Main Idea Think Pair Share

Students self-monitor their understanding by using the Fluid Mastery Rubric.  They monitor their level of understanding of the lesson on a scale of 1 to 4 (1 being least mastered to 4 being most).  Because my students are given the opportunity to reflect and self-monitor their level of understanding of the lesson, I get real-time data on which students need targeted interventions and supports. 

Observation charts are a type of inquiry chart that stimulate students’ curiosity. They build background information while providing teachers with a diagnostic tool. And they provide opportunities for language support from peers. During an observation chart, I use real pictures or paintings attached to white poster paper or butcher paper that contain a theme (e.g., food from a culture, ways of transportation, games a culture plays, etc.). My students walk around from observation chart to observation chart and write down either a question they're wondering about, a comment they'd like to make, or just an observation (i.e., statement of fact).  

Communicating and collaborating with both colleagues and students' families is crucial in a blended environment. This is especially true if a teacher is doing something that looks very different from other teachers at his school. Check out how Mark communicates and collaborates with both his colleagues at school and his students' families and how his methods of communication and collaboration have evolved over time.