[CASL-L] ASCD SmartBrief Special Report: Differentiated Instruction & Technology (Part I)

[IRENE KWIDZINSKI]

FYI


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Sent: Tue, February 28, 2012 6:03:46 AM
Subject: ASCD SmartBrief Special Report: Differentiated Instruction & Technology 
(Part I)

ASCD Special Report  
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February 28, 2012 Sign up Forward Archive Advertise      
News for the Education Profession  

 
ASCD Special Report: Differentiated Instruction & Technology (Part I) 
By creating opportunities for students to excel, regardless of learning style 
and individual needs, differentiated instruction enables teachers to help each 
diverse learner reach his or her potential and meet common curriculum goals. 
When working to differentiate instruction, teachers must identify ways in which 
students are different and also establish ways in which they are similar. 
Technology is becoming one of the star players in helping educators teach 
students with varying learning styles and abilities and ensure that each student 
has the opportunity to excel. 


Part I of this report examines how schools and districts are working to serve 
the educational needs of all of their learners, including gifted students and 
learners with disabilities. This segment of the report also delves into the role 
that technology -- including the Internet and a range of mobile-computing 
devices -- plays in fostering learning among students when schools are striving 
to ensure accessibility for all.

Part II of the report, to be published Thursday, will focus on educator training 
and how technology is facilitating personalized learning for students. The 
second part of the report also will examine how schools are handling budgets and 
restraints on funding that have the potential to hinder teachers' ability to 
implement DI.

If you don't receive ASCD SmartBrief daily, we urge you to sign up for our 
timely e-newsletter. ASCD SmartBrief delivers the stories making news in your 
profession directly to your inbox -- for free. 

  At a Glance      
	* Should students be grouped by ability?
A school in Arizona was able to curb the exodus of its top students to nearby 
charter schools by clustering students in the classroom. In cluster grouping 
models, all students in a grade level are grouped according to their ability and 
achievement levels. A cluster of either gifted or high-achieving students -- one 
or the other -- is in every classroom, along with only two or three other 
clusters. The method allows teachers to spend more time with individual students 
and gives gifted students a better chance to excel, according to Dina Brulles, 
director of gifted education services at Paradise Valley Unified School District 
in Phoenix, and Susan Winebrenner, founder and president of Education Consulting 
Service. Educational Leadership(2/2012)       

	* Educator: Individualized learning vs. standardized testing
Arthur Goldstein, who teaches English-language learners in Queens, N.Y., 
suggests in this article that differentiation be applied in assessments to 
account for differences in students. Teachers are trained on how to reach each 
student as an individual, but Common Core State Standards and other forms of 
evaluation, such as the New York State English Regents exam, tend to favor a 
more "formulaic" style of teaching. "[T]he only skill they acquired was passing 
the English Regents [exam]," writes Goldstein, recalling one of his classes. The 
New York Times (tiered subscription model)/SchoolBook blog(2/17)      

 “If you’re not feeling a little bit uncomfortable about being a teacher or 
being in education right now, then you’re not paying attention.” The internet: 
an added challenge for learning, or an opportunity? Hear what 21st century 
skills author William Richardson has to say in this free video. 

  In the Classroom      
	* Special-education students benefit from brain research
Techniques based on brain-science research increasingly are being used to 
improve the education of students who have disabilities. At one Maryland private 
school that serves students with disabilities, brain-science strategies are used 
as part of the school's Model Asperger Program, while researchers at the 
Massachusetts Institute of Technology are using brain imagining to help predict 
which students might have dyslexia or other learning challenges. Education Week 
(premium article access compliments of EdWeek.org)(1/18)       

	* Was more guidance needed before inclusion shift?
Three years after implementing a system of inclusion at San Diego, Calif., 
schools, some are questioning whether the district was prepared for the change. 
Going from one extreme to the other, San Diego made special-education training 
optional for teachers and that individual schools received little guidance on 
how to make the switch. One principal said more expert guidance should have been 
provided. Education Week/On Special Education blog(1/30)      

