Twitter Chat Recap: “Tapping The Potential in ALL Learners: Addressing Learner Variability”

On Monday April 10th, the Better Together team hosted another #BetterTogetherCA Twitter Chat, this time with New Teacher Center’s Sharon Grady. The topic of the chat was “Tapping The Potential in ALL Learners: Addressing Learner Variability”. During the chat, we explored what learner variability is and how teachers can accommodate learning styles in their classroom.

Below is a recap of the questions asked during our chat, as well as the audience’s questions, comments, and insights.

Q1: How do you tap the potential in ALL learners? #BetterTogetherCA

It has to start with REALLY knowing your students… beyond their academic histories #BetterTogetherCA
Check out this Learner Sketch Tool that is designed to engage learners in an interactive manner https://t.co/esiSIDXpnF #BetterTogetherCA
How do you go about learning the life histories of your students @milirai ? #BetterTogetherCA
Check out this Learner Sketch Tool that is designed to engage learners in an interactive manner https://t.co/esiSIDXpnF #BetterTogetherCA
I tap into the potential of ALL learners by getting to know their individual learning strengths and challenges. #BettertogetherCA
Learning ALL your students learning styles and incorporating that type of learning into your lesson plans #BetterTogetherCA
Knowing students is critical — students need to be empower to take charge of their own learning #BetterTogetherCA
Agreed! The better you know your Ss, the better you’re able to reach them #BetterTogetherCA
Here are some tips on how to help all learners succeed https://t.co/3kizblM1qS #BetterTogetherCA
I just used the Learner Sketch today with a student to help him self-advocate! What a great tool! #BettertogetherCA
Helping kids to self advocate supports their agency #BetterTogetherCA

Q2: What encourages your students’ growth mindsets? #BetterTogetherCA

Teachers need to model a growth mindset – being transparent about it! #BetterTogetherCA
Right! Teachers need to believe in their students’ abilities. #BetterTogetherCA
Learn more about the incredible power of “yet”- it has the power to inspire your class https://t.co/CS57GRtbk4 #BetterTogetherCA
How one word can make a world of difference….YET!! #BetterTogetherCA
So true! I talk to Ss abt learning I’m doing, model trying something new, discuss what’ve learned in tough situations #BetterTogetherCA
Repeated opportunities of success coupled with acknowledgement- mindset is a habit #bettertogetherca
Repeated opportunities of success coupled with acknowledgement- mindset is a habit #bettertogetherca
Knowing what students need to focus on in the curriculum is important too. Knowing students and curriculum #bettertogetherCA
It’s important that students experience success and understand how they got there #BetterTogetherCA
Helping kids to self advocate supports their agency #BetterTogetherCA
Learn how a Growth Mindset and Neuroplasticity Boosts Learning https://t.co/j35gjq0Q3s #BetterTogetherCA
When the adults in their lives believe in their ability & provide specific feedback it supports students’ growth mindsets! #BettertogetherCA
Specific feedback is critical. Also manageable so it can be addressed and practiced immediately. #bettertogetherca
Any tips for new Ts on managing a classroom while also encouraging agency? #BetterTogetherCA
Sometimes a little productive chaos is good! Support Ss on how to be respectful of ea other & collaborate & let them talk #BetterTogetherCA
Co-construct the community (rules, procedures). Ask for feedback. Build rituals around student celebrating success #bettertogetherca
Have high expectations in place that you’re all learning together and that it’s safe (and encouraged) to make mistakes. #BetterTogetherCA
Believing in their own capacity to get smarter goes a long way with students. #BettertogetherCA
Helping Ss understand that learning stems from failures, provide tasks to help practice grit, teach positive self talk #BetterTogetherCA
“Learning stems from failures, provide tasks to help practice grit, teach positive self talk” NICE #BetterTogetherCA

Q3: In what ways do you leverage students’ individual strengths? #BetterTogetherCA

Have high expectations in place that you’re all learning together and that it’s safe (and encouraged) to make mistakes. #BetterTogetherCA
HS dropout turned Harvard faculty explains way of thinking helps nurture individual potential https://t.co/2RKUVUj8of #BetterTogetherCA
Emphasizing strengths and de-emphasizing compliance. #BetterTogetherCA
I leverage individual strengths by adapting learning to include options and choice for displaying mastery. #BetterTogetherCA

Q4: How do you provide multiple approaches for student learning? #BetterTogetherCA

