Differentiated Learning Webinar with A+ Solutions and Favi Becker

A+ Solutions and Parentingsimply.com are working together to bring Title 1 teachers a great training webinar. Last night, I had the privilege of  listening to Favi Becker, as she facilitated the second class of her seriesDifferentiated Learning. 

We discussed the Essential Principles of Differentiation:

• Good Curriculum comes first

• All tasks should be respectful of each learner

• When in doubt, teach up!

• Use flexible grouping

• Become an assessment junkie

• Grade for growth

I love this quote by Don Deshler that Favia mentioned:

Academic and social diversity among your students is not a problem, it is a given.

Failing to plan for diversity is a problem.

Some important points that were mentioned were:

• We know that learning happens best when a learning experience pushes the learner a bit beyond his or her independence level.

• When a student continues to work on understanding and skills already mastered, little if any new learning takes place.

• On the other hand, if tasks are far ahead of a student’s current point of mastery, frustration results and learning does not.(Vygotsky, 1962)

We covered so much information. This is the second of 3 classes on Differentiated Instruction given by Favi Becker. I am looking forward to the last one….