much content their students are learning. The book says that things like effort, homework, and participation are factored into finals grades in ways that do not benefit students. There is a fine line between rewarding students for trying hard and allowing them to have a good grade without knowing the material well enough. The author says that all three should be considered as steps in the process of mastery, and that we should not penalize students for the time it takes them to master the content because the learning process is just as important as the material. The job of a teacher is to guide students through these steps, not punish them if they don’t understand everything right away. The book says a lot about grading homework, and how this impedes the learning process because low grades do more to discourage students than empower them, and a grade earned at the point when a student has not had adequate time to master the material should not be factored into their overall score. The same goes with giving students the opportunity to redo work for full credit. If the student doesn’t fully master the material on their first try, it does them a disservice to not let them have another chance to learn it and prove that they know it.

I went to schools that always took a very traditional approach to grading, so that’s all I know. A lot of the things these chapters had to say about grades seemed foreign to me, and because I enjoyed my school experiences so much, it’s tempting to say that the author might be stretching things a little bit. But the more I think about it, the more I see that grading has to be differentiated just like instruction does. Grades are a huge factor in students’ lives. They have the ability to cause so much anxiety and stress, as well as low self-esteem or an overdeveloped sense of self. Grades determined what college a student will attend and even if they will graduate or not. Because of these things, grades are not to be taken lightly. Even though it would be easier for me to stick with what I have always known when I am a teacher, I’m going to try really hard to think about what is best for the students instead of what is easiest for me as the teacher. I think teachers need to stop thinking about grades as the end portion of a lesson and instead see them as another stepping stone, as a way to modify and personalize their teaching in a way that best suits their students. 

UbD Chapter 8 and MI Chapters 8, 11, 12

Chapters 8, 11, and 12 of Multiple Intelligences and Chapter 8 of Understanding by Design focus on taking multiple intelligence theory and differentiated instruction beyond just lesson plans. A lot of emphasis is placed on using the multiple intelligences as forms of new and more effective communication. UbD says that grading – report cards, project scoring, other forms of assessment – must be about communicating constructive feedback to students and parents, as opposed to assigning an arbitrary and competitive number to a student’s work. Grading must be specific, evidence-based, and focus on positive reinforcement. Emphasis is also placed on grades reflecting students’ work habits and progress towards achievement, which connects to what multiple intelligence theory has to say about assessment measuring all different kinds of success. MI theory can also extend to classroom management as well, which connects back to ideas about communication. The book says that good classroom management is about finding ways to relate to each student’s individual intelligence strengths and understand how to best translate what is going on in their heads to what is happening in the classroom. The use of multiple intelligences can also help teachers better communicate with students with special needs. Armstrong says that an appreciation of different intelligence strengths can be a gateway to more acceptance of students with disabilities in an inclusive classroom. Finally, MI theory can also be used to help teachers better understand the cognitive processes of their students and to encourage deep, introspective thinking that breaks free of traditional educational boundaries and embraces the different intelligences.

Something that I believe very strongly in is teachers no longer viewing their students with disabilities as obstacles to their teacher strategies. We need to learn to be welcoming of the different perspectives and learning styles that all students bring to the table, including and most especially students who have been categorized as having a disability. Embracing multiple intelligence theory goes hand-in-hand with accepting the diversity that students with disabilities bring into the classroom, and I think that kind of interchangeability is a huge step in the right direction for education. The books had a lot to say about how to incorporate multiple intelligence acceptance in grading, which is something that I will need to think a lot about when I am teaching. It makes a lot of sense that we should be assessing students with the same differentiated methods that we use to teach them, but I understand why that is hard for teachers to do. Assessments have always been logical and numerical, and those traditional methods can be comforting to teachers when they are in the midst of working experimental methods into their curriculum. And as far as grading goes, a lot of that is left up to the discretion of people higher up the teaching hierarchy, so teachers may feel helpless to affect change to go along with their differentiated instruction. All of these challenges just mean that I will have to work even harder as a teacher, and I will try really hard to find ways to embrace the different multiple intelligences in all aspects of my classroom. 

