# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Scaffolding Options - Vocabulary Strategies

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Differentiation based on ATL Skills Development

# data[].attributes.headline
Authentic Assessment as Differentiation: Project & Problem-Based

# data[].attributes.subject
Authentic Assessment as Differentiation: Project & Problem-Based

# data[].attributes.body
1. Structure & Logistics

Choice of Formats: Offer multiple formats for assessments, such as video presentations, written reports, or creative projects, allowing students to choose how they demonstrate learning.

Flexible Timelines: Provide extended deadlines or time adjustments for students who need them, while encouraging advanced learners to manage tighter schedules for additional challenges.

Contextual Relevance: Use real-world scenarios relevant to students' cultural, social, or personal interests to make assessments more engaging.

Scaffolded Tasks: Break larger projects into smaller, manageable steps, providing checkpoints to guide beginners while allowing advanced learners to skip scaffolds.

Collaboration Options: Allow students to work individually or in groups, depending on their preferred style of learning and task complexity.

2. Intellectual Design Features

Varying Cognitive Demands: Differentiate tasks to align with Bloom’s Taxonomy, from simple recall for beginners to analysis and creation for advanced learners.

Open-Ended Questions: Incorporate tasks that allow multiple solutions or interpretations, enabling differentiation by student creativity and critical thinking level.

Student-Driven Inquiry: Encourage students to select their own topics or questions within a broad framework, fostering autonomy and deeper engagement.

Interdisciplinary Connections: Include cross-disciplinary elements for students who excel in applying skills in broader contexts.

Reflection Opportunities: Integrate reflective components for students to assess their learning process and outcomes, supporting metacognitive development.

3. Grading & Scoring

Rubric-Based Assessment: Use detailed rubrics with clear criteria for each level of performance, allowing transparency and guidance for improvement.

Individualized Feedback: Provide personalized feedback tailored to the learner’s current skill level and growth potential.

Self and Peer Assessment: Include self-assessment or peer review components, where students learn to critically evaluate their work and others'.

Weight Adjustments: Adjust the weighting of rubric criteria to prioritize areas where students need more practice or challenge.

Growth Over Time: Implement a system that values progress and improvement rather than just a final score.

4. Fairness of Access

Accommodations: Provide reasonable accommodations, such as assistive technology or alternative formats, to meet diverse learning needs.

Bias Mitigation: Ensure assessments are free of cultural, linguistic, or gender bias by including diverse perspectives and contexts.

Transparency in Expectations: Clearly communicate goals, criteria, and success measures to students before starting the assessment.

Equal Opportunities: Ensure all students have access to necessary resources (e.g., research materials, technology) to complete their tasks.

Flexible Demonstration: Allow multiple methods of demonstrating the same competency to accommodate varied learning styles and strengths.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
WAB Learns: Ready, Steady, Flow: Authentic Assessment

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Workflows and stratgies to make the most of the tech & time we have with our learners.

# data[].attributes.body
We will try to create to experiment with differentiation by outcome.

We will try to create permanent resources that are on display for students to return to throughout a unit.

Use a clock/timer and set restriction e.g. 15 minute to help organisation. We can draw on a clock to show the time rather than a stressful countdown.

# data[].attributes.body
The article provides several strategies for differentiating teaching to enhance students' thinking skills. Below is a summary of the key strategies discussed:

1. Differentiation Through a Flipped Classroom

Pre-Lesson Work: Students access learning materials (videos, interactive PDFs, or apps) before class, allowing them to learn at their own pace.

Class Time Focus: Use class time for active problem-solving, discussions, and clarifying concepts, shifting the teacher’s role to a facilitator.

Benefits: This method enables personalized pacing and engages students in critical thinking, problem-solving, and inquiry.

2. Tiered Activities

Scaffold Learning: Provide tasks of varying difficulty levels during class, enabling students to choose based on their confidence and readiness.

Progression: Students are encouraged to take on progressively challenging activities to foster growth.

3. Collaborative Grouping

Mixed-Ability Teams: Group students with partial homogeneity based on their chosen activities to encourage peer learning.

Role Assignment: Advanced learners mentor peers, while the teacher focuses on students needing additional support.

4. Technology Integration

Interactive Resources: Use diverse formats, such as simulations, e-quizzes, and apps, to appeal to different learning preferences.

Accessibility: Leverage common tools like smartphones to make learning resources easily available and engaging.

5. Focus on Individual Goals

Personalized Learning Benchmarks: Help students set and work towards individual learning goals aligned with their skill levels.

Continuous Feedback: Provide tailored feedback to guide their development.

6. Student Ownership and Responsibility

Engagement in Learning Process: Students prepare in advance, fostering accountability for their progress.

Reflection and Inquiry: Build metacognitive skills through self-assessment and reflective practices.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Last Updated on January 13, 2023

This post is part of a 6-part series highlighting how we, as IB teachers, can bring Approaches to Teaching to our classroom and challenge learners to engage in Approaches to Learning.

In the previous installments of our series, we have shared ideas on instructional strategies that allow the simultaneous implementation of Approaches to Teaching and Learning (ATLs). These combine your teaching methods to learners' skills empowerment: inquiry and research, conceptual understanding and thinking, local-global contexts and communication, and teamwork and socialization.

Connecting Approaches to Teaching with Approaches to Learning

This fifth post addresses how differentiated teaching can advance learners' thinking skills. In a previous post, we discussed a few aspects of thinking skills in the context of conceptual understanding. In the current installment, we will see how a cluster of specific thinking skills, that are put forward by both the IBO and contemporary educational research, can surface through differentiated teaching.

