I have two examples here (transparencies) of an objective with the
diagnostic and prescriptive process carried out through the
assessment, the analysis/intepretation of data and how you would
start the kids.

I don't think I can post it because the format will be off and you'd
never figure it out. These are very simple objectives which I
modeled and then wrote out as I did it. If you're interested, I'd
be happy to send them to you as attachments to email.

On 10/25/09, Jan wrote:
> Differentiation is done through the task analysis and the
> pretest. Kids will be grouped by how well they do on the
> pretest and then will start at different steps on the task
> analysis. The kids that already know how to do it, will be given
> work higher on the taxonomy, not just greater difficulty. It
> works very well. We've been doing it for 30 years at
> least....it's the only way I've ever differentiated. The task
> analysis and the preassessment is the piece that directs
> differentiation.
>
>
>
> On 10/24/09, judy5ca wrote:
>> Wow, dc, this is fascinating. I'm sure that the concept of
>> teaching to the correct level of difficult is something we all
>> think about every time we plan a lesson. What I wonder about
>> is differentiation. How many levels of difficulty do you need
>> to have within each lesson. I'd need at least 6 if I were
>> honest (and that's just math right now). I love the concept,
>> but the implementation scares me silly.
>> Keep talking,
>> Judy
>>
>>
>> On 10/24/09, dc wrote:
>>> OK, so I told all of this to Jan already, but I thought
>>> that you all might be interested in the thought
>>> processes/discussion here. If not, scroll on by or delete
>>> or ignore or whatever!
>>>
>>> I have been assigned to an "alternative evaluation process"
>>> this year at my site. Instead of doing the dog/pony show
>>> 20 minute observation, I have to do a year-long project on
>>> a subject of mutual choosing by my principal and me. We
>>> have chosen "Teaching to the Correct Level of Difficulty"---
>>> 1) because it is a challenge for me; 2) because she wants
>>> me to present this subject to our staff in the spring.
>>>
>>> I attended a 1-hour training by my district on this subject
>>> and it just left me hungry for more information. Here is
>>> what I learned at that training.
>>>
>>> The steps to this process are as follows:
>>> First, determine the terminal objective of the lesson or
>>> unit.
>>> Second, do a task analysis for each step of learning on the
>>> way to the terminal objective.
>>> Third, design a pre-assessment for each step of the task
>>> analysis (can't be a multiple choice, has to be an answer
>>> given by child, so you don't get lucky guesses).
>>> Fourth, interpret the data. Who understands which part of
>>> the task analysis? Who can skip parts of the lesson? Who
>>> needs more development in prior fundamentals before even
>>> beginning the lesson?
>>> Fifth, design lessons for each "group" of children based on
>>> the pre-assessment data.
>>>
>>> Next week, I'm going to start a unit based on the following
>>> standard in math. Third Grade Algebra 1.1
>>> Represent relationships of quantities in the form of
>>> mathematical expressions, equations, or inequalities
>>>
>>> My terminal objective is: Students will read a word
>>> problem and write a mathematical expression and an equation
>>> for the word problem.
>>>
>>> So here is my task analysis:
>>>
>>> Students have to be able to 1) define a mathematical
>>> expression
>>> 2) give an example of a mathematical expression
>>> 3) read a word problem and write the mathematical expression
>>> 4) define a mathematical equation (written as "number
>>> sentence" in our text book)
>>> 5) give an example of a mathematical equation
>>> 6) read a word problem and write the mathematical equation
>>>
>>> Then I designed a pre-assessment based on those six
>>> questions--open-ended, short-answer questions.
>>>
>>> Am I right so far? I gave the pre-assessment on Friday, so
>>> I could analyze the results and interpret the data this
>>> weekend and begin the process of planning my lessons for
>>> this unit. Can you all read this and give me feedback
>>> before I start planning my lessons? Is this something any
>>> of you do regularly? They told me in my one-hour inservice
>>> that EVENTUALLY you will SAVE time in your classroom
>>> because you will be teaching more efficiently, but right
>>> now it TAKES a lot of time, because I'm not skilled at it
>>> yet. I do believe in it, because I'm a mother of two kinds
>>> of kids (GATE kids and struggling kids) and I know that
>>> teaching to the correct level of difficulty would be so
>>> helpful to them in their classrooms, so I'm really
>>> motivated to try this and try it well. I also want to have
>>> a good amount of actual experience DOING it in my classroom
>>> before I have to present it to staff, so they can see that
>>> the time is well-spent too and can learn from my trials and
>>> tribulations along the way.
>>>
>>> GIVE ME HONEST FEEDBACK. I'm in a state of wanting to
>>> learn and grow, so nothing will offend me as long as it is
>>> given in that mode of helping me to grow!

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