This is cross-posted on my Wilkes blog:
On November 3, I will be facilitating a 3-hour workshop on using technology to differentiate instruction to our K-6 teachers. I’ve learned so much through participating in this course and feel there is a need for our staff members to re-imagine what differentiation looks like with the advent of these tools. Most teachers I talk to feel like differentiation is “just one more thing to do”; they haven’t yet seen the power of differentiation to more readily meet their students’ needs.
So what are my goals for the session? Well, for one, I want to help them shift their thinking; instead of seeing differentiation as something we “do” to the students, they need to see it as a way of thinking about learning. If we truly understand and believe that each person comes to us with a unique learning style and differing needs, then the natural consequence is to design learning experiences that reflect that belief. Secondly, I want to re-introduce them to differentiation strategies such as learning contracts, surveys, pre-assessments and compacting. Finally, I want to expose them to some of the tools available to make differentiation more effective and efficient.
That’s about as far as I’ve gotten in my planning. I know I want to “walk my talk” and differentiate the session for my learners. I know I want to bring in some expert voices to bring multiple perspectives to the learning. I know I will create a wiki to house all of the session information. What do you think? If were going to plan a three hour workshop on using technology to differentiate instruction, what might your plan look like? I would love to hear your thoughts.
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