EDU 607: Assessing and Managing Learning.

Course Reflection

In this course, I have learned what a learner centered assessment and management comprises of. Weimer (2012) indicated how important it is for this type of an environment to include students, not just as spectators but actually as active members in learning. When this happens, students take more responsibility in what and how they learn and the teacher is able to monitor student’s progress easily and strategically set up learning opportunities to support each student. Hence, this very valid lesson about student inclusion will accompany me to my educational environment even as this course has come to an end.

I have attached a PowerPoint presentation of my Performance Assessment Task. Enjoy!!!

edu-607-performance-assessment-task-presentation-voice-over

References

Weimer, M. (n.d.). Five characteristics of learner-centered teaching. Retrieved from http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/effective-teaching-strategies/five-characteristics-of-learner-centered-teaching/

EDU 605- DI

Final Project Presentation

Learning about differentiated instruction has been such an interesting and thought provoking experience for me. I have been able to reconsider some of my teaching and learning strategies and identify better ways that my students ‘needs can better be met. I have also learned that in order to enhance students’ learning, their interest, readiness, learning profile, and preferred learning styles should be considered when developing a lesson for them. I will continue to utilize the skills, strategies, and principles learned in this course to improve my educational context and my classroom, ensuring that my students are duly considered during my planning process.

My applied project that utilizes a differentiated instruction in my educational context is discussed below:

edu-605final-project-presentation-voice-over

EDU 605- DI

Unit 8- The Beginning and the End!

Differentiated instruction allows teachers to plan a curriculum that is flexible for all learners and takes into consideration the learners’ needs, learning profiles, interest areas and readiness (Tomlinson, 2001).

In developing my mind map, I thought about what it meant to differentiate instruction for my learners and ways that this could be possible. The first thing I considered was the variability of my learners based on their learning styles and preferences, areas that each learner needed support in the most and was interested in. This gave me an overview of what my learning environment should comprise of when I plan on differentiating.

I also considered Tomlinson’s (2001) characteristics of a good differentiated environment/lesson. The first point that stood out to me was that a differentiated classroom encourages multitasking because teachers can plan for and monitor many activities amongst different learners at the same time. Also, in order for a learning experience to encourage brainstorming and critical thinking, it has to be qualitative. Teachers have to plan and implement a curriculum that is engaging, flexible and raises curiosity in the minds of students, in a loving and nurturing environment. This curriculum has to be diverse in order to encourage intelligent and intriguing discussions amongst learners.

As we have progressed through this course, however, one thing that I will definitely add to my mind map is students’ readiness. This is crucial when developing individual plans because it allows one to really consider the learning activities that will enhance students’ skills. When a curriculum is personalized for the learners, it is easy to get active participation and ensure that every student is having fun as he/she is learning.

 

 

References

Tomlinson, C. A. (2001). What differentiated instruction is – and isn’t. In How to differentiate instruction in mixed-ability classrooms, (2^nd Edition, pp. 1-7). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

EDU 605-DI

Unit 7- Tiered Lessons

Differentiated instruction requires that the teacher provide a flexible curriculum that is responsive to individual student’s needs, interest areas and learning styles (Tomlinson, 2001). Tiered instruction is a strategy used under differentiated instruction to ensure that learning activities are designed to match each learner’s cognitive ability and readiness while the contents are kept the same (Johnson, 2010). This tactic can be used to effectively address the needs of all students in the classroom and ensure that everyone is learning at the level most comfortable for him/her. Pullen et al. (2010) reviewed tiered instruction as a model used to help young children build vocabulary in order to prevent later reading disabilities. Providing an intervention to learners who are behind can help boost them to attain a high learning level. The purpose of their study was to show that if this mode of instruction is used in building early vocabulary knowledge then, there will be less at-risk children for reading in later grades.

