DI Strategies

	A	B	C	D
1		Macklin	Respectful Tasks	I find the use of pretests in Math to be very effective. They provide a useful guide for incorporating DI in the classroom. Since students are not shown the results of their pretests, they write the same test at the end of the unit. I mark the tests this time (but marks are not recorded), students do any corrections (or are retaught skills), and then they use these tests as their study guides. To promote self-assessment, I ask students to mark their own original pretests, using their new study guides as their answer keys. Their confidence soars as they realize how much they've learned!
2	Tracy Anseth	B. Holden		I am trying to incorporate more active learning into my math for Grade 3. I was very excited to learn from my students an active way of demonstrating their understanding of patterning. They were given choices, from poster making to musical presentations. Some were happiest making patterns with their bodies (snap, clap, jump,...). All were engaged in this performance task, and I was pleased with their understanding.
3	Gena Grunerud	BCS	Flexible grouping	As a PLC group, the K teachers at BCS are using flexible grouping for our PLP SMART goals. The Music teacher takes 1/2 the class 4 times in our 10 day cycle. We have decided to use these times to work on our Math outcomes. We will send different groups to music each time and spend our time in class doing Math activities. We will continually assess the students and change the groups according to student needs and abilities.
4	Andrea Danderfer	Bready	Supportive Learning Environment	This Fall I taught a 4/5 split and had the opportunity to incorporate the Daily 5 model into my ELA classes. I have actually never taught ELA before and was quite nervous about how to help kids become better readers. I really enjoyed giving my kids more choice over what they were reading. During read to self they were able to pick out good fit books that interested them and would help them work on their goals. It was amazing to see kids engaged in their activities and move between the different D5 activities independently. With my students independently working on various activities I was able to help students one on one or in small groups. It felt great being able to work with kids more one on one rather than as a large group all the time. There were many times when I would be working with a student and if another student had a question their classmates were there to help them. It was great to see kids helping each other rather than always relying on me.
5	Janice Reade	Cando	Environment	My classroom is the model room for Universal Strategies. After questioning the students, I learned that bright colours in areas of teaching distracted them so the classroom was painted with neutral colours. Now the curriculum and the students' work pop out. The classroom was also "de-cluttered" and better organized. This allowed the students to focus and they are less distracted. My classroom has quiet areas where students can go to cool down, stay focused, or if they need a quiet or more secure, safe place to learn. Many times in the afternoon, the students are de-regulated so I often open the curtains and turn off the lights. The natural light is more calming and relaxing. Sometimes I will also play soft music. My room has a variety of furniture such as stand up desks, swivel chairs, and rockers. These are helping the behaviour students stay on task.
6	Anneleise Hampson	CKES	Respectful Tasks	We spend a lot of time reading at student levels in the Student Services room. This year I am asking students to choose which book they are going to read, and then take home to re-read, rather than simply handing them a book to read. I show them which level they are choosing from and then watch them make their own choice. From this I can see what they are looking for in a book. This gives me important information when ordering new books. It also gives me good information when helping them find books in the library - not just at their reading level but also in their field of interest.
7	Brenin McNally	CKES	Flexible Grouping	In my grades 4 and 5 P.E. I have been focusing alot on fitness. I have been doing many different forms of circuits in which the students do different exercises for a certain amount of time. At the beginning I usually assign students a group to start with and have them continue with that group for one circuit of all the exercises. Once they are done I will have them go to the station they (themselves and not their friends!!) found the hardest, then go to the one they found the easiest, the funnest ect. I find the students like when they are free to move in and out of different groups and I also see more engagement from them as well.
8	Mike Loran	CKHS	Respectful Tasks	After assessing readiness through a series of pretests, I created a culminating assignment based on fractions and percentages that challenged all students. This assignment was tiered to meet the needs of the two groups. Both groups achieved similar results, taking different paths.
9	Maureen MacDonald	CKHS	Flexible Groupings	Early pre-assessment in math revealed significant variations in student capacity.
10	Kelly Schneider	Club Med	Continuos Assessment	Two or three times a week we will hand out little slips of paper to the students of a class. Students are given two questions regarding the material they have been studying. They hand them in. Sometimes this is at the beginning of the class and we are able to review them and discuss them individually. Sometimes we get them at the end of the class and we will review them before the next day. These little assessments give a very good picture of the understanding of each student.
11	Sherri Armstrong	Connaught	Environment	In my classroom I created an invitation to parents at the doorway of my classroom. I puttwo leather seats, a coffee table, and student photos posted on the wall in frames. It is a very inviting environment that both the parents and the children really enjoy. Students in my classroom feel very comfortable with their pictures and their artwork being displayed and often even framed and hung for others to see.
12	Janelle Tyler	Cut Knife Elementary	Supportive Learning Environment	I was at the E.L.A. 6-9 writing workshop today, and Joanne Kasper had us do a quick write. She said there were 3 rules. We had to write for the entire time, we had to write past our sensor (not to worry about having perfect sentences), and the last rule was that we could break the rules, which meant if we couldn't respond to the question she posed, we could write about something else that we may have been thinking about at the time. She then gave us a poem that she read aloud to us, which got us thinking about where we come from. She then wanted us to quick write on where we came from as writers. In the past, I haven't established rules and I am going to try this with my students. I like the rules she gave us, especially the one about you can break the rules. I think this will allow all students to be able to write, even students who may not immediately be able to respond to the prompt. I think this allows for differentiation, within a safe learning environment.