MI Chapters 7, 9, 13, 14

Chapters 7, 9, 13, and 14 of Multiple Intelligences focus on showing teachers how to create a classroom environment that is flexible and accepting to all learning styles. They expresses how important it is for educators to have extensive knowledge of the eight different intelligences and to make their students aware of them too. The best way to do this is to incorporate knowledge of different learning styles into the curriculum. Teachers need to be aware of how many different learning styles their lessons can accommodate, and make changes to their methods where necessary. Embracing multiple intelligences in the classroom is all about adaptability, and teachers need to be open to things like activity centers and student choice as ways to encourage learning. The topic of MI schools was also addressed, with the goal being total immersion in multiple intelligence-supporting curriculum and methods. Schools with this very targeted approach place a lot of emphasis on students being able to experience each of the different intelligences every day, and that they have the right as students to do so. The book also addresses practical applications of MI theory, such as with career choice and technology usage. The element of universality in multiple intelligence learning is also discussed, with the point being that everyone has different strengths and skills that are an asset to life outside of the classroom. Chapter 14 talks about Howard Gardner’s proposed ninth intelligence and raises questions about how to adapt potentially controversial material into content that is acceptable for everyone.

Learning about the different ways to apply multiple intelligence theory in the classroom is very useful to me as a future teacher. The thought of finding ways to incorporate each of the eight intelligences into my curriculum is a very daunting task, and there is a lot of pressure because messing up results in wasting precious time to educate a student. But the tenets of multiple intelligence theory – flexibility, adaptability, hands-on learning – are all traits that teachers should strive for anyway. As a teacher I will try to be all of these things, because accommodating for different learning styles is of the utmost importance. Something the author said in Chapter 9 really stood out to me; on page 129, the author says that we have to be careful not to create an education system where we exploit students’ strongest intelligences to pigeonhole them into the sector of society that we see fit. Multiple intelligence theory is all about equality and acceptance, and creating a ranking system of different intelligences is not something that would accomplish these goals. As a teacher I want to strive to have a classroom where there is no longer a boundary between the “smart” kids and the “dumb” kids. Teachers need to learn to appreciate the different strengths of their students, and so do the students themselves. The best way for this to happen is for teachers to integrate acceptance of multiple intelligences into their curriculum, and that is something that I am determined to do as an educator.

MI Ch. 5&6/UbD Ch. 6&7

All four chapters discuss ways to adapt teaching styles to suit the very diverse needs of students and to integrate Multiple Intelligence theory and differentiated instruction into the classroom. They give an optimistic picture of how multiple intelligences are being incorporated into modern classrooms, saying that much of the strategies we can use to embrace multiple intelligences in the classroom are already being done by good teachers. Good teachers know how to organically adapt their methods to suit the needs of their students and how to go beyond lectures and quantitative tests. Multiple Intelligence theory talks about taking this further and translating the same material into practical, hands-on methods that allow for engaged and meaningful learning for all students regardless of what their learning style might be. MI theory and differentiated instruction are about communication between the student and the teacher, as well as between the student and the classroom content. When one method of communication does not adequately reach the student, another method must be used to ensure that all students understand the fundamentals and essential questions of the curriculum. The books specify that MI theory and differentiated instruction are about substituting ineffective methods for more beneficial ones, instead of adding on unnecessary pedagogy that does not have practical purposes. As a whole, MI theory and differentiated instruction are about teachers being flexible with their methods and being open to adapting their instruction to allow students with many different learning styles the opportunity to learn from the same curriculum.

The information in these four chapters is all very relevant to my future as a teacher. I think one of my biggest challenges as a teacher will be adapting my instruction to suit the needs of all my students, because I have a tendency to stick with methods that are comfortable to me. I also get frustrated when those methods don’t work, and blame myself and think that I failed. But because I have a natural inclination towards orderly, linear lessons that are based in language and writing skills, I will need to work hard to make things that are just the opposite sometimes. English in particular is a subject that is easy to use the same static methods for, but that is even more reason for teachers to come up with new ways of teaching it. I like what the MI book had to say about teachers inherently doing a lot of the adapting necessary to make that theory work. That makes me feel like I really do have what it takes to be an effective teacher for different learning styles, and I think that kind of optimism is exactly what the education system needs. One of the books said that, in order for MI theory and differentiated instruction to work, teachers have to see themselves as capable of adapting and modifying their lessons, and having confidence in both their abilities as teachers and the capability of their students to perform to high standards. This positive approach to diversity in the classroom is exactly what needs to happen in order for education to progress.

