Teaching+for+Learner+Differences

Teaching for Learner Differences requires teachers to understand essential concepts and skills, to identify the contributing factors affecting the desired outcome, and to utilize a variety of methods to teach and reinforce the desired concepts and skills. It includes providing access to the general education curriculum for all students. Teaching for Learner Differences can best be accomplished by engaging in a process which has teachers using student and instructional assessment data to make sound instructional decisions to meet the needs of individual students.



Attribute 1 (Big Ideas): Instruction is focused on the essential concepts and skills within the content.  Attribute 2 (Instructional Match): Instruction is designed and delivered to match students' needs based on assessment data of students' prior knowledge, readiness, individual interests, and learning preferences.  Attribute 3 (Flexibility): Teacher provides flexibility within content, instruction, and product to allow for variances in students' acquisition and demonstration of learning.  Attribute 4 (Conspicuous Learning Process): Teachers provide clear instruction about how to learn, making the various strategies and skills of the learning process conspicuous to all students.  Attribute 5 (Feedback): Instruction includes opportunities for students to practice and review their learning and receive feedback.  Attribute 6 (Progress Monitoring): The teacher regularly monitors each students' progress related to the acquisition of the essential concepts and skills and adjusts instruction to meet students' learning needs.
 * This attribute is like a hammer because it really hits the concept home.
 * This attribute is like a blue print because it focuses on the essentials.
 * Instructional match is like a pair of work gloves because the instruction has to fit the glove. (Not like OJ Simpson!)
 * Instructional match is like a multi-purpose screwdriver because you can take off one head (or instructional strategy) and replace it quickly with another.
 * Flexibility is like a Swiss army knife because you can switch the tool quickly.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Flexibility is like a crescent wrench because you can adjust it to fit the need of the project.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">A conspicuous learning process is like a socket wrench because ...
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">A conspicuous learning process is like a crescent wrench because ...
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Feedback is like a level because it can be adjusted until you hit the target.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Feedback is like a pair of work boots because you have to have the right shoes for the job.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Monitoring a student's progress is like a level because instruction can be adjusted to meet students' needs.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Progress monitoring is like finding balance on a scale.