They utilized the response to intervention (RTI) model in their research. This model is used in most cases when students are perceived to be at risk for academic failure.   It is a tiered intervention approach that is usually implemented across two, three or more levels of instruction (Pullen et al., 2010). The research consisted of 224 first grade students in a medium sized school district. The student sample consisted of 98 students at risk (AR) for language difficulties and reading failure and 126 students who were not at risk (denoted as NAR) (Pullen et al. 2010). Both of these categories were determined using a standardized test for receptive language PPVT-4 in which AR students scored below the 39^th percentile and the NAR students scored above the 39^th percentile. A prottest measure was designed for classroom teachers to keep track of students’ acquisition of target words because of its capability to detect change in a short-term period. The intervention groups were divided into three: AR treatment (ART), AR control (ARC), and NAR. These groups were compared for depth of vocabulary knowledge, receptive knowledge, context knowledge, and expressive knowledge using a prottest on a two weeks interval following the start of administering intervention to the AR group (Pullen, 2010).

A general education teacher offered ART group students Tier 1 instruction while a graduate student in education offered them supplementary Tier 2 instruction. ARC group students only received Tier 1 instruction from the general education teacher. The lesson for both Tiers were designed around two first grade appropriate storybooks in which four target vocabulary words were selected in each book (Pullen et al., 2010). All 224 students received Tier 1 class-wide instruction by a certified first grade classroom teacher. Each lesson lasted for about 30 minutes in which the teacher read the storybook out loud two days out of the week and conducted proofreading vocabulary activities in a large group setting. Tier 2 instruction was conducted in smaller groups on days following Tier 1 instructions. This intervention lasted for about 20 minutes and consisted of four to five students at a time. The aim of Tier 2 intervention was to intensify the support provided for students who were at risk for reading failure (Pullen et al., 2010).

At the end of the research, it was found that AR students who received an additional Tier 2 instruction showed a significantly higher prottest scores when compared to the students who only received Tier 1 instruction. Hence, “this finding suggests that AR students who received Tier 1 instruction alone may not learn target vocabulary words at sufficient enough depth and that students gain statistically significant educational benefit when they receive Tier 2 instruction” (Pullen et al., 2010). This further solidifies the fact that differentiating instruction at children’s developmental levels can provide many academic gains and lead to a higher academic attainment. Tiered activities also allow the teacher to offer additional support to students who may need it and allows instructions to be differentiated in order to provide that support as was evidenced in this article.

Question: How can we ensure that student’s show a consistent advancement in their learning progression and we are not barred in any way in placing them on levels we think are developmentally appropriate for them?

References

Johnson, A. (2010). Blooms Taxonomy to create tiered instruction [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anLc37a8WOE

Pullen, C. P., Tuckwiller, E. D., Konold, T. R., Maynard, K. L., & Coyne, M. D. (2010). A tiered intervention model for early vocabulary instruction: The effects of tiered instruction for young students at risk for reading disability. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 25(3), 110-123.

Tomlinson, C. A. (2001). How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-ability Classrooms. Alexandria, Va: Assoc. for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

EDU 605-DI

Unit 6: Differentiating Contents, Process, and Products

CONTENT– Working in a toddler/twos classroom, it is very helpful to teach content in various ways. For example, when teaching children about a particular topic/thing, I use a lot of visual displays to help them make the connections. Some students can depict meanings or grasp things better when this method is used. Picture books and other visual cues are used to retell stories and talk about everyday items. This ignites many conversations that lead to a better understanding of what I want the children to learn. I also incorporate a lot of hands-on activities that help many of them engage. It is also important to note that children in this age group learn by incorporating their five senses (unknown, 2016). So, bearing that in mind, when developing a curriculum that will captivate their interests and keep them engaged, I include activities and materials that will require them to make use of their sense of hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, and seeing in order for them to partake in meaningful learning experiences (National Council of Teachers of English, 2016).

PROCESS– To process information better and ensure that learning is done at the pace of each student, I plan small group experiences that allow me to work one-on-one with each child. These activities are chosen based on the child’s interest area or readiness level and are designed to support what the child needs help on the most. Some of the experiences require working with just one child at a time and others require two or three children to participate. During this time, students have the opportunity to work independently or with a peer at the selected activity. This provides an avenue for the teacher to observe how each student processes and interprets information and also have a closer look at how the child interacts with his/her peers (Tomlinson, 2001). Children look forward to these experiences because they are very individualized and personalized to suit their needs.

