Fulfilling the Promise and Tiering

I loved reading the different ideas presented in this reading.  I am starting to see how I can adapt the different activities to my own classroom.  Below is my response to your questions:

Do you understand what tiering is?  

From what I have gathered from class and from the reading, I think I am beginning to have a real understanding of what tiering.  To me, it brings to mind that it is differentiation for readiness.  It is making sure that each student's needs are met by giving them tasks relevant to the topic but also appropriate for the cognitive and instructional level that they are currently at.  Tiering is apart of differentiation.  I loved how on page 136 it gives steps on how to make sure an activity is tiered correctly.  

Are these activities tiered? If not, how could they be tiered? pgs. 130-135

The Think-Tac-Toe activities are differentiated but not necessarily tiered.  It depends upon how the teachers handed out the versions of the boards.   Also, because the student is choosing the activities they are doing, the teacher needs to be purposeful in the tasks she allows them to choose from.  If the tasks are written on the different versions according to what the students are capable of achieving and the student is given the options that are relevant to them, than it would be tiered.  Also, the book that the student is doing the activity for could be the tiered part.  Some books would be easier to answer the questions, while others would require a little more critical thinking. 

The RAFT activities confused me at first.  I had to reread them a couple of times before I understood the charts.  The activity as it is, is not tiered (for either one).  However, if different RAFT charts were given to different students/groups with different activities on them according to their needs than it would be tiering.   The levels of difficulty or each task could be changed to accommodate students that either are more advanced or need extra support.  

Are these tierable? Explain. pgs 149-162

Learning contracts are very tierable.  Each student can have activities put on their contract according to their needs.  If the teacher is planning on meeting with students in groups, some of the activities can be the same if the need of the student is the same or similar.  I really like the idea of a "Ticket".  

Think Dots can be tiered as well.  If the students are grouped in groups according to student's knowledge and understanding, the Think Dot activities can be tiered for the groups.  Groups that are more advanced in the area of study can do activities that use more critical thinking.  This can be done all the way down the spectrum.  More support can be given to students as the need is there.  For example, the Solving Equations think dots.   The students are all participating in activities that lead to and focus on the same big ideas.  However, the level of difficulties varied depending upon the students in the groups.  

The journal entries can be tiered by what questions that the students reflect on.  The math journal is an excellent example of this!  The students are doing activities for the same ideas but just on different levels.  

Tiering does not seem as hard as I first thought.  I think it shows respect for the students and their abilities.  It still says that they may not be perfect but still they can be high achievers!