Acknowledge your learners as individuals through differentiated instruction

I distinctly recall my first, although remote, encounter with "differentiated instruction." It was during a meeting with the Head of School for the discussion of my annual evaluation after he had observed one of my IB classes. I was confident that his report would be a good one until he asked me something like what measures do you take to support talented learners?

My instant thoughts were: "Should I do something special for such learners?" and "I don't have the time for this anyway." My actual response was about the different levels of difficulty in homework assignments, which is more than common in everyday practice, but can hardly be considered a "special measure." I don't know what he wrote down in my file, but at least his question was thought-provoking for me.

In general education, where the IB Diploma Programme (DP) belongs, we have to teach "students with learning difficulties, gifted students, and students with no identified exceptionality" (Altemueller & Lindquist, 2017). We can't turn a blind eye to this learning diversity in our classroom. On the contrary, we must consider it a top priority while we do our best to meet the curriculum goals and fulfill the overall DP mission.

"Differentiated instruction" is perhaps the most prominent of those strategies we know we should use, but we are reluctant to do so. It might scare us away because we think it relates to special education for learners with particular needs and abilities, for which only a few of us have official training. And if the strategy addresses all learners individually, it seems extremely time-consuming to prepare all-embracing lessons throughout the year.

💡 "Differentiation" doesn't refer to special education. It addresses the approach of every learner's needs, but this doesn't mean that we will turn our class into private tutoring lessons.

In the context of the constructivist approach, "differentiated learning" takes place beyond our control. Every learner processes the content, the skills and the concepts we teach in a personalized way, whether we like it or not. What calls for deliberate differentiation is our own teaching, in order to effectively meet all learners' learning needs. How do we achieve this within our limited time in the classroom?

Promote an environment that welcomes all learners

If you are using a teacher-centered teaching approach, it will be markedly harder or more time-consuming for you to pursue differentiated teaching. "Differentiation puts the focus on learners, and it is a learner-centered approach that is aimed to help learners succeed regardless of the differences" (Bajrami, 2013). Any learner-centered technique will definitely give you an edge, but it's not always clear how you can focus on every learner without neglecting the rest of the class as a whole entity.

The answer to this riddle can be the "flipped classroom". This is an innovative teaching methodology that has drawn the educational community's attention during the last decade. The term seems self-explanatory, but it is actually misleading. The "flipping" doesn't refer to the exchange of roles between the teacher and the learners; it reflects a completely different instructional approach that can accommodate your plans for all-inclusive teaching.

The implementation of the flipped classroom suggests this model (Abeysekera & Dawson, 2015):

Use this context to advance learner soft skills

To make the flipped classroom work in practice, you have to guide your learners towards valid resources that will allow them to grasp the necessary information in advance of an upcoming lesson. Although you will set the main focus, they will practice their critical thinking to go through the material effectively.

This way, when you meet with them, you can skip the traditional "one-man-show" and proceed immediately to activities that will clarify and deepen the material they covered on their own time. In other words, you can immediately put your efforts into developing their problem solving skills instead of practicing your own presentation skills (that, if I have to guess, are pretty refined after a year or two in the classroom).

As for homework, they should elaborate on the in-class assignments. This is an excellent opportunity for each learner to show what they can do in a more deliberate way. Although they all start from the same point, they can use their creativity to generate a unique end product. Afterward, they can proceed to the next course and restart the cycle.

It may already be visible how this inquiry cycle (inquiry-action-reflection) throws the ball in the learners' court. They now have the freedom and the responsibility to process their learning at their own pace. To them, you are no longer an instructor but a facilitator who walks them through their educational journey.

💡 Taking the traditional time-consuming lectures during a class period off the table gives you plenty of time to focus on each learner's needs.

At the beginning of each session, you can offer a range of tiered activities of increasing difficulty and prompt the learners to work with those that make them feel most comfortable and productive. That will give you an insight into their learning engagement and room to provide further support according to their needs.

This process can be supported by teamwork. If you have a big class, form groups with partial homogeneity in their chosen activities so you can focus on two or three learners at once, plus make use of their collaboration with their teammates productively. The weaker learners will benefit from your exclusive attention, and the more advanced group members can act as "teacher's assistants." Learners with sufficient understanding push themselves even further when you prompt them to share their knowledge, and afterward, you can turn your focus to them to discuss more difficult tasks.

Enable every learner to achieve personal learning goals

From the teaching point of view, the flipped classroom allows us to differentiate instruction in regard to our learners' abilities. Meanwhile, from the learning point of view, each learner works with the pace and material most appropriate for achieving their personal learning benchmarks. This is a win-win because learners are involved in a process that actively enhances their thinking skills, along with other essential soft skills.

When you let the learners in on the upcoming topics, you aren't revealing your professional secrets. In fact, they are entitled to know what's coming next and prepare for it, both mentally and psychologically. If they have access to the upcoming material, they can control their own learning: watch or read something repeatedly, form specific questions, and do their research - all the actions they need to take in order to be "ready to go."

Perhaps you are thinking: how is this different from any homework assignment following the traditional class? Homework is used for practicing their knowledge of the topic you have delivered. Sometimes, for reasons inexplicable to us, learners consider it as "optional." Most of the time, it is related merely to assessment.