13	Karalyn Brown	Cut Knife Elementary	Continuos Assessment	This year in Grade 5, I have found continuous assessment in math particularly helpful. At the start of each unit, I use a pre-test, which allows me to see where the students are starting at and plan accordingly to their needs. Each week, I use a variety of quick assessments (ticket out the door) to assess the level of current understanding in order to adjust the pacing of my current lesson in order to meet the needs of the students. This also allows me to see who needs some one on one time or small group time.
14	Ashley Pool	Cut Knife Elementary	Continuous Assessment	In Math we are continually reviewing what we have learned, whether it be while we are lined up to go somewhere or in our morning routine; this helps me to judge whether the students are ready to move on or if they need more practice.In ELA we do formal assessments throughout the year for sound/letter recognition, rhymes etc.. I take into consideration the needs of my students and the supports/manipulatives they may need to respresent their learning. We also do daily informal assessments--before they leave for home, while waiting for the gym teacher--providing me with particular rhyming words, or words that begin with a particular sound, some students spell "word-wall" words for me.
15	Bruce Holden	Cut Knife High	flexible grouping	I tried a new method of grouping in career ed based upon students personal strength assessments. Students had to find others who shared at least three of the same personal strength ratings and then discuss both their strengths and differences. It was noisy and busy but it worked! I ended up with functional groups that worked well together, who discovered that it was their differences that allowed them to help one another more effectively than working with friends.
16	Aimee Whitbread	Cut Knife High School	Respectful Tasks	My ELA 7 class is in the middle of a novel study project using the books nominated for this year's Willow Awards. Students had a choice of books to read at differing reading levels. They identified their top three choices based on their own interest levels and my partner teacher (Michelle McGovarin) and I formed collaborative reading groups based on the information. Students have had a variety of assignments and enrichment activities from which to choose. http://willowawards2011project.wikispaces.com/
17	Michelle McGovarin	Cut Knife High School	Respectful Taasks/ Flexible Groupings	Myself and my classroom co-teaching partner, Aimee Whitbread, created a Willow Awards Project, which allows for students in both the ELA 7 and ELA 8 groups to be able to choose a novel based on their own interest and reading ability, from the Willow Awards 2011, book list. Once novels were chosen, students were then put into groups where they were able to have the option to read to self, small groups, or in a guided reading setting with a teacher or educational assistant. Students are given reading assignments that focus on critical thinking skills and allows for them to be creative in their responses and contribution in novel discussions both in class, and on the class blog and wiki. Students are also given technology extensions for enrichment opportunities that allow for them to extend their creativity online. Once this first novel study is finished, we will be merging groups in both the ELA 7 and ELA 8 classes for discussion, which will also mix up the flexible grouping situations in both grades. Our project wiki, as well as links to student blog posts can be found here: http://willowawards2011project.wikispaces.com/
18	Dan Barber	Cut Knife High School	Flexible Grouping	Normally I select groups for activities that combine a balance of stronger and lesser skilled students in grade 7 PE. We are trying grouping by strengths for this unit. Four seperate skill areas have been targeted. Each is preassessed, groups are developed and students work within a group of similar abilities. This has brought people together which normally would not be working together. While skill development has not "leaped" forward, students seem happy and have indicated a perference for this type of grouping. These groups have allowed for targeted time with lesser skilled or inexperienced students/groups as the stronger ones are able to work more independently and move forward at a more comfortable pace.
19	Jason Collin	Hafford	keeping the door open in Math	Each week students tackle new concepts and out comes in Math and of course some students struggle. At the end of the week I have a "Math Review". This "Review" tests attainment of new skills as well as previous learning. Students that have not fully understood previous concepts have repeated oppurtunites to learn, the "door to learning remains open". After the math review I can work with students or use small groups when clairifying errors.
20	Brianne Baranieski	Hafford	Flexible Grouping	In my grade 5 class the seating arrangement is changed monthly. We use different strategies when choosing the seating plan (student choice, teacher choice, birthdays, etc.) in order to decide who sits where. We also use a "daily appointment calendar" in order to choose partners for daily activities. This method ensures that all students work together at least once in while and they are not always being told who to go with by the teacher or choosing their own partner. I think this strategy has allowed students to experience working with people they normally would not have and has proven to be a great learning experience for all.
21	Charles Jedlicka	Hartley Clark	Supportive Learning Environment	My classroom is a safe, caring environment. Students understand that by learning and celebrating respect that my actions are always fair and just. This is achieved through my virtue tree. I do not use fear or raise my voice in order to achieve a particular outcome. Students are accountable for their actions and this is accomplished thought my behavior tag chart. Students are welcomed to ask any kind of question at any time, which helps us communicate through strong open relationships. Routines are established through a collaborative environment with class jobs and “Bank your time”. I also give my students options and choices, which promotes a success and growth oriented classroom.
