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I am a HUGE fan of gamification! I love all the game resources in the files. Especially since not all of them use technology. I will be stealing some of these for sure! ( ;) )

I need to figure out how to find a balance when it comes to technology use in my classroom. While games are great for classwork and formative assessment, summative assessment is different and technology/games may not be best.

Additionally, the use of AI is so prevalent that we need to be cautious of when and how we use it in the classroom--particularly for those subjects that are writing intensive (ChatGPT who?) How can we set up those guidelines?

Ultimately, working with teams to determine guidelines ahead of time will help mitigate technology overuse and help us incorporate it effectively.

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I had a great conversation with Juliet and Corey about differentiation and student accommodations, focusing on the "Tier One Supports and Scaffolds" chart and UDL article.

Juliet brought up a really good point about differentiating for students who don't have IEPs. How do we support students who are struggling but don't have documented learning difficulties? This might be a situation in which to bring this student to the attention of an administrator or the special education team. It would also be a good idea to reach out to grade-level colleagues who also teach that student, and compare notes.

I also love the concept of UDL: providing the same accommodations to anyone in the class who could use them (e.g., print out copies of the slides for a lesson, and any student may take them so they may follow along). Universal accommodations can be beneficial to any student, not just students for whom it is mandated by their IEP.

I also appreciated the article about team meeting norms. It got into very practical considerations, such as the power dynamic in play when considering whether to point out that your principal is not starting the meeting on time. I would be so grateful (and relieved) to be part of a school that prioritizes equity by collaboratively creating, and planning for how to adhere to, norms in our collaborative spaces.

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I really enjoyed this time to discover the plethora of resources and links you've provided. The Tier 1 Supports and Scaffolds for Concurrent Teaching document gave me some really concrete examples and ideas on how to incorporate a variety of reading, writing, listening, and speaking activities in relation to English Learners (ELs) and Students with Disabilities (SWDs) in the classroom. This really opened my eyes as to concrete things that can be done in the classroom to help students that fall into these categories to learn in different ways. I also spoke with Juliet and Julie. We tried to demystify differentiation and also spoke with Julie extensively about her experiences teaching so far.

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Really like the tools and tables and advice for how to do things practically in the classroom. The tic-tac-toe, the playlist for collaborative groups, the Guess Who? are all great.

Collaborative groups structuring and assessment seems really difficult, because so many kids don't like it (free riding, uneven participation, common scoring...). So anything that helps us clarify that and apply a tool is a great help.

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I dug into the issue of equity. I gained some helpful perspective on how direct we need to be as teachers in addressing inequity. We should make equity progress a priority, not a development goal. We need to address racism for what it is, and not envelop it in vague notions of culture change. Instead of just responding to student disadvantages by building their grit or with trauma-informed practices, we have to change the conditions in our schools that lead to inequity. Also, celebrating diversity doesn’t cut it; it doesn't help marginalized students who are already keenly aware of differences.

I also found this definition of equity education from EdEquityVA really helpful for my thinking about the end goal: Education Equity is

achieved when we eliminate the predictability of student outcomes based on race, gender, zip code, ability, socioeconomic status or languages spoken at home.

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We took this opportunity to discuss our perspectives on differentiation in the classroom. The guide to "Tier 1 Supports and Scaffolds" describes specific techniques teachers can implement to support the learning of English Learners and Students with Disabilities. As for most differentiation strategies, however, these will likely benefit all learners. The guidance in this document also focuses more on instruction than on assessment. I still find it easier to imagine applying differentiation to modes of instruction than assessment, because I'm still not sure how to verify equivalent levels of rigor across different types of assignments.

An alternative approach that has appealed to me is individualized instruction. Insofar as it self-directed, it seems that student might be able to self-differentiate. Learning menus strike me as a productive way to individualize instruction while maintaining rigor, given that the teacher can determine which activities would be comparably rigorous in advance.

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End of Average... envision a range of curriculum that is responsive to a student. The learner fits the curriculum around their needs and interests to achieve their goals.

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I liked the variety of resources presented and thought a lot of them would be helpful. Specifically, I'll be teaching social studies. I thought the dinner party idea and Guess Who game would be a fun and engaging way for students to learn about and review historical figures and/or events. I also like the connect 4 idea. I think this could be a good brain break/review activity and would allow students to work with and learn from a partner.