In the flipped classroom, on the contrary, learners' prior work is mandatory and strongly connected to the upcoming lesson. Either the learners do it, or they are wasting their time at school because they aren't prepared to participate in what their teacher and classmates are talking about. It also has an immediate, self-evident, impact on their grade.

💡 We don't use the flipped classroom to penalize our learners; we use it to pass on the torch of responsibility regarding their personal learning goals.

The time spent in the classroom will be way more meaningful for them if they have worked hard to construct a representation from scratch for the new material - on their own terms. Activating their unique prior knowledge, following their personal thinking pathways, and focusing on the things most challenging for them will completely reform the way they see your class. It will give them ownership. These elements will comprise the base on which you can build your differentiated teaching during contact hours.

You can assign homework on the covered lesson, along with preparative activities for the upcoming one. Keep an eye for the reasonable extent of each lesson, so learners have the capacity to study both the previous and the next one sufficiently. Their tasks can be closely related to the work done in the classroom: from the list of tiered activities, challenge them to uptake a task from the next difficulty level. This way, your differentiated instruction follows them home.

Make the lesson attractive, accessible and relevant to your learners

What makes the flipped classroom an attainable educational strategy is our access to technology. In fact, the initial definition of the flipped classroom specifically referred to video lectures as the learning source for the upcoming lesson (Bergmann & Sams, 2012). However, just a few years is a "long time ago" in the context of evolving educational technology.

Back in the day, educational videos were the teachers' recordings uploaded online; now, you can find dozens of good captures that suit your specific IB topic or chapter. But now we have a variety of asynchronous tools that can work as preliminary sources - and far more interactive than videos, so you can draw your learners' attention.

💡 It is important to remember why we implement the flipped classroom in the first place: to create realistic conditions for differentiated instruction.

Resources can come in a diverse range of content difficulty and software formats. Interactive pdf files, simulations, and e-quizzes can begin to serve our goals. But, we also have to consider what suggests attractive hardware for our learners - and meet them there. As far as I know, in most technologically developed countries, smartphones have become an extension of their hands. With each learner's learning needs in mind, why don't we suggest some additional ways they can use the technology that pushes them to create rather than consume?

During their preparation for the next class or when expanding on the tasks given as homework, they can discover related content through mobile apps, thus combining relevant software with accessible hardware. Differentiated learning is seamlessly facilitated if learners find answers to their particular questions. They can be the first who pose them or not; what matters is to receive personalized answers from valid sources that contribute to their personalized quest of learning.

Sources
Abeysekera, L., & Dawson, P. (2015). Motivation and cognitive load in the flipped classroom: definition, rationale and a call for research. Higher Education Research and Development, 34(1), 1-14.

Bajrami, I. (2013). The Importance of Differentiation in Supporting Diverse Learners. Journal of Education and Practice, 4(22), 149-154.

Bergmann, J., & Sams, A. (2012). Flip Your Classroom: Reach Every Student in Every Class Every Day. OR: International Society for Technology in Education.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Differentiate Teaching for the advancement of learner Thinking Skills: Simplifying Approaches to Teaching &Learning Series (Part 5)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This post is part of a 6-part series highlighting how we, as IB teachers, can bring Approaches to Teaching to our classroom and challenge learners to engage in Approaches to Learning. In the previo...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Scaffolding Options - Writing Strategies

# data[].attributes.body
If students need to respond in a specific way to certain types of DP questions, provide students an outline they can use for the first few times they have an assessment. As students get used to the way they need to answer, you can take the outline away so they can start working from memory.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Reminders of things you can do in YOUR class to help ALL students. 

# data[].attributes.body
When students get to high school, we continue to believe students SHOULD have learned these skills by now. These are lifelong skills that will continue to be developed for students.

# data[].attributes.body
1. Choice Board (UDL)

Create a choice board for a student assignment based on the principles of UDL.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Choice Board Generator is a powerful MagicSchool AI-driven tool designed to empower educators to implement Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles effectively. With this intuitive tool, teachers can effortlessly craft custom choice boards that cater to diverse student needs and learning styles.

Choice boards are versatile instructional aids that grant students agency over their learning journey. They present a selection of tasks or activities, allowing students to make choices that align with their preferences, interests, and strengths. This not only enhances engagement but also fosters a deeper understanding of the subject matter.

See full generation here!

Key Features

‍Personalization: The Choice Board Generator enables teachers to create highly personalized choice boards by tailoring the content to individual student needs. Whether it's varying the difficulty level, offering different formats, or providing options for assessment, this tool ensures inclusivity.

Content Diversity: This AI-driven assistant supports a wide range of subjects and assignments. It can be used for everything from math problems to creative writing prompts, making it a valuable addition to any teacher's toolkit.

Time Efficiency: Save valuable instructional time by automating the choice board creation process. The tool can swiftly generate boards based on your input, allowing you to focus on other aspects of lesson planning and delivery.

Best Uses

The Choice Board Generator (UDL) is one of the Best AI tools for Elementary Teachers

Differentiated Instruction: The Choice Board Generator excels in differentiating instruction to meet the unique needs of each student. Teachers can create boards with varying levels of complexity, catering to both struggling learners and those seeking greater challenges.‍

Student Engagement: Utilize choice boards to increase student engagement and motivation. By giving students the autonomy to select tasks that interest them, you can tap into their intrinsic motivation, resulting in more enthusiastic learners.