22	Craig Nesland	Hartley Clark	Continuous Assessment	In Math 6, I use pre-tests at the beginning of new units to see what students already know about the new topic. I use quizzes and work samples throughout the unit to monitor progress of their learning. I am hoping to incorporate the SMART Response for quick checks more in my next units. The post-test will give me the big picture of what they have learned. I still need to figure out how to manage what needs to be reinforced/re-taught for some students afterwards.
23	Debbie Simon	Hartley Clark	Flexible Grouping	In my grade one and two class as well as French grades 1 to 6 I've been working on quick methods of grouping. - I have numbers in 2 different containers - half the students take a number from one pail, the other half of the students take from the other pail and then find the student with the same number. - we do the same with matching colours, animal pictures, seasonal pictures and pictures to do with science, social or French units - another method - when I call out "Slokey Pokies" in 4, or "Slokey pokies in groups of 3, depending on how many students you want in a group, the students have to grab whoever is closest to them to their group.
24	Rod Enns	Hartley Clark	Supportive Learning Environment	When teaching skill progression in PE classes, I stress that the focus is on improvement and that making errors is an expected and accepted part of learning. "It is okay to be where you are at, it's not okay to stay there."
25	Jana Epp	KCS	Quality curriculum/Continuous Assessment	I have been working on Daily 5 and Cafe Strategies, as well as Fountas & Pinnell Reading Assessments and Writing Exemplars. The most interesting part, so far, has been creating criteria for learning with my Grade 5 class. For example, we spent 15 minutes brainstorming and recording our criteria for "Reading with a Friend". Some criteria included: always begin by showing your friend that you are happy to work together, start right away, understand your task, and share responsibilities. The funniest criteria was: "No fake listening." Spending those 15 minutes has greatly improved the quality of our "Reading with a Friend" time. We now just take a quick peek at our criteria, and the students know exactly what is expected. They have become experts at monitoring themselves.
26	Darlene Phillips	KCS	Continuous Assessment	Teaching Math Makes Sense to Grade 4 seems more effective with Continuous Assessment. I use scrap paper mini quizzes to start many classes. From these 2 or 3 questions I can sort the students into the daily groups. I find this effective in that the students are not always with the same people or grouped the same way.
27	Laurilee Fischer	KCS	Flexible Grouping	In my grade 3 classroom I use flexible grouping as a classroom management tool. We change seating plans monthly using a variety of arrangements. Students really look forward to the change and welcome the variations. By building a warm encouraging and accepting environment students develop social skills, practice cooperation, and learn tolerance of fellow classmates.I've also grouped students according to interest, with peer tutoring in mind, by ability, as well as by friendship, or using other fun methods like matching buttons, or using different colored markers to make our groupings.
28	Sheila Murphy	Kerrobert	Environment	I was lucky to have support from our school division to make over my classroom. It is now a very homey feeling classroom. The students and I are enjoying it so much. Letting go of the things that were not working was key to the success. I only have the items that I know will bring success!
29	Beverly Kraft	Kerrobert	Supportive Learning Environment	This year our PLC has decided to focus on balanced literacy and have recently purchased the Fountas and Pinnel Reading assessment kit. After a few meetings and a training session, we can now assess our own students and level them at where they should be reading. This leveling will allow us to give our students choice in what they are reading; not everyone can read the same books, or would even want to read the same books; this leveled literacy will help us to know what kind of books should be in our classrooms to make reading a wonderful experience for all. I have also tried to include a few different OT things in my room to help those that may need a bit more help concentrating such as yoga balls instead of chairs, sound reducing earphones, a work table instead of desks, morning body breaks for the whole class, as well as I have become more flexible on allowing students to sit/stand where they learn best i.e floor, by desk, etc. I really think this has been helping the whole class in general while meeting the needs of the few that need it most.
30	Marianne Ryberg	Kerrobert	Flexible Grouping	Our administration has requested that we choose the groups for K-9 students. This helps me to align the needs of my students with my unit outcomes.
31	Beverly Dieno	Kerrobert	Flexible Grouping	Upon entering grade one, our students are screened for phonological awareness,letter recognition and phonemic awareness. The results allow us to determine grouping for programing in grade one. We then offer two progams -Super Start and Fast for Word. FFW is a self assessing program. After the completion of SS we post test and then offer a program Second Lap to students that still require an intervention. Our students also have access to Raz-Kids where they access the program at their level. Results are available from the program that allow placement at their level.
32	Joelene Borschneck	Kerrobert	Respectful Tasks	In the Workplace and Apprenticeship Math classes I have allowed students to use different means to get the answer ie computers, calculators, drawings. I also allow them to bring a formula sheet in to exams to assist the ones that can't remember formulas and just need a little refresher.
33	Michelle Brown-McLean	Lakeview Colony	Respectful Tasks	In my grade 1 math I have kids that are at very different levels. I have been working on the same concept with all of the class but varying the level of difficulty for the different students.
34	Tara Ralston	Lakeview Colony	Supportive Learning Environment	As a multigrade classroom, I try to create a supportive learning environment for all of my students. There are many different levels of students in my small classroom so I try to make them all feel like they are doing well. They need to feel support in order to learn. Otherwise they will just be frustrated and want to quit trying.