PRODUCT– To differentiate the product, I plan a month long lesson based on a selected theme/study. During this month, students have the opportunity to explore the various aspects of the chosen theme. They read books that describe and gives vivid examples on the topic, participate in hands-on activities, use props to act out the topic etc. To create a vast understanding of the selected topic, I embed it in the daily routines and in all the classroom areas to ensure that each student is equally exposed and has the same opportunity to learn about it regardless of the learning experiences that the child prefers. As students attend and engage in these areas and in the planned activities, I ask open-ended questions to encourage curiosity and help them think in a more in-depth manner about the theme. They also express their understanding and skills by creating artworks or joined class projects such as “studying the life cycle of a butterfly”. For example, when the children studied the life cycle of a butterfly, we got the butterfly kits, which started with eggs. The children observed, verbally noted, discussed, and creatively expressed the changes that occurred on a daily basis. I engaged them in conversations and pointed out each stage of the cycle as it occurred until we had our butterfly. This was an interesting and thought-provoking experiment that students looked forward to the whole time it lasted for. Planning projects like this are something that helps my students demonstrate the skills and understanding they have obtained and it is a rewarding experience for all of us.

 

References
National Council of Teachers of English. (2016). Engaging the five senses to learn about our world. International Literacy Association. Retrieved from http://www.readwritethink.org/parent-afterschool-resources/tips-howtos/engaging-five-senses-learn-30959.html

Tomlinson, C. A. (2001). How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-ability Classrooms. Alexandria, Va: Assoc. for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Unknown. (2016). Super senses. Science Spin K-1, 1-4. Retrieved from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.postu.idm.oclc.org/eds/detail/detail?sid=94459a8e-02bd-4613-b7b1-1670a0fa81a2%40sessionmgr4007&vid=9&hid=4110&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#AN=117366387&db=f5h

EDU 605- DI Blog

Unit 5- Learning Profiles: Can We Really Make Them Work?

In my professional context, it is required that students are assessed and evaluated on six main domains. These domains include social-emotional, physical, cognitive, language, mathematics and literacy. To accurately perform these assessments and evaluations, the curriculum has to be designed to support the set objectives on a weekly basis. These observations assist teachers in planning a curriculum that is differentiated to meet each student’s needs. To develop individualized plans, teachers watch for how students are exhibiting the skills described in bloom’s taxonomy.

Bloom’s Taxonomy is categorized into remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating (Armstrong, 2016). The first step is remembering and it is evident as students play with the displayed materials in the classroom. They use previous experiences to figure out other ways to use toys or do other things. Next, the students show how they understand/interpret learning through their daily interactions and the play they engage in throughout the day. Free play is mostly the time to observe application because children demonstrate more independence in their “choice” areas. In these areas, one can see how creativity and imagination are brought to life and easily detect what/how students are interpreting as well as how they are applying the knowledge gained. Students analyze data differently mostly because of their preferred learning styles (Tomlinson, 2001). Learning preferences are mostly influenced by student’s learning styles and are evident in the choice of play or activities they choose to participate in. Although teacher directed, students are encouraged to reflect on their work, think about what worked, what did not work and ways that they can handle things/situations differently. This helps them to self-evaluate their own learning and actively contribute to ways that learning can be improved. Lastly, all the aforementioned steps play a huge role in what students create from their learning. This is demonstrated in the form of creativity and the utilization of classroom materials.

(Armstrong, 2016)

However, Bloom’s Taxonomy is not only limited to students but it equally applies to the teachers in the way they plan and execute lesson plans (Adams, 2015). To ensure that students’ observations and evaluations in the six domains are not biased or limited in any way, teachers have a duty to tie these objectives into what they students are learning. This is when classroom differentiation, which allows for individualized instruction becomes an absolute necessity (Gray & Waggoner, 2002).

The 4MAT model, in an eight step process, suggests ways that teachers could approach learning so that all students are empowered to efficiently demonstrate the different categories of learning as seen in Bloom’s Taxonomy. In the 4MAT cycle, the first step, being able to connect to learners is very important without which, no learning can occur (McCarthy, 2010).

