TOSA Tribune
Nixa Public Schools
Intermediate
Do You Differentiate?
All differentiation begins “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
with student assessment.
Think of the variety as-
sessments you have in play to deter-
mine your students‟ readiness skills.
A highly differentiated
classroom includes:
Student Learning Profiles
Curriculum Compacting—
Preassess. If a student KNOWS the
curriculum, create opportunities to
deepen their understanding or
expand their content knowledge.
Tiered Activities
Learning Contracts
Independent Study
Flexible Grouping
Anchor Activities
Problem-Based Learning
Project-Based Learning
November 2009
Volume 4, Issue 2
Inside this issue:
~Benjamin Franklin
Consider these Differentiated Instruc- 1
learning formulas: tion
Traditional Classroom
Targeted Instruction + Time = Learning Boost Achievement 2
Constant +Constant = Variable with Brain-Friendly
Learning
Differentiated Classroom
Targeted Instruction + Time = Learning
Variable + Variable = Constant Pre-Exposure and 2
Review Ideas
Is learning the constant or the variable in
your classroom? Differentiation can occur
in a whole-class setting if you‟re proactive M.A.P. GLEs and Vo- 3
in planning and create opportunities for cabulary Updates
flexible grouping. Movement, music, tech-
nology, cooperative learning, self-
assessment checklists and rubrics can differ- M.A.P. Data 3
entiate. It‟s important to follow up lessons
with individualized accountability. Show-
down is a simple way to quickly assess
which students “get it.” The question a dif-
ferentiated teacher then asks is, “Now, what M.A.P. Rigor 3
can I do for the ones that don‟t?”
Help! My Entire Class 4
Has ADD!
 Boost Achievement with Brain-Friendly Learning
Do you have attentional issues? Pre-Exposure, Priming and
You may be talking too much. Previewing Ideas
*Guidelines for Direct Instruction Vocabulary words (rivet, guess the
of NEW Content covered word, vocab in motion)
Show a video clip in advance of a
Grade Level Appropriate
topic
Amount of Di-
Display key concepts in a wall
rect Instruction Where success
poster in advance of teaching a con-
K-2nd 5-8 minutes
cept is a tradition ...
3rd-5th 8-12 minutes Anticipation guides
6th-8th 12-15 minutes
Model a math problem students will
learn „later.‟ You will be amazed
9th-12th 12-15 minutes what three minutes a day, ten days
in advance of teaching a concept,
Adult Learners 15-18 minutes will do for learning.

*Jensen, E. (2005) Teaching with the Brain in

Mind. ASCD

After direct instruction, allow students

time to process. This is a good time to
use the Think/Write/Pair/Share Coop- Relay Race /Four Corners:
erative Learning Structure.
List key M.A.P. concepts on chart pa-
Drill and Thrill, per and post in the four corners of the
Don’t Drill and Kill room. Divide the class into four
teams. Each team lines up single-file,
and the first person is given a marker
Repetition is crucial to learning, but it‟s to fill in [depends on the chart]. Stu-
important to use several approaches. dents do not need to complete the
chart in order ... allowing for differ-
*Activity When To Do
entiation. They may want to huddle
It
to devise a plan and discuss some
Pre-exposure Days, weeks, answers before they begin. As soon as
Revising and
months, years
Reviewing Ideas the first person is finished, he/she
ahead
must quickly walk back and hand over
Previewing Minutes, hours
Stump the Class:
the marker to the next person in line.
ahead Teams write review questions and an-
Then he/she goes to the end of the
swers on index cards. Collect the cards
Priming Seconds, min- line. If a person is stumped, he/she
utes and toss a ball randomly to ask a ques-
can just pass on the marker and go to
tion. The person who catches the ball
Reviewing Minutes after the back of the line. Repeat until chart
may answer the question, confer with
learning is finished. This is a fun way to ener-
the team or toss the ball to someone
Revision Hours, days, gize an afternoon session as it gets
else. Once the question has been an-
weeks later everyone up moving and thinking.
swered correctly, the person who has
*Jensen, E. (2005) Teaching with the Brain in Upon completion of the „game‟, stu-
the ball tosses it to someone else and the
Mind. ASCD dents summarize/pair/share content
process continues. Then, students sum-
from the game.
marize/pair/share.

