FIAE+B2+Chapter+5



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Ben
This chapter discusses the necessities of a tiering assessments. Creating different levels of complexity can help students that are different levels of understanding in the class. Learning Contracts can be useful to my students since they need to go at their own pace, and have checkpoints along the way. Along with contracts, comes learning menus: this allows students to chose what type of project they want to present the learned material for the assessment. Another topic is the tic-tac-toe board where students are to chose 3 assessments in a row on the board to show an understanding. This way they have an option of what way they want to present. Using these great tools for assessing will help my students be able to demonstrate the knowledge they've learned without the pressure of big tests.

Dani
This chapter is about tiering assessments successfully so that they are neither too hard nor too easy. The trick is to develop an assessment that pushes students but at the same time meets their readiness levels. I learned that there are a number of different ways to tier an assessment or assignment. One such way is to create different menus with different options for students to pick from. This way means the teacher has some say in determining what the students do while giving them some options. This idea was very appealing to me for use in my classroom because it meant that I could excite the students to do their work by interesting them in the project while having some control on the conditions.
 * Chapter 5**

Cam
This chapter goes on to explain the concentration of tiering, which is how teachers respond to the students’ needs as far as assessing and assignments. Teachers should understand that they need to initiate with the standard performance, the minimum expectations. They should be targeted no higher or lower of that benchmark. Secondly, it is best to break all material down into a list, which will make tiering a whole lot easier. Teachers just need to be aware that there is such thing as ‘over-tiering’. Carol Ann Tomlinson suggest that teachers should use the equalizer, which is consisted of nine components, to rate the level of assignments and assessments. There are many creative ways to tier students, but each one ranges differently like a finger print. Some of the ideas as follows; cubing, summarize pyramid, Frank William’s Taxonomy, rafts, change the verb, one-word summary, learning contracts, learning menus, and tic-tac-toe. This chapter impacts me as a teacher because the more I read, the more I can envision my class sitting before me. I would like to adopt learning contracts method into my class so that my students will be able to go about procedures their way. I was thinking I could have them add onto a contract I had made up for homework. The next day could be a lab day, where students would be pulled at random from the lab to discuss the contract. Therefore, the other students are staying busy with the experiment and I get to understand my students’ needs individually. This will impact my students in the science room because they will be able to determine the rate at which they can progress. This can apply to students that find science difficult or not interesting. That is okay, I can work with that, as long as I know.
 * Chapter 5; Tiering Assessments **

Marcy
Chapter 5 FIAE This chapter makes an argument for the need to tier assessments. If a teacher tiers his or her teaching and they do not tier the assessment is the assessment an accurate picture of all the students’ grasp of the content? Tiering is adjusting the level of challenge to each student’s ability to be challenged but without overwhelming him or her. The best way to begin tiering is to start at what is expected at grade level. Then list all the skills needed to perform the particular task. Then pick one task or concept and tier that both for a lower and an upper level. The goal of tiering is to not tier at all by the end of the unit. Start the unit at each student’s level then gradually increase the challenge to the students. Another way to do this is to set up a learning contract. The student will still learn all of the tasks and concepts but at a different pace. This impacts me as a teacher by re-emphasizing how important it is that students learn and almost by whatever fair means necessary. It also helps to be a little creative and keep it interesting. This impacts my students by offering them choices and changing the pace to help them learn more effectively. Rushing through material will do nothing but offer students who learn at a slower pace the opportunity to check out. By adjusting and providing opportunities to maximize the learning environment will maximize learning.

Jason
This chapter was quite informative; it covers how and when to tier assignments along with different type of assessments that work. Some things that are mentioned are learning contracts, learning menus, and a system known as RAFT(S) which stands for Role, Audience, Format, Topic/Time, and Strong Verb/adverb. I have very seldom had any of those things used in my classes as a student. Having read them, I do like RAFTS and the learning menus. I think the learning menu works well for most students especially the bodily-kinesthetic learners who would enjoy some freedom in their selections. I would definitely use RAFTS in my classroom. I loved the example of RAFTS that they gave in the book because it fits perfectly with history. I do have to say that I do not like the notion of learning contracts; I think that on the surface they are good ideas, and I understand the concept, but I just think they could be abused by students. I personally do not feel that students need incentive to do their work.
 * FIAE Chapter 5: Tiering Assessments **

Lindsey
Chapter five discusses the importance of tiering assessments as well as the process it involves. The teacher is instructed to focus upon the students’ readiness level, and work from there. For this process, interest and learning styles are disregarded as a student’s ability to learn a topic is the primary concern here. The teacher should start where the students need to be and work with them in an effort to enable future growth. While it may seem logical to begin students at a level below par, it is far more difficult to build the confidence of students if the learning is done in such a way. Instead, the teacher should work to break apart the varying levels of the information, and then list even the most miniscule of problems to assist students in working through the process. In doing this, students are put into the mindset that they can succeed, and they will be able to take this skill away and use it in the future. If students have problems with this form of tiering, there are many aspects which can be altered to meet their needs. At the same time, it is possible to increase the level of difficulty by adding more to the assigned task. The most effective method of tiering occurs when teachers constantly increase difficulty and decrease the level of tiering, until the student is capable of completing the task without alteration.

