Differentiating Instruction in the 21st Century Classroom

Course Description:

The 21st century classroom is becoming increasingly diverse. Our students represent diverse cultures and socioeconomic classes. They speak different languages at home and have varying immigration statuses. There is diversity of gender, gender expression and sexual orientation. Many students have special needs and represent various special populations. The research is clear that a one-size-fits-all approach to learning is not effective.

This course is guided by the essential question How can we create powerful learning experiences to meet the wide range of student needs in the 21st century classroom? and presents differentiation as a solution for answering this essential question and meeting the needs of a diverse student base.

This course will provide educators with the tools necessary to implement differentiation effectively in their classrooms. It provides tips and resources that educators can start utilizing immediately along with two authentic tasks and a final project that ask participants to think deeply about the subject matter and apply it to their students in meaningful ways.

Course Objectives:

Participants will be able to:

At the end of this course, the learner will be able to:

• Effectively differentiate instruction to meet the needs of all students.
• Create a learning environment where students thrive.
• Create authentic performance assessments, both formative and summative, that have clear goals and accurately reflect student learning.