MI Chapter 10

I really liked everything the chapter had to say about measuring students’ process against their own achievement, as opposed to measuring them only against each other or against a standard that someone else has set for them. Improvement and progress are definitely very important in the classroom, but if a student is improving compared to their own performance, isn’t that all that matters? Understandably, there is a level of proficiency that we want all students to reach, and it’s not to say that we shouldn’t still be aiming high for our students. However, I think it is reasonable that if a student continues to progress further and further based on their own achievement, we can assume that the curriculum and instruction has been a success and, barring a change in significant factors, the student will continue to improve. I think a major idea that both this book and Fair Isn’t Always Equal are trying to emphasize is that assessment should have a positive foundation. It should encourage progress and personal accomplishment instead of just numbers and scores. The chapter is right that we can’t differentiate instruction but not assessment; the personalized learning approach has to be carried through in all levels of learning. What I learned from this chapter is that assessment can be adapted to suit all levels of learning and forms of intelligence, and as teachers it is our duty to find ways to design tests and projects around the needs of our students so that we can get an accurate picture of their success in school. 

FIAE Chapter 6

This chapter had a lot of very practical and specific advice for how to plan good assessments, and that is the kind of stuff that I will definitely remember when I am a teacher. I didn’t realize that so much thought was put into the kinds of questions that teachers ask on tests, but it was really informative to see how detailed and intricate they actually are. Paying attention to the way test questions are formatted is a great way to differentiate instruction too. I really liked the part of the chapter where the author said that the only way tests can give us an accurate picture of student achievement is to make questions that they actually have a good chance of answering. The test is meant to measure students’ knowledge of the content, not their ability to play word games. From my time in high school, I remember that nothing was more frustrating than feeling as though the teacher was trying to trick us with test questions. It distracts you from remembering what you are being tested on and it adds pressure and anxiety that can impede test taking. I thought the paragraph showing what goes through a student’s mind when they are stressed about a poorly-worded question was really eye-opening, and when I am a teacher I will definitely remember how I felt taking tests as a student. I’ve learned a lot more now about the different types of test questions, and I can see how important it is to differentiate not just instruction, but assessment too. 

FIAE Chapter 5

The whole concept of tiering is a little bit confusing to me, and I think I would need to learn more about it in order to figure out how to implement it in my classroom. But the chapter did have a lot of good ideas about how to give students choices for how they want to be assessed, and how to also appeal to the many different learning styles in a differentiated classroom. I think the idea of a learning contract between a student and their teacher could be a good thing, because it keeps the student personally accountable for their work and gives them the needed autonomy. But I can also see how such a long list of rules and requirements could be overwhelming and off-putting to a student, so I think that kind of rubric should be used sparingly and only when the teacher knows that it will be very beneficial to the particular student. The ‘change the verb’ form of tiering is something that I would definitely use in my future classroom. I had never realize before how much impact the wording of a question or assignment could have on the way a student perceives it, but it really does make a big difference. Being as specific as possible really helps students get the most out of the assessment, and it encourages direct, purpose-driven thinking. Any project or assessment based off of a question or prompt should be active thought-provoking, because an assessment that is designed in a way that does not actively engage student thinking does not showcase their best work. 

FIAE Chapter 4

On page 48, the author mentions how students often aim for the second or third level of achievement when given a ranked rubric, either because they do not think they are capable of reaching the highest level or because they do not want to put in the extra work required to get there. I think this says a lot about assessment, and its implications for how we grade our students are things that I will take into the classroom with me. It is absolutely necessary for teachers to make their students feel confident that they can perform at a high level, and they must also push they to go beyond what is just good enough for a decent grade. I think rubrics can be helpful for that by giving students clear, specific instructions on how to reach a high level of achievement on a particular assignment, but I think holistic rubrics can be useful too because they put the attention on the learning process behind the project as opposed to just the end result grade. The student self-assessment section was really informative too. As an English teacher, a lot of the work I do with my students will center around writing assignments and personal responses to reading, and I think there is a place for self-assessment in both of those situations. I really like the idea of having students keep a reading journal to help them keep track of how they felt about the text, because it would get them into the habit of evaluating their own thoughts about the class material and could even lead into a cumulative assignment at the end of the unit. 