‍Accessibility: Ensure inclusivity in your classroom by offering alternative formats and options for students with diverse learning abilities. The Choice Board Generator is an invaluable tool for adhering to Universal Design for Learning principles.

‍Personalization: The Choice Board Generator enables teachers to create highly personalized choice boards by tailoring the content to individual student needs. Whether it's varying the difficulty level, offering different formats, or providing options for assessment, this tool ensures inclusivity.

Content Diversity: This AI-driven assistant supports a wide range of subjects and assignments. It can be used for everything from math problems to creative writing prompts, making it a valuable addition to any teacher's toolkit.

Time Efficiency: Save valuable instructional time by automating the choice board creation process. The tool can swiftly generate boards based on your input, allowing you to focus on other aspects of lesson planning and delivery.

The Choice Board Generator (UDL) is one of the Best AI tools for Elementary Teachers

Differentiated Instruction: The Choice Board Generator excels in differentiating instruction to meet the unique needs of each student. Teachers can create boards with varying levels of complexity, catering to both struggling learners and those seeking greater challenges.‍

Student Engagement: Utilize choice boards to increase student engagement and motivation. By giving students the autonomy to select tasks that interest them, you can tap into their intrinsic motivation, resulting in more enthusiastic learners.

‍Accessibility: Ensure inclusivity in your classroom by offering alternative formats and options for students with diverse learning abilities. The Choice Board Generator is an invaluable tool for adhering to Universal Design for Learning principles.

Summary

In summary, the Choice Board Generator simplifies the process of creating choice boards, promoting student agency, engagement, and inclusive learning. By offering a wide array of customization options and being compatible with various subjects, it is an indispensable tool for educators committed to providing high-quality, tailored instruction.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Creates a choice board for student assignments based on Universal Design for Learning principles.

# data[].attributes.body
This AI-powered tool allows teachers to enter the learning targets or standards into the website and receive an explanation of the content in four different levels.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Ready to make sense of the world? Experience the future of education with our innovative AI-powered tools and ELI5 techniques. Simplify complex topics, enhance learning, and empower teachers and students to achieve success like never before.

# data[].attributes.headline
EduAide.ai to plan learning objectives, provide leveled independent texts, create engaging collaborative activities

# data[].attributes.subject
EduAide.ai to plan learning objectives, provide leveled independent texts, create engaging collaborative activities

# data[].attributes.body
Watch this video to see how it works.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
An integrated lesson planning platform

All your tools in one place

Source It

The act of using a Large Language Model to write the basis for a generative educational resource. Generating content is only the first step.

Shape It

Look at generated content as a sculptor might a block of marble. Shape the raw material to suit your unique context. Use our suite of personalization tools to more deeply differentiate instruction.

Share It

Cultivate expertise and collaborate with other users. Share your educational resources with a community of practice to reuse, revise, remix, and redistribute to find what works best for students.

Take back your time. Master your craft.

Start teaching with Eduaide today.

1. Join us on Discord

Get help, ask questions, and interact with other Eduaide users and learn how they are using Eduaide.

2. Advisory Board

Learn more about our Advisory Board and how they are helping us build the best lesson planning platform for teachers.

3. Podcasts & Press

If you want to learn more about Eduaide, our philosophy, and our mission, check out our featured podcasts and press.

Copyright © 2024 Eduaide.Ai. LLC All Rights Reserved. Icons provided by Icons8. Site elements by Denys Koltovskyi - stock.adobe.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Eduaide.Ai is an AI-driven platform that helps educators create lesson plans, teaching resources, and assessments.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
20 Differentiated Instruction Strategies and Examples [+ Downloadable List]

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As students with diverse learning styles fill the classroom, many teachers don't always have the time, or spend additional hours to plan lessons that use differentiated instruction (DI) to suit students' unique aptitudes.

# data[].attributes.headline
Ideas for Accommodations and Differentiation 

# data[].attributes.subject
Ideas for Accommodations and Differentiation 

# data[].attributes.body
Some ideas for your classroom

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
How can teachers help kids with anxiety in the classroom? Explore this list of accommodations for anxiety. You can download and print the list, too.

# data[].attributes.body
diffit.me can turn a reading passage into an interactive Google or PowerPoint activity, which can be completed online or printed for the learning studio activities. Watch the video below to learn more about this helpful tool. I will be sharing this with all my teams to help with differentiated instruction and learning studio days.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZcCyCWG70Q

# data[].attributes.body
Many experts will tell you that the average length of a child's attention can be calculated by this simple formula:

1. Age × 2-5 minutes = Average Attention Span

# data[].attributes.body
Slow processing speed is not related to intelligence. It may also interfere with executive functions, as a person with slow processing speed will have a harder time planning, setting goals, making decisions, starting tasks, paying attention, etc.

# data[].attributes.body
Anxiety can look different for everyone and many students may be hiding it.

# data[].attributes.body
As we continue to see a rise in perfectionism, here is some information about what it can look like, some tips on how we are able to recognize it in our classrooms, and suggestions on some strategies.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Perfectionism Might Be Hurting You. Here’s How to Change Your Relationship to Achievement - Harvard Summer School

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Ambitious students often feel the pressure to be perfect. Recognizing what perfectionism is can help you develop a better relationship with achievement.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Scaffolding Options - Reading Strategies

# data[].attributes.body
There are three broad ways of grouping students. We can let the students choose who they wish to work with, the teacher can make the groups, or we can group them randomly.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
There are many benefits to getting students to work in pairs and groups. These range from giving students more speaking opportunities to creating better overall classroom dynamics.

