Description
Differentiation in the classroom means meeting students where they are most capable of learning. It is not an extra layer of work, rather a habit of mind for both teacher and student. Learn granular approaches to infusing differentiation into all of your lesson plans, whether you’re a Common Core school or not, with this hands-on, interactive class. Ideas include visual, audio, video, mindmaps, infographics, graphic organizers, charts and tables, screenshots, screencasts, images, games and simulations, webtools, and hybrid assessments.
Assessment is based on involvement, interaction with classmates, and completion of projects so be prepared to be fully-involved and an eager risk-taker. Price includes course registration, college credit, and all necessary materials. To enroll, click the link, search for MTI 563, and sign up. If you don’t find the listing, it means it isn’t currently offered. Email [email protected] for upcoming dates.
What You Get
- 5 Activities (topics)
- Tech ed videos
- Tech ed Lesson plans
- Hall of Fame tech ed articles
- 5 weeks
- 4 virtual meetings
- Unlimited questions/coaching during virtual face-to-face meetings and other pre-arranged times. We stay until everyone leaves.
- 3 college credits
Course Objectives
At the completion of this course, you will be able to:
- Use technology to differentiate for student learning styles
- Understand how differentiating content and presentation engages a great proportion of learners
- Ensure that the outcome of student learning demonstrates understanding
- Vary assignments to address all learners’ needs
- Create an inclusive learning environment in the classroom
Who Needs This
This course is designed for classroom teachers, tech teachers, integration specialists, media specialists, LMS, administrators, principals, homeschoolers, teachers of teachers, and pre-service professionals who:
- Are serious about integrating tech into their class
- Worry about integrating tech into their class
- Know what to do, but have questions
- Want creative approaches to using tech
What Do You Need to Participate
- Internet connection
- Accounts for online tools like a blog, Twitter, various web-based tools
- Google account (can be your school account or your personal one)
- Ready and eager to commit 5-10 hours per week for 5 weeks to learning tech
- Commitment to review materials prior to the virtual meeting (so you are prepared to address questions with classmates)
- Risk-takers attitude, inquiry-driven mentality, passion to optimize learning and differentiate instruction
NOT Included:
- Standard software assumed part of a typical ed tech set-up
- Tech networking advice
- Assistance setting up hardware, networks, infrastructure, servers, internet, headphones, microphones, phone connections, loading software (i.e., Office, Photoshop).
Activities include:
- Differentiating with Audio/Video
- Class Warm-up and Exit Tickets
- Differentiation
- Gamify Your Classroom
- Visual Learning
 What Students Think
 To say I have learned a lot in the past five weeks of my online class is an understatement. I have attended Google Hangouts, learned about back channels, created a blog, and even tweeted!
I would like to close by saying how much I enjoyed this class. I truly learned so much. As a technology teacher I was not sure what to expect from this course. I found that much of what I currently do in the classroom has been validated. However and more importantly, I learned many new instruction and assessment strategies (along with some new tech tools) that I can now use and apply to improve the learning in my classroom. Thanks everyone!
About the Mentors
Ask a Tech Teacher© is a group of teachers, passionate about technology in education, who run the award-winning resource blog Ask a Tech Teacher © with more than 75,000 visitors a month in search of teaching materials and advice. It offers oodles of free lesson plans, pedagogical conversation, website reviews and more. Its free newsletters and website articles are read by thousands, including teachers, homeschoolers, and anyone serious about finding the best way to maneuver the minefield of technology in education.
Jacqui Murray has been teaching K-8 technology for 15 years. She is the editor of a K-8 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum, and creator of dozens of technology training books and webinars for how to integrate tech into ed. She is webmaster for six blogs, CSG Master Teacher, adjunct professor in tech ed, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, Editorial Review Board member for Journal for Computing Teachers, CSTA presentation reviewer, CAEP reviewer, adjunct professor, freelance journalist on tech ed topics, a columnist for Examiner.com, and a weekly contributor to TeachHUB.