Click here for the most useful free internet resources for special educators https://t.co/sXVagIBfXT #BetterTogetherCa
Making mistakes is a great way to learn! #BettertogetherCA
Choice. Choice. Choice. Choice. #bettertogetherCA
I couldn’t have said it better, Alyson! Choice! #BettertogetherCA
Lots of choice, flexible grouping, variety of resources #BetterTogetherCA
The design cycle doesn’t mandate a particular method. Again: Ownership and agency. #MakerEd #pbl #BetterTogetherCA
Drill down to the outcome students really need to master. The rest is optional and opportunity for student agency. #bettertogetherca
I agree. Presenting information in a variety of ways, too. Great tip, Laura! #BetterTogetherCA
These tools help educators, parents, and Ss experience the power of flexible learning environments https://t.co/yjVwOzhUha #BetterTogetherCA
@SgradyGrady… love all of these resources! #BetterTogetherCA
Clear outcomes – what should kids know and be able to do….the path to get their should be guided by student agency #bettertogetherca
One of the scariest things for new teachers is letting go & letting students talk to each other. So important! #BettertogetherCA
SO IMPORTANT! And for teachers to talk to students. When you’re starting out, that’s so intimidating. #BetterTogetherCA
Love the phrase – productive chaos #bettertogetherca
Right! And it can be tough to collaborate with teachers who believe that quiet/compliant = engaged/learning #BetterTogetherCA
Text, video, audio, visuals, kinesthetic, TPR, peer talk, etc. Make sure lessons include something for everyone! #BetterTogetherCA

Q5: What methods encourage students to take ownership of their learning? #BetterTogetherCA

I use roles – project manager, fact checker, formatter/illustrator, editor – on research/writing assignments #BetterTogetherCA
A collaborative community – where everyone is a learner Ss and Ts #BetterTogetherCA
Brief summary of what ‘Student Agency’ means https://t.co/pK1dlSf56e #BetterTogetherCA
Opportunities to check their own progress, self-assessments, and multiple ways to show what they know #BetterTogetherCA
Student ownership comes with feeling safe to take risks and make mistakes. #BettertogetherCA
Yes! The relationships are key. Ss need to feel safe putting themselves out there. #BetterTogetherCA
Getting student input promotes ownership of strategies. #BetterTogetherCA
Also a huge fan of rubrics that are co-created with students. #BetterTogetherCA
Voice and choice with teacher as the guide on the side rather than the sage on the stage. #BettertogetherCA
RESOURCE – 5 Ways to Give Your Students More Voice and Choice https://t.co/etCgs0jlSk #BetterTogetherCA
Having Ss set learning goals and checking in regularly #BetterTogetherCA
Really have to work on that student agency… thank you for the strategies! #BetterTogetherCA
I like the concept of student self-grading. That would go great with a co-created rubric @milirai #BettertogetherCA

Q6: How can your feedback support students’ self-directed learning? #BetterTogetherCA

Often Ss have the solution, they just don’t know it until they try to explain their problem to their T. #BetterTogetherCA
RESOURCE – Seven ways to give better feedback to your students https://t.co/jNT80ftJ3T #BetterTogetherCA
Feedback needs to be relevant, meaningful, and timely #BetterTogetherCA
The more precise, direct, and doable the feedback is the easier it should be to be self-directed. #BettertogetherCA
Making feedback relevant to students’ personal goals taps into their motivation. Also giving a specific task to work on. #BetterTogetherCA
While Ss are writing, I may ask “Does that sentence contain what the reader needs next?” #BetterTogetherCA
Giving specific feedback around the goals that students create is really impactful and motivational #BetterTogetherCA
Feedback oftentimes isn’t the right answer but the right question. #bettertogetherca
Ask Ss, “What is the purpose/function of what you just added? Is it necessary or distracting?” #BetterTogetherCA
RESOURCE – 5 Research-Based Tips for Providing Students with Meaningful Feedback https://t.co/WcVmgn0O0z #BetterTogetherCA

Q7: What scaffolds make content accessible to your students? #BetterTogetherCA

In my APUSH class access to a wide variety of textbooks. #BetterTogetherCA
Work w/lot of ELLs so lang supports are major focus of my work w/Ts. Visuals, TPR, realia, vocal walla, sentence stems… #BetterTogetherCA
Combining text, visuals, and audio on the same topic as often as possible. #BetterTogetherCA
Talk time and visual aides have helped make content accessible for my students. #BettertogetherCA
Work w/lot of ELLs so lang supports are major focus of my work w/Ts. Visuals, TPR, realia, vocab walls, sentence stems… #BetterTogetherCA

Q8: How can you overcome barriers to tapping students’ potential? #BetterTogetherCA

When Kids Have Structure for Thinking, Better Learning Emerges https://t.co/5WY1MCvxLe #BetterTogetherCA
Switch it up – Today on Vietnam War did photo, song, document. Tomorrow on Great Society, song, text, video clip, text #BetterTogetherCA
Asking for help when I need it. Trying to emulate what I want Ss to do! Hard on my ego, but necessary sometimes! #BetterTogetherCA
I feel like half the battle is getting out of my own way. Students are inherently curious and want to learn. Trust… #BettertogetherCA
Thoughtfully communicate and collaborate with students, families, school-based supports… all hands on deck #BetterTogetherCA
Beware our unconscious biases towards Ss… something I’m really interested in http://services.google.com/fh/files/misc/unconscious-bias-in-the-classroom-report.pdf … #BetterTogetherCA

What are you thoughts about Learner Variability?

Share your thoughts on this and the above questions using the hashtag #BetterTogetherCA on Twitter, and tagging us at @CATeachersSummit. Thanks!