Jenna
Chapter five of __Fair Isn't Always Equal__ was about tiering assessments and adjusting them to fit the cognitive needs of students. Sometimes students are not able to accomplish assigned tasks because of their intellectual capacities. Other times, the students can excel with the task at hand and probably need to be more challenged. In cases similar to these, an educator should tier the assessment to meet the necessary needs of the students. The chapter gave numerous examples and scenarios for how a teacher could tier. For example, one teacher could use a learning menu, a tic-tac-toe board, cubing, RAFT(s), and a summarization pyramid. All of the following tools can help a teacher tier assignments for students. Educators should always bounce ideas off of their colleagues to get a new perspective. I found this chapter extremely valuable in giving me new ideas on how to tier my assessments for my students. Actually, tiering assessments is quite similar to actually giving the students authentic assessments. The chapter did a great job using examples and scenarios to put the content into a real-world perspective and I know that I will use this chapter as a reference very often.

**Andrew D**
This chapter talks about tiering assessment according to the level of readiness of each student. One of the essential parts to tier assessment is to make sure you do not lower the bar of the assessment first and then go up. It is important you start with an on grade level task and raise the bar if need be. There are lists in the chapter that describe how to increase the complexity of assignments and how to evaluate students who need this type of increase in there learning. There is a type of assessment called RAFTS (Role, Audience, Format, Topic, or Time) that can be used for advanced readiness students and can be toned down for students who aren’t deemed to be as ready for that level. This type of assessment seems interesting and something that most students can enjoy. Overall this chapter impacted me because I did not realize how complex assessments can get for teachers. This chapter alone goes through a number of different ways to enhance assessments for some learners, while decreasing the level of difficulty for others. The one part of this chapter that will impact my classroom the most is the questions to discuss with colleagues. I believe, especially in my first years of teaching, getting as much help and advice from more experienced teachers will help me greatly. I will definitely ask for advice when it comes to tiered assessment because this chapter alone is not enough.

T ed
Chapter 5 of Fair Isn’t Always Equal was all about tiering, which is the technique of building platforms around the on-grade level to accommodate early readiness students and advanced readiness students. I feel like this is one of the parts of education that was either overlooked as a student, or went unused in my schools. I wouldn’t be surprised if most of the students in our class said that they were bored in classes in high school to the point of hurting our learning. I really appreciate the Tic-Tac-Toe boards, partially because of novelty (this is my first introduction to this assessment style), and partially because I love how much choice it endows students with. Students get to choose 3 ways to best express their knowledge and understanding, rather than force themselves into a hole through which they won’t fit. The taxonomy of creativity also really connected with me – I can’t wait to incorporate those elements into my lessons. Like the chapter concluded, it seems like tiering needs practice, but I can’t wait until I am an expert at it.

Andrew F.
Much like with Multiple Intelligences in the classrooms where activities must be adjusted to fit the needs of certain learners. Assessments must also be curved in order to be successful and accurate to reflect the students that we are testing. Tiering assessments refers to changes that are made in order to accommodate the needs of the students we are teaching. I would have to say that this chapter helped me see how I can modify my assessments in order to give my students better chance at academic success. Before reading this it never occurred to me that all these strategies existed for editing, but I feel as if this seems like it will come in handy when i encounter these difficulties within my own classroom.

Lizzie
Another way to help students is to set up a learning contract. This could mean that one student may learn and engage at a different pace than the rest of the class. This would mean that I would have to make myself available and understanding to those who need that extra time and help. All of this, including tiering, involves making myself ready for whatever my students may come to my classroom with, knowing, and able to do. If I can adjust my classroom learning to each student in an efficient way I can then make the most of the learning within the classroom. I hope that I can truly make myself available in and outside the classroom to so many different kinds of learners. If I can mold myself into adapting many new techniques and strategies for teaching and helping my students then I can become a successful teacher. **
 * This chapter discusses the idea of tiering not just how and when to implement it but it is also known as how teachers respond to their students’ needs when dealing with their assignments and assessment. Tiering is seen as adjusting the level of challenge to each student’s ability. This means that the student needs to be challenges without being overwhelmed. It is important for all teachers to be able to work with their students on every level in order to bring them up to the potential that the teacher believes the student to possess. Teachers should begin with the minimum expectations and students should not be targeted higher or lower of the benchmark. Teachers should also be able to categorize or list the material at hand, making it easier for the students to understand the different steps involved. On the other end of the spectrum we have “over-tiering” which is when teachers can implement this strategy too much, over using it. ****  The best way to begin tiering is to start with what is expected of the student at his or her grade level. The teacher must work with what level or at what level in learning the student is ready for. Tiering should ideally be gone by the end of any unit because the students should have moved from one level to the next finally reaching that end result of the highest tier or goal.

Nicholas
**Chapter 5:** Within this chapter the content is about tiering. One of the definitions for tiering was described as, “how teachers adjust assignments and assessments according to students’ readiness levels, interests, and learner profiles.” The tiering aspects come from the students’ readiness that is often referred to as increasing or decreasing the difficulty (challenge) levels. It is important to make the benchmark the standard performance for two reasons. One, if you set the benchmark too high then your expectations may go astray. Two, if you set the benchmark too low then we are more apt as teachers to accept less from our students. Also within the reading it stated to stay focused on one task or concept. As a teacher it will be very important for me to learn my students’ readiness levels, interests, and learner profiles. I hope that by learning these characteristics of my classes I will become a more effective teacher. I will want to make my students become aware of their own interests and learner profiles. Learning those characteristics will allow me to understand the bigger picture that will later set the tone of their readiness levels.