Designing curriculum, instruction, and supports to meet the needs of diverse learners in the classroom. Focus on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and linking Individual Education Programs (IEPs) to the general education curriculum. Explores implications of Response to Intervention (RTI) on program planning.

Inside-Outside Circle

Inside-Outside Circle (Kagan, 1994) is a summarization technique that gets students up and moving.

It provides a way to get students who normally would not talk to interact with others.

After students read/watch/listen a section of text/website/audio files, the teacher divides the group. Half of the students stand up and form a circle with their backs to the inside of the circle. They are partner A.

The other half of the students form a circle facing a partner from the first circle. These students are partner B.

1-Partner A will speak first, quickly summarizing what they discover. This takes about a minute. Then partner B speaks for the same length of time, adding to the summary.

The teacher stands in the center of the circle so he/she can easily monitor student responses.

2-Now it is time to move.

Have the students who are partner A raise their right hands and then move two people to the right to meet with a new partner B.Repeat the summary with partner B speaking first.

3- For the third move, have all students who are partner B raise their right hand and move two people to the left. After they are with a new partner, they continue with the summary with partner A speaking first.

Depending on the size of the class, teachers may have students move more or fewer times to complete the activity.

Inside-Outside Circle holds all students accountable for having something to say.

The teacher can use this activity as a formative assessment by standing in the center of the circle and listening to the conversations that take place.

Websites on Inside-Outside Circle:

Inside-Outside Circle Directions - PDF

http://oame.on.ca/lmstips/files/TIPSForTeachers/13InsideOutsideCircle.pdf

Norm Green Shared Pair Circles - PDF

http://www.learn-line.nrw.de/angebote/greenline/lernen/downloads/shared_pair_circles.pdf

Strategies to Probe Deeply into the Text

http://www.ohiorc.org/adlit/ip_content.aspx?recID=181&parentID=179

Inside-Outside Circle by Spencer Kagan

http://www.oregontrailschools.com/uploads/Inside-Outside-Circle.doc

 facilitates dialogue

 builds community

 provides for movement and interaction

From Traditional to Cooperative Learning

From “A good class is a quiet class.” to “Learning involves healthy noise.”

From “Keep your eyes on your paper.” To “Help your partner solve it.”

From “Sit quietly.” To “Get up and look what others did.”

From “Talking is cheating.” To “Verbalize to learn.”

Recognition Networks

The "what" of learning

How we gather facts and categorize what we see, hear, and read. Identifying letters, words, or an author's style are recognition tasks.

Present information and content in different ways

Strategic Networks

The "how" of learning

Planning and performing tasks. How we organize and express our ideas. Writing an essay or solving a math problem are strategic tasks.

Differentiate the ways that students can express what they know

Affective Networks

The "why" of learning

How learners get engaged and stay motivated. How they are challenged, excited, or interested. These are affective dimensions.

Stimulate interest and motivation for learning