Differentiated Instruction: One Size Does Not Fit All
(Grades K-6) / Flex Course
PDI Course Number: 88T02 / UCSD Course Number: EDUC41487
Course Description
Are you struggling with how to meet the needs of the varied ability levels of your students? This online course for teachers helps educators analyze the learning styles and readiness of their students so that they can effectively develop a differentiated curriculum to meet the needs of a diverse population. Teachers will gain a clear understanding of the needs of multilingual, special education, and academically diverse classrooms, and they will learn how to adjust their lessons to accommodate the different needs and learning styles of their students. Different strategies and resources such as tiered instruction, multiple intelligences, and universal design for learning (UDL) will be presented so that teachers can better embrace and implement the principles of differentiated instruction into their classrooms. Very specific strategies for differentiation in each content area are presented along with ways to use digital differentiation. Teachers will also be exposed to a variety of techniques for assessing their differentiated learners. The impact of social-emotional issues on the learning process is explored, as well as how differentiation works within the pedagogy of culturally responsive teaching. By the end of this continuing education course, teachers will feel more confident as they work to differentiate lessons with a diverse group of students. This online professional development course is worth 3 ⅓ semester units/5 quarter units (50 hours of training) from University of California San Diego (UCSD) Division of Extended Studies. For detailed information on receiving university credit for your PDI professional development course, visit our credit page.
Need help? Kimya Nabavi, PDI Program Coordinator, is ready to assist.
"The content offered in this course was superb. It was easy to understand and very easy to implement into my lesson plans. After teaching for 14 years, I felt that this course gave me a fresh new look at teaching." - Samantha McCann
This course is worth 3 ⅓ semester units or 5 quarter units of graduate-level credit from UCSD.
You have up to one year from the date you are enrolled to complete a flex course.
View the online course syllabus.
Print our customized course approval form to share with your school district.
TOPICAL OUTLINE
UCSD Course Number: EDUC41487
Unit One
- What is differentiated instruction?
- Knowing the Learning Styles of Students
- Diagnosing the Difference in Readiness
- Assignment #1: Write an autobiography
- Test #1
Unit Two
- Differentiating Instruction for Reading
- Differentiating Instruction for Math
- Differentiating Instruction for Social Studies and Science
- Digital Differentiation
- Assignment #2: Article reflection
- Test #2
Unit Three
- Special Needs Students in Mainstream Classrooms
- Gifted and Talented Students
- The Multilingual Classroom
- Assignment #3: Share your expertise
- Test #3
Unit Four
- Creating an Environment for Learning
- Managing the Differentiated Classroom
- Adjusting and Grouping Instruction
- Test #4
Unit Five
- Guidelines for Tiered Lessons
- Multiple Intelligences
- Universal Design for Learning
- Test #5
Unit Six
- Assessment Techniques
- Social-Emotional Learning Factors
- Differentiation within Culturally Diverse Populations
- Assignment #4: Develop two three-tiered lesson plans
- Assignment #5: Course Reflection
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