There are three broad ways of grouping students. We can let the students choose who they wish to work with, the teacher can make the groups, or we can group them randomly. In this post, I'll show you a wealth of ways that you can organise your students randomly into pairs and groups.

The suggestions are organised into two sets. The first set of suggestions gets students to form a line which the teacher then divides up into pairs or groups of the desired size. The second set of suggestions gets students directly into pairs or groups.

Form a line

This grouping method requires students to stand up and form a line, complying to the set rule. The teacher then divides the line into pairs or groups. All except one of these require no extra preparation before class.

1. When did you last eat ice cream? - Students get into a line ranked in order of when they last ate ice cream (pizza, chocolate, etc.). The teacher then divides the line into pairs or groups as required.

2. Something in your bag or pocket - Each student chooses and takes out a personal item that they have in their bag or pocket (encourage students to choose a more unusual item, not just a pen, keys, a coin, etc.). Students get into a line in alphabetical order of the spelling of the name of the item they are holding. The teacher then divides the line into pairs or groups.

3. Birthdays - Students get into a line ranked in the order of their birthdays in the year. The teacher then divides the line into pairs or groups.

4. Words from the unit - The teacher selects words from the unit of the course book and writes each one on an individual piece of paper. The teacher gives one word to each student. Students get into a line in alphabetical order of the spelling of the words. The teacher then divides the line into pairs or groups.

5. What's your favourite food? - Students write their favourite food (animal, place, singer, etc.) on a piece of paper. They get into a line in alphabetical order of the word they wrote. The teacher then divides the line into pairs or groups.

6. What time did you go to bed last night? - Students get into a line ranked in order of the time that they went to bed last night. The teacher then divides the line into pairs or groups.

7. Alphabetical order - Students get into a line in alphabetical order of the spelling of their first/given name (or surname). The teacher then divides the line into pairs or groups. Alternatively, students could write their names backwards and get into alphabetical order of the reverse spelling of their names.

8. The youngest person living in your home - Students get into a line ranked in order of the age of the youngest person who lives in their home. The teacher then divides the line into pairs or groups.

9. How long did it take you to get here today? - Students get into a line ranked in order of how much time it took them to get to school today. The teacher then divides them into pairs or groups.

10. Where did you go on your last vacation? - Students get into a line ranked in alphabetical order of the name of the place they went on their last vacation. The teacher then divides the line into pairs or groups. Alternatively, this could be about the city/place they would most like to visit.

11. Last 2 digits of your phone number - Students get into a line ranked in order of the last two digits of their phone number. The teacher then divides the line into pairs or groups. Alternatively, this could be done with the last two digits on a personal ID.

12. What was the last thing you ate? - Students write the name of the last thing they ate on a piece of paper. Students get into a line in alphabetical order of the spelling of the food they last ate. The teacher then divides the line into pairs or groups.

13. Number of letters in your name - Students get into a line based on the number of letters in their full name. Students should decide if they wish to omit any name they do not normally use or do not like. The teacher then divides the line into pairs or groups.

14. How much time did you spend away from home yesterday? - Students get into a line ranked in order of the amount of time they spend away from their home yesterday. The teacher then divides the line into pairs or groups.

15. Last word on the page - The teacher assigns a different page number of the course book to each student. The assignment of the pages could be done in several ways, but the easiest is probably to get students to count consecutively around the class, although not necessarily starting on page 1 (e.g., 33, 34, 35 etc.). Students look at the last word on their assigned page and get into alphabetical order of their words. The teacher then divides the line into pairs or groups.

16. Date on a coin - Each student takes out a coin and looks at the year written on it. Students get into a line ranked in order of the dates on their coins. Some students will probably have coins with the same year, in which case they could rank themselves by how old or new each coin looks. The teacher then divides the line into pairs or groups.

Directly into pairs or groups

Most of these suggestions require some degree of preparation before class.

1. Grab the string - To get students into pairs, the teacher has pieces of string (one piece for every two students). The teacher holds all the pieces of string in a bunch in the middle and every student chooses and holds the end of a piece of string. The teacher then lets go of the string and students get into pairs with the person holding the other end of their piece of string (Dudley, E. & E. Osváth. 2016. Mixed-Ability Teaching. OUP).

2. Lollipop sticks - The teacher has the name of each student written on an individual lollipop stick (or name card). The teacher chooses sticks at random to put students into pairs or group. Note: there are also free apps that can randomly group students in a similar way.

3. What's the category? - To get students into groups of 4, the teacher chooses words of 4 kinds of fruit, 4 kinds of colour, 4 kinds of animal, 4 kinds of furniture, etc., and writes each word on a separate piece of paper. Each student gets a word at random. Students get into groups with people who have the same category of word.

4. Lengths of ribbon - The teacher has some pieces of ribbon cut into lengths (string or strips of reused paper also work). For example, if there are 12 students in the class and the teacher wants to make three groups of 4 students, there will be 4 short ribbons, 4 medium-length ribbons and 4 longer ribbons. The teacher holds all the ribbons so that students cannot see how long each ribbon is and gets each student to select one. Students get into groups with people with the same length of ribbon.

5. Parts of a picture - The teacher has a number of different pictures and each is cut up into pieces (the number of pieces corresponds to the size of the groups required). Each student gets a piece of a picture at random. Students get into groups with people who have the other pieces of the same picture.