35	Irene Bowker	LCS	Supportive Learning Environ.	I have a grade 1/2 split with a wide range of abilities. With our OT, SLP, and a mentor (Stacy Hill) we have been able to target a group of children that need further instruction in the form of an response to intervention group. We have targeted the skills gaps the students have and designed instruction to suit their needs. In essence, we have paired flexible grouping with respectful tasks within a supportive learning environment. Continuous assesment will provide the insight as to whether we will need to continue or change our plans. I have enlisted all the support given to me as a teacher to in turn best support the students in need.
36	Dave Alexander	Leoville	Supportive Learning Environment	Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of each student (learner profile using cumulative records and planning models such as the Brownlie Model, for instance) is a definite asset in planning for instruction in the classroom. Students also know what I expect from them and vice-versa through the development of class routines which foster a strong teacher-to-student relationship. In the case of my Junior Guidance class, for example, for choices in class activities or even if activities have to be changed "on the fly" to accommodate students who may not have had the same level of success as initially anticipated and therefore having a backup plan in place for such a situation, to name but only two, without question it is vital that I know what each student brings to the table and be prepared to plan accordingly for each lesson.
37	Kimberlee Schlageter	Leoville	Flexible Grouping	In our Grade 3 class we do a lot of group work with group size varying depending on activity. I want my students to be able to work with all of their peers successfully and this takes a lot of practice, modeling, and reflecting. To determine groups and to be sure the groups are varied I often draw sticks with student names written on them. Another method I have used when a certain unit requires a lot of different group work activities is rotating them through groups so they are always working with someone new. As a final thought I think it is important to have the conversation with the students as to why they need to work well with others and how this is a skill they will need all their life. One more thing! They also need to reflect on their behaviour and interactions when working with a group so they can see their strengths and things they need to work on to work well with others.
38	Yves Cote	Leoville	Supportive Learning Environment	In grade 11/12 Home Ec., students were allowed/able to modify the design of the Chef's jacquet they are making to adapt to their preference. They were very successful.
39	Teri Scheidt	Luseland	Supportive Learning Environment	After many years of not teaching a split grade, I am back at it and have forgotten everything I had learned about handling 2 grades at one time. I need to figure out how to create the best learning environment for both grades
40	Darla Fischer	Luseland	Continuous assessment	I teach band grades 7 - 12. In order to play instruments, constant assessment is a must in order for students to improve on their skills. Having monthly playing tests give students time for one on one feedback plus self evaluation on areas to improve.
41	Brenda Briggs	Luseland	Flexible grouping	In ELA 2 this works well for reading groups. The diversity of reading abilities varies, therefore with flexible grouping students feel more comfortable reading in certain groups.
42	Virginia Holton	Luseland	Respectful Tasks	One of my Kindergarten students does not celebrate any major holidays. At first, I was really worried about this since a lot of the songs, games, and crafts we do are based around major holidays. I did not want the child to feel left out by leaving them out or by giving them something completely different to do. Instead, I have modified almost all of my activities to be either neutral or slightly different so that it is appropriate for him to do but doesn't make him feel left out. I have also established with him that he is allowed to opt out of any activity that doesn't suit his beliefs. So far he is very happy and the kids don't realize or don't care that he is doing something a little bit different than them.
43	Murray Wankel	Luseland School	Quality Curriculum/Continuous Assessment	I have created rubrics the past 2 years for both the Grade 7 and 8 Math curriculums. This year I have the students changing the rubrics from "teacher speak" to "student speak". They are, in effect, co-creating the criteria for their learning. We refer to the new student language rubric for most lessons. They can also use the main point bullets in the rubrics to create questions of their own for a bonus. At the end of the unit the students use the rubrics to assess their own point of development. I use the rubrics for assessment as well.
44	Marj Reiter	Luseland School	Supportive Learning	I have a Grade 3/4 classroom this year. When it comes to using the Netbooks for various tasks, I have the 3s pair up with 1 or 2 Grade 4 students. Before we started this, we talked about respecting other people's views and being tolerant of "mistakes". So far, this has worked well. If a Grade 3 student chooses to work on their own, that is fine. They can still seek help, but cannot go to someone who is already working with a student. Some students always want to go to the same "helper", so I keep track of who they are working with and have them choose a new partner each time. The Grade Fours also have the choice of not working with a Grade Three, but they must decline respectfully and must work with a partner every second time.
45	Kelly Johnson	Macklin	Flexible Grouping	Diagnostice assessments are used to help place students in the class into the Super Start Program. These students work through this program and are reassessed upon completion of the program (about 6 weeks). The results help to determine if the students will continue in the Second Lap Program. Diagnostic assessments are also performed to see if any students qualify for the Early Reading Intervention Program. These diagnostic assessments and other formative assessments also help to place students into strategy groups in my D5 (Daily 5) language arts program. Students work in flexible small groups, or 1-1 with me according to their needs. While I am working with a small group, the rest of the students are working on one of their D5 choices (Read to Self, Listen to Reading, Work with Words) independently. Each student has a book bag with books that are at their independent reading level which was determined in 1-1 conferences with me. I also offer students the opportunity to work in an independent spelling program, again based on their individual needs...they practice their own special word lists during our D5 Work with Words time and I will work with other groups on their word lists.