I think these could be fun ideas to try on my own and share with my collaborative team, and also hear about they taught similar topics, if they have similar suggestions for activities, etc. These are also good ways to give students a break from their computer and technology in general.

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I watched the video about undiagnosed Autism because I was very curious about this topic and how it might influence interactions with others both in my current and future roles. The video opened up my perspective on how some people may be struggling with this and suppressing their true selves to conform to norms. I also recognized many of the cues that I picked up on from the speaker in many people I have interacted with. This makes me want to work hard to embrace the neurodiversity of the student and even adult populations that I come across and figure out how to get the best out of everyone. I want to find ways to turn what may seem to be disadvantages to some into advantages.

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I'm appreciative of the amount of resources available here, though I couldn't dive deep into all of them within the 45 minutes. We mostly looked at equity, which is important and problematic. It is so important to level the playing field for kids, but getting there is a huge problem to tackle that must be done at an individual and systemic level. The numbers for kids with disabilities was particularly eye opening.

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I like combining traditional games with technology and turning off the screen. Students spend a lot of time on their computers and devices whether at home or at school. Doing activities that require little to no screen time gives them a slight break but also allows them to stretch their brains while working. Some of the activities look fun and require little to no screen time. At the same time, technology is important and should be used effectively.

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I appreciate the resources found in the Equity folder. I found that the Equity Audit Checklists for Classroom and Schoolwide inventories to be useful tools for equity checks and balances.

Another helpful document is the "HOW TO REFRAME OUR CONVERSATIONS
ABOUT STUDENTS." These conversation guidelines help us to navigate those difficult conversations in and out of the classroom.

The other resources for classroom engagement templates will be put to use as soon as I am able to customize with course material. My students will notice the newness of the ideas! Thank you!

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I always appreciate articles on classroom management and dealing with difficult students. Dealing with difficult students seems like the biggest opportunity to lose control of your emotions and regretting how you responded. I like the article that discussed admiring difficult students for their leadership and trying to enlist them to use that positively in the class.

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-I really enjoyed the photo scavenger hunt. I am doing a similar activity in my lesson plan and find the students love doing activities like this.

-The guess who could be really fun for keeping the students engaged and feeling like they are playing a game but will have to use their knowledge to solve the other person's "character" and won't even realize they are recalling knowledge and learning.

-Instagram summary can really make learning feel relevant to students with apps they use but still apply it to learning.

-Overall I think being able to blend technology is great. Using apps like schoology to give tests and quizzes to have instant results and feedback for not only the students but the teachers as well.

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We discussed the significance of utilizing technology in the classroom. One of my favorite platforms is NearPod because it allows for a lot of structure and engagement. Students aren't able to go ahead in the presentation and are required to engage the entire time.

The great part of having access to these different types of technology is that it can vary instruction. Instead of students just copying information down for memorization, we can utilize these different platforms. Instead of the students copying down character traits of characters from novels, they can create a Guess Who game or Instagram profile of the characters.

My group also discussed the importance of screen-free time. One of the ways we talk about increasing engagement with free time is doing more hands-on activities such as gallery walks.

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I think the amount of technology teachers and students have access to is both a huge opportunity and a challenge. It can be extremely engaging for students to access digital resources, but it creates a need of the teacher to more closely monitor their devices to ensure that students are on task. Programs like light speed provide the ability to monitor student's devices more efficiently and help facilitate that digital engagement.

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I am in agreement with Ms. Silverburg. I am not a "gamer", however, Gamification is a new way of reaching students. In our group we discussed how different technologies are being used in different places. All of this of course needs to be balanced.

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I GREATLY appreciated the folder labeled "Use in Your Classroom." As a new teacher, I have struggled with teaching the content in different ways (from just the traditional lecture-style) and all the resources in this folder were very helpful. I am excited to engage my students with these new learning methods. Thank you! I also appreciated the FMS Tech tips -- it's great to be aware of all the tools we have as teachers.

It was also interesting to go over the materials about how students are different -- UDL and the Learning Brain and more. It's very helpful as a teacher to understand that students vary and it is our responsibility as teachers to try and help students be able to access the content in a way that clicks with them.

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From the "Meeting the Needs of All Students by Tier 1 high-leverage differentiation strategies, it is mostly likely to maximize students' learning opportunities, engage in rigorous learning. As a potential math teacher, I would definitely take my entire effort of observation on students' needs while creating the instructional match.