6. Halves of sentences - To get students into pairs, the teacher chooses different sentences from the unit of the course book and writes each one on a strip of paper. Then each sentence is cut in half. Each student gets half of a sentence at random. Students get into pairs with the person with the corresponding half of the sentence.

7. Letters - The teacher prepares pieces of paper each with the letter A, B, C, or D, etc. written on each one. The teacher gives one piece of paper to each student. Students get into groups with people with the same letter. This can also be done with coloured tokens or coloured pieces of paper.

8. Team captains - The teacher selects some students to come to the front and be team captains. The number of team captains will depend on the required number of groups/teams. Each team captain then takes it in turns to choose team members. This can be done by team captains selecting who they want to be in their team or by randomly taking lollipop sticks or name cards (see 18).

9. Count around the class - The teacher allocates a number to each student (e.g. 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, etc.) around the class. When all students have a number, all the students with the number 1 get into a group; all the students with the number 2 get into a group, etc.

Philip Haines moved to Mexico from England in 1995 and currently works as the Senior Academic Consultant for Oxford University Press Mexico. He has spoken internationally in three continents and nationally in every state in Mexico. Philip is the author/co-author of several ELT series published in Mexico.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
25 ways of randomly placing students into pairs or groups - Teaching English with Oxford

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
There are many benefits to getting students to work in pairs and groups. These range from giving students more speaking opportunities to creating better overall classroom dynamics. There are three broad ways of grouping students. We can let the students choose who they wish to work with, the teacher can make the groups, or we [...]

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Scaffolding Options - Interactive Strategies

# data[].attributes.body
Effective feedback assists the learner to reflect on their learning and their learning strategies so they can make adjustments to make better progress in their education.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Engaging EAL Learners in Academic Conversations from Dr Virginia Rochas

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Check out this Presentation designed by Luna Wang.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Classroom accommodations for sensory processing challenges

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
These sensory strategies for the classroom can help kids with sensory processing challenges. From alternate seating to visual schedules, explore sensory tools for the classroom that help with learning.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Advice, evaluation, grades—none of these provide the descriptive information that students need to reach their goals. What is true feedback—and how can it improve learning?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Sign up for Flint - AI for personalized learning

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Create an account or sign in to Flint to create and use AI activities for personalized learning.

# data[].attributes.headline
Scaffolding Writing through Teaching and Learning Cycle

# data[].attributes.subject
Scaffolding Writing through Teaching and Learning Cycle

# data[].attributes.body
Effective Feedback that is encouraging which embodies being kind and genuine. In the arts, giving feedback for a students who come from different skill levels is always a challenge in response to their output.

https://ascd.org/el/articles/seven-keys-to-effective-feedback

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Advice, evaluation, grades—none of these provide the descriptive information that students need to reach their goals. What is true feedback—and how can it improve learning?

# data[].attributes.body
Ultimate:

Accommodations:

1.        Allow to write assessments in native language

2.        More time

3.        Different setting

4.        Written/Oral assessments

Differentiation:

1.        Small sided-games

2.        Game play with like-ability

3.        Competitive/ Social

4.        Vocabulary

5.        Reflections (written and oral)

6.        Multiple modalities of learning: modeling, videos, documents, aural, oral

# data[].attributes.body
Students may not completely understand what the command terms mean when reading them. Provide an example of what a command term looks like and the expectation for an assessment.

# data[].attributes.body
55 Fun Ways to Share Mindfulness

with Kids and Teens

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In her new book, Tara Brach helps break a trail through the dense forest of anxiety with the practice of RAIN.

We all get lost in the dense forest of our lives, entangled in incessant worry and planning, in judgments of others, and in our busy striving to meet demands and solve problems. When we're caught in that thicket, it's easy to lose sight of what matters most. We forget how much we long to be kind and openhearted. We forget our ties to this sacred earth and to all living beings. And in a deep way, we forget who we are.

My dense forest hums with a background mantra: There's not enough time. I know I'm not alone; many of us speed through the day, anxiously crossing tasks off the list. This often comes hand in hand with feeling beleaguered, annoyed at interruptions, and worried about what's around the corner.

My anxiety escalates when I'm preparing for an upcoming teaching event. I remember an afternoon some years ago when I was in last-minute mode. I was madly searching through my very disorganized electronic files, trying to find material for a talk I'd be giving that evening on loving-kindness. Much like the files, my mind was stirred up and muddy. At one point, my 83-year-old mother, who had come to live with my husband, Jonathan, and me, popped into my office. She started to tell me about an article she liked from The New Yorker. But seeing me glued to the computer screen (and probably frowning), she quietly placed the magazine on my desk and left. As I turned to watch her retreat, something in me just stopped. She often came by for a casual chat, and now I was struck by the reality that she wouldn't always be around for these companionable moments. And then I was struck again: Here I was, ignoring my mom and mentally scurrying around to compose a talk on love!

When we're caught in that thicket, it's easy to lose sight of what matters most. We forget how much we long to be kind and openhearted.

This wasn't the first time I was jarred by forgetting what mattered. During that first year my mom lived with us, I repeatedly felt squeezed by the additional demands on my time. Often when we had dinner together, I'd be looking for the break in the conversation when I could excuse myself and get back to work. Or we'd be on errands or going to one of her doctor's appointments, and rather than enjoying her company, I'd be fixated on how quickly we could get everything done. Our time together often felt obligatory: She was lonely and I was the main person around. While she didn't guilt-trip me-she was grateful for whatever time I offered-I felt guilty. And then when I'd slow down some, I also felt deep sadness.

