Fulfilling the Promise of the Differenciated Classroom 1-2

I like how the book says that teachers need to take into account WHO they are teaching as well as WHAT they are teaching.

Readiness is influenced by a student's prior learning and life experiences, attitudes about school and the habits of mind. I guess I didn't think of all that is involved I was thinking readiness would just be a student's knowledge, but it is much more than that. When we attend to the student's interests, we must realize that school offers the opportunity for students to realize new interests. We must attend to to the developing interest as well as the undiscovered interests.

While reading the text, it lists ways to ensure that all students can gain access to the essentials. It has great ideas. most I have actually seen in my education classes at UVU. Visuals and graphic organizers and manipulatives or role playing. It basically is saying that try to teach in all the learning styles -kinesthetic, visual and auditory. It is interesting to me that, besides the education classes, most college teachers insist on lecturing without any hands on activities. Adults learn better when taught in differnt learning styles too.

It is interesting that they say that the learning environment is the "weather". I never thought of it that way but it makes sense. I am greatly affected by the weather, it changes my whole mood. A classroom environment is just the same. It can change your mood or attitude for the good or bad. I thought it was interesting when I went to the first day of school in the first grade, my teacher turned out half of the lights for when the students came back into the school after lunch. She says that the students get to excited from playing outside that she hs the class not as bright to calm the students down. It seems like a great idea.