Page 2 TOSA Tribune Intermediate

 M.A.P. GLES and Vocabulary Updates
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
The blue Communication
Arts Curriculum Cards
printed and given to you in
August have had a few minor
revisions. These have been
updated and posted on our
staff resource page. Check
the revision date on yours
against the one on-line. You
may need to print a new
one.
M.A.P. Data—It’s Here ... Now What?
First and foremost: Cele-
brate Your Successes!
Remember that next year’s
tests will be different than
last year’s test.
Look for trends. Is there a
particular focus area for
How Rigorous are Missouri’s Tests Compared to the Nation?
A national report recently released
(Oct. 29, 2009) by the National
Center for Education Statistics
confirms that Missouri‟s academic
performance standards in reading
and mathematics are among the
most rigorous in the nation. Spe-
cifically, Missouri standards rate
second-highest of all states in
three out of four areas measured.
Volume 4, Issue 2
If you haven‟t printed grade-
appropriate vocabulary from DESE‟s
website, you might want to consider it
before it‟s too late. Math is broken
down by grade-level, so students need
to be familiar with vocabulary from the
current year and all previous years.
Communication Arts is NOT broken
down, so you‟ll need to know your
GLEs to know which words are appro-
priate for your grade level.
Print Your
Vocabulary Here:
http://www.dese.mo.gov/divimprove/
curriculum/glossary/index.html
instruction in which you prove in these areas?
see a need for improve- How are you monitoring
ment?
that what you’re doing is
Have you devised a writ- working?
ten, strategic plan to im-
“What will I do to establish and communicate learning
goals, track student progress and celebrate success?”
~Robert Marzano
Based on this study, Missouri‟s
proficiency standards are:
Second in rigor only to Mas-
sachusetts in grade 4 reading
and grade 4 math.
Second only to South Caro-
lina in grade 8 reading.
Fourth in the nation in grade
8 mathematics (behind
South Carolina, Massachu-
setts and Hawaii).
Page 3
 205 North Street
Nixa, MO 65714

Help! My Entire Class Has ADD!

We know that only doctors can di-
agnose ADD, but as educators, we
must accommodate and manage
classrooms.
Consider these accommodations:
Break tasks into smaller chunks
(Remember to give directions
ONE at a time.)
Create high predictability
Establish routines and stick to
them the best you can
Don‟t surprise—give ample
warning for change (Sometimes
you may want to surprise your class. Aim the student to a less dis-
Consider quietly telling students with tracting view
ADD before you surprise the entire Make a to-do list
class.)
Make a schedule to do the to-
Increase feedback do list
Acknowledge part-way process Set up a signal system
Give sensory tools for using up
energy (squeeze balls)
Set fair limits and stick to
them
Celebrate when a performance
goal is reached

Attention-Deficit Disorder (ADD) is the most commonly diagnosed behavioral

disorder in students. The condition is characterized by impulsiveness and time
disorientation. ~Eric Jensen

November 1, 2009
Dear Colleagues,
Happy Fall! It‟s hard to believe that we are already one-quarter finished with
this school year. I know you‟re diligently teaching and assessing the written curricu-
lum which should ensure success on the M.A.P. test. It‟s important to press on toward
the goal of increased achievement without stressing out students. You want to con-
stantly prepare but limit the amount of time you actually say the actual words
“M.A.P. Test” in your classroom. When you do say it, make it exciting. Say things like ...
“When you GET to take the test .... M.A.P. IS the SuperBowl of Academics ... etc.”
Your students often reflect your attitude. If you‟re teaching and assessing the written
curriculum, you‟re on the right track. Don‟t hesitate to contact our office if you need
anything.
Working Together,
Cheryl Dick
417.724.4060
debbylawson@nixaschools.net
cheryldick@nixaschools.net
debbymoney@nixaschools.net
barbarastclair@nixaschools.net