In the next steps, teachers are admonished to help students attend to the connection, as well as help them create an image of what they are learning. Step four and five discuss delivering information and practicing. These two steps are inter-dependent on each other because the way the teacher instructs will be very evident in how students demonstrate their learning in practice. To further enhance students’ learning, it is important to incorporate ways through which that learning can be extended. Then, students will be empowered to refine their work through self-assessments and evaluations. This step helps the student to rethink their learning and the approaches they take to learning. Only after the first seven steps have been properly implemented, will the last step of this cycle, performance be meaningful. Just like the last step in Bloom’s Taxonomy requires students to create/produce, this step also requires students to demonstrate what they have learned through performance, a similarity that explains what the endpoint of every learning experience should be.

 

References

Adams, N. E. (2015). Bloom’s taxonomy of cognitive objectives. Journal of the Medical Library Association, 103(3), 152- 153. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.3163/1536-5050.103.3.010

Armstrong, P. (2016). Bloom’s taxonomy. Center For Teaching. Retrieved from https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/blooms-taxonomy/

Gray, K. C. & Waggoner, J. E. (2002). Multiple intelligences meet bloom’s taxonomy. Kappa Delta Pi Record, 38(4), 184-187.

McCarthy, B. (2010, April 7). Practicing with 4MAT: Step five of the 4MAT cycle. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=or8iBn56Yp0

Tomlinson, C. A. (2001). How to differentiate instruction in mixed-ability classrooms. Alexandria, Va: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

EDU 605- DI Blog

Unit 4: Differentiated by Readiness and Interest

 

This video was on differentiating instruction for students with disabilities in an early childhood inclusion classroom. One important message that I took from this video was that “one size fits all” should never be the ordeal in any classroom because learners come with different abilities, interests, needs and learning styles. Also, students with disabilities should be given the same opportunities and afforded the same learning experiences as the children without disabilities. Learning experiences should be planned in an inclusive manner, taking the individual differences of students into consideration. The aim of every educator should be to see his/her students succeed (Wagner, 2016). This can only happen if classrooms are inclusive enough to accommodate the diversity presented by each learner. Based on the areas preferred by each student, the teacher can decipher the learning styles of younger learners and provide more support in that style to assist that learner.

When a classroom has both children with disabilities and those without disabilities, it is easier for the teacher to devote more time to the children with disabilities. This is sometimes done unconsciously and may end up causing negative feelings and reactions on the part of the other students in the classroom. How can this be prevented? Despite differentiating instruction, what is the balancing point in this type of scenario?

Incorporating the strategies in this video into my curriculum will help ensure a more efficient implementation of differentiated instruction for my students. I already use some of the strategies suggested in my classroom so I will make some modifications to ensure that my learners are properly accommodated. Also, strategies such as “differentiating products” where the students can display what they have learned in various ways, will allow my young learners to reflect on their knowledge, skills and understanding (Wagner, 2016). However, “behavioral supports” is something that I have tried but still need to lay much emphasis because my students do not show a consistent positive outcome for the tasks that this strategy is used for yet. One way I have implemented this strategy is by using songs to indicate transition activities, flicking the lights to indicate cleanup time and so on. This style does not seem to work for all my learners so devising other means to support those that still have a hard time will be one way to further use this strategy.

Overall, if the strategies suggested in this video are properly implemented, it will set my classroom on a qualitative pedestal where all students, irrespective of their physical, emotional or academic state, will be duly considered and their needs effectively met.

References

Wagner, J. (2016). Differentiating in an early childhood inclusion classroom.

EDU 605: DI Blog

Unit 3: Managing Differentiated Environments!

I believe that when differentiated instruction is properly planned and implemented, it can yield excellent and irrevocable academic success for students of all calibers. It can eliminate classroom disengagement and cause students to become active and enthusiastic learners. To support this belief, I offer the following example of an eighth grade math student, as illustrated by Hani (2014). The student was usually observed to be absent-minded and daydreaming in his math class whenever instruction was occurring. On the contrary, he did not have this problem in his other classes. When this situation was carefully examined, it was discovered that his math teacher did not instruct in a way that met this student’s learning style and his instruction was not differentiated in a way that took this student’s interests and needs into consideration (Hani, 2014).

