Examining Our Grouping

Practices
BLT -- October 30, 2014

Learning Target
I can find ways to incorporate heterogeneous
groups to provide access for all learners.

What is UDL?
Universal Design for Learning is a set of principles to
guide planning and instruction so that all students have
equal opportunities to learn.
Provides a blueprint for creating instructional goals,
methods, materials, and assessments that work for
everyone
Not a single, one-size-fits-all solution
Includes flexible approaches that can be customized
and adjusted for individual needs

UDL Practices

Core Principles
At your table, read through the Core Principles.
Discuss your current understanding of these
principles and the look-fors.
Next, have each BLT member choose one of
the Core Principles (4, 5, 8, 9, or 10).
Watch the video through the lens of your Core
Principle and record your thoughts on the
handout provided.

Video--Todd Rose

Core Principle Connection

4
5

10

Break

Reflecting on Grouping Practices

What is the purpose of instructional grouping?
What drives our decisions about grouping?
What influence does this grouping have on
students' later instructional placement and
educational opportunities?

Looking at Grouping
Read, Write, Mush Pot
1. Select and read a quote
2. Write your response
3. Put your paper in the middle of the table and
grab a different quote
4. Repeat

Grouping Practices

Homogeneous Groups
Include students at or
near the same perceived
ability level.

Heterogeneous Groups
Include students with a
wide variety of
instructional levels. They
might be grouped by their
interests, how they learn,
or how they will show
what they learned.

Revisiting the Learning Target

I can find ways to incorporate heterogeneous
groups to provide access for all learners.
So . . . why are we shifting our grouping
practices?

Evidence from Research

Choice in Content
Article 1: Teach Up for Excellence (Educational
Leadership, C. Tomlinson & E. Javius, 2012)
Article 2: Should We Teach Students at Their Reading
Levels? (Reading Today, T. Shanahan, 2014)

Evidence from Research

Choice in Product
Save the Last Word for Me
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Read your article silently and independently.

Select a phrase/sentence that stands out to
you.
One person starts by sharing a phrase or
sentence.
Everyone else shares reactions to that
phrase/sentence.
The person who selected it shares why s/he
chose to share that phrase/sentence.
Repeat for each group member.

Jigsaw Activity
1. Decide how to divide
the article into
sections
2. Assign one section to
each member to read
3. After reading, each
member shares key
ideas from his/her
assigned part

Brainstorm
What opportunities can we find during
ELA instruction to group students
heterogeneously?

How Do We Form Heterogeneous

Groups?
What can we use to group students
heterogeneously?
We could group students by

Scaffolding

Making It Real
1. What are the barriers?
2. How can we overcome these barriers?

Putting It All Together

Learning Target and Self-Reflection

I can find ways to incorporate heterogeneous
groups to provide access for all learners.
On a scale of 1 - 4 (with 4 as Ive got it!),
assess your progress toward meeting the
learning target today.

PLC: Pay it Forward

November 5, 2014

Questions to guide your planning:

In what ways do our instructional plans help us live out our core
principles...how are we walking the talk?

What are some of the implications for our grouping practices--particularly

with regard to reading?

What are some ways we can heterogeneously group our students in

reading?

Knowing that we have students with a wide range of needs, how will we
shift our practices as teachers to ensure access for all?