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Differentiated Instruction: Empowering All Learners
(All)

Overview

This course provides teachers a structured framework and strategies from which to teach a diverse group of learners in a single classroom. Implementing Differentiated Instruction transforms a teacher into a facilitator of learning – guiding students as they explore and master the curriculum using their unique learning styles and strengths individually and collaboratively. This course will engage teachers in developing lessons that will embed flexibility for learning styles, involve students at their instructional level, use interest and choice as motivational tools, and utilize ongoing assessment. Participants will learn how to differentiate the content (what to teach), the process (how to teach it), and the product (demonstrating what the learner knows, understands, and is able to do) to meet individual learning styles. And, of course, how to manage this differentiated classroom will be addressed. While this course does not address specific content standards, participants' final lesson project will reference their own content area standards.

Goals and Products

This online course will enable participants to

1. Identify benefits and discuss reasons for pursuing differentiated instruction.
2. Compare and contrast differentiated instruction with their current teaching style.
3. Discuss and select content, process and products that address interests, readiness and learning style/multiple intelligences of a diverse student population.
4. Identify and select appropriate instructional strategies that support learner diversity.
5. Develop learning units using differentiated instruction including differentiating content, process and product.

Course Expectations

Prerequisites

This is an introductory course for teachers, curriculum specialists, professional development specialists or other school personnel. Participants are expected to have regular access to computers. In addition, participants should be proficient with using e-mail, browsing the Internet and navigating to computer files.

Content and Technology Standards

This course, Differentiating Instruction to Accommodate Learning Styles, will help participants meet the ISTE Educational Technology Standards and Performance Indicators for All Teachers, especially Standards II, III and IV.

For more information about Technology Integration visit: http://www.iste.org

Reproduced with permission from Education Development Center, Inc.,
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