Think-Tac-Toes

1. Think-Tac-Toes

2. Adapted from Fulfilling the Promise of the Differentiated Classroom, Carol Ann Tomlinson, ASCD 2003 • Think-Tac-Toe plays off the familiar childhood game. It is a simple way to give students alternative ways of exploring and expressing key ideas and using key skills. • Typically, the Think-Tac-Toe grid has nine cells in it like a Tic-Tac-Toe game. The number of rows and cells can, of course, be adjusted.

3. Adapted from Fulfilling the Promise of the Differentiated Classroom, Carol Ann Tomlinson, ASCD 2003 • As with related strategies, it is important that no matter which choices students make, they must grapple with the key ideas and use the keys skills central to the topic or area of study. • In other words, whichever choices the student makes, he/she should be addressing the same LO’s as the others.

4. Using a Think-Tac-Toe: Optional Learning Experience: If, after a pretest, it is clear that several students in the class have already mastered the topic, a Think-Tac-Toe might be an alternate approach to the instructional strategy you are using for the rest of the class. Students with mastery are given the option of working on projects from each line of the Think-Tac-Toe, and may be assessed with their peers, or with a written assessment. It is also a means for enrichment for Gifted or advanced students.

5. Project to Accompany Unit: The Think-Tac-Toe would be given to the students at the beginning of the unit. The activities completed support the learning of all students during the course of the instructional unit. Think-Tac-Toes may also be differentiated into “Emerging,” “Progressing” and “Mastering” levels of difficulty. Semester Reviews: Like the project, the semester review is a means for students of varying abilities to exhibit their understanding of the content.

6. Unit Assessments: If your main objective is for children to exhibit mastery of the content rather than process (writing or speaking publicly) than the variety of methods made available through the Think-Tac-Toe frees students with disabilities surrounding speaking and writing from the constraints writing or speaking might create.

7. Two Ways to Organize Bloom’s Taxonomy Gardner’s Intelligences • Knowledge • Comprehension • Application • Analysis • Synthesis • Evaluation • Comp./ Evaluation • Application/ Evaluation • Knowledge/ Analysis • Verbal-Linguistic • Mathematical-Logical • Musical • Visual-Spatial • Kinesthetic • Interpersonal • Intrapersonal • Naturalist • Existential

8. Differentiated Representations of Learning Student Choice • Students may choose any three activities in a row. You may wish to place the activity that you wish all students to complete in a middle square so that it is likely that they will include that choice. • It is assumed that students will know how/ have been shown how to complete each of the tasks. You may consider providing exemplars of and/ or self-assessment rubrics for each task. • All equipment, technology or materials needed should be available to the students so that they can complete the activities independently. • Students may complete all tasks randomly as they are simply choices for practicing the same skill (i.e. spelling). Managed Choice • Teacher chooses the row. For example, in the first term, you may ask the students to select any one of the three choices along the top row only. • Differentiated instruction does not mean 30 different activities for 30 students. Managed choice still allows for student choice but within parameters.

11. Gardner’s 9 Intelligences • Verbal-Linguistic -- well-developed verbal skills and sensitivity to the sounds, meanings and rhythms of words • Mathematical-Logical -- ability to think conceptually and abstractly, and capacity to discern logical or numerical patterns • Musical -- ability to produce and appreciate rhythm, pitch and timber • Visual-Spatial I-- capacity to think in images and pictures, to visualize accurately and abstractly • Bodily-Kinesthetic -- ability to control one's body movements and to handle objects skillfully • Interpersonal -- capacity to detect and respond appropriately to the moods, motivations and desires of others. • Intrapersonal -- capacity to be self-aware and in tune with inner feelings, values, beliefs and thinking processes • Naturalist -- ability to recognize and categorize plants, animals and other objects in nature • Existential -- sensitivity and capacity to tackle deep questions about human existence, such as the meaning of life, why do we die, and how did we get here.

12. Examples of Think-Tac-Toes • Conduct “smart” Google Images search <think-tac-toes grade 2 spelling> OR <think tac toe primary literacy> • Pinterest search; save boards • My Pinterest board http://www.pinterest.com/vickidenouden/think-tac-toes/

13. Learning Contract----Think Tac ToeAncient Civilizations – Grade 6 GEOGRAPHY IMPORTANT PEOPLE CONTRIBUTIONS Charles Kyle & Kathy Reed * Illinois

14. Novel Think Tac-Toe: Select and complete one activity from each horizontal row to help you and others think about your novel. Remember to make your work thoughtful, original, rich with detail, and accurate. Novel Title: ____________________ Author:_______________________ Activities Selected: _______, _____, _____ Student: ______________________

15. A Planet “Show & Tell”(Each student must pick one square from each horizontal row and use the two together) Create One Pick a Way to Explain Science Learning Outcomes: 1.6 The student will investigate & understand the basic relationships between the Earth and sun, Including *the sun is the source of heat & light *night & day are caused by the rotation of the Earth. 1.7 The student will investigate and understand the relationship of seasonal change (light and temperature) to the activities & life processes of plants and animals. Based on Unit by Bette Wood, Charlottesville, Virginia City Schools.

21. Sometimes it is a sample which is being sold on a site. However, you can still use it for ideas. Create your own think-tac-toe in a Word document (click Insert > Table). Be creative with the font and clip art to make it appealing.