Week Eight: Chapter 6

I really like this chapter because it showed even more how to apply differentiation to our planning. I like how it says to "plan multiple ways to teach and revisit the essentials". I think this is a key part in really helping students understand the curriculum. It's very important to create and engaging curriculum so the students aren't just memorizing material but actually learning the material. I like how it said to "focus student products around significant problems and issues." I agree with this. It's going to make the learning so much more engaging. I think it's my responsibility as the teacher to make sure I'm trying my best to make as many things as I can engaging. This means I will definitely have to differentiate for the students in order to make sure they are all engaged.
Another thing the book mentioned was "provide choices that ensure focus". It can be from RAFT's to Think-Tac-Toes to Learning Menus. These all give great options for each student to crease something that will ensure their focus.
It's also important to make sure you are keeping your teaching fresh. If you teach each subject the same exact way, it's going to get boring really quickly. Now this isn't saying you have to do this everyday, but make sure there is some variation at least sometimes.
Then the last thing from this chapter I want to mention is when it talks about "Aiming High". We often underestimate what students can do. It's very likely student can achieve much more if we push them just a little bit. I think this is where differentiation plays a huge role. If students are getting challenged in their own differentiated way, they will surely have success.