46	Shawn Whyte	Macklin	Continuous Assessment	In my Workplace and Apprenticeship Math 10 and 20 courses, I take in many assignments for formative assessment. Every day or every 2 days my students are handing in something for me to check learning, give feedback, identify problem areas, and figure out which students need more time/instruction. Each assessment scaffolds so I am confident students have attained a certain amount of mastry before a major project or exam.
47	Darcie King	Macklin	Continuous Assessment	My grade three students are encouraged to improve their writing through exemplars and checklists. Prior to handing their work in, they confer with their checkllist to make sure they have met all the requirements of the assignment. They also compare their work with that on the exemplar wall to determine what level they are writing at and whether or not they can independently improve it before handing it in.
48	Melanie King	Macklin School	Flexible Grouping	We are using flexible grouping in our Grade 6 ELA for spelling. Everyone is working on the same skill but at their own grade level; proximal zone of development. Students move between groups as they show improvement. None of the students know their group level, they just know they are working on spelling skills at their own level and that there are many different levels within the class.
49	Carolyn Sieben	Macklin School	Flexible Grouping	I have been trying to use a variety of different methods of groupings in my grade three classroom. Sometimes it is necessary to use some strategy when grouping students. There are times when a leader is needed for each group and I must group according to ability. I've used recipe cards with colored stars on them to build my groups. I prearranged the cards in an order according to the seating plan so that the students thought that I just randomly passed out the cards. The kids went to their color alike groups but didn't know that each group was organized with different ability levels.
50	Mavis Hoffman	Major	Continuous Assessment	We have been working on updating our report cards and assessment methods. I have made check-lists from the outcomes for each unit in Math 7 and 8. The students have been given these check-lists before each unit of study and they assess themselves regularly with them. After testing them at the end of the units, I also use the check-list to assess the students.
51	Blanche Wack	Major	Environment	Differentiated Instruction – Blanche StyleDifferentiated Instruction – Blanche Style I have been using differentiated instruction in various forms for many years. I believe it is because I have often had a variety of ability levels and at least two different courses going at any one time in my classroom. Trying to match the needs of the students with the outcomes of the curriculum and success for all involved makes it quite interesting and challenging. My biggest challenge is to step aside and allow students to teach each other. Learning to direct peer-instruction is one goal I would like to attempt during the second part of the year.
52	Paula Ross	Major	Supportive Learning Environment	In my Grade 9/10 ELA class, we have used the Hunger Games as a novel study as part of the grade 10 Curriculum Outcomes. While my class size is small, the range of ability is not. To suppport students in reaching intended outcomes, we have created a google document reflective journal where they have the opportunity to contribute, but also read the other students' contributions. It helps them think about new ideas that they may not have come up with on their own, and helps them build their own writing. It's a great way for each student to support each other and their comprehension of the novel as we go along.
53	Brittany Morris	Major School	Environment	Since I teach multiple split grades I know that differentiated instruction is happening all the time within my classroom. I have tried to make a supportive learning environment by greeting each student every morning and having their work all over the classroom walls. My students have choice and have been involved in establishing routines. I take the time everyday to talk to each student to see what their feelings are on particular subject matter and their everyday interests.
54	Cathy Gillatt	Maymont	Respectful Tasks	We have done several Raft activities. These give the students choice on how they will do their assignments, their audience and their medium.
55	Lindsay Munroe	Maymont	Respectful Tasks	The students and I frequently discuss ways to show their learning. They have brainstormed lots of ways to show what they know and they are given choice. The students' writing is entirely at their level and usually their choice of topic. I work with small groups and individuals on skills they need help with. We have also done some strategies such as Tic-Tac-Toe with spelling words and 3-2-1 in Health.
56	Twyla Stott	Maymont	Continuous Assessment	I use an exit ticket at the end of every day with my Grade 2 class. It's a quick way to assess student learning. Most times it requires an oral answer but once in a while it will be written. My students enjoy this as they ask what their exit ticket for the day is, if I forget.
57	Sean Lockwood	Maymont	Continuous Assessment	In physical education I conduct weekly fitness testing with my students to measure endurance, flexibility and muscle strength.
58	Sean Lockwood	Maymont	Continuous Assessment (continued)	I then test them on their skills and re-test them every class to see if improvement is being made. The students marks are based off where they started at and where they ended. If major improvement is made in a child, even if they are not athletic, they can still master a concept if they can demonstrate to me that they understand what the curriculum outcomes are in a unit. I feel daily assessment must be done in physical education to improve fitness and athletic performance in all students. If assessment is not done regularily, how can one improve upon student performance.
