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Participants build on their understandings of neuro-education
and curriculum to design differentiated instructional
units that incorporate appropriate research-based
practices, that are sensitive to developmental needs of
learners, and that differentiate learning elements,
content, process, and product.
Course
Overview
This
course gives planning-implementation structure and a
strengthened theoretical base to the ground work
developed in the prerequisite course, Brain Research
Implications. Participants explore the literature
in order to establish a grounded understanding of what
is implied when educators take on the challenges of
differentiating instruction. This
investigation requires examining related myths and
scoping out realistic goals and plans for accommodating
a range of developmental appropriate diverse learner
need
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Differentiation requires sensitivity to the individual
needs of learners, superimposed within the social
construct of the learning environment. Thus,
critical elements of creating an effective and sensitive
learning environment are investigated. These
include elements such as communication networks,
cultural sensitivity, environmental style
accommodations, routines, transitions, pacing, spiraling,
support systems. As well, critical dimensions of
accommodating and stretching individual preferences and
needs are explored, building on the prerequisite
understandings of intelligences and styles.
Such an exploration leads the participants to
understand, examine and plan for the variances required
when one seeks to differentiate for content, process,
and product. Careful decisions need to be
made in order to select instructional practices that
maximize learning and are supported by formative and
summative assessments that show learning results in the
light of the learner outcomes.
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While
the prerequisite course modeled some of these dimensions
of differentiation, the content was too broad and new
for participants to be able to focus on their own
design, accommodation, and implementation of
differentiated plans. This course affords the
participants with an opportunity to spiral their
understandings from the prerequisite investigation,
broaden their theoretical groundings, and acquire design
constructs that support their implementation efforts
with classrooms of learners.
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Learner
Outcomes
The learner outcomes of this course are
designed to conform to standards established
by the Illinois State Board of Education.
To view the standards applicable please
click
State Standards.
As
a result of this course, participants will be
able to:
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provide rationales, grounded in the literature,
for incorporating given instructional practices
and strategies into learning plans
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clarify to stakeholders the theoretical
framework, goals, and practices that define
differentiated instruction as participants seek
to implement it
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exhibit developmentally appropriate practices
that show an ability to modify content, process,
product, learning environment elements for
individuals and groups
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exhibit an instructional unit that scaffolds
outcomes, supports appropriately scaffolded
practices, accommodates individual as well as
group styles and needs, and includes an
implementation plan for scheduling and
management
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strengthen understanding and articulation of
their instructional decisions as rooted in the
literature of neuro-education
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