Notes for Differentiation Seminar

We opened with everyone sharing about their breaks. It was sweet.

Jacob got married. No kidding. That one blew me away.

I was a mad ego-maniac.

Alaina had the grossest winter job eva.

After that we shared where we are doing our community service.

Some ideas:

• Jackie is working at the food bank/thrift store in Yelm
• Alaina is learning bits of Spanish, as well as doing a Spanish podcast, and she is volunteering at Lacey Community Church and is helping with tech, as well as working with Lacey Senior Center.
  
• Jacob is volunteering with The Nature Conservatory in Thurston County removing invasive plants (Scotch Broom) and planting native ones.
• Vida is volunteering at YWCA
• Rand is running a boy scout troop
• Jen TI is teaching for the Autobahn Society.
• JoAnna is working with Mason County Literacy Network, as well as supporting the Spanish individual.
• Jen C is working at Tacoma Community House
• Jessica
  
• I'm trying to get on a Tacoma Art Museum, failing that Pantagia Theatre, and failing that I am volunteering with Thurston County 4-H and Cub Scouts.

Terry emphasized the value of connecting with the community and asking what we can do to help bridge the gap between needs and schools. How can we be a part of the community and provide needs subtly.

Seminar Book Talk

Each person will facilitate a book. There will be a lesson plan made for that week. You have three hours.
The lesson plan will include:

• Focal points for discussion, showing that we've identified the main points from the texts. Show Terry that we know.
• Show where you are going to have assessment
• Leave time for check in.
• You must leave fifteen to twenty minutes for feedback.

Terry's role is to be an observer. She will sit in back and take notes, but she will jump in if she feels that we need it.

Academic Expectations

• Document, formative: your comprehension of the texts (weekly)
• Document, summative: your synthesis of the texts (at the end of the quarter)

Brainstorm: (s) applies to summative, (f) applies to formative

• A master list that shows how differentiation can work in the classroom overview (s)
  
• Lesson plan modified (s)
• Visual map (f)
• Write a page/notes (f)
• bullet points/chart (f)
• Outline (f)
  
• Quotes (f)
• Suggested ground rule: must be comprehensible to the group (f)
  
• KWL chart (f)
• Have to bring in a page, how you fill it out is up to you (f)
• Lesson plan can be used as homework (f)
• Lesson plan created for homework (vetoed by Terry, it is application)
• Venn diagram (s)
• 10 issues for your class, how you would use these things to help (s)

Terry's rules for visual maps:

• You need a color key, colors must have meanings
  
• Lines must have meanings, you must state the relationship
• There must be a logical order

Formative Decision

• You must have one page of preparation
• If you need specific preparation, ask the week before
• Three points of application
• Three point-agree/don't understand/disagree (these two can be combined)
• Page numbers
• Questions
• A pre/post comment
• Categories of student needs
• Categories of teacher strategies

Summative Brainstorm/Criteria

• Synthesized resource tool to share
• Must cite and use all texts (APA)
  
• Central question/answer
• Has specific applicable audience
• Uses specific assessment strategies
• A definition of differentiation
• Grouping strategies
  
• Student needs/strategies to meet those needs
• Getting to know a student on personal, cognitive, motivational, and behavioral levels

What are things that you need as individuals:

• Food and drink
• Consistent time for breaks/Break after a set number of tasks have been completed
  
• Agendas (facilitator's job)
• Remember that Jessica will show up between 8:45 and 9
• Self check-ins on class participation/making space for silence
• If you cite the book, cite the page number, make it easy for us to read along
• When we are quoting something, be aware that people actually have to open their books
• Keep "me too"s to the magic hand symbol
• No side talk
• No laptops
• Signal for time to reflect
• Respect the break, if it's 10 minutes, it's 10 minutes. If it's 15 minutes, it's actually 15 minutes. In both directions. It is the facilitator's duty to specifically state a time to get back
  
• Hand raising discussion now.
• We should paraphrase so that our statement has a context
• Raise your hand if you need to be heard, but is not a norm
• The facilitator needs to do their job
• Assume the best of people
• Tell Jen what's going on in your head after she speaks
• Respect that we all have biases and that we're trying to develop our skills
• Understand that we're trying to learn our Teflon skills
• RP needs reading wait-time
• Don't finish Alaina's sentences for her