59	Jean Brehon	Maymont Central	Quality curriculum/Continuous Assessment	In my grade 10 science class we have several performance tasks integrating classroom theory with technology. These tasks are assessed. I wanted students to have a clear understanding of the expectations and criteria of the task so I co-constructed criteria for performance tasks with the students. The criteria are in student language. Both the students and I had input and they all are able to discuss the learning target. The students were more focussed on the criteria for the task and were able to help others recognize areas of improvement based on the criteria. I was pleasantly surprised by their on-task talk! Resources I used to help me with co-constructing criteria are "Leading the Way to Make Classroom Assessment work" (Davies, Herbst, Reynolds) and Setting and Using Criteria (Gregory, Cameron, Davies).
60	Sarah Ficko	Maymont Central	Respectful Tasks	In my grade 5/6 class, I frequently give the students choice in their assignments. For example, I have used Choice Boards and Think Dots. The assignments allow them to approach the content at their own level, as well in a way that suits them best by having a variety of learning styles represented in the choices.
61	Jean-Anne Jackson	Maymont Central	Continuous Assessment	In grade 5 math, each Friday my students work on a review assignment based on the new lessons from the week. This allows me and the students to see which with activities they need more practice and which they understood. I find that using these formative assessments, helps me plan the next weeks lessons based on what the students need rather than what the text book says.
62	Katherine Funke Morin	Mc Kitrick	Supportive Learning Environment	In my S2 classroom we have many different variations of choice menus. Giving my students choices in the way they will complete their work helps them to take ownership for their learning. My students understand that learning can look different for each student. One of our class mottos is, “ fair is not always equal”.
63	Christine Gibson	McKitrick	Flexible Grouping	In my reading group, I identify students that are experiencing difficulty with the different reading strategies. Our student services teacher then takes these students in small numbers to work on strenthening their use of strategies before they rejoin the larger group.
64	Mark Myszczyszyn	McLurg	Flexible grouping	In Health class we have been having lots of discussions about family structures and roles in those families. I have found flexible grouping beneficial because everybody's families are unique and we can share with each other in smaller settings that are easier to keep focused.
65	Laurie Zoller	McLurg	Continuous Assessment	Math 9 - Once a week I give the students two or three questions from a previous unit. They have 5 min. to work through the questions and hand them in. I use this feedback to make sure that the students recall the skills that were previously taught. I meet with any of the students who appear to be struggling with the concepts, and we go over more of these questions.
66	Rae Short	Medstead	Respectful Tasks	Throughout our writing course I adjust my criteria to meet student needs. Although I have a small group of students this year, there is still a large range of abilities. As they write and I assess their work, I adapt the criteria so that all students achieve success. It is also important to make it clear to the class that my teaching is done to meet their needs. Otherwise they don't understand the different criteria for each student.
67	Lisa Knot	Medstead	Environment	I have tried to make our classroom feel like a welcoming space in which each student has ownership to. To do this I have made sure that students can find their names, photographs of themselves and projects they have created in several places throughout the classroom.
68	Tara Haryung	Medstead Central	Respectful Tasks	In health we were learning about the immune system and the body's different lines of defense. The students were providede with numerous choices of ways to show their understanding of the different lines of defense. Exs. included songs, cartoons, skits, posters, paragraphs, etc. The kids did an amazing job. It was a lot of fun to see how excited and on task they were. I have been using similar activities in my reading and science also, and am finding that the kids are very excited about the choices, and are eager to complete tasks.
69	Kayla Shepherd	Medstead School	Continuous Assessment	I use bell work as a continuous assessment in my Grade 5 Math class. I create it to be either a pretest before teaching a concept, to provide feedback to the students while learning, or to assess what they have learned. I use it either as a time to observe and discuss their strategies or as a more formal assessment by having them complete it independently.
70	Allan Fafard	NBCHS	Continuous Assessment	I have my Math 10 & 20 students submit all daily assignments so that I can see if learning is occurring. I initial the assignments and hand them back the next class. In this way, I can write constructive criticism on their papers, or call the students to see me for a more precise explanation. I find that this helps the students become a little better prepared for the main projects and exams.
71	Evan Reid	NBCHS	Respectful Tasks	In my Math 9 classes, I have been experimenting with varying the assignment based on the ability/readiness of the individual student. Some students have ability to do the work, but proceed very slowly. I will give these students fewer questions to do, but still try to cover the same concepts as the original assignment. This arrangement is not ideal because experiencing a variety of questions is more beneficial, but at least these students feel they have a chance to keep up with their peers. For students who have completed without difficulty, I give a "tough" question for them to solve. Even though it is an extra question, most students like the challenge.
72	Shannon Ochs	Norman Carter	respectful Tasks	As a summative project for our shared reading of Owls in the Family, I grouped the children to create a habit for the two owl characters. They were given only a cardboard box. It was up to the groups to choose what sticks (which I made available), string, adhesives, etc that they would need to construct a habitat. They had to determine the best location to build their owl home and what found materials they could use to make the habitat more suitable for a confident, flying owl and a nervous owl who didn't fly.
73	Stacey Bottorff	Norman Carter	D-5	I have implemented D-5 in my grade 2 classroom this year and find it to be a great way to differentiate. I have students at many different reading and writing levels, they are choosing their own good fit books and improving their writing through daily assignments, practice, and conferrencing.