This example demonstrates the frustration experienced by students and teachers alike when the method of instruction fails to consider what different students preferred learning styles and abilities may be. The student may resign to being unruly and inattentive during class while the teacher may become agitated by the student’s behavior. To eliminate this sort of disengagement, teachers should consider “multiple intelligence and the zone of proximal development” when planning a curriculum (Hani, 2014). When instructions involve a variety of intelligences, students will most likely be able to connect to their preferred intelligence and learn in a way that is comfortable enough for them. Vygotsky (1978), as cited by Hani (2014), defines “zone of proximal development as the level at which a student can perform a task with the guidance of an adult or a more capable peer”. If teachers plan instructions in a way that addresses all students at their appropriate developmental levels/academic capabilities, and offer assistance as needed, students will become more compelled to learn and engage during learning experiences.

Regarding Tomlinson’s idea to “time differentiated activities to support student success” (p. 33), I believe that this should be one of the important factors that every teacher considers when planning a curriculum. To support this belief, I offer the following example from my toddlers/twos classroom in my educational context,. When I first started sectioning my lesson plan to small groups, large groups, and individual learning experiences, I allocated the same amount of time to each area and all children were encouraged to stay in the area for that amount of time.

However, I started noticing that some students could persist for longer periods during particular tasks and others just lost interest and no amount of encouragement yielded any positive results. I talked to my supervisor about this and she suggested cutting down on the times for each area and taking into consideration the attention span and interest of each student at particular activities. When I did this and also allowed each student to do the activity of their choice as well as offered help and assistance as needed, students began to show a lot more interest and excitement at learning. I also saw great results in building their attention span because now students are beginning to delve out of their comfort zones and are demonstrating more sustenance in other areas than they did in the past.

 

References

Hani, M. (2014). Maximizing student success with differentiated learning. The Clearing House. 87(1), 34-38. doi: http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1080/00098655.2013.832130

Tomlinson, C. A. (2001). How to differentiate instruction in mixed-ability classrooms. Alexandria, Va: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Vygotsky, L. S. 1978. Mind in society. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

EDU 605: DI Blog

EDU 605- Differentiated Instruction

Unit 2: The Culture of Differentiation

In classrooms where differentiated instructions are majorly utilized, the teachers are regarded as “organizers of learning opportunities” and not the traditional “dispensers or keepers of knowledge” (Tomlinson, 2001, p. 16). Differentiated instruction allows teachers to create many effective strategies that are used to promote individual student’s learning. Modeling and scaffolding amongst others, are some of strategies used to enhance learning by differentiated instruction. Of all these strategies, I consider scaffolding to be very resourceful in any classroom. It is used when a whole lesson or learning experience needs to be broken down and handled in smaller sections to ensure that each student has a comprehensive understanding of the material being taught (Alber, 2014).

In early childhood education, one major aspect of focus is literacy development and the scaffolding approach of differentiated instruction that can be used to help students acquire this skill. However, some children do not receive the personalized support they require in the classroom to help promote the development and nurturing of this skill. Therefore, the use of differentiated instruction will not only increase the chances of young children developing this skill but will also create confidence in how it can be used to positively affect learning. Differentiated instruction is especially important in teaching language and literacy skills to young children because it allows the various aspects of language to be taught in pieces. It also gives children the opportunities to exhibit language acquisition in varying ways. Through this process, teachers have the opportunity to personalize learning to address the needs of the diverse learners present in a classroom.

As early childhood education has become prevalent, the concern for language/literacy acquisition before kindergarten has also increased, hence raising the need for interventions such as the incorporation of differentiated instruction in classrooms (Gettinger & Stoiber, 2012). Given these concerns, Gettinger and Stoiber (2012) conducted a research to monitor if using a curriculum-based, teacher support differentiated instruction was a positive approach for the development of literacy in the early years. The study was focused majorly on children from low-income families because majority of them attend schools that do not implement differentiated instruction. It consisted of approximately 300 children that were enrolled in 15 Head Start Classrooms. This Head Start program whose teachers were participating in a multiyear professional development intervention called Exemplary Model of Early Growth and Excellence (EMERGE), served about 1,500 low-income African American families (Gettinger & Stoiber, 2012). To accurately assess this method, classrooms was sectioned out to support student choice and active learning. 8 of the 15 classrooms were assigned the EMERGE experimental sites and the teachers of those classrooms continued to attain monthly professional development as well as receive weekly on-site coaching.

