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Adapting Module Tasks at the Lesson Level

Session 4, February 2014 NTI

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Learning Targets

• I can adapt module lessons to meet students’ specific needs.

• Adapting lessons is important – it enables teachers to meet their students’ needs and also to bring their personal artistry to the work.

• It’s critical, however, that adaptations maintain alignment to the Common Core and the shifts.

• In this session we are going to collaboratively build a shared understanding of methods that support quality module adaptation.

Why Adapt Lessons?

• Please greet the people at your table and discuss:

For what reasons and under what circumstances do you see teachers adapting module lessons?

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Chalk Talk

When directions are complete:•You are going to form a group of no more than 4 people.•You are going to take a marker and stand in front of one of the posters.•You are going to brainstorm and write on the poster – taking ONLY the top 1/4 of the paper at the most – some ideas for meeting the need at the top of the poster.•After 2 minutes, you will go to another poster, read what has written before you, and add additional ideas…again, taking up only a small portion total paper.•You will visit at least 4 different posters.•The task will get harder, but richer, each time.

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Adaptations in Action• Imagine you are a third grade teacher in an urban school using

the modules. Ninety percent of your class receives free or reduced lunch and 10 of the students in your class of 24 have an IEP or 504 plan. 10 of your students read at or above the level expected in third grade, 7 read just below what is expected (about a half-year behind) and 7 read a year or more below expected.

• Read the Grade 3 Lesson for Analysis (pg. in your notebook), thinking about and perhaps jotting notes about what adaptations you might make to this lesson for the students in the class described above. (7 minutes).

• Share your initial thinking at your tables (5 minutes).

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Adaptations in Action

• We will see a teacher adapting this lesson for her actual third grade.

• As you watch, consider -- Did Ms. Meehan’s adaptations maintain the lesson’s alignment to the Common Core? In what ways (or not)? What other ideas do you have?

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Student Work• Examine the student work that resulted from a

lesson very similar to this lesson in your notebook. (5 minutes)

• Discuss each question (3 minutes each): How is the work students completed similar and

different? Did the adapted work meet the same learning

targets? If so, how? If not, why not? Were these students successful? What might you have done differently?

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Recommendations for Adapting

• Read the chart in your notebook on page X: Recommendations for Adapting Module Lessons

• As you read, mentally sort the suggested adaptations into the following categories (8 minutes) (You will actually sort in the next step).

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Simple for Teachers/Helpful for a Few Students Complex for Teachers/Helpful for a Few Students

Simple for Teachers/Helpful for Many Students Complex for Teachers/Helpful for Many Students

Create Chart (8 minutes)Simple for Teachers/Helpful for a Few

StudentsComplex for Teachers/Helpful for a Few

Students

Simple for Teachers/Helpful for Many Students

Complex for Teachers/Helpful for Many Students

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Discuss (4 mins)

• Which adaptations are the simplest yet the most helpful? Are they using or helping others use those adaptations?

• Which adaptations are more complex yet helpful to many students? What support to teachers need to use those adaptations?

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Thinking it Through

• A reflective tool for teachers who are adapting lessons.

• Use as part of a conversation about the changes teachers are typically making to help them stay aligned with the standards and the shifts.

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Samples of Adapted Lessons

• There are three adapted lessons in your notebook, pages X to X.• Work in read-discuss cycles.• Choose which lesson you’d like to start with.• Read (5 minutes), thinking about whether the teacher’s choices

maintain alignment.• Discuss (2 minutes each question):

What needs is this teacher trying to meet? Do the proposed changes maintain the lesson’s learning

targets? Do the proposed changes allow for maximum rigor for as

many students as possible? If not, what could be done to still adapt the lesson and maintain that rigor?

Will the teacher still be able to assess students’ progress toward the learning targets? If not, what could be done to adapt the lesson or assessment to meet students’ needs?

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Journal (4 mins)

• Use the reflection pages at the front of your notebook.

What patterns of adaptation did you notice in the samples you just examined? What are the benefits and challenges of making these kinds of adaptations to the module lessons?

What new ideas do you have about adapting module lessons as a result of this session so far?

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Returning to Chalk Talk• You are going to form a group of no more than 4

people.

• You are going to take a marker and stand in front of one of the posters.

• You are going to read what has been written so far, then brainstorm and write on the poster – taking only a portion of the remaining room – what additional ideas do you have for this adaptation now?

• Then you are going to put a star next to the three adaptations that you feel are most powerful for meeting the expressed need.

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As You Rotate

• Add new information and if you agree“stars” from the group before, put an additional star in the same place.

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Capturing Important Ideas

• Capture key ideas in their journals, and or read over as many posters as you like.

• We will type up these Chalk Talk posters and get them up on EngageNY as a resource for all.

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