74	Elsa-Mae Ferguson	Norman Carter-Wilkie	Respectful Tasks	In my classroom this year, I have taught a tremendous amount about respect. We have discussed respect and personal values in small and large groups. I have given tasks that make students aware of their personal values. We have dramatized situations. We have discussed how to make positive choices.
75	Janette Huber	Scott Colony School	G	I have a student that has tested low across the board in his learning and he has difficulty attending to the assigned tasks. Being that we are a 5 grade split classroom this particular student can easily be lost in the mayhem of activitites that are ongoing thoughout the day. In recogniition of this students's needs I have restructed the seating arrangement to better meet this boy's needs. This boy is my youngest student and so during the morning he spends his time with the older students where help is easily accessible and the afternoon with age/grade alike peers. As well, we have incorporated a timer to keep us both on track. When the timer goes off that means that I finish any instruction I am doing and focus on this boy and the progress he has made in his assignments. The timer helps to maitain an acceptable amount of work that this student is able to achieve in any given time period.
76	Sandra Cook	St. Vital	Respectful Tasks	After visiting the Crooked Bush near Mayfair, Saskatchewan, the students were given a tic tac toe exercise. It is a simple way to give students alternative ways of exploring and expressing key ideas and using key skills. The exercise is respectful of the students learning styles and Multiple Intelligence Identifiers. Choice and adaptability are ingrained in the task.
77	Gwen Friesen	St. Vital	Supportive Learning Environment	After completing self-reflection/inventory/multiple intelligences, students were somewhat more aware of "how they are intelligent" and "how each classmate is intelligent". Given an outline of an open-ended activity, the students were asked to formulate groups according to the variety of learning styles. Students were asked to recognize and value each classmate's learning profile and to discover how individual intelligence could be incorporated to create a "product".
78	Carolyn Waschuk	St. Vital	Flexible Grouping	I teach a split grade 2-3 class. There is a wide range of abilities and a lot of activity. Therefore, Flexible Grouping is a great way to manage the classroom and meet individual student needs. I have grouped the students according to interest, peer tutoring, ability, and friendship. For pairing the students, I am also using clock partners centered on reading readiness and abilities, maturity, and student choice.
79	Amanda Wasilewski	St. Vital	Respectful Tasks	My class has been working on researching a Canadian province or territory. They first made posters and then made a slideshow on the computer. Student ability determined exactly what, and how much research they were required to complete. Each student had a list of required elements, and then had a choice to research other things. They will be presenting their slideshows to the class.
80	Don Buglas	SVCS	Respectful Tasks	My students are working on writing projects and several students in this group are not able to hand write their assignments. For these students laptops are made available to enable these individuals to participate and gain confidence in their abilities to communicate through written work. The assignments are intended for audiences so the students are given a multitude of choices for their assingment audience. ie. friends, relatives, classmates, community members, and staff members.
81	Kirby Arbeau	SVCS	Supportive Learning Environment	I use think, pair, share acitivities with my students regularly. I also use them across a variety of subject areas, from math to science and social studies. They are effective at showing students others' viewpoints and the reasoning process behind those answers. This is one way in which I try to build a community of learners, but also to encourage students to build on the idea that, we work together to construct knowledge in our classroom.
82	Kelly Waters	SVCS	flexible grouping	when students are aware through personal inventory activites of their own and their classmates' learning styles, they can contribute to group formations in a purposeful manner beyond merely picking friends...they can consider the needs of the project in terms of best results being obtained through strength in similar styles versus strength in balanced variety and make choices accordingly
83	Linda Nelson	SVCS	Continuous Assessment	Continuous assessment is an integral part of my role within the school. Pre-assessment of curriculum indicators is vital to the success of integrating differentiated instruction in the classroom. Curriculum compacting within various subjects of learning is a strategy that I encourage. As a team member, my role is to work with the classroom teacher planning assessments that could be used for all students and identify those who would benefit from curriculum compacting. We then work together in planning various strategies and outcomes to suit various student needs. It is a great challenge to the mind to be identifying those students who have already mastered the selected outcomes and condensing that portion of curriculum instruction to allow students time to explore other avenues.
84	Michelle Van De Meutter	UCHS		Using pre-test/post-test. If they fail post test... noon hour sessions and then rewrite the post-test. Only downfall are the students that never show up to school.
85	Kyla Snell	UCHS	Supportive Learning Environment	Students living in fear cannot learn. Fear can come from home in the form of abuse, peers in the form of bullying, school in the form of failing a test. By creating a warm, welcoming and encouraging atmosphere, students check their fear at the door and enter the room willing and able to learn. My students feel safe and supported in my classroom.
86	Rhonda Gartner	UCHS	Continuous Assessment	In my Grade 8 math class, I start each unit with a pre-test to see where students are at on the new topic. With this information I plan accordingly, provide a variety of quick, informal assessments throughout the unit to see how students are doing and finish with a post-test to see if students have grasped the information that has been presented. These little assessments provide lots of feedback regarding student progress.
87	Kathy Soloski	Unity Public School	Continuous Assessment	In my grade 6 Math class I often use entrance or exit cards to determne, either what the student already knows about a concept or upon exiting the class, what they have learned about the concept. It is a quick and easy way to prepare to teach a concept or to find out what part of the concept students did not grasp. It just takes minutes.