That afternoon in my office, I decided to take a time-out and call on RAIN to help me deal with my anxiety about being prepared. I left my desk, went to a comfortable chair, and took a few moments to settle myself before beginning.

The first step was simply to Recognize (R) what was going on inside me-the circling of anxious thoughts and guilty feelings.

The second step was to Allow (A) what was happening by breathing and letting be. Even though I didn't like what I was feeling, my intention was not to fix or change anything and, just as important, not to judge myself for feeling anxious or guilty.

Allowing made it possible to collect and deepen my attention before starting the third step: to Investigate (I) what felt most difficult. Now, with interest, I directed my attention to the feelings of anxiety in my body-physical tightness, pulling and pressure around my heart. I asked the anxious part of me what it was believing, and the answer was deeply familiar: It believed I was going to fail. If I didn't have every teaching and story fleshed out in advance, I'd do a bad job and let people down. But that same anxiety made me unavailable to my mother, so I was also failing someone I loved dearly. As I became conscious of these pulls of guilt and fear, I continued to investigate, contacting that torn, anxious part of myself. I asked, "What do you most need right now?" I could immediately sense that it needed care and reassurance that I was not going to fail in any real way. It needed to trust that the teachings would flow through me, and to trust the love that flows between my mother and me.

I'd arrived at the fourth step of RAIN, Nurture (N), and I sent a gentle message inward, directly to that anxious part: "It's okay, sweetheart. You'll be all right; we've been through this so many times before...trying to come through on all fronts." I could feel a warm, comforting energy spreading through my body. Then there was a distinct shift: My heart softened a bit, my shoulders relaxed, and my mind felt more clear and open.

I sat still for another minute or two and let myself rest in this clearing, rather than quickly jumping back into work.

The Benefits of RAIN

My pause for RAIN took only a few minutes, but it made a big difference. When I returned to my desk, I was no longer caught inside the story line that something bad was around the corner. Now that I wasn't tight with anxiety, my thoughts and notes began to flow, and I remembered a story that was perfect for the talk. Pausing for RAIN had enabled me to reengage with the clarity and openheartedness that I hoped to talk about that evening. And later that afternoon, my mom and I took a short, sweet walk in the woods, arms linked.

Since then, I've done a brief version of RAIN with anxiety countless times. My anxiety hasn't gone away, but something fundamental has changed. The anxiety doesn't take over. I don't get lost in the dense forest of trance. Instead, when I pause and then shift my attention from my story about getting things done to my actual experience in my body and heart, there's a spontaneous shift to increased presence and kindness. Often I'll keep working, but sometimes I decide to change gears, to step outside and play with my pup, make some tea, or water the plants. There's more choice.

Four years after moving in with Jonathan and me, my mother was diagnosed with lung cancer. One afternoon about three weeks before her death, I sat by her bedside reading from a book of short stories we both love. She fell asleep as I was reading, and I sat there watching her resting easily. After some minutes, she woke up and mumbled, "Oh, I thought you'd be gone; you have so much to do." I leaned over, kissed her cheek, and continued to sit with her. She fell back to sleep, a slight smile on her lips.

I did have a lot to do. I always have a lot to do. I flashed on being too busy to pause and talk about that New Yorker article, and all those times I'd rushed through our shared dinners, felt dutiful about spending time together and guilty when I saw her walking outside alone. But my practice of RAIN had changed something. In our final years together, I was able to pause and really be there. I was there for making our supersized salads, for walking our dogs by the river, for watching the news, for chatting long after we'd finished a meal.

Twenty minutes later, my mother woke up again and whispered, "You're still here." I took her hand and she soon drifted off. I began crying silently, and something in her was attuned because she squeezed my hand. Oh, I'd miss her terribly. But my tears were also tears of gratitude for all the moments we lived together. And for the clearings that made this possible. On the day of her death, I was filled with immense sorrow and love, but no regrets.

Practice the RAIN Meditation with Tara Brach

Sitting quietly, close your eyes and take a few full breaths. Bring to mind a current situation in which you feel stuck, one that elicits a difficult reaction, such as anger or fear, shame or hopelessness. It may be a conflict with a family member, a chronic sickness, a failure at work, the pain of an addiction, a conversation you now regret. Take some moments to enter the experience-visualizing the scene or situation, remembering the words spoken, sensing the most distressing moments.

R-Recognize What Is Happening

As you reflect on the situation, ask yourself, "What is happening inside me right now?" What sensations are you most aware of? What emotions? Is your mind filled with churning thoughts? Take a moment to become aware of whatever is predominant, or the overall emotional tone of the situation.

A-Allow Life to Be Just as It Is

Send a message to your heart to "let be" this entire experience. Find in yourself the willingness to pause and accept that in these moments, "what is...is." You can experiment with mentally whispering words like "yes," "I consent," or "let be."

You might find yourself saying yes to a huge inner "no," to a body and mind painfully contracted in resistance. You might be saying yes to the part of you that is saying, "I hate this!" That's a natural part of the process. At this point in RAIN, you are simply noticing what is true and intending not to judge, push away, or control anything you find.