The purpose was to ensure that this literacy invention measure was further strengthened. Teachers in these classrooms engaged with students through shared book reading, asking open-ended questions and extending discussions during book interactions. They also used and provided the children with explicit vocabulary to help strengthen their word knowledge. Lastly, they focused on building alphabet knowledge through letters and sounds. To ensure a proper comprehension, the children also received a 30-minutes a day, teacher supported small group instruction. The rest of the 7 classrooms were considered the control sites and none of the intervention measures or progress monitored was administered except the small group, which lacked all forms of teacher support. Observations were taken in both the experimental and control sites during the course of this research.

When the research was concluded, all assessment data was collected to use in determining the outcome of this intervention. Through these data, it was discovered that the extra support given to children in the experimental classrooms yielded a higher rate of literacy acquisition and development. The study also showed that children benefitted more from individualized/small group instruction because the teacher was able to focus more on the literally need and interest of each student (Gettinger & Stoiber, 2012). Overall, the children in the experimental classrooms showed more progress in their literacy development and acquisition skills than children in the controlled classrooms.

The approach of professional development to properly educate teachers on the appropriate ways to implement differentiated instruction in classrooms will be especially useful in my educational context. However, several lapses still exist in the implementation and intervention approach such as the one described in this research. These lapses exist in the form of finances and lack of administrative support. If early childhood programs are not well funded, it will be impossible for them to properly train their teachers on the effective strategies that should be used to implement differentiated instruction. Also, some teachers may have this idea but the school administration may not fully support their quest to design their curriculum in a way that supports differentiated instruction.

Question: Are there any educational context that will not support the use of differentiated instruction? If yes, what are the reasons and what other approaches could be used to produce similar results as when differentiated instruction is used?

References

Alber, R. (2014). Scaffolding strategies to use with your students. Edutopia. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/scaffolding-lessons-six-strategies-rebecca-alber

Gettinger, M. & Stoiber, K. C. (2012). Curriculum-based early literacy assessment and differentiated instruction with high-risk preschoolers. Reading Psychology, 33, 11-46. doi: http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1080/02702711.2012.630605

Tomlinson, C. A. (2001). How to differentiate instruction in mixed-ability classrooms. Alexandria, Va: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

EDU 605- Differentiated Instruction

In creating my mind-map, I was able to reflectively consider what differentiated instruction means to my learners and me. I thought about why this approach of learning is important and the benefits it proffers in every classroom. This experience and the course materials further extended my learning on the process of designing a curriculum that will address the need of each student in a classroom of mixed abilities (Tomlinson, 2001).

Differentiated instruction is teaching with the students in mind, that is, planning instruction that establishes substantial learning goals and takes into consideration the learning abilities of each student, providing a variety of ways to get learning across to best support each learner (Tomlinson, 2001). It is being able to adjust our learning goals to make it suitable for all students while considering their various learning styles, their strengths as well as weaknesses and the potential that each student possesses. To a learner, differentiated instruction is simply learning that is designed to cater for individual needs while considering the variability of students present in the classroom.

In my professional context, contextual observations help me to assess children’s differences and hence develop individualized plans that are characteristic of each student’s strength and weakness. Thinking and learning styles are important accessories when developing learning plans for students (Robert & Zhang, 2005). When a teacher understands the preferred style of each student, he/she can consciously include a variety of learning activities that will promote challenging but enjoyable learning experiences for all students.

 

References

Tomlinson, C. A. (2001). What differentiated instruction is – and isn’t. In How to differentiate instruction in mixed-ability classrooms, (2^nd Edition, pp. 1-7). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Robert, S. & Zhang, L. (2005). Styles of thinking as basis of differentiated instruction. Theory Into Practice, 44(3), 245-253. doi: http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1207/s15430421tip4403_9