Doing school online is hard for everyone, but it is especially hard on the students. They
do not have access to everything they need to learn properly. Both general education and
special education students are struggling during this time. Has your cooperating teacher
done anything to help the students who are having a harder time learning the material?
Have you seen any differentiation throughout the virtual learning experience?
If so what are some of the strategies that you have been seeing?
Personally, I have not seen my cooperating teacher do anything different for students who are struggling and students who are doing just fine for the virtual part of school. The school I am in is doing half in person and half online everyday. When the students are in school, the students who are struggling are receiving help and interventions to help them along, but when they are online they are pretty much on their own. The teacher does all she can to make it as easy as possible when they are online, but does not provide anything extra for students who she knows are struggling.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I have seen so far whenever one student is struggling the chances are another student is struggling. For example, in math the students are learning multiplication facts and properties so you are able to tell when they are not understanding it. Usually my cooperating teacher will go over what she is teaching a few times and do some practice problems before allowing them to move to independent practice. I would say the students remotely get called on just as much as the students in the classroom so she is able to gage if they are struggling as well. It is definitely easier to notice the students in person struggling because we are able to walk around the room and monitor their work. But everyone is trying their best right now to get the students where they need to be.
ReplyDeleteAfter observing a couple of times virtually I did not see any sort of differentiation. However, since I am placed in kindergarten the district has decided that they are only going to have three half an hour sessions on Google Meets. I consider this a part of differentiation because these students are so young and it is hard to maintain their attention for five minutes let alone for a 30 minute period online. I think the structure makes sense for the position we are in and students are doing their best to be engaged learners.
ReplyDeleteIt is hard for teachers to differentiate/modify instruction right now because what is going on in education right now. My teacher tries to give students the option to complete assignments using paper and pencil if they prefer doing that over submitting things on the computer. For students with 504 plans she modifies assignments, and same thing goes for her ESL students.
ReplyDeleteDanielle Jackson
I have not seen teachers differentiate for students who may be struggling. I think that it is very difficult for teachers right now, still adapting to being virtual. This makes it even harder for them to even think about differentiating for students. I think that a lot of virtual cites the kids are using could be differentiated. For example, if children are at lower reading levels they can read the level that best fits their ability to read.
ReplyDeleteJessica Kellenbach
DeleteI haven't seen any teacher differentiating because it's hard to do it online. In person, we appeal to the different intelligences, but online it's really how well they can use the technology and answer questions. I feel bad for the students. My teacher does what works best for her based on her limited technology knowledge. When I try to show her shortcuts or easier ways to maneuver the class, she becomes frustrated and it saddens me that she chooses not to use the methods I've shown her to make it easier.
ReplyDeleteDennis Martin: The way my cooperating teacher and I meet with our kindergarten students throughout the day is that we meet the 24 students in four different groups that last 50 minutes. These 50-minute meetings include ELA time for 20 minutes, Math time for 20 minutes, and a 10-minute break in between. Because of this time constraint, we can not do much differentiating online or meet the specific needs of certain students individually. The most we can do in terms of edTPA is differentiate the content and process. Our students use multiple learning styles throughout the day. The students in every lesson have visuals, videos to watch and listen to, listen for vowel and consonant sounds during phonics, and hands-on activities with their whiteboards for both ELA and math. Also, after the fourth group ends and we have met with all our students, there is a gap between the student's science period and special class where it is meant for teachers to have interventions with specific students. This not only helps us with data collection on where the students are at, but we can use this time for re-teaching purposes as well.
ReplyDeleteKayla Sanderson: My teacher has sent home an incredible amount of materials for students to learn to help with differentiated learning. I have also seen my teacher change lessons on the fly because she is able to see that the students are not comprehending the lesson. My cooperating teacher is very good at reading her students.
ReplyDeleteThe good thing with my school is that they were able to give copies of their math and reading textbooks for them to have at home which they picked up at the beginning of the school year. They do not have any access to their social studies or science materials so they have to view everything on the screen when the teacher is going over the lesson. The good thing is that they have their math workbooks with them at home and are able to look at it physically because I feel that it would be way too hard for them to just look at it through a screen and actually understand what they are being taught.
ReplyDelete