I-Investigate with a Gentle, Curious Attention

Bring an interested and kind attention to your experience. Some of the following questions may be helpful. Feel free to experiment with them, varying the sequence and content.
What is the worst part of this; what most wants my attention? What is the most difficult/painful thing I am believing? What emotions does this bring up (fear, anger, grief)? Where are my feelings about this strongest in my body? When I assume the facial expression and body posture that best reflect these feelings and emotions, what do I notice? Are these feelings familiar, something I've experienced earlier in my life? If the most vulnerable, hurting part of me could communicate, what would it express (words, feelings, images)? How does this part want me to be with it? What does this part most need (from me or from some larger source of love and wisdom)?
A final note: Many students initially see "Investigate" as an invitation to fire up their cognitive skills-analyzing the situation or themselves, identifying the many possible roots of their suffering. While mental exploration may enhance our understanding, opening to our embodied experience is the gateway to healing and freedom. Instead of thinking about what's going on, keep bringing your attention to your body, directly contacting the felt sense and sensations of your most vulnerable place. Once you are fully present, listen for what this place truly needs to begin healing.

N-Nurture with Loving Presence

As you sense what is needed, what is your natural response? Calling on the most wise and compassionate part of your being, you might offer yourself a loving message or send a tender embrace inward. You might gently place your hand on your heart. You might visualize a young part of you surrounded in soft, luminous light. You might imagine someone you trust-a parent or pet, a teacher or spiritual figure-holding you with love. Feel free to experiment with ways of befriending your inner life-whether through words or touch, images or energy. Discover what best allows you to feel nurturing, what best allows the part of you that is most vulnerable to feel loved, seen, and/or safe. Spend as much time as you need, offering care inwardly and letting it be received.

How RAIN Began

by Victoria Dawson

Insight meditation teacher Michele McDonald introduced the RAIN practice about 20 years ago, as a way to expand the common view that mindfulness is simply a synonym for paying attention. In identifying the qualities of attention that make up a complete moment of mindfulness, McDonald, who is cofounder of Vipassana Hawaii, coined the acronym RAIN for Recognition of what is going on; Acceptance of the experience, just as it is; Interest in what is happening; and Non-Identification to depersonalize the experience. Over the years, Tara Brach modified and popularized RAIN, shifting the "N" step to Nurture and suggesting non-identification as a product of her revised four steps.

Psychologist and longtime meditation teacher Tara Brach discusses why self-compassion is more essential for our well-being than ever. Read More

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Practice the RAIN Meditation with Tara Brach - Mindful

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In her new book, Tara Brach helps break a trail through the dense forest of anxiety with the practice of RAIN. We all get lost in the dense forest of our lives, entangled in incessant worry and planning, in judgments of others, and in our busy striving to meet demands and solve problems. When we're caught in that thicket, it's easy to lose sight of what matters most.

# data[].attributes.headline
10 Executive Functioning Skills for Success

# data[].attributes.subject
10 Executive Functioning Skills for Success

# data[].attributes.body
Great (simple) tips and advice on how to support students in developing their executive functioning skills.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The 10 Executive Functioning Skills for Success

# data[].attributes.body
In this exercise, you will put a thought on trial by acting as defense attorney, prosecutor, and judge to determine the accuracy of a thought.

# data[].attributes.body
STOP Anxiety Mental Health Poster

# data[].attributes.body
Unit 2: Seeing Through Data

Criterion A: Investigating

Differentiation: Choosing from 3 sets of artists (research)

Using Panofsky's text on Iconography as a model for deciphering a work of art. AI can be used to make the text accessible for three different levels (language proficiency). We can choose artists from different contexts (historical, cultural, geographical)

Criterion B: Developing

Creating tutorials with subtitles. Breaking down process into identifiable, measurable stages. Students can advance at their own pace.

Criterion C: Students are creating artworks based on selections of their own personal data. They choose how to represent and graph the data. Disparity of skill level can be minimised through the provision of a template which can serve as the starting point for the physical realisation of their work. In some cases, this can be augmented by the use of a laser cutter.

# data[].attributes.body
Eisenhower matrix to categorise tasks to help with organisation and priortisation. Also a weekly reflection tool.

# data[].attributes.body
Including checklists at the top of each assignment to help with executive functioning

Co-created wall display of wooden joint-types with different languages for our next unit

# data[].attributes.body
Culturally Responsive Teaching:

Assessing personal bias;

Recognize and avoid stereotypes-empower students to be unique;

Dismantle a system that was created in a unequal way.

To second guess every perspective you have about culture.

How to group students:

By date: when did you last eat ice cream?

By birthdays/foods/cards/similar shoes

Writing strategies:

Start from group writing, read a sample, analyze the article together, do corrections, then go to work on their own writing.

How to memorize vocabulary:

Storify it: coherent, narrative story

Gamify it: active processing, attention

Strategies for students with sensory processing challenges

# data[].attributes.body
1. Providing keywords for every lesson

2. Allow EAL students to use a dictionary in class (e.g English to Chinese).

3. Incorporate pictures into the lesson.

# data[].attributes.body
Different places to learn: - different classrooms, quiet spaces.

Different ways to learn (self-directed learning vs teacher-directed learning

Different people to learn with - a buddy from a different class.

Different teachers to ask questions from

Considering ideas about "additional/alternative demonstrations of assessments" - some kids take longer to learn the same content as others, so shouldn't they take the assessment at that point. Unit length (number of lessons) is decided on the basic of how fast "most" students (or an average student) will learn the content. But we know some are faster and slower. Big sky thinking: students take the unit assessment when they are ready (i.e. at different times) . If we have a bank of different assessments ready to go (e.g. 3 for each unit/criteria)