- I loved the fact that the needs of kids who are ready for more! There is always a continuum in each classroom and these tools support all learners.
- Much of this thinking goes back to formative assessment and not waiting until the end of a unit to make changes, but on a daily basis.
- An emphasis has been placed on including drawings or icons, not just text on these tools. Brain research really supports this!
- As in several of the other chapters, ways to know when students no longer need the teaching tool are shared. Chap. 5 was Automaticity, Awareness, and Agitation.
Troubleshooting! We can learn from the authors’ experiences here!
- Loved the little tricks - tune in to pop culture, sports, whatever your kids are into so that you can grab their attention!
- Student voice! Make sure they are a part of the tool creation!
- Plan the times you create your charts, etc - I often have the situation where I’ve created 5 of the same thing with 5 different classes (sometimes 10 if I’ve done it at 2 schools). I loved the ideas to mix it up a little.
- Edit or revise the tools over the year - how smart! This not only brings back the chart to your students after they have been away from it for a while, but to me this is a great way to show growth.
- White space, BIG letters, & color - but also coming back to the use of icons or pictures to really make an impact and have that learning stick.
Finally - the wrap up: Helpful tools are better than beautiful ones and once again, be sure you are involving students in their creation in order to get that ownership and creativity!!!