88	Peggy Sperle	Unity Public School		When my Grade Four class begins a project we take time as a class to set the criteria and determine what is important. They then have to formulate questions about the topic. While researching, they fill in a chart where they find the answers to their questions using several print and digital resources. This chart is then used to organize their writing into paragraphs about each question. Having student involvement in generating projects helps them take ownership while allowing them to makes choices in their learning.
89	Kari Poppleton	UPS	Supportive Learning Environment	As it is in everyone's classroom, there is a huge range in my students' reading levels. I'm providing a supportive learning environment by having each student read his/her own "good fit" books during our "Read to Self" time. Students helped to establish the routines for this set reading time. They pick where they want to sit when it is time to read. The students choose the books they are interested in and are taught how to pick reading material that is right for them. While the independent reading is going on, I work with individuals or small groups, teaching them specific reading strategies they need at the time. I feel the "Read to Self" component of the Daily 5 structure is allowing me to challenge all students equally and let every child experience growth and success-a safe and supportive learning environment.
90	Lori May	UPS	Continuous Assessment	I have found using what we call "Math Meetings" at the beginning of math class helpful in assessing whether students understand the concepts currently being taught. This also enables me to assess whether they understand concepts to be taught in the next lesson. At the beginning of a class there will be a few questions on the board. Students do them in about 5 minutes, we correct them, and then hand them in for me to see the result. I can than adjust lessons as needed and see who requires assistance.
91	Glenna Zamulinski	UPS	Supportive Learning Environment	In my grade one class, I have a lot of cultural diversity (Phillipines, Iraq). I have learned that the OK sign I have always used for proper pencil grip may be offensive to some cultures so I have replaced it with the hungry alligator mouth. We celebrate each student's birthday with a birthday book for which each child contributes a page showing pictures and labels of the gifts they would give if they could. We plan together a 100 day celebration and students choose the activities they will take part in that day.
92	Morag Riddell	UPS	Supportive Learning Environment	In the fall I send “Welcome to My Class” postcards to all my grade three homeroom students from somewhere I have traveled during the summer. At the start of the year I set expectations for learning and behavior and consequences for poor choices. I have a sticker system where students can earn prizes for remembering their planner everyday. I change my bulletin boards, name tags, and seating arrangements as the year progresses so my classroom has a welcoming air and does not grow stale. I present students with a small gift and card on their birthday and we have celebrations of other special occasions throughout the year,
93			Continuous Assessment	The beep test is a running interval test that measures a students ability to run aerobically for long periods of time. Once the student can't run anymore, I record their schore and then re-test them each week. We work on a lot of endurance activities to increase their cardiovascular endurance. Other tests I use is the 1 min push-up test, shuttle run, sit and reach flexibility test, and bench press with the older students. In sports, I use rubrics to assess their skill levels.
94	T.J. Hoogsteen		Respectful Tasks/Continuous Assessment	In Language Arts I have been using the Daily Five program and each student reads books at their own level and is working on a particular reading strategy to meet their needs. In Math I am using a similar strategy where I have taken skills that students will need/use during the year (counting, adding, subtracting) and worked with students on the skills that they need help with and given them time each day to work on those skills independently.
95	Renee Storgard	NBCHS	Continuous Assessments	In Cosmetology 10, 20 and 30 I give the students a checklist of criteria that I use to assess their progress. When they complete a practical assignment I ask them to look at their finished product and go through the checklist with me so that they can see where they need improvement and what they have already accomplished. They are then given plenty of opportunities to practise each skill until they can check off all the criteria. This allow students to monitor their own learning.
96	Debbie Miller	NBCHS	Flexible Grouping	I teach Alternate Education for Grades 9 and 10. Students' achievement scores in English and or Math range from the 2nd to 5th grade level. In order for them to be successful, they all work on concepts, applications and computations at different levels. Once they master concepts, etc. they move onto the next level. The students have diverse writing abilities. I often have to vary the requirements for finished products.
97	Therese Robertson	U P S	Respectful Tasks	I have been finding and using apps with my students that provide remedial and enrichment activities for my kindergarten students,
98	Stacey Sieben	Lawrence	Continuous Assessment	In my kindergarten classroom I created an assessment poster that hangs in my room for the students to refer to. It consists of four areas of drawing and coloring where a number 1 is where there is not a lot of detail and is scribbled, a number 2 has more detail and so on where a number 4 has the most detail and most accurate coloring. The students enjoy refering to this during draw and tell activities and continuously try to strive to draw and color like the number 4 example. I have noticed quite an improvement with this.
99	Lance Hall	Macklin	Continious Assessment	I permit extra time for exams who are experience anxiety in the classroom.
100	Clint Gieni	Norman Carter	Continious Assessment	The grade 3 class have a book called New Ideas and New Words where during the week we record ideas and words from students. The material is written on the board during the week. On the Friday they record the materials to their notebooks. Students are encouraged to add their ideas if they are different or have not been covered before. At the end of the week they have a notebook where they add these ideas into it. This helps them see how many words or ideas they have learned thru the year. This acts like a diary of the work they have covered. They enjoy showing their parents this material when in the school.