I have now implemented multiple choice boards in my classroom. The most recent was an astronomy choice board that worked very well as an extension for my gifted/challenge students (Students who passed a pre-test at 80% or higher or Identified/serviced in CSD’s TAG program). For this lesson, non-gifted students worked on a moon phases task while my identified gifted students completed the choice board
In addition, I have implemented a “View of the Universe Task Rotation Lesson”, 3 lessons using a learning-style choice menus, and one extension lesson with a “Tour of the Universe Dessert Menu”. All of these choice based activities have been very well received by my students as detailed with a google form, thumbs up/thumbs down and class discussion assessments. Basically students said that choice has helped motivate them (especially when completing note taking, webquests, and independent learning opportunities). Quotes from students “I liked that we got to be creative in the way of showing people what we learned.” and “I liked having the choice of expressing what we learned.” Basically, I not only believe in providing students with choice based on learning style, readiness and interest, but have been successful at implementing multiple opportunities to do so in the classroom.
Although I did not expect it, almost every learning style choice option was chosen by at least one student. Only the graphing (M) option was not chosen by any students. I had thought my two math gifted students would choose it, however when I asked them why they didn’t they said they were more interested in another choice (“because I wanted to learn about a blood red moon. It sounded cool!”). To entice those students strong in Math, I may change the option to graphing the number of blood moons occurring in the last 5 years. Four students chose to communicate their understanding with styrofoam models (although all chose to present their understandings in person after school rather than creating a video). Three students chose to model the moon for 15 consecutive days and each created different products to do so (a timeline model, a poster, a book), while the favorite choice, with the most students choosing it, was the research into moon phase events (blood moon, red moon, wolf moon, etc.). In looking at the data, I learned that boys preferred the unique moon phase events (e.g. blood moon), while girls preferred to complete the 15 consecutive day model. When I implement this again in the future, I will have all of the different choices be based on unique moon occurrences (moving 3D model, graphing, mapping, researching, and creating) since that was a respounding interest and topic of discussion in class (Lot’s of questions about these unique moons). I Learned that I need a checklist for those gifted students who are easily distracted. The checklist will help keep them on task and able to finish the task on time. Finally, the rubric worked very well in providing incentive, guidance and ultimately assessment for the gifted task, and I would continue to use it. I have given choice tasks in the past without a rubric, and rarely were the tasks completed as fully as they were this time. All but 3 of my gifted students received full credit. One received half credit and two received partial credit. In all three cases, the students struggled to stay on task. Thus, I will use this lesson again AND there are things I would do to improve the implementation including providing a checklist and more frequent check-ins, as well as changing the task to focus on the “cool” types of moon phases that students are interested in.
In addition, I have implemented a “View of the Universe Task Rotation Lesson”, 3 lessons using a learning-style choice menus, and one extension lesson with a “Tour of the Universe Dessert Menu”. All of these choice based activities have been very well received by my students as detailed with a google form, thumbs up/thumbs down and class discussion assessments. Basically students said that choice has helped motivate them (especially when completing note taking, webquests, and independent learning opportunities). Quotes from students “I liked that we got to be creative in the way of showing people what we learned.” and “I liked having the choice of expressing what we learned.” Basically, I not only believe in providing students with choice based on learning style, readiness and interest, but have been successful at implementing multiple opportunities to do so in the classroom.
Although I did not expect it, almost every learning style choice option was chosen by at least one student. Only the graphing (M) option was not chosen by any students. I had thought my two math gifted students would choose it, however when I asked them why they didn’t they said they were more interested in another choice (“because I wanted to learn about a blood red moon. It sounded cool!”). To entice those students strong in Math, I may change the option to graphing the number of blood moons occurring in the last 5 years. Four students chose to communicate their understanding with styrofoam models (although all chose to present their understandings in person after school rather than creating a video). Three students chose to model the moon for 15 consecutive days and each created different products to do so (a timeline model, a poster, a book), while the favorite choice, with the most students choosing it, was the research into moon phase events (blood moon, red moon, wolf moon, etc.). In looking at the data, I learned that boys preferred the unique moon phase events (e.g. blood moon), while girls preferred to complete the 15 consecutive day model. When I implement this again in the future, I will have all of the different choices be based on unique moon occurrences (moving 3D model, graphing, mapping, researching, and creating) since that was a respounding interest and topic of discussion in class (Lot’s of questions about these unique moons). I Learned that I need a checklist for those gifted students who are easily distracted. The checklist will help keep them on task and able to finish the task on time. Finally, the rubric worked very well in providing incentive, guidance and ultimately assessment for the gifted task, and I would continue to use it. I have given choice tasks in the past without a rubric, and rarely were the tasks completed as fully as they were this time. All but 3 of my gifted students received full credit. One received half credit and two received partial credit. In all three cases, the students struggled to stay on task. Thus, I will use this lesson again AND there are things I would do to improve the implementation including providing a checklist and more frequent check-ins, as well as changing the task to focus on the “cool” types of moon phases that students are interested in.