  Technology and Trends      
	* How technology has transformed learning
The emergence of widespread Internet connectivity, social networking and mobile 
computing all have contributed to the creation of a new type of learner, 
according to a study by the Pew Research Center. "These three elements together 
have changed the context of learning," said Lee Rainie, director of the center's 
Internet and American Life Project. Students today are more self-directed, more 
inclined to collaborate and rely on feedback from peers, and are better-equipped 
to obtain information, the article states. T.H.E. Journal(12/13)      

  
	* Rural students benefit from online algebra course
Students who took an online Algebra I course in eighth-grade performed better in 
high-school algebra and more likely were to take rigorous math classes later in 
high school than students who had access only to general eighth-grade math, a 
new study shows. Researchers studied the use of the virtual course in small 
rural schools in Maine and Vermont, in cases where students were ready for 
advanced math but did not have access to a formal face-to-face course. Education 
Week/Inside School Research blog(12/13)       

	* Students gain independence through technology
Special-education students at a New Jersey elementary school are using iPads, 
laptops and other technology to learn and communicate. "Using technology like 
this fosters independence and that's what we want for all of our children, 
regardless of what grade they are in," said Jill Troisi, a physical therapist 
and member of the district's Assistive Technology Team. "We would rather provide 
students with a device than send them out of district to a private institution," 
she added. Patch.com/Wayne, N.J.(1/30)       

	* Other News 
	* Special-education students use website to develop social skills
The Daily News Journal (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) (2/11)     
  Accessibility for All      
	* Giving students equal opportunity to excel
All students can have an equal opportunity to achieve academic excellence 
through a strategy known as "teaching up," according to the writers of this 
article. To implement the strategy, educators must accept human differences, 
help students grow as learners, understand students' cultures and interests, 
focus on rigor and understand that students enter the classroom with varied 
knowledge. They also recommend that teachers have flexible processes and 
procedures in the classroom and be analytical practitioners. Educational 
Leadership(2/2012)       

	* Federal data highlights funding inequity among schools
While all schools are to be treated equally under federal law, schools in 
Broward County, Fla., with higher enrollment of low-income students, received 
less funding. U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said last year that he 
recognized the problem, and many school districts are supplanting funding for 
low-income schools with federal funding through the Title I program. 
Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)(2/13)       

	* Do special-education classes affect school performance?
Top-performing schools in New York City tend to have a smaller number of 
special-education students who cannot learn in mainstream classes, according to 
a recent analysis. However, it is unclear whether there is a connection between 
special-education students and school performance. Many high-ranking schools, 
for example, have only a small number of special-education students who require 
"self-contained" classes. The New York Times (tiered subscription 
model)/SchoolBook blog(2/13)       

	* Other News 
	* Parents in Md. district seek improvements in autism education
The Gazette (Gaithersburg, Md.) (1/24)     
  ASCD Resources      
	* More on Differentiated Instruction & Technology 
	* "For Each to Excel," the Feb 2012 issue of Educational Leadership with bonus 
online-only content 

	* "For Each to Excel," the Feb 2012 issue of Educational Leadership in digital 
format  

	* "For Each to Excel," issue of ASCD Express (2012)  
	* "Teaching Screenagers," the Feb 2011 issue of Educational Leadership with 
bonus online-only content  

	* "Teaching Screenagers," the February 2011 print issue of Educational 
Leadership in digital format  

	* Whole Child Podcast episode: "Teaching in a Digital World" (2011)  
	* "Leading and Managing A Differentiated Classroom" (2010 ASCD book)  
	* Archived "Tech for Teachers" articles from ASCD Express  
	* "Meeting the Goals of the National Education Technology Plan," the Fall 2011 
issue of Policy Priorities  

	* The "Mobile Technology in Schools" group on ASCD EDge  
	* ASCD Express issue "Teaching Screenagers" (2011) 
	* Curriculum 21: Essential Education for a Changing World (2010 ASCD book)  
	* PD Online® courses on differentiated instruction  
	* "Teaching and Learning Resources for the Global Classroom," Education Update 
article (2011)            

Product announcements appearing in SmartBrief are paid advertisements and do not 
reflect actual ASCD endorsements. The news reported in SmartBrief does not 
necessarily reflect the official position of ASCD.  


 
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