FIAE Chapter 3

This chapter had a lot of information about assessment to take in. I think the most important thing I learned from it was that there are countless different kinds of assessments meant to serve many different purposes. The three basic types of assessments (pre-, formative, and summative) were really helpful to learn about. I didn’t realize that assessment was something that necessarily took place in the midst of a lesson, but now that I have learned about it it makes a lot of sense. I think using tests results to determine what direction the content should go in is a really good idea, because it keeps the end goal in mind and makes sure that everything is driven towards a purpose. It is really easy to think of assessments as being the end of a teacher’s work for a particular unit, but the work never really ends, and tests and projects are meant to be another step along the way towards successful content mastery. Learning is a constantly evolving process and assessments need to work cooperatively with instruction to achieve that. I think it is also really important to make sure that assessments have real-world applications. One of the most irritating things about high school was when the material we were being tested on didn’t seem to have any real purpose. It made it seem like our time was being wasted, and that is something I really want to look out for when I am a teacher. The chapter’s guidelines for avoiding “fluff” assignments were really helpful for that. In order to keep content goal-oriented, it is important to always remember the end result envisioned by each particular assignment, and the same thing with assessments. Tests and other evalulative projects need to have just as much purpose as the work leading up to them. 

FIAE Chapter 2

Learning about the different levels of understanding that students need to achieve in the classroom is very useful to a teacher. It is easy to think that showing they can perform a certain skill is all the knowledge necessary for them to really understand a topic, but it does go a lot deeper. I didn’t realize until reading this chapter just how complicated it is to determine whether or not a student has mastered the content, but understanding that it takes more than just one or two exercises to have proof of it is something I will definitely take into the classroom with me. This chapter taught me a lot about the many different ways that it is necessary for students to be able to apply what they have learned. Most modern teachers know that rote memorization and useless busy work doesn’t promote the kind of active learning that we should be striving for, but it was helpful to learn that even hands-on, active assignments and activities aren’t always enough to judge how well a student has mastered the content. This chapter enforces the idea that assessment must be an ongoing process that measures all stages of learning and all aspects of it. Knowledge and content mastery are not one-dimensional things, and this chapter taught me a lot about appreciating the different ways of applying that mastery. When I am teaching a class, I will try to remember that what matters most is not my students simply regurgitating the information I teach them, but their ability to express that knowledge when I am not around to lead them through it. 

FIAE Chapter 1

I found the debate over whether differentiated instruction could actually be doing students a disservice by making things too easy for them an interesting one. In the face of mounting pressure for traditional academic success and exceptance to top colleges, a lot of emphasis is placed on independence and personal achievement. While these are undoubtably positive elements of education, they can sometimes make learning an isolating experience for students and unintentially do away with some of the collabortive and creative elements of education. Differentiated instruction brings these factors back and shows how teacher involvement and diverse instruction can bring about those desired results while allowing students to become well-rounded learners capable of adapting to varied learning situations. Paying close attention the ways that differentiated instruction affects students both in and outside of the classroom is a skill that I will bring into the classroom with me. Everything teachers do has the ability to have long-term effects on a student, and this is something that it is extremely important to remember. I also learned a lot about how differentiated instruction really is necessary for a successful classroom. Up until now, I think we were sort of given the impression that it was only used from time to time, or pulled out of the teacher tool box during difficult situations. But so much of what teachers do on a daily basis is differentiated by nature, without having to attach a label to it. Effective teaching requires instructors to constantly evolve and adapt their methods, often right in the moment and without time for extensive preparation. These intrinsic skills are a big portion of what differentiated instruction is all about, and that makes the whole thing seem a lot less intimidating.

UbD Chapter 5

I didn’t realize that assessment was such a layered, involved process, but I think it is extremely important to tailor assessment to our students’ individual needs the same way we do with instruction. It makes sense that the only way to get a full picture of their achievement is through several different methods, and this is a model I will take into the classroom with me in the future. The three different types of educational goals listed on page 64 were very helpful in explaining the way that different types of assessments should be specifically related to the kind of learning they are measuring. Assessment really isn’t a one size fits all component of teaching (not that any of them really are), so it was useful to see how we can put things into categories and organize them effectively. I really liked the ‘tic-tac-toe’ chart and method of allowing students to choose how they want their achievement to be measured. I always enjoyed it when teachers did this when I was in high school, and it is practice that I would like to implement in my future classroom too. I think it really gives students a chance to showcase their talents and makes something as stressful as assessment a little bit more easygoing. Even though tests and grades are essential to learning and should be handled as such, sometimes too much focus on numbers and rankings can detract from the actual knowledge and experience of creating a project or assignment for a class. Giving students more room for freedom and personal preferences in project-based assessment can allow them to get more out of the material itself, instead of forcing them to focus solely on what their grade will be.